Beverley

RESUME PRESENTATION

beverley — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 03:40:38 +0000

Does A Low Unemployment Market Affect Resume Presentation?

With the local Australian economy experiencing relatively low unemployment figures and with the papers sprouting that jobs are there for the plucking, it has flittered across my mind that perhaps my services as a professional résumé writer, assisting clients to stand out from the other applicants, are not needed as much as they once were.

After all, if jobs are that easy to come by, and if employers are that desperate, having a résumé that is well formatted, that contains all the critical information and key words and that highlights the job seeker’s skills and achievements, isn’t going to mean that much. The employer or recruitment consultant will be grateful for the few résumés he or she receives and will eagerly grab any candidate.

WRONG!

I recently received this comment in an email from a consultant at a major national recruitment firm:

“Lately I have been finding more and more that either I am being asked for résumé advice or feel I need to give it. I am receiving consistently poor résumés, which I generally put down to:

■ Laziness of applicants,

■ Not knowing any better or

■ A perceived lack of importance seen by candidates at this stage of the recruitment process.

It may simply be a Generation Y thing where candidates feel the jobs will or should come to them with little or no effort made on their behalf? Some of the most common issues I find with résumés are:

■ They don’t sell the person well (e.g. are just a description of employment history, etc);

■ They are far too wordy: generally I feel they should be shorter, sharper, punchier, and attract interest (sell someone) more quickly.

■ They are not specific in content towards the role/industry people are applying for (are obviously generic résumés being sent for any job).”

This recruiter’s complaint was that he simply could not see any value in these applicants. He finds himself constantly having to tell candidates they are less likely to be selected for an interview, or will be totally rejected by either himself or the client, by presenting with documents full of mistakes, irrelevant and too wordy.

Unattractive formatting was another area he found to be a complete turnoff when choosing his short list.

After this email I contacted another recruitment consultant in an upmarket company I deal with and asked if she found a difference in standards since the unemployment level had come down.

Her response confirmed what I had just ‘heard’.

“…people flick off CVs here there and everywhere without much thought. Often we don’t even get a cover letter…the formatting is poor, spelling mistakes, too much jargon and buzz words which don’t have much depth…”

Instead of taking advantage of the market, many job seekers have become complacent and are shooting themselves in the foot.

The outcome of the lower rate is not a market where job seekers are confidently honing in on a number of roles that suit their expertise and confidently formatting a document – or documents – that will assist them in advancing their career and even gaining a higher income or more valuable package.

The outcome is that too many job seekers have become lazy and complacent and are ruling themselves out of jobs that they may easily have secured.

So if you think it is easy to walk into an interview today without taking too much trouble, then think again. Unless the applicant presents him or herself in the best possible light, he or she still may not capture that interview.

How Important Is A Thank You Letter?

beverley — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 11:16:26 +0000

How Important Is A Thank You Letter?

Have you ever considered sending a thank you letter after an interview? You can guarantee that 99% of the other candidates haven’t thought of it either, so can you think of a better way of ensuring that you receive prominence in the interviewer’s mind than by sending off a note of thanks for their time – and by way of an after thought happening to mention – very briefly - why you would be perfect for the job?

According to a CareerBuilder.com survey of more than 650 employers: "Writing a thank-you letter after an interview doesn’t just showcase a candidate’s manners - it can also make or break their chances of landing a job. Nearly 15% of hiring managers say they would not hire someone who failed to send a thank-you letter after the interview, 32% say they would still consider the candidate, but would think less of him or her."

"One-in-four hiring managers prefer to receive a thank-you note in e-mail form only, 19% want the e-mail followed up with a hard copy, 21% want a typed hard copy only and 23% prefer just a handwritten note."

"26% of hiring managers expect to have the letter in-hand two days after the interview and 36% expect to have it within three to five days."

When you consider that statistics show that less than 15% of candidates even bother to send thank-you letters, and of those little more than 1% actually create a personal letter vs. a generic note of thanks, a post-interview thank you letter has got to be regarded as one of your strongest ‘personal’ marketing tools.

When writing your thank you letter, remember that first and foremost that is what it is – a thank you letter – an acknowledgement of the time taken and interest displayed by the interviewer/s.

¨ Be brief and to the point.

¨ Be personal, stating the name/s of the person/s present – ensuring that the spelling is correct.

¨ Briefly – very briefly - mention any point that you would like to reiterate that positions you as an ideal candidate.

¨ Close on a bright and positive note stating that you are looking forward to the next step in the interview process.

It’s just so simple and so effective.

My Exciting Announcement

beverley — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 05:31:10 +0000

Well, it’s exciting to me. I mentioned when I first joined I had written an online course, Launching Your Professional Resume Writing Career.

Just thought I would love to share with everyone that the web site is finally - almost totally - for the time being - up. The address is www.onlineresumewriterscourse.com

If anyone would care to view it I am open to all information regarding spelling and grammatical errors (things can slip by when its your own writing) and any comments either way. This has been a bit of a baby of mine for about a year now so - at last!!!

Thanks everyone

Do Personal Interests and Resumes Mix?

beverley — Mon, 21 May 2007 07:25:23 +0000

Should You Include Personal Interests On Your Resume?

In an article for IXL, Bernard Kellermann provides feedback from some of Australia’s top career professionals, and demonstrates that, as with many areas of compiling a résumé, the final result can still be influenced by personal preference.

Heidi Mason, head of executive search firm Russell Reynolds:

“Be careful of what is put there as it is just as easy to give the wrong impression as to have something that stands out from the crowd. Including a single-figure golf handicap on a CV could show you’re too focused on yourself, whereas participation in endurance sports sends a message about the commitment an individual is capable of.”

Paul Lyons, Managing Director of specialist recruitment firm, Ambition:

“Letting recruiters know about general interests is important for finding the right cultural match. CFOs are usually trying to sell themselves just on their track records. I’d also like to know about extra interest because this builds a picture and shows they’re aiming for a work-life balance. Yet I see a ‘major interest’ in only about one out of 10 résumés at the top level.”

Michael Markiewicz, Managing Director of recruitment consultant, Carmichael Fisher:

“Including hobbies or interests is a conversation-opener for a job interview at any level of seniority. There are no hard and fast rules on what should be included, or what it might imply about a job candidate.”

He points out that examples such as “playing for the Wallabies” suggests a leader with drive but nevertheless a team person, “a golf handicap of two, or a black belt in karate, suggests more of an individual-type person”, “theatre, opera and reading as interests implies a more analytical and contemplative type of person”.

When compiling a résumé, and even in the cover letter, I look carefully at the individual and the industry / role they are targeting. While Ms Mason views reference to golf handicaps as a possible sign of introspection, it can be a key point in compiling a sales résumé where subjects such as golf are frequent ice breakers, and golfing events are used as sales and marketing tools.

Certainly interests such as marathon running show endurance, commitment, motivation and forward planning and are an asset in any position. If you are targeting a steady, at home position, a passion for overseas travel– whether you indulge or not – could be seen as lacking focus and stability, whereas if you are targeting a position with a global organisation where you need to be comfortable relating to many different individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, international traveller would be seen as a boon.

Interests are in the eye of the beholder.

Your Cover Letter Creates THE First Impression

beverley — Tue, 01 May 2007 03:37:48 +0000

MORE THAN JUST A COVER

It is your cover letter that actually creates the first impression.

A survey conducted by the Wall Street Journal in 2004 cited professionals in the career industry, and those employers surveyed, as stating an average of 85% of cover letters they received were so badly written they materially damaged the applicants chances.

One company quoted gave the example of a recent position they had advertised where in excess of 150 applications were received. Fifty of the applications did not come with a cover letter – despite the job description specifically requesting the inclusion of a cover letter

Of the approximately 100 remaining applications 97% were so badly written, or contained mistakes or irrelevant information, or did not address any of the advertised position requirements, that the résumé was not even viewed – that’s right - 97% of the cover letters were of such a poor standard that the résumé was dismissed.

The possibly carefully crafted and beautifully presented résumé was not even looked at because of the poor quality of the cover letter. Only three of approximately 150 applicants got through to the stage of having their résumés viewed due solely to the standard of the cover letter.

When compiling your cover letter think about these few points:

* Ensure that your letter is laid out professionally and that the header and body text font is identical to your résumé.

* Make it clear that you really want THAT job. Clear your mind of all negative thoughts as you write, sit upright and write with confidence and certainty and the words you automatically choose will reflect your enthusiasm.

* Though advertisements through recruitment agencies will not divulge any useful information, do your best to research the company, as it may be possible to incorporate information relevant to the company in your letter.

* Only mention personal information if it is highly relevant to the position or the company. For example – do not refer to your age, religion or nationality or personal circumstances such as marital relationships or finances.

Always start the letter in an eye catching way. This will vary of course if you are applying to, for example, a government body or a fashion house.

Drive away the “Yeah, yeah, blah, blah, blaaahhhsss” from the individual who is reading, or even just scanning, the piles of résumés by starting the letter with facts or comments that will make them sit up and take notice.

Consider these two examples:

Consistently Achieve Top Ten Out Of 350 Nation Wide

2005 Training Coach of the Year Nominee

To achieve these results there can only be one reason – a consuming passion for personal training! Working within the health industry and with individuals to sell, promote and educate on a product or program that is beneficial - this has been my lifeblood.

******

“The reward of seeing a person grow and create positive changes with my support is the most privileged feeling I have ever experienced.”

Throughout my diverse career spanning 16 years, I have consistently been moving towards this point where I can effectively combine critical life skills, innate interpersonal and counselling expertise and excellent academic qualifications to make a difference within my chosen field of human services.

******

Go on to list 3 or 4 points that are highly relevant to the position then round out your cover letter with a brief statement about the key strengths you offer to the position, thank the reader for their time and reiterate your interest in the role in a confident, but not arrogant, manner.

When you have finished the letter ask someone who you know has an eye for detail to check for spelling and grammatical errors and for repetitive words.

And … good luck…

This is my first post

beverley — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 01:39:20 +0000

As mentioned in my Profile, aside from being a freelance and SEO writer, I am an internationally accredited resume writer and have been fortunate enough to be recognised by my peers in the form of numerous international awards and award nominations.

As such, I would like to use this space to post articles and helpful hints from time to time giving tips on resume and letter construction, job search and interview strategies.

I have also recently written a resume writer’s course for those wanting to make this a career. It is online and, though the course is up and running, that is the web site I mention is under construction.

Despite working online only, I am severely ‘technologically challenged’, so please accept any strange thing to pop up at any time and for the final construction of this site to take a very long time indeed.

Anyhow, it is lovely to have joined and I look forward to ‘meeting’ with many of you over time.

Beverley