Resume Tips
Let me guess, you're applying for jobs and need a bit of
advice...The good news, I'm confident your resume and supporting materials will
gain greater exposure if you soak up my advice and act on my recommendations.
You yourself are a brand. Too often do people focus on
continuously revising their resumes without taking their individual, digital
brand health into consideration. In addition to your resume, supporting
materials like your social media profiles will be taken into account as well. It's
important to carve out some time to ensure the quality of your resume and/or
cover letter are in-tune with your individual brand elsewhere. At present, if
your resume is successful in passing the initial applicant filter, expect
recruiters and managers to view your Linkedin, G+ and Facebook at the very least.
Digital Brand Health
While your resume is certainly important, it also must fit
onto one page. Social media platforms give you the opportunity to expand on
your resume in a detailed and organized way without sacrificing the quality and
quantity of your content .
Facebook
Your Facebook profile settings should be set to PRIVATE.
Take the time to review your friends and remove anyone you are no longer close
with. If you're applying for a job and are granted an interview (either phone
or in-person), there is a very good chance someone from the company will
attempt to view your Facebook. Your personal life should remain private, not
public, especially when you're actively seeking new career opportunities.
G+
If you don't have a Google + account, you by no means need
to get one. With that said, I highly recommend it. G+ is more than just a
social network, it's a social network with a professional twist. If you take
the time to create a profile and fill it out in its entirety, it will serve to
benefit you in the long-run. Employers want to know you're in-tune with the
digital world and G+ is one of the newer platforms that's beginning to gain
some serious traction.
Linkedin
If you're looking to rejoin the workforce, Linkedin is the
most important social media platform to be integrated with. If you have not
taken the time to build out and expand upon your Linkedin profile, you've shot
yourself in the foot. The saying "it's not what you know, it's who you
know" remains a powerful sentiment in today's day and age. The
professional world is all about networking and Linkedin has done an incredible
job making the world of professional networking and communication streamlined,
efficient and effective. I've spent quite a lot of time strengthening the
overall thoroughness of my Linkedin profile - www.linkedin.com/in/danielcblack1/.
Feel free to reach out and connect if you're looking for additional career
advice; I'm more than happy to help.
About.Me
About.Me is a free website that gives
you the ability to create a simple, but elegant personal bio/profile with a
distinct and custom URL. I highly recommend designing and completing your own
about.me page; employers will certainly be impressed. In today's world, having
a website dedicated to yourself is a growing trend and about.me makes it easier
than ever to create one of your own.
Your Resume
Your resume will typically be the first piece of material
reviewed by the employer. If it's not up to par with their expectations, you
have no chance of being granted an interview; they'll simply throw it aside and
move on to other applicants. In order to increase your chances, be sure to do
the following:
1.
Limit your resume to one page maximum, but keep
in mind your text must be large enough to read with ease.
2.
The top of your resume should open with an
"objective statement." In one precise sentence, let the employer know
your professional interests, but be sure to custom tailor your objective
statement for each employer.
3.
Chronological ordering of events.
4.
Descriptions for each experience should be
listed in bullet points. Be sure to include quantitative data/statistics
wherever possible. Employers don't want to hear you were an asset to your team,
instead, they want to know your work helped increase department revenue by 8%
in a short period of time. Differentiate yourself with quantifiable results.
5.
No BS. Everything on your resume must be
realistic. You'll be tested on it and any faltering will not only lose you the
opportunity, you may get blacklisted by the company and their affiliates. Lying
on are resume does constitute fraud; if guilty, the consequences of your
actions could land you in jail.
6.
Customize your resume for each employer. If
you've worked for some time, your years of professional experience cannot fit
onto page. Review your work experience and select the positions you've held
that are most in the line with the position you're applying for.
7.
Don't forget to include your contact
information.
All in all, you're going to land a job at some point!
Ambition, dedication and determination will yield results, but it may take some
time; be patient. Once you've finalized a particular resume, be sure to follow
up with the employer to ensure they have received it. If you're on Linkedin, do
a quick search for recruiters at the company, view their profiles and feel free
to reach out with a custom message to let them know you've sent your resume in;
it will greatly increase the chances of it being scene and may result in the
recruiter spending a bit more time looking it over.
Daniel Black graduated
from Claremont McKenna College in May of 2011. As a thought leader in the
education space, Daniel enjoys his role as a career outreach adviser for ClassesandCareers.com.
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