Avoid the pitfalls

Craft a killer resume

June 21, 2000
Web posted at: 12:08 p.m. EDT (1608 GMT)

By Ellen Uzelac

from

(womenconnect.com) -- If you're fresh out of college or grad school, you probably think your diploma is the document that will win you that first dream job. Think again. Because without a polished resume, your degree may not be worth the paper it's printed on.

Worried that you don't have enough relevant experience to weigh down a resume? Well, don't. Even your duties as shift supervisor at Wendy's or the product you developed for your marketing class project can be translated into crisp resume-speak that will make you look golden to a hiring manger.

"Never downplay yourself just because you think, 'All I've got is this degree.' If you undersell yourself, others will too," says resume writer Laura A. DeCarlo, executive director of A Competitive Edge Career Service in Melbourne, Florida (www.acompetitiveedge.com).

The resume, more often than not, represents the first link between you and your prospective employer. It needs to look good, hit the highlights and, most importantly, it's got to be compelling enough to grab the reader in 15 seconds.

"Resumes are all about perception management. It's sort of like picking the best-looking package off the shelf," according to Gayle Oliver-Leonhardt, who heads America's Best Resumes in Atlanta. "If you put yourself in a certain light, that's what is expected of you. If you project what you're capable of, you'll rise to the occasion."

Getting it right

Before you get started, revisit your courses and class projects and review what you've learned and gained. No, you aren't an "expert" in computer languages or "experienced" in fund raising but you've "gained experience" in them. It's subtle wordplay but it allows you to deliver the goods.

Similarly, include a section headed by a line that says: "Key Qualifications through Academic Experience and Employment," or "Relevant Experience and Skills."

"This allows you to list the stuff you studied or learned about," says DeCarlo. Now, all of a sudden, you've got bulk. Your stint at Wendy's, for instance, translates into "personnel and scheduling experience at a fast-paced, high-volume business" and your class project becomes "developed a computer touch screen for restaurants as a project for visual basic class."

Job candidates should also stress leadership skills, highlighting achievements over dry recitations of job duties. "One of the biggest mistakes is to focus on job duties. It's almost like taking the job description that was handed down from Human Resources and copying it," according to Monster.com resume specialist Kim Isaacs,. She's the executive director of Advanced Careers Systems in Jackson Heights, New York (www.ResumePower.com).

"It's a good job market right now but it's still very competitive. You don't want to show what you did, but how you went above and beyond. When there's a stack of 500 resumes sitting on the hiring manager's desk, it will make yours stand out," she adds.

"Even if there isn't a track record in corporate America, you can still concentrate on any leadership positions, whether it was through clubs or the school newspaper. You want to show potential."

Making a project of it

More and more jobs are becoming project-based and if you've got project experience, broadcast it.

"If yours was ranked first out of 10 project groups, say it," says Oliver-Leonhardt, author of the new book and companion CD-ROM, "Execume: It's More Than a Resume, It's a Reflection of You. "

"If you're chairman of a fund-raising project that produced 50 percent more than the year before, say it. It's the sort of thing you can use to build a lot of content."

Key in the key words

The computer is a leveler, and because of it no resume will fly today without the ever-important key words. Here's why: Almost all large companies and half the nation's mid-size firms now scan resumes into a database. As a result, when managers are looking for say, a sales account executive, they have the computer search for such key words as "new business acquisition" and "client management" and "account development." Without the appropriate key words, you're sunk.

"Each profession has key words; you've got to know the language. Learn what your industry buzzwords are," says Oliver-Leonhardt. "It's definitely changed the way you design a resume. Key words are part of why we're creating much more content-rich resumes. You've got to hit all those critical words that relate to your skill set and industry."

Need to check your knowledge of the right key words? Check the postings at one of the job-search Web sites and the key words will reveal themselves. Examples: [ITAL] MBA, P&L, asset management, brand development, deadline management, benchmarking, solution selling[END ITAL].

Homework = research

Even if you don't use a job-search Web site to float your resume, there's a lot to learn about your target industry from a HotJobs.com or a CareerBuilder.com. The best part is that it's free. Here, you'll learn what the industry's buzzwords are along with specific jobs that are sorted, say, geographically or by salary. Check out the job descriptions; They'll show you what skills employers are looking for.

Such sites typically offer resume-writing tips, salary calculators and ask-the-expert chat rooms. They also run helpful features on such subjects as finding work abroad, evaluating job offers and matching your personality type with the ideal job.

"One of the most important things is to do as much legwork as possible," says Jeff Wuorio, author of "Got Money? Enjoy It, Manage It, Even Save Some of It: Financial Advice for Your Twenties and Thirties."

"The amount of information being disseminated now is unprecedented," Wuorio says. "Just by going online, you can learn about a company's salary schedules, 401k programs, whether it's a decent place to work. With so much available, it empowers the job seeker."

Spelling, spelling, spelling

By far, misspellings and typos are the worst offenders in the resume world.

"I had an employer tell me that 50 percent of resumes have typos and he just throws them away," says DeCarlo. "The thinking is, 'If you can't market yourself correctly, how can I ever think you would do anything correctly for me?' It all starts at home."

DeCarlo's tip? "They didn't make your spell-check for nothing."

And lose the personal stuff. For starters, by offering information about your age, marital or parenting status, you are inviting people to discriminate against you. As for a listing of hobbies, once a linchpin of the resume? -- only when it's relevant.

What about community service? Sure, if you're looking to work for a nonprofit company or secure a job as a counselor or a nurse or, perhaps, a teacher. "If you're a robotics engineer and as a hobby you build robots, okay," says DeCarlo. "If you enjoy hiking, who cares?"

Also, in your job objectives statement, here's a line that's sure to bump you to the bottom of the pile: "Interested in securing a challenging position that will allow me to contribute to organizational goals while offering growth and advancement."

"That doesn't say a thing," says Isaacs. "The objectives statement needs to be concise and to the point: International position in finance."

Going to lengths

There's no steadfast rule about whether resumes should be one or two pages. Here's Isaacs' advice: "A real turnoff is the resume that babbles, giving irrelevant information for pages and pages.

The other problem? It's too short. Basically, when you're looking at the length of a resume, ask yourself, 'Will including this help me land an interview?' If the answer is yes, include it. But remember that the resume is not a life story."

Format fun

Who knew? Thanks to the computer, formatting can make or break your resume. Paper too fibrous? Fonts too fancy? Too much bold or italic or underlining? And we haven't even gotten to the color of the paper yet.

If you want it to scan, keep it simple. Stick with typefaces such as Times New Roman or Arial. Don't go above 16-point lettering or below nine. Don't use underlining or bold or italics to excess. And stick with whites, linens or pale solids. As DeCarlo puts it, "You don't need to print it on neon yellow. There are ways to get attention without burning corneas."

That doesn't mean all resumes have to look dull. It's one thing if you're looking for a job in health care, law or education, fields that prize a more traditional approach. But what about creative advertising or the culinary arts? It's OK to be different.

DeCarlo won an industry award for a resume she wrote for a chef. Against the background of an elegant place setting, she divided the resume into such sections as "The Imagination," an introductory profile; "The Passion," an objectives statement; "The Expression," experience. That job candidate currently works as a chef on a yacht that travels worldwide.

Once, for a graphic artist who has a unique painting style, DeCarlo had the woman create an original painting which DeCarlo mounted and cut into puzzle pieces. She put the puzzle pieces into a paint can, and on the paint can were the color [her client's name] and a code number [her client's phone number.] Inside the can? A wildly colorful resume along with a scannable copy.

"If you do something creative, it has to have relevance," advises DeCarlo. "It's wonderful as long as it makes sense."

Getting it there

Snail mail. Fax. E-mail. FedEx. Is any one better than the other? It depends.

For starters, ask the company what it prefers. Generally, steer away from the fax machine because you'll never know whether your resume reaches the right hands. Always send a second version of your resume: a perfectly scannable copy. Without one, you've wasted your time.

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