Posted By Amanda Collins on March 15, 2010

Taken from a recent e-mail from Mike O’Brien at Climber.com.

Did you know 75% résumés are overlooked? If you are like most people, you have applied to and uploaded résumés for dozens of jobs and heard nothing back. This is generally referred to as the “résumé black hole.”

If you do not know how to beat the résumé black hole, chances are your résumé will be overlooked. The root of the  problem is a piece of technology called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). The ATS was designed to streamline the flow of applicants for companies. This is accomplished by having a central place where all applications and résumés are warehoused.

To further compound the issue, ATSs are only 65% to 80% accurate in reading the information in your résumé. This means that one-fifth to one-third of the time the ATS is just plain wrong in importing data wholly and properly into the ATS. If your résumé makes this cut, the ATS then screens and ranks your résumé against open positions.

Next, résumés that pass the ATS screen are generally sent to a gatekeeper who spends about 30 seconds reading the résumé before deciding to move it along to the recruiter or hiring manager or pass it along to the trash can. About 1 in 10 résumés are passed along to the decision maker who decides if you will be interviewed.

Combat the résumé black hole by:
Loading up on keywords: ATSs rank on keyword density. Keywords should match closely to the required skills that appear in the job posting. The better you score against a jobs skill requirements the higher your résumé will rank.

Bypassing the ATS: Leverage your connections in person and the social media spectrum. Attend networking events and be sure you have a complete profile on LinkedIn. Also, connect with a recruiter (or two!) who specializes in your industry.

Making sure the job fits. Especially in today’s tough job environment, it is even more important to make sure that you have the skills and background required for the job.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on March 1, 2010

At an HR forum I attended this weekend, three of the four HR panelists confirmed what I have known for a long while – most hiring managers don’t read cover letters. I remember when I was in that position I didn’t read the letters either. In fact, very few people even bothered to submit cover letters, as these panelists also confirmed. So what’s the point? Why do professionals still suggest job seekers include cover letters?

A cover letter is your handshake, a warm introduction instead of just jumping in with, “Can I have a job?” It’s a way to pull out the most important parts in your résumé, be more conversational, and possibly cover things you can’t in your résumé, which is a more formal document. In your letter, pronouns can sneak in, and with them, personality! You can also tell the reader how you heard about the position, especially if you were referred by a friend or colleague.

If you choose to use a cover letter (and I’m going to be a proponent until I die), make sure it’s personalized. You shouldn’t have it addressed to “To Whom It May Concern” or – worse yet – “Dear Sirs.” Look up the hiring manager’s name on LinkedIn. If you don’t know, at least address the letter to “Hiring Manager” or some appropriate title. Mention the name of the company, position, and how you heard of them. Do a little homework online to see why you’re a fit with the culture or will be able to solve a specific problem confronting the firm. Pull in a few of your major selling points from the résumé as well (aka accomplishments) to really draw attention to your value.

Even though three of the four recruiters didn’t read the cover letter, one did – and one other said he will if he finds something of interest in the résumé. So I’ll continue to advocate for cover letters because you never know who might be reading it.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on February 28, 2010

There is a lot of power in a résumé – well, at least there is potential. So many times, I review résumés that lack a focus and strategy. Essentially, they are a brain dump of everything the person has done across his or her career. Typically, there are many areas for potential improvement, but it all starts with the top. Whether you call it an objective, title, or headline, how you present yourself starts with your first words.

When I first started writing résumés (in 1996), an objective was something like:
To obtain a position in which I can apply my experiences in child development and education.

Now, however, titles / headlines have replaced that long, not very to-the-point statement:
Preschool Teacher

Just like a newspaper headline draws readers to learn more, a résumé headline should do the same. To expand on the newspaper similarities, in journalism “above the fold” is where all writers want to be – because it’s the first part readers see when the paper is delivered. On your résumé, your “above the fold” section is the first third of your document, where you will have your contact information, headline, summary, and keywords. Employers have a lot of choices in résumés these days, so attract their attention immediately!

Even if you include a headline, it can be poorly written. At an event I attended yesterday, a hiring manager said he’d received a résumé that said “Banking Executive.” His first response? “Huh?” That basically meant nothing to him, so he didn’t bother to read further. His suggestion? Your headline should match the position for which you’re applying.

So be specific, succinct, and definitely include a headline on your résumé so employers are sure who you are for them. Questions on a résumé are never good.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on December 21, 2009

Start 2010 with the skills you need to land your next job!
Professional résumé writers and career counselors provide tips for job seekers.

Glendale, Ariz. (December 21, 2009) – With the unemployment rate climbing each month and no end in sight, the job market is getting more and more competitive. The same skills used just a few years ago may not work in quite the same way with employers today. As job seekers look at entering 2010 without a job secured, they are seeking alternatives to the more traditional means of approaching the job search.

The Résumé Writers Council of Arizona (RWCA) has a solution. On January 4, 2010, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., RWCA will host a free job-search strategies panel at the Glendale Public Library, 5959 W. Brown, Glendale. The panel will consist of RWCA members, including professional résumé writers, interview and job coaches, and career counselors. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn best practices in résumés and interviewing as well as some innovative and proactive methods for conducting a successful job search.

This presentation will shed some light on many of the misnomers about job seeking. For instance, “a résumé doesn’t need to be one page and is not merely a summation of your work history,” states Donna Tucker, president of RWCA and owner of CareerPro Résumé Center. “A résumé is a marketing document, and if it takes two pages to share the value you offer a new employer, that’s okay.”

While a résumé’s objective is to get an interview, the interview is the means to the job. “It’s just as important that the job seeker have the opportunity to ask questions of the interviewer at that crucial meeting. The trick is to know the right questions to ask,” says Martha Rockwell, interview coach and owner of A+ Résumés and Career Coaching. “An interview should be viewed as an opportunity,” says Rockwell, “and the prepared job seeker stands a much better chance of securing the position.”

Did you know that your online résumé should be updated every three weeks or so? “Recruiters are looking for the recent applications, typically those posted in the past few weeks. If yours appears to be older than that, it might be overlooked,” shares Amanda Collins, résumé writer and owner of The Grammar Doctors. It’s tips like this that can give job seekers an edge in today’s environment.

The Résumé Writers Council of Arizona is a professional organization of résumé writers and career champions dedicated to enhancing and improving the résumé writing and career search industry of Arizona; ensuring quality work, fair prices, and ethical practices; and remaining current with changes in the industry. The RWCA advocates community service, and this panel is a representation of that charge. The free event is open to the public. Attendees are invited to bring their current résumés for review by the professional panel following the formal presentation.

For more information, please contact Donna Tucker at 602-788-3121 or jobsaz@att.net.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on December 18, 2009

Even Mark doesn’t regard himself as a salesperson. That says a lot for someone who possesses the depth of experience in sales that Mark has. Instead, Mark lets his customers know that he provides solutions. He works with customers as a trusted partner, gaining insight into the challenges they’re facing so that he can devise answers using the products and services in his “bag of tricks” to add value and revenue opportunity to those he serves.

Mark has worked with some heavy hitters, Mitel and Intel among them. He has played an active role in creating opportunities, both for clients and the company, through business analysis and strategic planning. While some people are content to have an employee mindset, Mark is able to call on his entrepreneurial spirit to ensure that projects get completed when they’re supposed to at a quality level that exceeds expectations. A customer service advocate, he makes himself available during consultations, midway through implementations, and post-sales. Calling on acquired technical abilities, Mark is able to troubleshoot issues before and as they arise to mitigate further complications. His dedication has been recognized time and again by his customers and managers.

The best compliment a sales professional can receive is for his honesty – and this is where Mark excels. He once told a hard-to-reach potential customer that he would only call on him when there was something of value to offer. Following through on that promise, Mark soon gained a new client for his company.

Mark is a talented solutions consultant who lends a higher level of service to each interaction. Just don’t call him a salesperson.

Want to get in touch with Mark about opportunities in your organization? E-mail me and I’ll connect you.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on December 16, 2009

Creating harmony and synergy from chaos

Chris has a depth of experience in print production. While you may be thinking that print is dead, let me assure you that the skills Chris has acquired will readily transfer to another industry. When I met with Chris, I was extremely impressed with his vast set of talents, not only in the print industry but also in business development, IT / technology, training, and project management. Chris is used to working within extremely tight deadlines – like putting out a daily paper. To him, there is no alternative when it comes to completing projects, and he always finds a solution.

Another fantastic value Chris will offer his next employer is the ability to translate creative jargon into technological directions – and vice versa. He is just as comfortable working with graphic designers, ad agency executives, systems administrators, clients, and production line workers. Not only can he change hats quickly, he treats each person with respect. And if they don’t know what he’s trying to convey, he takes the time to train them and really communicate, an art often overlooked in today’s fast-paced work environment.

Chris is currently seeking an opportunity as an IT Production / Print Manager. He will help the company with which he works expedite and streamline processes and stay on task moving into the next decade. He can analyze business directions and create strategic marketing plans that result in increased revenue – all with a smile on his face.

Want to learn more about Chris? Send an e-mail and I’ll get you connected.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on September 10, 2009

I’ve been writing résumés since 1996, and at that point they were little more than prettified job applications with little or no focus on differentiating the client. They were a series of lists saying what you did at each job. And they all started with objectives. In essence, they were about applicants.

Today, résumés are no longer past-oriented; they are very much targeted to the reader and future-oriented. Far from the days of lists, the best résumés today highlight your value proposition and accomplishments you’ve had across your career to paint a picture to the reader and let them know how you can make their business better. The driving factor behind résumés is WIIFM: what’s in it for me? – meaning what’s in it for the employer.

If your résumé starts with an objective, doesn’t have a summary / profile, and you’re not sure what accomplishments really are, you’re likely not hitting the right note with HR managers and recruiters. Remember that you need to market yourself as the expert, the one candidate they cannot afford to pass up. If you do that, you’ll likely see a turnaround in your responses to your job-search efforts.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on August 4, 2009

On the majority of résumés I see, people are missing a key component – the summary. As a marketing document, your résumé needs to sell you in a matter of seconds, and your summary will speak volumes about you. So make sure you grab readers’ attention immediately with an amazing summary that really showcases the value you offer and makes employers want to pick up the phone.

Although it is the first part of the résumé the reader sees, I write the summary last. I like to get a full sense of accomplishments and themes before I head up to write the summary. It’s kind of like trying to write the back cover of a book before the book itself is complete. I look at themes to get keywords out of experiences and accomplishments. Things like Product Management, Cost Controls, Operational Streamlining, and Systems Architecture are areas that may stand out when I reread the rest of the résumé. Someone told me today he heard of a colleague saying he optimizes your résumé as the SEO Résumé Writer. Well, all good writers should be doing that, so don’t be fooled. You do it too by adding those keywords.

Then, as I’m looking at accomplishments and the keywords I’ve culled, I start to see the picture of the individual. It also helps to have clients answer the question, “Why should an employer hire you?” That’s the crux of the summary, really. If you can’t share that in 30 seconds or less, you’re headed to the “no” pile. So think about it. What do you bring? Why are you the best candidate?

Too many clients will tell me they’re nice people or reliable, the soft skills you might have said in an interview 10 years ago. While it’s great to be the person in the office everyone likes, it’s more substantial to share some back-able, quantifiable results you can bring. Think about what you do. Are you the best marketing person, who has successfully expanded brand recognition through your initiatives? Do you create solutions for clients following development of a relationship?

Another trick is to look at the job description. They give you the answers right there, so use them! If the job write-up says they want someone with a demonstrated track record in supply chain management and channel development, make sure you write a sentence about that in your summary and add those words into your keywords section. No need to reinvent the wheel. Most companies are sifting through résumés with a scanning system, so the more words you use in your résumé from the ad, the better your chances of being found.

While there is an art to creating an eye-catching summary, these hints should get you started on the right track. Try to stay objective about yourself and look at your accomplishments from a new viewpoint so you can brag a little!

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Posted By Amanda Collins on July 27, 2009

Chad Graham, a reporter with The Arizona Republic, did a feature story in yesterday’s CareerBuilder section about hiring a résumé coach. Luckily, it’s online in his blog: http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/AzJobTawk/58749

Members of the Résumé Writers Council of Arizona are featured, The Grammar Doctor among them! Good article. Thanks Chad!

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Posted By Amanda Collins on June 30, 2009

If you haven’t written a résumé in a while, you probably don’t have any accomplishments on your document. That used to be the case, that a résumé was basically a fancy job application. However, in this competitive market, it’s more important than ever to demonstrate WIIFM: What’s in it for Me? – meaning for the employer. Your summary and accomplishments will showcase these points.

Great accomplishments are CAR statements: Challenge, Action, Result. Consider how you made things better at previous positions. Look at increasing revenue, saving money, improving customer service, or increasing efficiencies. Did you create / execute systems and processes? Of course, quantitative statements are best, but many professions can’t track numbers, so that’s okay too.

Sales people have no issue coming up with numbers, but remember that just saying “Increased sales 25% in six months” isn’t saying a whole lot. I could tell you all day I’m 6′ with long blonde hair, but if I don’t have a picture to back it up, I’m just making pie-in-the-sky statements (I’m really 5′4″ with short brown hair). When you write accomplishments, share the way you ended up with that result. That way, the reader is more likely to see you in the new company: “Wow, Joe increased sales 25% by implementing an employee appreciation program. I’ve been considering doing that. I need to call him in and ask him about that.”

My basic rule of thumb is one accomplishment per year worked, but don’t have 10 accomplishments if you were at a position 10 years – that’s overkill. Highlight your “key” accomplishments. Remember that a résumé is a marketing piece designed to showcase your best attributes so an employer will be left wanting more – and need to call you for an interview.

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