Time2MarketU

Make your list and check it – twice!

Today’s tip is not referring to Santa’s list.  For many on the East Coast, this week is a scary time and they need to be prepared now for a storm predicted to be of epic proportion.  Do you have your emergency checklist? Checklists support your preparedness and productivity, and they keep you safe.  Now is the time to make your list and check it twice. Please do prioritize your preparedness and safety, if the storm is near you.   When you are ready, come back to your career work.  Today is our career day, and I’ve posted a sample resume checklist here.  You started a resume checklist last week in our webinar, and we checked mine.  This week you can check my list twice, as you further develop and work through your own.  But, safety first, today and in these upcoming storm days.

A start to your resume checklist:

1. Identify your target role and related job ads. Highlight key transferable skills required in job ads, which match your experience.  Then, evidence hard and soft skills in your resume.
2. Identify core competencies/qualifications and create accomplishment statements that are results-oriented.  Include accomplishment statements in your resume vs. responsibility statements.
3. Have a second person review your resume to ensure you have strong, well organized content
4. Include a powerful summary – 2-4 sentence narrative at the top of your resume which incorporates your objectives.  You may also use the 4-6 bullet skills summary with that.
5. Make sure all relevant credentials are there, i.e., Education, Certifications, Awards, etc.
6. Include any differentiators that reinforce your qualifications and/or separate you from the competition
7. Ensure the format is attractive/easy to read, and your resume does not exceed 2 pages
8. Cross-check the job ad with your resume content.  Ask yourself - do you sound like/look like the candidate they are looking for?
9. Cross-check cover letter with job requirements
10. Proof read resume and cover letter – ensure there are no typos, misspellings, etc. in either
11. Submit the documents in Word, Text, or Pdf as specified
12. Double check that your resume information matches your online presence (LinkedIn, Web sites, etc.)

Leverage the Power of Peer Review

Peer review is an effective approach to maintaining and enhancing the quality of your work. It’s used in many professional fields, including accounting, finance, medicine, law, software development, and academia. You can use it for your professional development too! 

In today’s career webinar session with graduate students, I’ll be encouraging participants to engage in peer review for resume, search plan and work portfolio development.  For these clients, peer review is a powerful tool.  It not only ensures the quality and enhancement of their work, it also presents the opportunity to get acquainted, engage in a joint work experience, and to initiate further networking as they pursue new and promotional roles.  So, the tip this week? Leverage the power of peer review for your professional development too!  

Show up – Prepared!

The number one rule I always think of for sales, job search and a number of other things in life, is to show up prepared. It can mean all the difference to our success in getting what we want and need.  This week’s tip is simply that – to show up prepared.  It's timed to help Touro Graduate School of Business students, who I’ll meet with this month for resume development, prepare for our meeting. Start with top tips from one executive recruiter here.  Then, we'll explore putting those tips and more in action to pursue new and promotional roles.

You? The Mind of a Recruiter...

What's going on in a recruiter's mind?  How can you position yourself at the top of their pile vs. circular file?  What does a recruiter want?   Kathryn Ullrich, an executive recruiter and author, provides useful insights in 7 Secrets for a Smarter Job Search, to help you understand what you are dealing with.

Get your resume read - Tips from one Executive Recruiter's perspective

Want to get your resume and cover letter read in today’s market?  Kathy Ullrich, who specializes in the recruitment of senior level executives for enterprise software, high technology, and consulting companies tells you how to improve your chances of making that happen here…

Creating a Winning Finance Resume - Early Career

Resume tips - You don't have to be a professional athlete to take away some great points from this article.  Remember for your resume - a summary incorporating your objective, keeping it simple, visually appealing, and differentiating yourself from others. Read Ex-NFLer Preps for a Finance Play.

Content with Style

Resume tip - While a designer resume may look nice (especially to a hiring manager who has looked at hundreds), it is not always a practical tool for your search.  Why?  A few reasons:

• if you are conducting a search on-line and uploading your resume to web sites, your resume content may not always be captured fully or correctly
• a rapid resume reviewer or hiring manager may miss key items, if they are accustomed to looking for specific content in specific sections of the document

While I advocate some element of style, so your resume is pleasing to the eye and stands out from others, the format must clearly direct the reader to substantive, compelling content. Then, you'll have a resume that works.

From the Top - What do you want to do next?

Resume tip - Include a summary which reflects your search target and transferable skills.

When I meet with a client to discuss their career objectives, I usually get handed a resume.  What I read there frequently does not actually tell me specifically how this person is skilled for the role or job they would like next.  And, so we being. Taking it from the top, I ask, "Tell me what it is that you want to do next?"  This is something you can ask yourself, as you work on developing a resume that can help you make a move to a new role.  You must also look at your transferable skills that will help you be successful in that new role.

So, start your resume with a summary at the top.  It should include your target objective and what you are specifically skilled to do.  You can then make a more immediate connection with the reader.  Your entire resume may get read, and your interview may get scheduled.