17
Aug
07
Aug
More Numbers Less Words
Are you sick of not landing job interviews? Are you applying for jobs you feel you are more than qualified for, but not having any success? More than likely, the problem has more to do with the way your resume is written than not having the right skill sets for the job.
Resume writing is an art form and in order to be successful your resume needs to pass 4 major rules:
Skills and qualifications are highlighted in order to make your resume instantly stand out. Reports suggest that once a hiring manager or recruiter opens your resume you have between 10-20 seconds to make an impact. No impact, no interview, no job!
Strategic keywords to highlight your achievements and pass online screening software tools that are used to reduce the amount of candidate resumes that a business may receive for a certain role.
Formatted, structured and presented specifically to target your experience and industry
Presented in a professional manner using the correct font, bullet points, headings, length and most importantly error free!
How can I make my resume stand out from the crowd?
Using numbers and quantitative evidence to highlight your achievements is key to standing out from the competition and presenting value added evidence about the type of behaviour a hiring manager can expect from you. If your position involves business development, for example, rather than including a generic description such as “Excellent communicator and relationship manager”, you can spice up this sentence and turn it into an “Accomplishment Statement” that will aid your resume in being noticed. (Don’t forget to use strategic keywords!)
Example 1: Successful business development and account management helped to exceed annual sales target of $X by 15% for the full financial year.
Example 2: Managed a team of 6 Sales Representatives in conducting product launches to increase new product penetration into the market leading to an overall increase of $5 million over a 12 month period
Example 3: Part of the Project Management Team involved in the rollout of a 200 networks leading to a 10% increase in revenue and a further 20% in cost savings.
Proof and Evidence
Using numbers and evidence to back up your statements will aid your resume application and make your resume shine against other candidates. In the current economy where jobs are tough to get, you need to prove to the hiring manager that you are the best candidate for the job and the best way to do this is to use numbers to back up your achievement statements.
© RedStarResume Publications – www.redstarresume.com
21
Jul
If your resume is difficult to read, fewer people will read it.
The #1 rule of resume writing
As a job candidate there are many variables that are beyond your control when applying for a job. Employer perceptions, personal preferences and competition are just a few.
Resume writing is an art form. There is no foolproof advice that will guarantee your resume to land an interview, however there are many different aspects that make up a great resume and in order to succeed you need to make sure your professional resume ticks all the right boxes.
There are millions of tips on how to write the best resume but the number rule of professional resume writing is as follows:
If your resume is difficult to read, fewer people will read it.
A well designed resume should aim to allow any person to pick up your resume up and read it. Your resume needs to allow 100% of people who wish to read your resume the ability to do so. I’m not saying everyone will understand what you do on a day to day basis, but they must be able to read through the resume and clearly be able to identify your work history, dates, skills, achievements etc.
So where do job seekers go wrong when preparing their resume writing?
Too much “make-up”
A resume is a marketing document and as such needs to be written in a professional way. Think about all the important documents you have received. The document is professionally laid out, spelling and grammar is correct, and the document is formatted and presented professionally. Your resume has one single purpose and that is to get you a job. It is not a work of art that is going to be hung up in the living room or framed in the study.
Trying to “Deceive the Reader”
The reader of the resume is only interested in the facts! Hiring managers and recruiters read hundreds of resumes on a daily basis and can easily pick up a resume that is exaggerated or sounds
“too good to be true”.
Wasting Time and Space
A good resume will attract the reader’s attention within the first 10-15 seconds. Alternatively, a bad resume will be deleted within 10-15 seconds. Do not waste the limited time and space you have on your resume to impress the reader. Focus on your achievements and the value-added skills you can offer your next employer. Use selected keywords to highlight your skills and promote yourself. Your resume is your selling tool and therefore needs to be able to sell all the key areas that will make you the perfect candidate for the job. Unfortunately once your resume has been deleted it will never be able to be viewed again. You have one chance to impress!
© RedStarResume Publications – www.redstarresume.com
14
Jul
Is Investing in a Professional Resume Writer a Good Idea?
How much money would you be willing to spend to find your dream job? $100? How about $1000? Maybe $10,000? Every person will have a different answer to this question, depending on where they are in their career.
I recently sat down with a candidate of mine to discuss the various options he faced as he prepared to look for a new job. My candidate was stuck in his job, hating it more and more every day, but before he quit he needed to do the maths and find out how much it was going to cost him to find a new job.
Applying a few mathematics equations we were able to come up with the cost of being unemployed and, in doing so, answered the question about whether investing in a professional resume was a good idea.
Before we begin let’s make a couple of assumptions:
The candidate is currently on $50,000 (gross). however is seeking a salary increase of 15% which is an additional $7,500 therefore a total salary of $57,500 (gross)
50 working weeks in a year
Average time to find a new job is estimated between 3-4 months (for this example, we will say 14 weeks)
In order to work out the weekly salary we take $50,000 and divide it by 50 = $1000.00
Therefore if the average time it takes to find a new job is 14 weeks the total cost of lost salary is:
$1000.00 x 14 weeks = $14,000.00
What happens if it takes longer than 14 weeks? In the competitive job market where hiring managers are receiving in excess of 300 resumes per job it can take twice as many weeks to find a new job. In terms of loss of salary on $50,000 this works out to be:
$10,000 x 28 weeks =$28,000.00
Let’s now presume the candidate has his resume professionally written from the very first day.
A professionally written resume will ensure that hiring managers take notice and therefore will automatically increase interview rates. Generally speaking, if a hiring manager receives 100 resume applications they are likely to only choose the top 5-10% of candidates.
If a candidate has the skills, experience, expertise to perform the job, a good resume writer will repeatedly place you in that top percentage bracket. (Of course, there are many variables outside of your control including employer perception, personal preferences and the skills and quality of the competition).
Let’s assume that having a professionally written resume will increase your chances of gaining an interview by 50%. If a candidate applies for 10 targeted jobs where they have the qualifications and skills required, the odds indicate that 50% of the applications will result in interview requests. Therefore, you can expect 5 potential interviews within the first couple of weeks of applying for jobs. The more interviews you receive the more choice you will have. Nothing is better than having 2 job offers on the table!
Generally speaking the entire job selection process can take up to 4 weeks (first round interview, second round interview, background checks etc). Rather than taking 14 weeks to find a job costing you $14,000.00 in lost salary, having your resume professionally written has reduced this time to 4 weeks at a cost of $4,000.00.
HOWEVER – The candidate with his new professional resume is seeking a raise of 15% or a total salary package of $57,500. Therefore the investment in the resume has generated the candidate a profit of $3,500! And has reduced the time spent on looking for a new job from 14 weeks to 4 weeks.
The investment in a professionally written resume could be the greatest investment of your life. A small cost can lead to big long term gains. Can you afford to be out of work for an extended period of time?
The journey to finding your dream job starts with a brand new professional resume.
© RedStarResume Publications – www.redstarresume.com
RedStarResume: The leaders in Resume Writing, CV Writing & Cover Letter Writing
05
Jul
Professional Australian Resume Writing Targeting the Australian Job Market
Do you need an Australian Resume Writer with an in depth knowledge of the Australian job market who can construct your professional resume specifically for the Australian job market?
At RedStarResume we have writers to suit every job candidate’s needs.
We can help you no matter where you are located in Australia. From working in the mines in Perth to working at an investment bank in Sydney, the team at RedStarResume will strategically target your resume to ensure that your application stands out from the crowd.
Why is the Australian Resume different?
All job markets around the world are unique in their own ways. The culture of a certain country plays a large part in how the job process works. In Australia, for example, it is neither necessary nor required to put a picture on your resume. Providing additional personal information such as date of birth, marital status, religion etc. is also very much discouraged. In order to write a good “Australian”, resume you need to have an understanding of what the Australian employer is looking for in a resume.
Highlight Achievements in your Australian resume.
Recent reports have indicated that recruitment agents and hiring managers will only spend up to 15 seconds reading your resume before deciding to either read on or delete. Once the resume has been deleted there is no way for the reader to give the resume a second chance. The number one rule with your resume is to highlight your achievements. When you apply for a certain job you can expect that a large percentage of the candidates will share relatively the same skills and education as you. In order to stand out above the competition you need to highlight your achievements and show the reader where you can specifically add value to their business.
Top 5 tips to ensure your new Australian resume is targeted toward the Australian Job Market:
Achievements are essential – Use examples to back up statements
Target your resume – Each time you apply for a job, ensure that your resume and cover letter is targeting that specific job.
Use correct “British English” – Words such as “realize” are spelt with a “z” using American English, but in Australia the “z” is replaced with an “s” – “Realise”
No picture or unnecessary personal information
Use strategic keywords (Strategic selection of keywords and phrases designed to highlight your resume and cover letter)
© RedStarResume Publications – www.redstarresume.com
RedStarResume the number 1 choice for resume writing services. With our 100% satisfaction guarantee, we will be right by your side the entire journey until you have secured your brand new job.
The journey to finding your dream job starts with a brand new professional resume
RedStarResume have Resume Writers available in every major city throughout Australia
Click here to get started:
10
Jun
How NOT to write a cover letter!
It is not easy writing a cover letter – in fact many job candidates often find it harder writing the cover letter then the resume! In my experience I have seen fantastic cover letters, average covers and as you can see cover letters that will guarantee you will not get the job!
Tips on how NOT to write a cover letter!
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06
Jun
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22
Apr
Front Office Bankers Resume Writing
When it comes to resume/CV writing there is no magic formula to follow that will ensure your resume will be read. There are however clear dos and don’ts that will either add value to your resume or work in the negative by having your resume deleted. No matter if you’re a front office banker or part of the mailroom team, listing and identifying achievements and backing these achievements up with numerical examples is the number one way to make your resume standout.
Too many times a job candidate will focus much of their resume on standard day to day duties. For example every person on the trading desk knows how to “analyze data”, “liaise with clients” and “maximize opportunities”. These are soft skills which are expected. It does not enhance your resume as it does not tell the reader anything. For example when writing a resume for an equity trader it is no longer good enough just to list these soft skills. In order to effectively write a good resume you need to clearly identify your areas of expertise but most importantly present quantitative examples
Writing your resume is not about reinventing the wheel, it is about ensuring that you adequately highlight everything that is required to make sure that your resume is selected and you are given the chance to present yourself in the interview. Divide your resume into sections and concentrate on using bullet points to make the resume clear and possible for the reader to scan.
As a banker, your professional experience is the most important aspect on your resume and needs to be placed on page one. However in order to make your resume stand out above the competition I like to include a short career summary, an introduction (2-3 sentences) which adequately summarizes your career. For example:
“Masters of Business Administration with seven years experience as an equity trader. With a strong background in analysis, risk management and strategic planning, I have planned, coordinated, and performed diverse trading functions in various sectors.”
Following your short career summary is the most important aspect of your resume which is listing your top key achievements in bullet point (5-6 key achievements) with an emphasize of using “keyword” rich words (These are words which are mentioned in the job description or words which headhunters or recruiters are likely to search for in their database)
Remember, the most important aspect of listing these achievements is backing everything up with quantifiable results of your work. Using the equity trader as an example, part of your success is measured in numbers so ensure your main achievements by including quantifiable examples
‘Increased cash flow by $15 million by consolidating …..”
‘Revenue and income growth of 55% over a 12-month period, through ….”
“Key member of an elite trading team that generated more than $65 million by ….”
The final part of your resume presentation is your work experience, education and professional memberships. Again the most important aspect is providing examples to everything you write and incorporating achievements as opposed to just listing day to day duties. Always ensure that you provide dates on your resume and that the resume flows chronologically. The document needs to be as easy as possible for someone to read. The more difficult you make your resume to follow the more likely it will end up being deleted.
As a front office banker, focus your resume on your leadership abilities and achievements to guarantee that your resume stands out from the crowd!
© RedStarResume Publications – Professional Resume Writing
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15
Mar
10 Seconds for your Resume to Shine
One of my favourite books is the “The E Myth Revisited” written by Michael Gerber. In the book Michael speaks about the marketing strategy. He quotes
“In a television commercial, we’re told; the sale is made or lost in the first three or four seconds.
In a print ads, tests have shown, 75 percent of the buying decisions are made at the headline alone.
In a sales presentation, data have shown us, the sale is made or lost in the first three minutes”
Same is true for your resume – Reports suggest that a hiring manager will spend no more than 10 seconds reading through your resume before deciding to read on or delete.
Less and less time is being spent reading a persons resume. In today’s society, hiring managers are more interested in eliminating candidates before they begin their pursuit of finding the perfect candidate.
When it comes to writing your resume, remember the golden rule of highlighting your achievements and putting them on the front page. No matter how good your achievements, skills, experience and knowledge if the hiring manager has not found them within 10 seconds than your resume will be deleted – and once it is deleted from the inbox it will never be read again.
Your resume is a marketing document – it’s your marketing tool to sell yourself. First impressions count for a lot and if your resume is being deleted than it will be impossible for you to get the job
Do the small things right and your already half way there to your new job!
Good luck
© RedStarResume Publications – www.redstarresume.com
14
Mar
Don’t Limit Yourself!
The journey to finding your dream job starts with a brand new resume
