strategic resumes july 2016

Eilidh Sligo, July 2016 for

YWCA FOCUS@Work

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*1. The 3 Barriers your Resume Must Get Through

2. Group Activity: Think Like a Hiring Manager

3. Resume Format & Structure

4. Individual Activity: Writing Accomplishment Statements

5. Breaking the Resume Rules

6. Questions

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ATS HR Hiring Manager

1. ATS (Applicant Tracking System): Avoid Elimination

2. HR: Avoid Elimination

3. Hiring Manager: Impress

* Follow application instructions exactly

* Use specific keywords from the job description

* Do not use underline or italics

* Do not include information in a table or diagram and avoid page borders

* Do not include information in the header or footer

* Place dates on the right hand side

* Do not include skills that you don’t possess in an attempt to trick the ATS!

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Typically ATS will reject 75% of online applications!

At this stage, the key is to avoid elimination

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• Mission: To reduce the number of resumes that the Hiring Manager must look at

• Average of 6 seconds per resume

• Checking for qualification and experience requirements

• Unforgiving of typos, spelling & grammar errors

• Will not necessarily understand specific technical acronyms

• Make it easy for them!

At this stage, the key is to avoid elimination

• Mission: To identify people who will contribute to the success of their department

• Impress them with your skills and accomplishments, not job duties (they know!)

• Showcase your industry knowledge

• Quantify your successes to help them imagine you supporting their success

• Know what they actually do

At this stage, the key is to impress

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1. Get into groups or pairs

2. Look through the resumes

3. Decide which one(s) you would put into the ‘yes’ pile

4. Group discussion

You only have 5 minutes – a lot

longer than most Hiring Managers

would take!

Resume 1: Old fashioned

Resume 2: Messy!

Resume 3: Winning (in my opinion!)

Resume 4: Too much information

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ConciseMax. 2 pages

Error FreeNo spelling or grammar errors

Easy to ReadArial, calibri or verdana font size 11 or 121” marginsDon’t make the recruiter search!

ConsistentProfessionalBut you can add some colour

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Your resume has to be relevant tothe position that you are applying

for – one size does not fit all.

How can you determine what is relevant?

1.Read the job description2.Industry and organization research

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Name, address, contact telephone number and email address

Include your LinkedIn link

Accurate & easy to read

Use a professional email address

Don’t put it in the ‘Header’ section on Word

If using color, keep it professional and minimal

*What is the purpose of a headline?

• Entice the reader to read• Concisely summarize what the article is about

Administrative Assistant Typing Speed of 80 WPM Skilled in MS Office Suite

Recruitment Specialist: Connecting Business with Skilled Professionals

Health Care Assistant

Customer Service Experienced Tour Guide Fluent in English & Japanese

Event Coordinator | BBA | Total Event Management

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In the 6 seconds that recruiters spend looking at your resume, they spend the most time looking at the top third.

What makes a strong resume profile or summary?

Tailored for each application Highlights 3-4 of your skills that are most relevant to the job More than just a list of skills Written in the 3rd person (do not use “I”) Concise and easy to read Paragraph or bullet point format

I know how busy you are, so I’ve pulled together the most compelling components of my resume and put

them in an easy to read section at the top….you’re welcome!

*Example One (Not Good – Do Not Use)“A motivated individual who excels in administrative support and can work

well as part of a team or independently.”

Example Two (Good)

“An administrative professional with 3+ years of experience providing support to senior management. Proficient in MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint and MS Outlook with a typing speed of 80WPM. Experienced at utilizing strong administrative skills to assist local community organizations to manage membership fees.”

Or

* An administrative professional with 3+ years of experience providing support to senior management.

* Proficient in MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint and MS Outlook with a typing speed of 80WPM.

* Experienced at utilizing strong administrative skills to assist local community organizations to manage membership fees.

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In reverse chronological order

Full-Time Employment

Part-Time Employment

Volunteer Work

Internships

Summer Work

International Employment

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Vacuum 1

• Captures more dirt and microscopic dust than any other cyclone.

• Captures particles that clog conventional vacuum cleaner bags and filters.

• Uses half the energy of conventional vacuums.

Vacuum 2

• Cleans dirt from the floor.

• Plugs into the wall.

• Can be emptied.

• Has various attachments.

• Can fit in a closet.

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Ask yourself:

* What are you most proud of?

* How do you compare to your co-workers?

* Was there anything that you did above and beyond your normal responsibilities?

* Was there a time when you were recognized for a job well done?

* Was there something that you did that resulted in improvements?

* Can you quantify your achievements?

Your resume should not just be a list of your job duties. You need to tell your potential employer what you can do well and

the skills that you have.

** Number of employees managed

* % increase in sales and/or profits

* Number of senior staff supported

* $ saved

* $ budget managed

* Age of children taught

* Number of patients cared for

* Age of patients cared for

* Frequency of a task

* Number of people presented to

* Size of committee chaired

* Time saved

* Number of people you hired

* % of deadlines met

* $ under budget

Don’t assume that it is obvious!

*Sales Assistant June 2015 – July 2015ABC Company | Vancouver | BC• Skill (action verb) + What You Did + Results/Purpose (how or why)

Sales Assistant Jan. 2015 – Sept. 2015ABC Company | North Vancouver | BC• Served customers• Re-stocked shelves• Cleaned store

Sales Assistant Jan. 2015 – Sept. 2015 ABC Company | North Vancouver | BC• Served over 100 customers per day in a busy store using excellent

communication to improve customer service; processed credit and cash payments accurately.

• Maintained stock levels by counting products throughout the day and re-stocking in-demand items. Immediately reported any stock shortages to manager to request re-order.

• Cleaned the store, accurately following end-of-day procedures to ensure an enjoyable shopping experience for all customers.

*Take a look at one of your current employment experiences, consider:

*Do your bullet points start with an action verb

*Used the past tense for previous jobs and present tense for current jobs?

*Do you show the value that you added?

*Have you quantified a task, or any success?

*Would someone who doesn’t know you have a clear understanding of what you did? Any why it was important?

Try re-writing a bullet point based on the formula below

Skill (action verb) + What You Did + Results/Purpose (how or why)

*Accounting Assistant Diploma 2004Capilano University, North Vancouver, BC

Psychology Courses 2011BCIT, Burnaby, BC

BA Business with Psychology 1998Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC

Psychology CoursesBCIT, Burnaby, BC

BA Business with PsychologySimon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC

Social Media Marketing Courses 2016 Lighthouse Labs, Vancouver, BCSeries of one day courses including:

• Increasing followers (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook)• Online brand management• Creating and sharing engaging posts

*What are some examples of relevant skills?

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“96% of resumes include reading, travelling, music and web browsing in the ‘interests and hobbies’ section”

• Relevant

• Team Based & Social

• Unique

• Achievement

• Be Honest!

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Your references are precious…these are people who will be the final check for employers before they make you an offer.

*Don’t include these on your resume

*Don’t include the statement “References are available on request”

*Have a good professional relationship with your references

When should you provide your references to a potential employer?

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*Don’t hide essential skills/certifications

*Use headings strategically

*Volunteer employment can be listed first

*Consider a short organization description

*Use headings accurately & consistently

*Eilidh Sligo

eilidhsligo@gmail.com | Linkedin.ca/eilidhsligo | @EilidhSligo