– that Career Transition Consultants Sometimes Forget (or never knew)
Do career transition consultants really know what makes an effective resume – one that gets you noticed for all the right reasons and not the wrong reasons? Do they sometimes forget to provide expert advice and support when working with job seekers and retrenched workers who are writing their resume?
I took 8 resume experts – people who provide resume and career transition advice, ex-HR managers and recruiters, and we analysed what makes a great resume. There is however, one main way to write a bad resume – illustrated by a man we’ll call Mr Bloggs. Some years ago Mr Bloggs featured on evening TV, you may have seen it, he claimed he had sent out 100 resumes and not got 1 job interview. “Huh!” I snorted – “no you didn’t, you sent out 1 resume 100 times”. That’s is the best way NOT to get invited to interview!
Principle Number One
1) There is no one right way to write a resume.
From our animated discussions It was obvious – there are a variety of effective ways to write a resume. The key is to tailor your resume for each job role you apply for – so it demonstrates you have what they seek. The layout of your resume will mostly depend upon what they are seeking; how much experience you have; whether you have had career breaks; if you have an extensive career history (and therefore need to shorten or summarise some parts); and whether your most recent experience is the most relevant.
Principle Number Two
2) There are a hundred ways to write a poor resume.
While there are several ways to write a great resume – there are hundreds of ways to mess it up! This blog will help you avoid making those mistakes. The easiest way to mess it up is to send the same resume out with each job application.
25 Resume Writing Tips to get you in the “yes” pile
1) Name placement – Your name will appear bold and centre at the top of the resume because this is “prime advertising space”.
2) “Two-liner” formula – After your name (at the top) we suggest you include a “two-liner”. The language and format of the “two-liner” is very specific. This “sells you as being perfect for the role advertised. It gets you in the “yes” pile in their mind. The language style implies a factual report from a third party and is thus more believable than any sentence with the word “I”, “me” or “my” in it. The formula follows. Note the “two-liner” IS NOT a career summary or expression of career intent (I do not recommend the use of these – many HR Managers will just skip these). I recommend everyone starts their resume with a “two-liner” and not a career summary.
The two-liner
- Starts with “A” or “An”
- Then a describing word/adjective
- Then a job title (preferably the one you are applying for or something similar if that’s not a perfect fit that you can lay claim to)
- Then the word “with”
- Then the top 3 things the employer wants (re skills, qualifications., experience) that you have. Change your two-liner with every job application to match what they seek.
For example, “An energetic Cleaner with over five years’ experience in commercial cleaning, own car and clean driving record.”
Your two-liner is specific to the job and it makes you look good – it starts your resume very well – and therefore creates a “halo effect”. If you choose the words in your two-liner to match what they are looking for then they will scan the rest of your resume with the idea in mind that you are going in the “yes” pile. They scan your resume to find information that backs up their “yes” decision!
3) What goes on page 1 – All of the most relevant information goes on page 1 (this could be educational qualifications or relevant employment history). Make new headings if necessary to facilitate this, for example Defence Industry Employment on page 1 and then Other Employment can follow. This is why your resume will be different each time you send it – because you tailored it for the role, highlighting the skills they seek
4) Contact details – Another easy way to make sure you don’t get the job is to write the wrong phone number or email address on your resume (yes, I have seen it done – the horror on that gentleman’s face when he realized!). Ensure you provide your best contact details and include at least one of these on the footer of your resume, with your name, from page 2 onwards. Note some employers may discriminate against applicants who live far away, so you may wish to only include phone and email contact details in some circumstances.
5) Resume colouring – We will always suggest a resume is in black and white – especially when it will be emailed. You may wish to add a colour block at the top with your name – this may not print well when emailed, this may be suitable if you are going to print the resume and hand deliver it. Make sure that the reader’s attention is drawn to your name and the “two-liner” and is not distracted by anything else.
6) Margins and white space – Leave sufficient margins and white space in your resume. Using standard word margins should be OK. If it looks crowded – it won’t read well (or it might not get read at all!).
7) Saving as a PDF – Different printers may change the look of your documents when printed. Save your resume/letter in word and then save it as a pdf before attaching it to an online application or email – then the layout will be exactly as you see it onscreen when its printed by the employer.
8) Naming file attachments – The recipient (employer) can see the name of the file you attach (online or in an email). One hapless student didn’t know this – she complained to her friend “I never get any interviews”. Her friend looked at her applications and saw resumes with titles like “Resume for stupid McDonalds” – apparently the student didn’t realise the employer would see the filename when the resume was attached to an online application! Oops (big time)
Include your name and the employers name and make it look professional. (If you only include the employers name and email, this will frustrate an employer who has received 10 other documents with the same title already e.g. “Resume for McDonalds”).
9) Using a cover letter – Resumes should always be accompanied by a cover letter. When applying for jobs always write a proper cover letter in word and spell check it, once finished make it into a pdf file to attach (unless the employer requests word versions only).
10) Attaching a cover letter as a file – DO NOT EVER write your cover letter in the little box provided by some online services such as Seek and CareerOne – this is not going to convey your cover letter effectively and will prevent you from proper layout and spell check. Write your letter in Word, spell check – get someone else to proof read it, then attach it (as a pdf).
11) Including extras – I discourage people from including anything extra with a resume, such as a photo (even a photo of a puppy!) – unless the employer specifically requests it. There are a few exceptions – people applying for certain specific roles in the areas of advertising and graphic design, for example may be asked to include their portfolio/examples of their work. Obviously where extra information is specifically requested by the employer – provide it.
12) Font and style consistency – I prefer one font throughout the resume and consistency in style (e.g. size of headers, bolded headers). You may think of adding something extra in a different font (e.g. a quote) – I don’t recommend this but if you wish to do so please keep this to one extra item and not have more than 2 fonts in a resume. There are numerous appropriate fonts. Try a Sans-Serif style font such as Arial. I recommend avoiding Times New Roman and Courier because they are not attractive. A resume should be written in a size of font that is easily readable (font size 11 or 12).
13) Job and date placement – People read down the left-hand margin – they scan for important information. So, place the important information on the left. Typically this will be the job title of previous roles (and/or employer names). Dates are less important – I suggest these go on the right. We suggest this because people typically read down the left side of a paper first and make a quick decision, and the most important information that tells the employer if you are suitable is often the job title or employer/industry, not the date.
14) Job descriptions and bullet points – A resume should be neat and concise. Descriptions of previous job duties should be formatted in bullet points that explain to the employer your task responsibilities. Change this to match what the employer is seeking and put the most relevant responsibilities at the top of the list. If you have a lot of responsibilities in your past roles then maybe just include those that match the responsibilities in the new role.
15) Using verbs – Use bullets points starting with a verb when describing your responsibilities and achievements. We recommend all verbs are in one tense. You may prefer to list any current work in the present tense and past jobs in the past tense. Email bridget@developmentatwork.com.au for a free list of example verbs for resume writing.
16) Referees – We suggest that unless the employer asks for referees to be sent, that you do not include referees on their resume. If you wait until an employer specifically requests referees then you have the chance to brief those referees on the job you have applied for (if the employer asks for referees, then send them). We suggest referees are listed with their contact details and a note of the relationship between the referee and yourself (e.g. previous team leader, work colleague etc.). Include the sentence “Excellent references available upon request” on your resume or in the covering letter.
17) Key words – These days employers utilise software to search for key words on resumes. Match the key words you use on your resume to the key words the employer is seeking. You may wish to put key words in bold.
18) Training and awards – Include all relevant information somewhere on your resume, including awards, current professional memberships, relevant training and any relevant volunteer work.
19) Short summary of past employers – After you have written down the name of a previous employer, write a short sentence about that previous employer. Make it as relevant as possible to the employer whose job you are applying for. For example,
Skyline Residential Aged Care – an aged care residential facility with 80 clients
20) Length of resume – We suggest most resumes will be 2-3 pages. Some academics may insist that they must provide a more detailed resumes including all of their publications. Some very experienced senior managers may need a 4-page resume. Choose a resume length that suits the employer.
21) Employment history/chequered work history/gaps – Typically a resume will commence with the most recent job role and job roles will be presented in reverse chronological order. We recommend that the most relevant jobs are presented on page 1 of the resume. This may mean that you do NOT follow the reverse chronological order method. Instead start with the most relevant job you have held. Focus on relevance being first.
Include all relevant job roles, and responsibilities /achievements , for the last c10 years (some discretion may be necessary when some of these roles are not relevant to the role being applied for). To avoid date gaps in the resume, either
a) Provide a short summary of job roles and dates previously held i.e. that go back more than 10 years
b) Or, clarify in the cover letter your previous job roles and dates.
For example,
| Role | Organisation | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Aged Care Assistant | Blogs Aged Care | 1994-2000 |
| Aged Care Team Leader | Blogs Aged Care | 2000-2004 |
| Career Break | 2004-2006 | |
| Aged Care Team Leader | Morgs Aged Care | 2006-2010 |
22) Leisure activities – We recommend that everything on a resume is there to highlight why you are a great candidate for the role. Therefore, leisure activities that demonstrate a skill or ability relevant to the role should be included on the resume. Some leisure activities do not warrant taking up space on the resume. These would include watching television, watching sport on television, watching sport and any hobby that you gave up a while ago (unless it is absolutely amazing, like that time you climbed Mount Everest).
23) Career summaries on resume – If by “career summary” you mean a short description of what you have done followed by your career ambitions – please DON’T! Employers are focused on what you can do for them (not on your career ambitions) – make your top statement clear, engaging for the reader and believable – use a two-liner instead.
I think that a career summary (with your career ambitions) rarely help sell you to the employer – but you must use your discretion. If you have a career summary at the top of page 1 of your resume – I suggest that you use the facts in it and change it to the “two-liner” statement. Use the “two-liner” formula exactly. If the career summary appears further down the page, you need to assess if this will truly help the employer to get a clearer idea of how well you match their role. In many cases, its unnecessary duplication. Your responsibilities have more credibility when all relevant employment history is presented together (job title, employer, dates, responsibilities and achievements). If you are using it to let the employer know briefly about your career beyond 10 years ago – that’s fine (saves them worrying what you were up to!).
24) Achievements – Achievements are what separate an average resume from a great one. Please include achievements on your resumes (such as improvements you made, savings you made for the company, sales growth achieved by your efforts, times when you stood in for the Manager or did several things at once). Write the achievements in the Achievements section under the Responsibilities section for each past job role. If you have a lot of achievements then select 1-3 for each job role only – and ensure these match what the job, that you are applying for, requires (e.g. team work, initiative).
25) Language in a resume – The words “I”, “me”, “my” should never appear on the resume. The resume should be written in a “factual reporting” style. Similarly, long sentences should be avoided and bullet points should be used on the resume. All explanatory sentences requiring the use of the words above, should go in the covering letter.
If you would like personal career transition coaching, help to write a resume, discover your achievements, apply for job or prepare for an interview – please email bh@developmentatwork.com for a personal quote. If you are a defence spouse we can often provide you with free help with Partner Employment Assistance program (PEAP) Program funding – ask us about it. Development at Work Australia will also run some free 1:1 and group workshop sessions for job seekers over 50 in Adelaide – please email support@developmentatwork.com to find out if you are eligible for free help. If you are a HR Manager seeking career transition or outplacement support for people in your organisation please contact us on 8322 8455 / bh@developmentatwork.com for a free no obligation meeting and quote – we would love to talk to you about how we can assist your people.
If you would like personal career transition coaching, help to write a resume, discover your achievements, apply for job or prepare for an interview – please email bridget@developmentatwork.com.au for a personal quote. If you are a defence spouse we can often provide you with free help with Partner Employment Assistance program (PEAP) Program funding – ask us about it. Development at Work Australia will also run some free 1:1 and group workshop sessions for job seekers over 50 in Adelaide – please email support@developmentatwork.com to find out if you are eligible for free help. If you are a HR Manager seeking career transition or outplacement support for people in your organisation please contact us on 8322 8455 / bridget@developmentatwork.com.au for a free no obligation meeting and quote – we would love to talk to you about how we can assist your people.
Development at Work Australia is Adelaide’s leading career transition firm offering a positive psychology based outplacement program – individually tailored to the needs of recipients. For information about our outplacement and career transition services click here.
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