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#Resume : Why an Objective On A Resume Makes You Look Old.

The days of your resume starting out with “Objective: Experienced Executive Sales Manager seeking to ….” are long gone!  If you are still using a line like that to open up your executive resume, you may as well realize that your chance of getting selected for an interview is probably long gone as well.  Lose the “Objective” and replace that one-liner with a dynamic career summary that pulls the reader in and shows that you have the experience, skills, and credentials to get the job.

A career summary is a brief statement/paragraph at the top of your summary that immediately communicates your qualifications for the job.  In just a few sentences, you need to be able to articulate the value you can offer, what you have that makes you more uniquely qualified than others, and why the hiring manager should call you, and only you, in for the interview.  A few tips to get you on your way…

The hook…

  • Clearly define your goals:  think about this- if you were already in the interview, what would be the top 3-4 things you would tell the hiring manager about yourself to show you are the one to hire? Now, put those 3-4 things in writing on your career summary.

The line…

  • Highlight your applicable experience, strengths, and skills:  incorporate keywords and keyword phrases that are relevant to the position you’re applying for/industry throughout your summary. If the resume is being screened by an ATS program, using the appropriate keywords will help to ensure that your resume will get selected from the pile. If you have space, you can even share an achievement that shows how you’ve increased sales or revenue, improved productivity, implemented a new program―how you’ve created value for others during your career. You can also include the job title or a little bit about your personal brand in your summary to make an even stronger connection.

Reel em’ in…

  • Build them up and leave them wanting to know more:  you’ve made your point, now conclude your summary with a catchy phrase that shows the impact you have made in your career for your past employers.

 

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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Here are examples of what we found at the top of two resumes submitted by candidates applying for the same position with an association:

 

  1. Objective: Experienced candidate seeking to work as an executive for a large company where I can grow my skills and expertise in the field.

 

  1. Executive Summary: Entrepreneurial leader accomplished in designing game-changing strategies to propel growth and membership within sales associations. Valued for providing insight, evaluating current practices, identifying market trends, and achieving unprecedented results. Expertise in developing strong and sustainable solutions to maximize partner retention and affinity relations, facilitate expansion, and generate revenue growth. Capable of building strong relationships with business partners and influencing at all levels to generate results.

Which candidate would you call in for an interview?

There is nothing more satisfying than watching someone progress in their career, and a strategically-written resume is a great place to start. Recruiters and hiring managers want to be sold on you as a candidate in the first few seconds they spend on your resume―you have to be able to show your ROI with high-value information to keep the reader interested in learning more about you.

Go a step further and use your summary on your resume as the basis for your summary on your LinkedIn profile.  Nobody wants to see “I am seeking a job as a Sales Executive” in the “About” section on your profile.  You have 2,000 characters to sell yourself in the “About” section.  Include a brief summary, some bulleted achievements, and your most relevant strengths and expertise to show all you offer in just a few quick seconds.  Make it personal and creative―let the reader see who you are, how you operate, and how you can impact their organization if they hire you.

So, to answer the question in the title of this article, you need to lose the “Objective” you’re still showing on your resume and replace it with a dynamic career summary that markets you as the best fit for the employer’s needs. When written and presented the right way, a strong career summary statement at the beginning of your resume will not just introduce you to the reader, but more importantly will effectively convey that YOU are the ideal candidate for the job, right from the get-go.

FSC Career Blog Author:  Ms. Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

                                          FSC Career Blog |  April 14, 2020

How Old is Your Executive Resume? Simply Updating will Not Do.

If it’s been a while since you looked for a new job, you likely haven’t updated your resume during that time. Depending on how long it has been, simply making updates to it won’t be sufficient. When writing an effective resume today, you have to take into consideration how it looks digitally as well as on paper.

And a lot of the resume writing strategies that applied a decade ago should be avoided now. Recruiters and hiring managers will be able to easily tell if your resume is dated, so here’s how you can rework yours to catch it up with modern times.

Old Resumes Need To Be Reworked Completely

Any professional resume writing service will suggest rewriting your resume completely if it’s close to a decade old. Sometimes it’s best to start with a blank document so you won’t be tempted to operate under the same framework as your old resume. But when you’ve only written a couple of versions of your resume, and none of them have been recent, how do you know where to start? An executive resume writer is a good resource since they are up-to-date on what should and shouldn’t be included. 

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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Resume Writing Strategies To Consider

Old resumes didn’t typically highlight a job applicant’s personal brand. Today, personal branding is essential to include on resumes, since it’s what sets you apart from the rest. It can be difficult to do this if you’ve never done it before, so there’s no harm in working with an executive resume writer for assistance.

Keywords, formatting, hyperlinks and more should also be modernized in your resume. With more employers using applicant tracking systems to help them filter through resumes, it’s essential to include proper keywords and phrases to ensure your resume gets recognized. Targeting is also highly recommended when writing an effective resume. Employers can spot a general resume quickly, so do your research and demonstrate your knowledge about the company and their needs in yours. 

Outdated Details Should Be Removed

Details like where you live, professional references, outdated expertise, an objective statement or other personal information don’t belong on resumes anymore. Of course, if a specific employer asks for this information, then you should have it handy and ready to provide it to them. Nothing demonstrates an outdated resume more than including these types of details, which most employers aren’t interested in.

Keeping up with the times is difficult today in the fast-paced world we live in. It’s especially difficult to do so if you have held the same job for many years and need to put together a resume quickly. Take time to consider whether your resume may be out-of-date before you start your job search process.

 

FSC Career Blog Author:  Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

FSC Career Blog |  March 10, 2020

Don’t Make These Resume Mistakes. Great Two(2) Min Read!

Whether I am working with a CEO, a customer service manager, or a teacher, I consistently see the same resume mistakes over-and-over again. Remember—if you haven’t written a resume in five or more years, things have changed!

Please see the list below for the most common resume mistakes and how to avoid them.

Tip #1 – Don’t include personal details. Believe it or not, people sometimes include photos, marital status, and personal hobbies. Photos and personal details allow individuals to pre-judge you BEFORE you even get to the interview. Stay with professional information and documentation.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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Tip #2 – Don’t include SO MUCH information. I understand that your work history is important and it’s difficult to know where to ‘draw the line’ with what is and what isn’t included. However, including everything makes NOTHING stand-out. Focus on what that particular employer needs to know about you. Keep the information concise and on-target for your desired positions.

Tip #3 – Beware of strange formatting. Don’t decide to utilize three different fonts, some clip art, and various colors. It’s very important to be consistent with your formatting and to give your resume a clean, cohesive, and consistent appearance. Remember – a recruiter or hiring manager is most likely only reviewing the document for about 5-7 seconds…you do NOT want that person to be distracted by formatting.

Tip #4 – Ensure space is utilized. Your resume contains prime real estate and we want that real estate to work for us. Put a header at the top of your resume instead of the word “Summary.” Mention your past positions or future desired positions by stating something like, “Executive-Level Administrative Assistant” or “Entry-Level Accounting Professional.” And, don’t include things like hobbies and volunteerism if you have more pertinent and relevant information that is DIRECTLY related to your future roles.

The tips listed here are just the start of things to consider when crafting your updated resume. If you are still unsure of how to include certain information or what sections you need to use on your resume, I’d love to chat – click HERE now!

 

FSC Career Blog Author:  Dr. Heather Rothbauer-Wanish, owner of Feather Communications, based in Colfax, Wisconsin, has been working with job seekers since 2008 to develop eye-catching and dynamic resumes for today’s marketplace. She is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and has written thousands of resumes for clients in a variety of fields. Dr. Rothbauer-Wanish has a BBA in Management, an MBA, and a PhD in Organization and Management.

 

FSC Career Blog| February 27, 2020

The Resume Writing SEO 2020 Guidelines. Is your Resume Picked Up Online?

I’m invisible online,” said Joe, 57, a director at a large tech company. “After I send my resume in using my computer no one is calling me for an interview. I suspect they either notice my age and decide that they don’t want somebody as old as me, or I don’t have the resume written correctly. The bottom line is that no employer is calling me. What am I doing wrong? Can you help me improve my resume and get discovered,” he asked.

One of the problems when you submit your resume online is that you don’t realize the importance of keywords and how they affect your resume’s performance in getting found. The SEO (Search Engine Optimization) that you incorporate into your resume is what the electronic robots are searching. They find what the recruiter requested or they don’t. In Joe’s case, they aren’t finding him at all. I took a look at his resume and realized the problem. He doesn’t understand about how to use SEO strategies to get found.

There are many mistakes that Baby Boomers make on their resumes that can prevent them from being discovered by a recruiter. How this all works is that the recruiter or hiring manager types in some specific words that he or she is looking for in the candidate. Typically these are things like job titles, specific work tasks or skills that are needed to do the job. The typical recruiter has over 100 resumes to search through. Often times for large companies and Fortune 500 organizations there can be hundreds of resumes that are received for every one job posted. All the initial search and streamlining of those applicants is done electronically. This allows the employer to shrink the applicant pool down to 10-20, a more manageable amount to search and review.

Unfortunately one of the biggest complaints recruiters make is there are many people out there applying for jobs that they are not qualified for. That makes this whole process more challenging for everybody.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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Here is some advice that will help you when you’re trying to create your own SEO to optimize your resume so that it can be found more easily by employers.

Be Technology Ready. Most companies use employment software to handle the application process. It’s called ATS, or applicant tracking software, and is used by the employer when you apply online. The system often cannot read: text boxes, tables, color ink, photos, or see any graphics. These could be eliminated from your resume and the space is left blank for the recruiter so they miss these things you were trying to stress. You want to eliminate these obstacles from your resume. A clean resume that is easy to read is essential to get through the system.

Target the Job Title. Employers hire for a specific job. You need to make sure that the job title that you have and/or the career objective states the name of the job you’re looking for. For example, Career Objective: Nonprofit Executive Director.

Outline Work History using Keywords. When defining your work experience outline the major job duties that you have had in that position. It is important that the first sentence captures the most important work tasks you have performed. This is because these are some of the keywords that a recruiter is likely to use when searching through the applicant pool. Be sure to address your skills and abilities to fit the exact position you are applying for. Do not generalize. You need to include the essential experience that’s necessary for performing that position.

Stress Results. Results get attention! List your specific accomplishments. Note your actions on your job and what was the outcome of your work. List your innovations and new things you have developed and implemented. Did you save time or money? Did you make money? Have you created something new? Did you improve something? These are the kinds of results that employers want to know about.

Create a Summary of Qualifications.  This consists of four to six sentences that highlight your key experience, strengths and top accomplishments. This is often the first part of any resume read. It needs to be strongly persuasive and you can outline top skills here.

Do not create a list of competencies

One error that many people make is they create a list of competencies or skills and put them across the page in tables. This is an ineffective way to get your keywords across. All keywords need to be involved in sentences and part of your accomplishments that you’re talking about in your work experience section.

Incorrect:

Project management Supervisor Manager

Organizational Development Human Resources Employee Benefits

Employee Relations Contract Management Compensation

More effective:

Use the words in sentences that demonstrate the skill. Example:

· Managed the human resources department employee benefits area negotiating contracts with better terms and lower fees.

Repeat Key Skills

As you create the resume you might use the words that foster the skill you want to emphasize. For example, you could mention project management three or four times throughout the resume. That keyword will be one that the algorithms notices first. That works if you’re looking for a job in which you need to use the skill of project management or if you’re looking for a job as a project manager. Keep in mind that you want to be addressing the skills for the job you’re going after so if it’s a promotion make sure you stress the skills that you have used the most that fill the need stated in that promotion job ad.

SEO when understood is not that hard to incorporate into your resume so you will be found and called in for an interview, the sole goal of your resume.

 

Forbes.com | January 29, 2019 | Robin Ryan

5 Common Mistakes Job Seekers Make When Searching For Resume Help Online. Before You Pay, Read This!

Resume help can be found all over the web. There are resume templates and builders to help format your resume, online tools to identify important industry keywords, resume samples to get inspiration from, and articles like this one containing tips and tricks to help elevate your resume to the next level.

In fact, there are so many resources to choose from that sometimes its hard to pick out whats actually accurate and useful. Like anything you Google on the internet, theres going to be a lot of hogwash that just isnt worth your time. So with this in mind, here are 5 mistakes you should avoid when searching for resume help online.  

Mistake 1: Believing the first thing you read

Your resume may be printed in black and white, but how you should actually go about writing your resume certainly isnt that simple. Blanket statements that “resumes should never exceed one page” or that resumes should never include an objective statement” are thrown around willy-nilly by self-proclaimed resume experts all the time. Sadly though, things are almost never this simple. Many of these pieces of advice are oftentimes only applicable in certain situations, and sometimes just downright incorrect.

Before treating the first piece of advice you read as gospel, be sure to do some more research. Ask yourself: Whats the logic behind the advice? Does the advice apply to everyone at all job levels and in all industries? Is the advice an oversimplification of the truth? Do all resume experts agree on it? 

 

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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Mistake 2: Paying for something you can get for free

Lets get two things straight here. First, whatever type of resume help youre searching for, chances are theres a way to get it for free. Whether its resume builders, resume templates, resume samples, resume critiques, or resume articles, you can easily find free options for all of these resources. 

Second, just because theres a paid option doesnt mean its any better than the free option. This is the trap many of us can fall prey to. We see a fancy resume template that costs $20, and we immediately think it must somehow be better than all the free templates weve been staring at for the past hour because one costs money and the others do not. In actuality, paid templates are oftentimes too over-the-top and not compatible with applicant tracking systems.

Mistake 3: Hoping resume builders will solve all your problems

Resume writing can be a very painstakingly difficult and drawn-out process. This is why many job seekers turn to online resume builders with the hope that they will make the writing process a whole lot more bearable. Unfortunately, this is all just wishful thinking. 

For the most part, resume builders really only help you with formatting your resume by providing an assortment of different resume templates to switch between. While this certainly is a handy feature, resume builders are completely useless when it comes to helping you with what youre likely really struggling with – writing the actual content of your resume. So, if youre looking for help with highlighting your work achievements and constructing each bullet point, dont get swept up in all the hype resume builders are getting these days.

Mistake 4: Not utilizing resume samples

If resume builders are the most overrated tool, I daresay the most underrated resource you can use would be industry-specific resume samples. While everything else you find online merely tells you how to write a resume, resume samples actually show you how a well-written resume should look like – and thats priceless.

Ive had so many job seekers over the years ask me to critique their current resume, and many of them looked nothing like how professional resumes should appear. Whether its using a poor design, personal pronouns, paragraphs instead of bullet points, or oversized fonts, job applicants often make a ton of fundamental mistakes that can easily be avoided by perusing online resume samples in order to understand the basic mechanics of a resume.

Mistake 5: Failing to realize when to use resume writing services

The crème de la crème – that is the standard you should be setting for your resume. However, if writing has just never been your forte or if English isnt your native language, it can be nearly impossible to get your resume to that level of excellence all by yourself – even with all the online resources out there at your disposal. If thats the situation youre in, you should consider asking for professional help.

Now keep in mind, this is by far the most expensive alternative to take when it comes to having your resume written. Even as the CEO of a resume service myself, I would only suggest using a resume writing service as a last resort. However, if you are certain that you cant write a stellar resume on your own and can afford to spend a few hundred dollars on a resume, then going with a resume writing service may be the best decision you can make for your career.

Its honestly awesome that there are so many ways the internet can help you with writing your resume. However, dont just dive into this without any strategy in place. With so much at your disposal, its important to identify what types of help are out there and what exactly you need help with.

 

Forbes.com |

#BestofFSCBlog : How to Search for a Job. This Today’s Guide will Take you Through Every Step You Need . Best One Stop REad!

A Guide for Finding & Landing the Job of Your Dreams

Whether you’ve never searched for a job before — perhaps you’re a new college graduate — or it’s been so long since you’ve applied to a position that you don’t know where to begin, have no fear, dear job seeker. This guide will take you through every step you need to take to snag your dream job, from how to prepare to the best days to search. Read on for more.

How to Prepare

As they say, sometimes the most difficult thing to do is to simply start. When you’re looking for a new job, this statement is true: with thousands of job listings to consider, and what seems like a million items on your job-search to-do list, it can be tough to force yourself to sit down at your computer and get to work. But the good news is, with preparation, you can make your job search so much easier. How can you prepare? Here are a few simple steps.

Ramp up your resume: You’ll want to tweak your resume for each job you apply to, but it is still a good idea to make sure it’s up-to-date and in tip-top shape. Reconnect with yourreferences to make sure they’re still willing to vouch for you, and proofread for errors. Review your resume and ensure all dates, positions and descriptions are accurate.

Practice for an interview: While you can’t prepare for every single interview question you will be asked, you can still brush up on your interviewing skills by practicing your answers to the mostcommon questions asked by recruiters and managers alike. Knowing how you will respond in advance will keep you cool, calm and collected during any future interviews.

Network: Mark industry events on your calendar that you can attend, where you can meet recruiters or industry insiders who can give you the scoop on open positions. Alternatively,join a club or organization you’re passionate about. You never know who you could meet there — or the ways you could help your resume pop — by giving your time to a good cause.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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What Days You Should Search

You may think that any day is a good day to search for a job. And while that’s mostly true, data shows that there are better days to apply than others. In fact, Tuesday seems to be the best day of the week to send in your resume. (And the same research shows that you could find more success in your job search in the months of February, March, May and June.)

Another important element when it comes to the timing of your job search is to make sure it doesn’t consume all your time. (If it does, you’ll go crazy —trust us.) So stick to a 72-hour schedule, if possible: prepare on Monday, apply on Tuesday and follow-up on Wednesday.

What Sites You Should Use

Of course, we think Glassdoor is the best place to search for a new job. (The stats don’t lie: Glassdoor helps 67 million people per month in their job search.) But that doesn’t mean Glassdoor is the only site you can use in your job search.

If you’re looking for a flexible work schedule—or even the chance to work from the comfort of your couch five days a week—consider signing up on FlexJobs, a site that only posts job listings for positions that offer flexible or remote work options. (FYI: it’s a paid service.)

Another website you could use in your job search is LinkedIn. After all, it’s not just a place to post your resume; LinkedIn also posts job listings tailored to your field and interests. So, make sure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date and robust, with projects, videos, or blogs.

Other sites that post job listings include: Indeed, Monster, CareerBuilder and US Jobs.

How You Can Use Apps in Your Job Search

Your phone could be your new best job-search friend: with apps, you can ramp-up your job search, get prepared for an interview, get reminders for follow-ups and so much more.

Did you know Glassdoor has an app? It does! And it’s a great one to use to find jobs. The app pairs millions of open job listings with important information like company reviews, salary estimates, interview questions and more to help prep you for the job hunt.

You’ve got dozens of jobs to apply to, and that’s a lot to organize. We’ll get to the nitty-gritty of organizing your job search soon, but in the meantime, download Workflow, an app that will help you organize your job content and create shortcuts that will save you major time.

Once you’ve scheduled an interview, it’s time to practice your interview skills. If you’re the kind of person who clams up, consider using Orai as a speaking coach. The app will “coach you to add fewer filler words, speak clearly, and at a good pace,” according to its website.

Lastly, don’t forget the value of social media apps in your job search. You should use social media to build a personal brand, which will make you more attractive to a hiring manager. (For example, you can post pictures or summaries of projects you’ve worked on, include a short bio about your skills, or share articles that show you know a lot about the industry.)

 

GlassDoor.com 

 

Resume Writing: Make Your Job Application Robot-Proof. Great Tips to Get Past Robots.

Job seekers often spend hours online researching employers and polishing their applications and résumés. Then they hit send.

And they hear nothing. Ever.

Looking for a job is hard enough without being rejected by a robot. But applicant-screening and tracking systems are increasingly powerful job-market gatekeepers. After scanning résumés, they hurl most applicants into a digital black hole.

These machine-learning systems save time and money for employers swamped by online applicants, and they could potentially reduce bias in hiring. But the tools also risk magnifying employers’ existing prejudices and rejecting worthy applicants. Most vulnerable are the most active job seekers, such as recent college grads looking for entry-level positions or older workers idled by layoffs.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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“It’s a hot-button issue with college students,” prompting eye-rolls and cynicism, says Mary O. Scott, a West Hartford, Conn., campus researcher and consultant who just completed a series of in-depth student interviews at 14 universities. One senior spoke of using her “trigger finger” to respond to hundreds of online postings, but she expects few if any replies, Ms. Scott says.

Savvy job seekers can improve their odds of getting past these gatekeepers by understanding how they work. Among valuable tactics: Spice up your résumé with specific on-the-job results, use meaningful job titles and tailor your choice of words to match companies’ requirements.

These systems scan résumés and applications for keywords showing hard skills, such as financial analysis or cybersecurity, and sometimes for softer skills, like team leadership. They may ask knockout questions for must-have attributes, such as whether you can work at a particular location. Some use text tools or chatbots to administer skills tests. Most disqualify applicants who don’t meet basic requirements, then list others in a ranked order, based on how well they fit the employer’s specs.

Tips To Get Past the Robots…

1- Network to build contacts inside the company who will put in a good word for you.

2- Use a text-based app like Word for your online application, rather than a PDF or other format.

3- Include in your résumé keywords and phrases from the employer’s job posting.

4- Quantify past results, citing dollars earned or other stats.

5- Camouflage brief gaps in work history by listing years only, rather than years and months.

6- List job titles in a way that shows increasing responsibility and status.

Some tools serve as job-market matchmakers. ZipRecruiter matches candidates and employers by scanning applicants’ qualifications and employers’ postings, tracking users’ behavior on the site and employing algorithms similar to those used by Amazon for suggesting products, CEO Ian Siegel says.

Rock Brouwer has hired many candidates ZipRecruiter has brought to his attention. “When I get one of those, it just makes my day,” says Mr. Brouwer, hiring manager for Pacific Service Center, a Portland, Ore., trucking-fleet repair company.

About 60% of employers admit such tools cause them to miss some qualified candidates, however, according to a 2016 survey of 1,200 job seekers and managers by CareerArc, a human-resources technology company, and Future Workplace, a research firm. Critics say the systems give too much weight to small differences between candidates.

They amount to a black box. “Often a job candidate doesn’t even know a system is in use,” and employers aren’t required to disclose it, says Sarah Myers West, a researcher at the AI Now Institute, a New York University research group. A new Illinois law will go into effect next month requiring employers to disclose and get consent for use of AI video-interviewing tools with job applicants.

Most vendors refuse to tell employers how their algorithms work. And most employers lack deep, accurate performance data.

The systems risk magnifying managers’ prejudices if those biases are reflected in the makeup of the employer’s current workforce, according to a 2018 study by Upturn, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit promoting fairness in the use of digital technology.

High performers may share traits that have nothing to do with job performance, skewing outcomes, says Mark Girouard, a Minneapolis attorney who advises employers on pre-employment screening. One vendor built a résumé-screening tool that tagged being named Jared and playing high school lacrosse as factors predicting success. “The system didn’t have a very deep set of learning data,” he says. The employer didn’t put it to use.

Even if employers and vendors aren’t trying to reject female or minority applicants, they still risk doing so if they train algorithms on data gleaned from a current workforce that lacks diversity. An employer with mostly male employees, for example, might inadvertently train a screening tool to downgrade applicants who participated in sports played mostly by women, such as field hockey.

One employer intent on reducing employee turnover found that people who lived closer to its offices tended to stay with the company longer. But screening applicants based on distance from the worksite turned out to be a proxy for race, resulting in a lack of diversity.

The systems can easily stack the deck against older workers, says William A. Rivera, senior vice president of litigation for the AARP Foundation. An employer who wants to hire applicants with three to five years’ experience can award candidates three points for three to five years’ experience, two points for five to seven years and one point for more than seven years, Mr. Rivera says. The result: The most experienced workers, who are also typically older than others, would likely receive a lower score and a lower ranking on a candidate list.

It’s sometimes possible to tell whether an employer is using an AI-driven tool by looking for a vendor’s logo on the employer’s career site. In other cases, hovering your cursor over the “submit” button will reveal the URL where your application is being sent.

Otherwise it’s best to assume a robot will be your first-round judge. To pass the test, use clear, functional job titles that reflect progress in your career, and prove your value by quantifying results in dollars earned or number of customers gained, says Robert Meier, chief executive of Restore Hope Resources, a Tampa, Fla., job-coaching firm.

Some applicants try to game the systems by choosing answers to knockout questions that are obviously desirable rather than accurate, says Jim D’Amico, president of the Association of Talent Acquisition Professionals. Others fudge their ZIP Code to make it look as though they live in the employer’s target area.

These ploys risk annoying hiring managers, Mr. D’Amico says. Candidates weigh the risks against potential rewards. “Some candidates think, ‘To know me is to love me. If I can just get in front of you, you’re going to love me,’ ” he says. “And sometimes that’s true.”

Author:  Sue Shellenbarger at sue.shellenbarger@wsj.com

 

WSJ.com | December 16, 2019

#CareerAdvice : #ResumeWriting -Does Your #Resume Have an Identity Crisis? Great Two(2) Min Read!

Most of the resumes I review each year suffer from an identity crisis and are uninspiring. They’ve been created in cookie-cutter fashion, filled with overused words and phrases, are not aligned with the employer’s needs and open with a vague statement that “tells” the employer what they are looking for …”to utilize my skills and experience …” (insert yawn.)

A resume with an identity crisis leaves the reader confused and unable to discern exactly what direction the person is going with their career or the value they bring to the organization. More than that, this type of resume doesn’t:

  • Differentiate you from your competition.
  • Provide context. It’s all generic fluff that sounds like hundreds of other candidates.
  • Make it easy for the hiring authority to determine how you solve their specific business pain.
  • Prepare you for interviews.
  • Say anything unique at all.

Still today, job seekers hold fast to the belief that employers want an objective statement along with a full obituary of their career. And, they continue to create generic resumes with basic job descriptions, tasks, and experiences. Resumes have evolved.

Today’s Resumes:

  • Are focused and make it easy for hiring manages to grasp your value (what you can do for them), where you worked (your unique experiences), and the impact of your efforts.
  • Are bold and go beyond simply showing titles, dates, and job duties.
  • Demonstrate your value and frame how you made a difference.
  • Do not use generic objective statements or overused phrases.
  • Convey perception (how you want to be perceived); alignment (who you are and where you are going); and a summary (the argument for your worthiness to be hired for the position).
  • Are unique to the applicant and not a copy of another person’s document.

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Your resume should connect with your audience and build the hiring authority’s confidence in you by proving your value.

If you’re uncertain of the direction you want to go in your career, find the common thread and then emphasize where your skills and qualifications intersect with the employer’s needs.

It All Starts with a Strategy — No matter the circumstance, to create a great resume, you need a strategy before you start writing.

  • What is your career goal?
  • Who is your target audience?
  • What value do you offer (skills and competencies for the industry targeted)?

In the end, a clear direction will help shorten your job search.

CareerExperts.com | September 19, 2019 | Tammy Shoup 

#CareerAdvice – #JobSearch – 5 Seemingly Insignificant Actions that Will Make You a More Attractive Hire. Great Read!

According to data from Glassdoor, the average corporate job opening attracts 250 résumés, out of which a maximum of six, or just 2.4 percent of those who applied, are called for an interview. When applying for a job, the odds are simply stacked against you.

 

There are some simple, seemingly insignificant actions that you can take to improve your job prospects, however. Below are five such actions.

1. Don’t Take Your Cover Letter for Granted: Improve it With the Following Tips Instead.

Your cover letter is your opportunity to make a first impression, and in some cases it can be more important than your résumé. In fact, according to a particular source, most companies first screen resumes with talent management software before a human looks at it; these talent management software often weed out up to 50 percent of applications.

Often, spending a few extra minutes on your cover letter can mean the difference between getting hired or not.

The following tips will help make your cover letter a lot more effective:

  • Avoid using cliches and unnatural phrases in your cover letter.
  • Keep your cover letter short and simple; you want your cover letter to be no longer than a page; ideally about four paragraphs.
  • Use your cover letter to show that you understand the organization’s needs and can play a key role; it should be about the organization and not you. You want to steer clear of using a lot of “I”.
  • Carefully review and edit your cover letter to avoid mistakes or typographical errors — this is very important since your cover letter is often your first impression; in fact, typos in résumés is the number one reasonemployers automatically dismiss a candidate for consideration, with 61 percent of employers dismissing a candidate just because of this.
  • Don’t make your cover letter a repeat of your résumé; instead, use it as an opportunity to highlight your top selling points and address possible discrepancies in your résumé(such as an employment gap, for example).

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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2. Get Certified

There are many benefits to getting certified: a report by Monster found that getting certified can result in an average pay increase of between 25 to 75 percent. Glassdoor’s interview of recruiters and HR professionals also found that the right certifications can increase a candidate’s odds of getting hired.

If you are yet to be certified, it might be a good idea to get a certification to improve your job prospects and employability.

  • If you’re a network administrator, you can get the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), or Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) certification.
  • If you work in construction or any building-related work, you can get the LEED Accredited Professional certification.
  • If you work in accounting or finance, you can get a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification.
  • If you work as a graphic designer you can get the Adobe Certified Associate (ACA) certification.
  • If you work in project management you can get the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

Regardless of your industry, there is most certainly a certification you can get to increase perception of your value and improve your employability.

3. Highlight Your Accomplishments in a Very Clear and Specific Manner

While many job seekers tend to obsess over their GPA or degree (or lack of) when working on their résumés, recruiters tend to prefer to read more about your accomplishments in similar roles to get a feel for how much of a difference you can make in the organization.

You want to go beyond just listing accomplishments. Instead, you want to list your accomplishments in a clear and specific way.

Examples:

  • Saying: “Achieved annual customer growth rate of 30 percent by supervising the marketing team” is much more effective than simply saying “Helped improve growth rate.”
  • Saying: “Boosted profitability by helping negotiate a reduction in fees with partners and working on an algorithm to help improve customers’ average order value” is a lot more effective than simply saying “increased profitability.”

4. Create a Personal Website or Blog and Highlight It When Necessary

Having a personal website, or blog, might appear insignificant or irrelevant to your getting hired, but it could be one of the single most important actions you can take.

In fact, according to a study, hiring managers are more impressed by a candidate’s personal website than any other personal branding tool — with 56 percent of hiring managers preferring it. Yet, just 7 percent of job seekers have a personal website.

Examples abound of people who have landed their dream jobs thanks to a personal website:

  • When Meg Dickey-Kurdziolek was laid off, it was having a personal website and portfolio that actually helped her get hired. During interviews, she realized that recruiters were really paying attention to her website and portfolio because they asked questions about projects that were featured in her portfolio during interviews, and that helped her stand out.
  • A personal website also contributed greatly to Benjamin Felix getting a finance job at PWL Capital. Even though Felix didn’t include his website in his résumé, it was brought up during his interview. Apparently, recruiters at PWL Capital came across Felix’s website when they searched for him on Google, and the fact that he had a personal website helped him standout.
  • For Mark Scott, who is now VP of corporate communications at eVestment, having a personal website also played a key role in his getting hired at the organization; he was able to direct the recruiter to his personal website during the initial interview to showcase his experience, and that helped him stand out and land the job.

Setting up a website also doesn’t have to be complicated or cost an arm and a leg: WordPress is free, and as indicated by this review, you can have your website hosted and accessible for less than the cost of a cup of coffee. Making your website enhance your employability goes beyond just having a website, though. What matters is that your website does the following:

  • Showcase your skills and experience: Show potential employers what you can do rather than tell.
  • Include enough background information to make it easy to make a decision about hiring you; Ideally, you want to make it easy to access relevant information about you all in one place. So your website should link to your social profiles (such as LinkedIn) and other relevant online presence as well.
  • Highlight relevant social proof in your industry; This includes media features and interviews, awards, and conferences you’ve been invited to.

5. Work on Your Follow Up Game

As I indicated in my last piece, research by Robert Half found that pretty much all hiring managers expect — and encourage — candidates to follow up after sending in an application. This is especially critical when you consider that the odds are stacked against you: the average job opening will get about 250 applications, and many of these applicants won’t follow up after submitting their application. 

Following up is the one way to give yourself an edge in the sea of applications your employer is likely to be inundated with. Following up puts you ahead of the pack; while it is unlikely that a recruiter remembers each of 250 candidates that applied for a job, you can be sure that the candidate that followed up a few times will stand out.

Conclusion

As the employment landscape gets more competitive, it is important to work on making yourself more employable; often, all it takes are actions that require just a few minutes of your time. The above are five such actions. While they might appear initially insignificant, they can make a whole lot of difference in your getting hired.

 

GlassDoor.com | July 15, 2019 |  Posted by