As a former recruiter and now career coach I have seen thousands of resumes over my career. For each career level, from student intern to rainmaking partner, there are specific nuances that make winning resumes stick out. However, at all levels, winning resumes demonstrate three criteria.
As a former recruiter and now career coach I have seen thousands of resumes over my career. For each career level, from student intern to rainmaking partner, there are specific nuances that make winning resumes stick out. However, at all levels, winning resumes demonstrate three criteria:
No mistakes. This means no typos, no spelling errors, and no grammatical mistakes. Watch out for homonyms that won’t get caught by a simple spell-check. You don’t “meat” clients (hopefully!). Check proper names for exact spelling (e.g., PowerPoint, not Powerpoint or Power Point).
Quantitative results. If you sold business, how much in revenues exactly? If you cut costs, by how much in dollars or %? If you managed a division, how large by number of staff or budget or both? Even non-profits or public sector jobs have tangible metrics. If you solicited grants, how much did you raise? If you organized a conference, how big was the audience, budget, participant list?
Compelling career progression. The resume should tell your story, and the ideal career story has a successful ending. Your most recent job should be the peak of your career to date. Your past jobs should show an upward trajectory, in terms of responsibility and/or expertise. Of course, those starting out may have only junior jobs on the resume, but each successive job should show growth in some area.
Is Your Job Search Flexible or Just Unfocused?
As a recruiter, I’ve seen lack of flexibility on the recruiting side with employers clinging to every last detail in their ideal spec while perfectly good candidates get overlooked. As a career coach, I see jobseekers prematurely dismissing possible targets waiting for that perfect job. It’s true that you want to be focused in your job search (otherwise you dilute your efforts and come across as scattered and possibly desperate).
5 Questions to Test If Your Resume Is Recruiter-Proof
After recruiting in search and in-house for over ten years, I have read thousands of resumes. Due to sheer volume of resumes received and all the other things that vie for the recruiter’s attention in the hiring process – scheduling, interviewing, networking, reference checks, client debriefs, and more – the resume review process is ruthlessly quick.
Why Conventional Wisdom On Work Flexibility Is Always Wrong
In a previous post, I wrote about why employment statistics are always wrong. In a similar way, conventional wisdom on work flexibility is always wrong. It is impossible to generalize something that is inherently case-by-individual case. Therefore, any boilerplate advice or conventional wisdom is bound to omit a key consideration, underweight or overemphasize other considerations, or take too long-term or short-term of a view.
