Effective Resumes: An 'Objective' Debate
By Erin Hovanec
Are you for job objectives or against them? Most job seekers -- and even career experts -- have strong opinions.
Those in favor say objectives are the simplest, quickest way to target a specific position. Those against charge that objectives waste valuable space and limit you to just one position when you could be qualified for other positions. Whether you are pro- or anti-objective, here are tips for writing a resume that will grab recruiters' attention from the get-go. Putting Your Goal on Paper Job objectives work best for two types of job seekers:
∙ Those who know exactly what job they want, and
∙ Those whose career goal isn't obvious on their resumes.
If you include an objective, place it directly under your name and contact information. An objective typically begins with "to." For example, "Objective: To obtain a position ... "
Your objective should be simple, specific and brief -- no more than two or three lines. It should highlight what you have to offer the company, such as a specific skill or experience. A recruiter is more interested in what you can give the company than what you hope to get from it.
Here's an example of an effective job objective:
Objective: To obtain an entry-level account management position in financial services utilizing my strong analytical and interpersonal skills.
Review your objective each time you send a resume and make sure it fits the job you're applying for. Just as you should have several versions of your resume, you should also have several versions of your job objective.
Summarizing Your Skills
Not 100 percent sure what job you want? Then you may find a summary statement more effective than an objective.
While an objective focuses on the job, a summary statement focuses on the job seeker.
A summary statement is a one- to two-sentence overview that captures the essence of your skills and experience. It highlights what makes you a qualified candidate as well as what makes you different (and better) than other applicants.
Tailor your summary statement to highlight the experience that is most relevant to the job.
Here's an example of a strong summary statement.
Summary: Public relations professional with five years of experience managing PR campaigns across multiple media, working with national and local press and coordinating large-scale events.
Highlighting Your Achievements
Sometimes a job objective is too targeted. And sometimes a summary statement is too short to highlight all your accomplishments.
If that's the case, you have another option: A summary of qualifications.
A summary of qualifications is similar to a summary statement, but differs in two key ways:
1. It's formatted as a list of items rather than a single statement, and
2. It highlights specific accomplishments rather than general achievements.
It's most useful for job seekers who have a long work history or who are applying for senior positions. It's an effective way to highlight the most important, relevant parts of a long, detailed resume.
This section goes by many names, like "Key Accomplishments" and "Career Highlights." It's placed just where a job objective or summary statement is, under your contact information.
A summary of qualifications is a list of your most significant career accomplishments. For maximum effectiveness, the list should include no more than five items and be results-oriented.
The summary of qualifications is usually a list of short phrases. You can use a bulleted list, with each qualification on its own line. Or, to conserve space, you can arrange them in paragraph format, with a period after each one.
Here's an example of an effective summary of qualifications.
Summary of Qualifications
∙ Skilled pharmaceutical sales manager/executive with nine years sales experience and advanced degree in biology.
∙ Consistently surpassed annual revenue goals by 35 percent-plus.
∙ Named 2001 "Salesperson on the Year." Managed regional sales staff of 175.
Job objectives, summary statements, summaries of qualifications -- all are useful resume options. Your best choice will depend on your experience and the type of job you're interested in.
Monday, February 23, 2009
12 Tips to Get Your Resume Noticed
Be Gutsy at Work
12 Tips to Get Your Resume Noticed
by: Tory Johnson
Gone are the days of simply mailing your resume, receiving a call, shaking hands at the interview, and agreeing on a start date for that new job. The Internet has taken over the recruiting landscape, and everyone is required to submit a resume online. While that brings greater efficiency to the process for employers, it can be awfully maddening for job seekers. But it doesn't have to be that way if you know how to navigate the system.
Consider these 12 tips before pressing "submit" to send your resume:
1. Search job boards and the websites of employers that appeal to you. Print out the job postings that you're interested in pursuing before you apply.
2. Use a highlighter to mark the keywords and industry language used to describe the requirements and responsibilities.
3. Compare those words and phrases to the language that appears in your current resume.
4. Figure out how and where to add the most relevant keywords to your resume, assuming you have the specific knowledge, skills, and experience. Applicant tracking systems will search for keyword matches -- the more matches, the better, which often determines if a recruiter opts to view your resume.
5. Once you're confident that your resume reflects a strong match, go ahead and submit that targeted resume online.
6. If the system requests a cover letter, write a short one that expresses why you're a strong match and why you'd like to join the organization. This is a chance to tout your research on the role.
7. Never submit a generic, one-size-fits-all resume or cover letter. If you really want the position, you'll customize all documents for each job.
8. Once you apply, get to work to find an internal referral to make a personal introduction. Here's how:
Make a list of 50 people you know and ask each one if they know someone who works (or has worked) at that employer.
Attend job fairs to meet face-to-face with employers and other professionals.
Create a free profile and become active on LinkedIn.com or Facebook.com, which boast a combined 60 million users. Surely you can find someone who knows someone to make that connection.
Create a free Twitter.com account and "follow" friends and post requests for help. (You can follow me at Twitter.com/ToryJohnson where I post job leads and where fellow followers can help with contacts.)
Join an association in your field and network with like-minded peers.
Connect with your high school and college alumni groups. Old pals could be new connectors.
Talk to your unlikely network. For example, look at the class list of the parents of your kids' friends. Anytime my kids hear about a friend's mom or dad who's lost a job, they tell them to call me. Even though we don't know each other, we have a common connection that can sometimes lead to a contact.
9. Follow up with a call or email to the recruiter responsible for filling the position. Never say, "Did you get my resume?" Instead be ready to reiterate your strong qualifications and interest in the role. You'll have just a brief moment to sell yourself, so rehearse before making the call or sending the email.
10. Don't know the name of the right person? Cold-call the company and ask an operator to put you through. If that doesn't work, do a Web search on the term "recruiter" or "HR director" along with the name of your employer of choice. The results may reveal the name you're trying to find. LinkedIn is another resource to find the correct name.
11. Stay top of mind. Every recruiter is different, which makes this a challenge. Some say you're welcome to follow up weekly. Others say every other week is enough. And then there are some who'll tell you to never call. Find the right balance so you're politely persistent without crossing over to a pest.
12. Ask directly for advice on how and when to follow up. A simple question, "What's the best way to keep in touch?" will give you the details you need to stay ahead of the pack.
Tory Johnson is the CEO of Women For Hire and the Workplace Contributor on ABC's "Good Morning America." Connect with her at womenforhire.com.The opinions expressed in this column are solely the author's.
12 Tips to Get Your Resume Noticed
by: Tory Johnson
Gone are the days of simply mailing your resume, receiving a call, shaking hands at the interview, and agreeing on a start date for that new job. The Internet has taken over the recruiting landscape, and everyone is required to submit a resume online. While that brings greater efficiency to the process for employers, it can be awfully maddening for job seekers. But it doesn't have to be that way if you know how to navigate the system.
Consider these 12 tips before pressing "submit" to send your resume:
1. Search job boards and the websites of employers that appeal to you. Print out the job postings that you're interested in pursuing before you apply.
2. Use a highlighter to mark the keywords and industry language used to describe the requirements and responsibilities.
3. Compare those words and phrases to the language that appears in your current resume.
4. Figure out how and where to add the most relevant keywords to your resume, assuming you have the specific knowledge, skills, and experience. Applicant tracking systems will search for keyword matches -- the more matches, the better, which often determines if a recruiter opts to view your resume.
5. Once you're confident that your resume reflects a strong match, go ahead and submit that targeted resume online.
6. If the system requests a cover letter, write a short one that expresses why you're a strong match and why you'd like to join the organization. This is a chance to tout your research on the role.
7. Never submit a generic, one-size-fits-all resume or cover letter. If you really want the position, you'll customize all documents for each job.
8. Once you apply, get to work to find an internal referral to make a personal introduction. Here's how:
Make a list of 50 people you know and ask each one if they know someone who works (or has worked) at that employer.
Attend job fairs to meet face-to-face with employers and other professionals.
Create a free profile and become active on LinkedIn.com or Facebook.com, which boast a combined 60 million users. Surely you can find someone who knows someone to make that connection.
Create a free Twitter.com account and "follow" friends and post requests for help. (You can follow me at Twitter.com/ToryJohnson where I post job leads and where fellow followers can help with contacts.)
Join an association in your field and network with like-minded peers.
Connect with your high school and college alumni groups. Old pals could be new connectors.
Talk to your unlikely network. For example, look at the class list of the parents of your kids' friends. Anytime my kids hear about a friend's mom or dad who's lost a job, they tell them to call me. Even though we don't know each other, we have a common connection that can sometimes lead to a contact.
9. Follow up with a call or email to the recruiter responsible for filling the position. Never say, "Did you get my resume?" Instead be ready to reiterate your strong qualifications and interest in the role. You'll have just a brief moment to sell yourself, so rehearse before making the call or sending the email.
10. Don't know the name of the right person? Cold-call the company and ask an operator to put you through. If that doesn't work, do a Web search on the term "recruiter" or "HR director" along with the name of your employer of choice. The results may reveal the name you're trying to find. LinkedIn is another resource to find the correct name.
11. Stay top of mind. Every recruiter is different, which makes this a challenge. Some say you're welcome to follow up weekly. Others say every other week is enough. And then there are some who'll tell you to never call. Find the right balance so you're politely persistent without crossing over to a pest.
12. Ask directly for advice on how and when to follow up. A simple question, "What's the best way to keep in touch?" will give you the details you need to stay ahead of the pack.
Tory Johnson is the CEO of Women For Hire and the Workplace Contributor on ABC's "Good Morning America." Connect with her at womenforhire.com.The opinions expressed in this column are solely the author's.
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