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Lauren The Résumé Girl: "As you write your résumé, quantify and qualify as much as possible to showcase how your experience is unique. "
See our interview with Lauren below...
1. What are the most important design elements of a résumé?
The formatting and presentation of your résumé are almost as important as the content. Anything you can do to make your résumé easy to read can help get your foot in the door.
First, send your résumé in a .PDF file to avoid any formatting debacles upon delivery. This keeps your résumé from looking like a jumbled mess if your formatting designs don’t transfer to the recipient’s email. Also, send you résumé and cover letter as two separate attachments, but post your cover letter in the body of the email as well. This entices the recipient to start reading about you the minute they open your email.
In terms of the résumé itself, make it no more than one page in length as too much information can be overwhelming, especially with lots of résumés coming in. Also, use bullet points to highlight your accomplishments. Each bulleted phrase should be no more than two lines in length and should start with action verbs. This saves valuable space on your one-page résumé. But, it also makes your résumé easier to read. The employer doesn’t want to read another cover letter, and short, but information-dense bullets that describe the specifics of your accomplishments in a more digestible format.
Make it easy for your recipient to contact you for an interview or phone appointment and hyperlink your email address in your electronic résumé. Then, employers can email you with the click of button without having to type your address into their email box.
2. What résumé advice do you have for new graduates with little to no work experience?
Think outside the box: Experience comes in all forms – leadership, coursework, service, etc. Hone in on transferable skills you developed through various positions or experiences that are
relevant to your ideal job. Sometimes it is what you learned from the position and what you observed that is valuable to a potential employer. Describe the experiences you do have in a way that highlights your strengths. For example, one of my clients worked a summer job at a luxury golf course. In a nutshell, he was a caddy, managing golf cart rentals and scheduling tee times while working with a demanding clientele. His work experience as a caddy might not impress a potential employer. But my client still developed valuable skills in this position. It’s important to help an employer see that value on your résumé through your job descriptions. In my client’s case, he could say that, as a caddy, he “managed and prioritized multiple projects in a dynamic and high-pressure work environment.” The description is specific yet goes beyond the daily tasks of a caddy. It describes his experience in a way that applies to many careers.
3. What are your best tips for résumé writing?
First, collect information while you’re in college or working at other positions that will be helpful when it’s time to write or update your résumé. Keep a log of daily tasks and on-going projects so you can highlight them in your résumé. Also, keep a record of job/position descriptions to use as baselines for keywords when describing the different positions you’ve held.
As you write your résumé, quantify and qualify as much as possible to showcase how your experience is unique. This will help you stand out in the crowd. Also, use actions verbs to show what you have accomplished or learned from an experience.
Lastly, always back up your résumé and key emails from employers. This is information you never want to be without and system malfunctions can happen at even the most inconvenient times, like when you have a great opportunity knocking on your door.
4. In general, what are employers looking for in a good résumé?
Employers are looking for experience and skills sets unique to the position they want to fill. But, in addition to job-specific qualities, most employers are looking for a universal skill-set, such as communication and research skills, organization and leadership skills, cultural awareness and sensitivity, technical skills, and problem-solving skills. They are looking for capable, informed thinkers who can grow with their company and bring new ideas to the table.
They also want someone who can work well with their existing team, using teamwork skills, interpersonal skills, honesty, dedication, loyalty, integrity, and professionalism. They want employees who will represent their company well, both inside and outside the office. It’s important to demonstrate that you possess these qualities on your résumé and in your interview as well as your job-specific experience.
5. Do individuals need more than one version of a résumé?
Yes and no. While you cannot change your background and experiences, you can change the order in which your experiences are presented and what skills are emphasized based on the nature of the position you’re applying for. For example, if you have public relations experience as well as administrative experience, you can list your public relations qualifications first if you’re applying for this type of position and list the administrative qualifications first if applying for an administrative position.
Another way to tailor your résumé to each position without using multiple résumés is to simply change your “Summary of Qualifications” section to fit job description.
6. What are your feelings on including an objective on résumés?
When applying to a specific position, you absolutely need an objective statement so that the HR department knows to what hiring manager to source your résumé. For example, an objective statement might read: “A May 2010 graduate of ABC University seeks position as Assistant Event Planner.”
When uploading your résumé to apply for multiple positions or the position is unknown, use a personal branding statement. For example, “Event Coordinator & Sales Professional.” A statement like this still says something about you, but is more broad to appeal to a variety of potential employers.
Objective statements ensure your résumé gets to the right person and also tell the reader a little bit about you right upfront – it should pique their interest in reading your résumé by either having a strong brand or showing relevant background and focus on the position.
7. What do you value about your work?
I value making a difference in students’ and recent graduates’ lives. When I started The Résumé Girl, I set out on a mission – to help as many students and recent graduates as possible land great jobs and internships. In doing so, I left a nice paycheck on the table in the finance field, but I have never looked back. Receiving e-mails on a regular basis from clients who are ecstatic about how they landed that internship or job they really wanted makes what I do so valuable to me. When students tell me about the value they received from one of my speaking presentations or from working with me on their résumé, it really makes my day.
8. What do you value outside of your work?
I love what I do. But, I really love my family and friends. At the end of the day, I know that if I lost all my material belongings, I would still be fine as long as I had these people in my life. They have always believed in me and I owe the success of The Résumé Girl in large part to their support.
9. Are there any web site or additional resources you would recommend for readers on résumé building?
The most valuable resources for résumé writing and job-hunting are right on your college campus. They’re also free, which makes them that much better. Schedule appointments with your campus career counselor, your academic advisor or even your favorite professor to have them review your résumé. Make your appointments early because they may not be available at the last minute.
Career counselors can offer valuable résumé help, career advice, and interview coaching. And, they are directly connected with recruiters and active employers. Make your counselor’s job easy by telling them what type of job you are looking for and get their expert advice on how to strengthen your résumé.
Academic advisors are important resources because they are often approached by industry professionals looking to hire students. So, they know what employers are looking for in potential hires. They can help you improve your résumé in a way that appeals to these specific, and exclusive, positions.
Additionally, professors are valuable resources because they want to see their students succeed and will go the extra mile for a hard-working candidate. Most professors are more than willing to look at your résumé and offer suggestions. After all, they know your strengths. Also, professors have friends and connections outside the academic world. They may have good contacts offering potential job opportunities. Stay in good standing with your professors and they could help you get the job.
So, make sure to take advantage of your campus career center. They often have regular campus events for résumé review days, networking, job fairs, and on-campus interviewing. These resources and opportunities are actually your best chances of landing a job. Employers actually pay money to interview students on campus. So, if you get involved with your campus career center, you increase your chances of being interviewed and hired by one of these motivated employers.
10. May readers contact you with questions?
Absolutely! E-mail is always the best way to get in touch with me and my personal e-mail address is: Lauren@TheResumeGirl.com
I offer complimentary initial consultations to anyone interested in my services. I want everyone to be 100% confident that they’ll get everything they hope for from working with me. So, I offer the opportunity to meet with me, either in person or over the phone, for a complimentary initial consultation.
Booking an initial consultation is easy, just go to www.TheResumeGirl.com homepage.
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