Workforce: Writing your resume

You’re ready for a career change or perhaps you’re just entering the workforce. Most everyone has told you that you need a resume to get the good jobs. You don’t want to get stuck working at a fast food joint, especially if you have years of experience working other jobs.

Or maybe you’re me, and you’ve been working since you were 14, meaning I have 16 years (in 3 days) in the workforce already. I didn’t know how to write a resume, so my mom wrote my first one since my first few jobs didn’t require one. Since then I’ve just followed what she did and added jobs as I changed paths.

Fast forward to basically the last six months or so of my life, and perhaps you can relate with me, I have applied for over 70 jobs with no luck. I even went to a large group of professionals and asked why I couldn’t manage to even get an interview.

The main explanation…any job since early 2014 has only lasted a year, some a little more, some a little less. When I asked what to do since you can’t rewind was the write a letter explaining the reason for gaps. So I did.

I got more people calling back but haven’t nailed down a good job that lasts. I’ve had to sell more stuff than I can even remember to make rent, I’ve gotten behind on bills, I have some terrible sim card cell phone plan that doesn’t even work most of the time but was cheap. But I knew something needed to change.

So I researched and spoke with hiring managers for tips. Of course it was have an amazing resume and while not always needed, a great cover letter. So I decided a fun blog series idea. I’m going to share with you the entire way until I get a good job. I’m going to share tips with you, If possible images of what I’m doing. If you’re in the same spot as me, feel free to follow along, post comments, share ideas, post comments with updates on your progress, whatever. This won’t exactly have a schedule, I’ll just posting as I come along tips or ideas and share with you what I can.

So during all my research and hunting, time to jump into how to write a resume, tips, what employers want, the whole process from start to finish. Onward and upwards gang! But what do you start with?

1. Skills: There are two types of skills technical/hard skills, the type you have to learn, usually on the job. Then there are soft skills, which are more personal skills you already possess, such as problem solving or motivation.

Sit down and write out each job you’ve worked. For each job make a list of skills you learned. Then think about your free time, what do you do? What skills do you use in your spare time? For instance I’ve taught myself HTML before, photo taking, photo lighting, photo editing, and online promotion.

1. Your No List: lots of people say I’ll take any job, it doesn’t matter. But that’s not exactly true. There are jobs you aren’t qualified for, Jobs you aren’t capable of doing and Jobs you aren’t willing to do.

Write out a list of skills you possess but hate using (you have management skills but hate using them and don’t want to work in management again), environments you find unacceptable, company cultures you disagree with or despise, and anything in a job that would make it miserable or worse, unbearable.

So now you know the skills you possess and can offer to a company and the things you don’t want. Remember, you’re searching for a long term job, one that could perhaps become a career. You can take other jobs in the meantime if needed, but you write this resume to stand out amongst others and impress employers. Now you’re ready to write your resume.

But you have to consider what type of resume you should use. There are three types of resumes, so let’s look at each kind and what is the best for you to use.

1. Reverse-Chronological Resume- The more traditional format for resumes. This resume type is flexible and can be used for any level of experience. From brand new to season veteran in an industry. This resume is best to be used for: showing vertical career progression, applying for a job in a similar field, to show promoting upwards career mobility. You should use it if you: have major gaps in your employment, making a change in your career path, or if you change jobs every month.

2. Functional Resume: This resume places emphasis on career progression with a focus on your skills and abilities. This is more suitable for people with an expert level of experiences. It’s best to use this resume type if: you have gaps in employment history, plan on changing the industry you work in, or highlight a specific skill set you have. Avoid using this if: you want to highlight upwards progress and career mobility, if you’re an entry level candidate with a lack of experience (someone straight out of college of training program), or you lack transferable skills (skills learned at one job that can transfer to a new job).

3. Combination Resume: This sort of resume merges bits and pieces from the first two types of resumes. It allows you to place focus on specific qualifications while the main portion of the resume contains professional experience similar to the first. This type of resume is best for those with a great deal of experience within a certain industry. This format is best used for: highlighting a developed skill set in a certain career, if you’re making a change from one career to another, or have mastered the skills of the job you’re applying for. Avoid using this format if: you want to highlight your education, you lack experience in the field you’re applying for, or you’re an entry level candidate.

There are some general guidelines to the order you place each section of information, these can be tweaked if a certain area is stronger than another or how you want to present everything to an employer. But a general guideline is:

1. Contact information- Including such information as your name, ONE phone number, email address (make sure it’s professional, not something like 2cute4u@aol.com, make a new one if necessary), the URL to your linkedin profile (if you have one).

2. Introduction- You have three choices: Qualification Summary, Career Objective, or Professional Profile. I’ll cover those next.

3. Professional Experience- This is the core of your resume. This is where you show and prove you possess the skills you listed. This section can also be called Relevant Experience or Work Experience. A “general” rule is 3 to 5 bullet points for each job. The first including an action verb. The second showing Quantifiable (Significant) Proof. The third being specific and relevant job duties.

4. Education: A solid education helps to display the foundation of your knowledge and expertise. You only need to include high school if you didn’t attend college. Remember though, Results and Actions are more important to an employer than Knowledge and Education.

5. Additional Sections- Here you can include things such as certifications, licenses, publications, awards, honors, activities, grants, scholarships, volunteering, professional affiliations or academic honors.

6. Resume Summary- This is optional. A resume summary is a quick easy way to summarize critical information. It is best used for someone who has experience in the field their applying for. It should consist of a few short sentences, well worded and targeted to show off your skills and experiences.

What is a Qualification Summary? This is usually a bullet list of your most outstanding career achievements. Best used if you’re applying for a job that has a rigid set of required abilities, have a wealth of experience within the industry or possess multiple skill sets. Don’t use this if you lack experience in the industry, you’re an entry level candidate or lack measurable achievements.

What is a Career Objective? This may also be known as a resume objective. This is a short, two to three sentence statement that provides the company a quick overview of your skills and experience. It’s best to use this when: you’re an entry level applicant, you don’t possess in-depth experience in the industry you’re applying for or you’re a recent college graduate. Avoid this if you possess a wealth of industry-specific skill set, you’re changing career paths, or plan on writing a cover letter.

What is a Professional Profile? This is a combination of the first two and is the most flexible of the three styles. It can be written as a bullet list or a short paragraph. Use this style if: you have had major achievements in past jobs, apply for a position within the same industry you worked before, or have special expertise in the field you’re aiming for. Avoid if: you’re an entry level applicant, a recent college graduate, or lack measurable accomplishments.

Alright, now you know what and how to write, it’s recommended not to use a template. Design your resume yourself. Some things to remember about writing your resume. One page is best unless you have enough important and relevant information to make it more than one page. When choosing a font, make sure to choose an easy to read font such as Helvetica. Create a separate page for references, only supply if asked, it should match your resume and cover letter design wise. Use lines to break up sections on the page.

Alright, and some random things that didn’t belong above.

• 8 out of 10 resumes are discarded with only a ten second glance.

• Using a target job title increases your odds

• Always try to tailor your resume to your employers needs

• Choose a target job you want and have the skills for, go online and collect six job postings (from anywhere in the world, doesn’t matter), analyze how your employer thinks and expresses their need to fill the position. Find and prioritize common requirements/words/phrases. Add to your resume but make sure to change the wording

• Don’t include skills or items that have nothing to do with the job

• Always include keywords or buzzwords

• Only apply to jobs you meet the criteria for

• Always give a good reason for leaving an employer

• For short lived jobs, you’ll need an excellent explanation. You have to convince them why they should take a chance on you

• Don’t bash ex-employers. Or at least try not too

• Be prepared to explain any gaps in your employment

• Almost all employers google you, have a professional linkedin page made, untagged yourself from photos drinking, partying, or using drugs

• You no longer need to include your address on your resume

• Submit resumes/cover letters/references in .pdf format so it looks the same no matter what computer they use

• Develop multiple resume versions, they don’t have to be completely different but there should be differences

The initial search for a resume is done by ATS (applicant tracking systems) most of the time. The more keywords your resume contains from the posting and job description, the better chance ATS will choose yours. From there it’s usually received by a recruiter whose job it is to separate resumes into a yes or no pile. Then typically the recruiter sells your resume (if they choose yours) to the hiring manager.

Think of your resume as an ad and the item being sold is you. You are selling your skills to an employer but you don’t want to make the resume about you. You want to make your resume about what you can provide to them. Your resume is your story. It tells an employer where you started and what got you to where you are. It tells them your skills and how you got them. So make sure you write your resume in the best light.

We’ll go over cover letters, phone interviews, and in person interviews as we go. Once I write a new resume, I’ll try to upload my old and new resumes or google resumes to get an idea. Good luck, Tribe.

Vibe Higher,

Lobeless