Comments on: The Resume Experiment – Day 1 of 5 http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2007/03/12/the-resume-experiment-day-1-of-5/ advocacy for the job seeker Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:23:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 By: CareerSolvers » Blog Archive » So What Does That Recruiter Really Think of Your Resume? http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2007/03/12/the-resume-experiment-day-1-of-5/comment-page-1/#comment-179455 CareerSolvers » Blog Archive » So What Does That Recruiter Really Think of Your Resume? Sun, 17 Feb 2008 18:33:06 +0000 http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/archives/443#comment-179455 [...] Jason Alba of Jibber Jobber is hosting a “resume critique extravaganza” over on the Jibber Jobber blog and the invited guests are recruiters and resume experts. Each “judge” is weighing in and offering opinions on one anonymous job seeker’s resume content and design. OK, it’s not exactly American Idol, but there are several “Simon Cowell-esque” comments to view and lots of great resume writing advice. The recruiters and resume writers are clearly on the same page as evidenced by the consistency in their comments. All agree that a strong resume needs to showcase accomplishments over tasks, clearly communicate the candidate’s core brand and value add, and have a neat, clean, and eye-catching visual design. If you would like to have your own resume critiqued, without having the content on full view to everyone, email me for a free resume assessment (my style is much more like Paula Abdul and I will tell you what is working in your current resume as well as what can be improved). [...] [...] Jason Alba of Jibber Jobber is hosting a “resume critique extravaganza” over on the Jibber Jobber blog and the invited guests are recruiters and resume experts. Each “judge” is weighing in and offering opinions on one anonymous job seeker’s resume content and design. OK, it’s not exactly American Idol, but there are several “Simon Cowell-esque” comments to view and lots of great resume writing advice. The recruiters and resume writers are clearly on the same page as evidenced by the consistency in their comments. All agree that a strong resume needs to showcase accomplishments over tasks, clearly communicate the candidate’s core brand and value add, and have a neat, clean, and eye-catching visual design. If you would like to have your own resume critiqued, without having the content on full view to everyone, email me for a free resume assessment (my style is much more like Paula Abdul and I will tell you what is working in your current resume as well as what can be improved). [...]

]]> By: ‘The Resume Experiment Series’ | JOBMATCHBOX http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2007/03/12/the-resume-experiment-day-1-of-5/comment-page-1/#comment-77779 ‘The Resume Experiment Series’ | JOBMATCHBOX Sat, 06 Oct 2007 13:37:49 +0000 http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/archives/443#comment-77779 [...] Post I - Introduction Post II - First Impressions/Reactions Post III - Formatting Post IV - Content Post V - Wrap-Up _uacct = "UA-1535029-1"; urchinTracker(); [...] [...] Post I – Introduction Post II – First Impressions/Reactions Post III – Formatting Post IV – Content Post V – Wrap-Up _uacct = “UA-1535029-1″; urchinTracker(); [...]

]]> By: MaryKurek http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2007/03/12/the-resume-experiment-day-1-of-5/comment-page-1/#comment-35838 MaryKurek Thu, 03 May 2007 16:56:33 +0000 http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/archives/443#comment-35838 I'm a Career Expert and a Networking/Marketing Coach who has written a book on networking. I have also written resumes professionally and helped clients find jobs for years. Here's my ten cents on the resume experiment, which I think is a great idea and very helpful for lots of people. First of all, there is a reason why resumes are standard in format -- goes along with the same idea why so many companies have you fill out applications. The same info in the same format aides in making candidate comparisons. In that regard, a professional template or sample format is a good tool, however, but the job of a resume is to sell and that happens with the selection of words. My experience with clients has me stuck with the feeling that no one should write his/her own resume...at least not without assistance. People are simply too close to their own histories and information to be able to assemble or edit for marketing purposes. And, truly, a resume (while it must be factual) is a marketing document. People forget that objectives can change with the job being applied for and work histories can be edited to match an objective. That out of the way -- here would be my recommendations on the resume in question. Include a specific objective at the top; it tells the employer right away what you are interested in. It's kind of like a business person marketing to a specific niche -- it defines what you are after -- and that should be ideal. If the job you are seeking isn't a match for your "ideal" then you shouldn't be worried if you are overlooked, because you wouldn't have been happy. The entire resume should be slanted toward the Objective -- how you word your work history and so on. All contact info at the top, so no one has to hunt for it. I'm not a fan of including e-mail addresses for a lot of reasons, but if you must, make sure it's not "cutesy," that you check your e-mail frequently, and that you write well, so when you respond, the e-mail isn't full of errors. I'd rather just list a phone # so that I know I'll get the phone call when I'm up for an interview. Put education at the top. The work history should be tighter -- a resume is like valuable real estate -- don't want to eat up space unnecessarily. Select only the most important items to list. Get rid of redundancies in wording like where it indicates administrative duties and then the candidate lists those duties. Get rid of words like "Responsible for and get right to the action." Steer clear of using too much job description language, and use measures like numbers and percentages to create a sense of value for the candidate. What employers like to see: problems solved for a company, increased profit or productivity, money savings, or where you have demonstrated leadership. or created innovation. Don't use your Skills section to list skills that are already evident in your work history. Use it for "special skills" -- things an employer wouldn't anticipate, such as foreign languages, software development, types of equipment used, special intelligence like government contracts, etc. Normally I like a resume to be one page, but in technical fields, I can see where two would be allowable -- I'm not sure in this case, two pages would help. I'd use Other Work Experience in a Cover Letter, only if it related to the job I was seeking. There are so many details that make difference - even little things like when you list your cell phone on a resume, make sure the greeting that a potential employer hears is what you'd like them to hear. I had a client who had a cell phone greeting that sounded like a party going on with her singing the message. Not cool. Keep up the good work in getting info out there. Everyone deserves a fighting chance. I’m a Career Expert and a Networking/Marketing Coach who has written a book on networking. I have also written resumes professionally and helped clients find jobs for years. Here’s my ten cents on the resume experiment, which I think is a great idea and very helpful for lots of people. First of all, there is a reason why resumes are standard in format — goes along with the same idea why so many companies have you fill out applications. The same info in the same format aides in making candidate comparisons. In that regard, a professional template or sample format is a good tool, however, but the job of a resume is to sell and that happens with the selection of words. My experience with clients has me stuck with the feeling that no one should write his/her own resume…at least not without assistance. People are simply too close to their own histories and information to be able to assemble or edit for marketing purposes. And, truly, a resume (while it must be factual) is a marketing document. People forget that objectives can change with the job being applied for and work histories can be edited to match an objective. That out of the way — here would be my recommendations on the resume in question. Include a specific objective at the top; it tells the employer right away what you are interested in. It’s kind of like a business person marketing to a specific niche — it defines what you are after — and that should be ideal. If the job you are seeking isn’t a match for your “ideal” then you shouldn’t be worried if you are overlooked, because you wouldn’t have been happy. The entire resume should be slanted toward the Objective — how you word your work history and so on. All contact info at the top, so no one has to hunt for it. I’m not a fan of including e-mail addresses for a lot of reasons, but if you must, make sure it’s not “cutesy,” that you check your e-mail frequently, and that you write well, so when you respond, the e-mail isn’t full of errors. I’d rather just list a phone # so that I know I’ll get the phone call when I’m up for an interview. Put education at the top. The work history should be tighter — a resume is like valuable real estate — don’t want to eat up space unnecessarily. Select only the most important items to list. Get rid of redundancies in wording like where it indicates administrative duties and then the candidate lists those duties. Get rid of words like “Responsible for and get right to the action.” Steer clear of using too much job description language, and use measures like numbers and percentages to create a sense of value for the candidate. What employers like to see: problems solved for a company, increased profit or productivity, money savings, or where you have demonstrated leadership. or created innovation. Don’t use your Skills section to list skills that are already evident in your work history. Use it for “special skills” — things an employer wouldn’t anticipate, such as foreign languages, software development, types of equipment used, special intelligence like government contracts, etc. Normally I like a resume to be one page, but in technical fields, I can see where two would be allowable — I’m not sure in this case, two pages would help. I’d use Other Work Experience in a Cover Letter, only if it related to the job I was seeking. There are so many details that make difference – even little things like when you list your cell phone on a resume, make sure the greeting that a potential employer hears is what you’d like them to hear. I had a client who had a cell phone greeting that sounded like a party going on with her singing the message. Not cool. Keep up the good work in getting info out there. Everyone deserves a fighting chance.

]]> By: Vlad http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2007/03/12/the-resume-experiment-day-1-of-5/comment-page-1/#comment-27642 Vlad Wed, 11 Apr 2007 21:45:22 +0000 http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/archives/443#comment-27642 I agree with Nicole this topic is vital to the success and failure of potential employees everywhere. I found an interesting article about this topic here: http://www.masteremployment.com/myth-10-minute-resume.html I agree with Nicole this topic is vital to the success and failure of potential employees everywhere. I found an interesting article about this topic here: http://www.masteremployment.com/myth-10-minute-resume.html

]]> By: Weekly Roundup - March 16 | H.R. eSources http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2007/03/12/the-resume-experiment-day-1-of-5/comment-page-1/#comment-21261 Weekly Roundup - March 16 | H.R. eSources Sun, 25 Mar 2007 14:42:48 +0000 http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/archives/443#comment-21261 [...] The Resume Experiment - Day 1 of 5 – JibberJobber gets experts to weigh in on improving a resume: [...] [...] The Resume Experiment – Day 1 of 5 – JibberJobber gets experts to weigh in on improving a resume: [...]

]]> By: FRACAT - Free Resume and Career Toolbox - Home http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2007/03/12/the-resume-experiment-day-1-of-5/comment-page-1/#comment-18911 FRACAT - Free Resume and Career Toolbox - Home Wed, 21 Mar 2007 11:33:09 +0000 http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/archives/443#comment-18911 [...] If you’re an average job seeker, you probably have a regular resume that could use some work. It probably looks something like the Mystery Candidate’s resume in the JibberJobber Resume Experiment. [...] [...] If you’re an average job seeker, you probably have a regular resume that could use some work. It probably looks something like the Mystery Candidate’s resume in the JibberJobber Resume Experiment. [...]

]]> By: anil atluri http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2007/03/12/the-resume-experiment-day-1-of-5/comment-page-1/#comment-18173 anil atluri Mon, 19 Mar 2007 08:49:08 +0000 http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/archives/443#comment-18173 Hi Jason, was wondering. All of us were talking about the 'template' that this great Résumé had or did not have. But what is the take on the Cover Letter. A résumé should go with a cover letter is what a 'templated' application should always be. Perhaps we should do one more exercise on that too. Hi Jason,
was wondering.

All of us were talking about the ‘template’ that this great Résumé had or did not have.
But what is the take on the Cover Letter. A résumé should go with a cover letter is what a ‘templated’ application should always be.

Perhaps we should do one more exercise on that too.

]]> By: anil atluri http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2007/03/12/the-resume-experiment-day-1-of-5/comment-page-1/#comment-18089 anil atluri Sun, 18 Mar 2007 16:03:03 +0000 http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/archives/443#comment-18089 Thank you Jason! That is a good experiement Thank you Jason! That is a good experiement

]]> By: anil atluri http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2007/03/12/the-resume-experiment-day-1-of-5/comment-page-1/#comment-18086 anil atluri Sun, 18 Mar 2007 15:58:44 +0000 http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/archives/443#comment-18086 ONE: First things first. That resume should pull your eye balls. It failed in doing it. You need to have that sheet of paper invite you to hold your attention. The original was DRAB in other words not look-able. TWO:Yes. You need to have the contact details right there where we can find it..not hunt for it. You want to hire this guy. You have only that much time. THREE: Yes. Those achievements should mention measurable deliverable. They quantify your ability to deliver. Your hiring this person to deliver. Then you need to know what s/he had delivered when and how. Ideally they need to be quantitative. FOUR: Perhaps One page re'sume' would suffice. That would be crisp and saves the time for the recruiter and the hiring decision maker. You need to talk the applicant anyways..won't you -after going through what s/he had to sell about her/his skills! If after going through the resume you did not want to talk to this individual then this resume had failed it's stated purpose. Don't you folks think so? ONE: First things first. That resume should pull your eye balls. It failed in doing it. You need to have that sheet of paper invite you to hold your attention. The original was DRAB in other words not look-able.

TWO:Yes. You need to have the contact details right there where we can find it..not hunt for it. You want to hire this guy. You have only that much time.

THREE: Yes. Those achievements should mention measurable deliverable. They quantify your ability to deliver. Your hiring this person to deliver. Then you need to know what s/he had delivered when and how. Ideally they need to be quantitative.

FOUR: Perhaps One page re’sume’ would suffice. That would be crisp and saves the time for the recruiter and the hiring decision maker. You need to talk the applicant anyways..won’t you -after going through what s/he had to sell about her/his skills!

If after going through the resume you did not want to talk to this individual then this resume had failed it’s stated purpose. Don’t you folks think so?

]]> By: JibberJobber Blog » Blog Archive » The Resume Experiment (5 of 5) - The Wrap Up http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2007/03/12/the-resume-experiment-day-1-of-5/comment-page-1/#comment-16546 JibberJobber Blog » Blog Archive » The Resume Experiment (5 of 5) - The Wrap Up Fri, 16 Mar 2007 16:24:05 +0000 http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/archives/443#comment-16546 [...] Post I - Introduction Post II - First Impressions/Reactions Post III - Formatting Post IV - Content Post V - Wrap-Up (that’s today folks) [...] [...] Post I – Introduction Post II – First Impressions/Reactions Post III – Formatting Post IV – Content Post V – Wrap-Up (that’s today folks) [...]

]]>