Ask & Tell

• Using first-person
• Grammatical errors/misspellings
• Recording information beyond 10-15 years
• Not quantifying accomplishments
• Unfocused/generic resumes

Q: Should you state a professional objective on your resume?

Current practices recommend a professional summary rather than a professional objective.  Your overall resume should promote your objective. This may be helpful: mayhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/jeromeyoung/2011/06/27/how-to-write-a-resume-summary-section-that-gets-interviews/

Q: Do you have any tips or tricks for getting through the massive databases at large tech companies?

Unfortunately, submitting a resume to an online database is like throwing it in a black hole. I’ve worked at companies where going through the resume database is a last resort and only if you have the time, which rarely happens. Your best bet is making those personal connections. Delivering resumes via email is recommended. Connect with professionals via LinkedIn, meetups, professional memberships. Also, if there’s a company you’d like to get into, Jigsaw.com is a great email listing site. Lastly, work with a few strong recruiters who have direct relationships with hiring managers and let them be your advocates.

Q: Any great tips on resume writing?

Tailor your resume to the job description, don’t fabricate, but make sure to include your experience if you have it. Also, make sure it isn’t “bullet-heavy”. Have a mixture of narrative (paragraph form) as well as bullet points. Lastly, be consistent. If you list May 2001 – August 2005, then don’t write 04/2010 to 05/2013, for instance.

Q: As a senior graduating college in 2014, are there any tricks to online job applications? Is there actually someone on the other end that looks at my resume or does it just go into some huge pool of potential applicants?

A lot of companies require you complete their online application as part of the process, however, it may not ever be looked at for that particular job. To make sure your resume is seen, email it directly to the company in addition to the online application process. Jigsaw.com, LinkedIn, and the telephone are great tools.

Q: I have been told that seeing a Masters Degree in English (or any Humanities degree) causes potential employers to toss my resume directly into the trash. Do you agree?

It depends on the job and what that particular employer thinks. I came to the conclusion that I may seem over-qualified for some positions, but I am who I am. Like you, I have a graduate degree, a MA in Journalism. I’ve worked for CNN and USA Today. There were times when I omitted this experience and education in fear of not landing an interview. “Who would want to hire a recruiter who worked for CNN and has a graduate degree?” A lot of people, actually. Leaving out part of my story is lying about who I am and selling out. My background is part of my fabric and if an employer doesn’t accept that then we’re not a good fit for each other. There’s something else out there. My advice is be YOU. There will be an employer who will appreciate the money, time, ambition, and hard work you spent into earning your graduate degree in English. And that job will be the proper fit for you, hopefully one you’re passionate about. “To thine own self be true.”

Q: Look some of us have been in the industry for a long, long time. Just because you want “New and shiny” doesn’t mean that experience beyond 15 years is irrelevant.

It’s not necessarily about being new and shiny but about avoiding age discrimination (which does occur) before you even get the interview. A way around this is including in your professional summary “15+ years’ experience …”. Also, to reflect your experience create a “Previous Experience” section at the end of your “Professional Experience” section which will list the title and the company employed but not the date employed nor the job description/responsibilities. This will also keep your resume from becoming excessive. Even as a seasoned professional, your resume should be limited to 2-3 pages. In addition to having normal day-to-day responsibilities, hiring managers have to read through sometimes hundreds of resumes and a candidate’s resume will be thrown into the rejection pile if it is too time-consuming to read. Also, recruiters, HR personnel, and hiring managers generally don’t spend the time reading job descriptions that occurred several years back. We want to see if what you’ve done most recently is relevant to the job that needs to be done.

Q:  Most people don’t have any tolerance for someone who’s a generalist and not really interested in climbing the corporate ladder. Most recruiters simply don’t “get” this type of person….but don’t be so quick to dismiss them. They can likely be some of the best candidates because while they might seem unfocused, they are often the lonely people that are looking for connection. Help make this connection and you might be really, really surprised.

Recruiters receive very specific job descriptions from hiring managers. There are hundreds, sometimes thousands of applicants for a single job. If your resume is a general resume and someone else’s reflects that they have the necessary skills to do the job, they will land the interview and have the opportunity to make that connection. Once again, time is limited for hiring managers, recruiters, and the like. As a job candidate, it is your responsibility to communicate to the reader that you have the experience needed to schedule an interview while someone else does not.

Q: How can we make our resume’s stand out?

A clean, professional format is important. Your resume is the first impression you make with your (hopefully) future employer. The best practices I learned from the Professional Association of Resume Writers come from “user experience” testing. Where is the director’s eye drawn when he first looks at the resume, what are turn-off’s/turn-on’s, etc.?

Q: I’m exceptionally talented and brilliant. How do I convey this via resume or interview without sounding vain?

List facts rather than opinions. List quantifiable accomplishments, awards received, or anything else that sets you apart.

Q: I got a 3.9 last semester, am expecting a 3.6 this semester, but my first semesters were so bad that my cumulative is below 3.0, even my major GPA. How do you suggest emphasizing my huge jump in GPA? I’m thinking something like upper division GPA: 3.5 or something, but I fear that’ll look gimmicky.

You don’t need to include your GPA on your resume. Sometimes employers will ask to see transcripts for entry-level positions, but it doesn’t occur often. If it does occur it just shows that you got serious about your education which is admirable.

Email  contact@weagleresumes.com for a free resume critique!