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What a Poor Resume Costs You

Apr 15 2018

What is a poor resume costing you?

First and foremost, a poor resume could cost you a new job. Poor resumes are unfocused: they fail to aim at a specific job and they fail to show how your accomplishments, education, hard skills, and soft skills prepare you for that job. Recruiters and hiring managers are not mind readers. A professional resume will tell them why you are their best candidate.

Which leads us to the second cost: self-esteem. A great resume describes your career in a way that makes you yourself aware of everything you have to offer. When it comes time for an interview, a professional resume prepares you to talk about your career positively. You begin to see that you actually have progressed over the years and contributed to each company. Any hiccup is just that—a hiccup.

The third way in which a poor resume costs you is credibility. Even if you have high self-esteem and a great career, a poor resume can undermine all your efforts in your job hunt. Moreover, if social media and networking sites, such as LinkedIn, present you in an entirely different light, recruiters and hiring managers become confused about which image to believe. A professional resume writer ensures that your presentation is consistent from paper to Internet to in-person interview.

Fourth, a poor resume costs you opportunities to change to a new career, a new geography, or a new industry. Many hard and soft skills are transferable. Are you unhappy where you are now? Your professional resume will stay upbeat—and keep you and future employers upbeat by showing that your value transcends the situation, role, geography, or industry you happen to find yourself in currently.

Fifth, a poor resume interferes with networking relationships. How are your former peers and supervisors, your family and friends, and your current network supposed to support your job search when they do not understand what you do or how valuable you are? If a poor resume confuses hiring managers and recruiters—who are familiar with your field and position—then just imagine how it confuses your network who are trying so hard to support you.

Last but never least, a poor resume costs you income. Most companies set a range for positions based on experience and education and their perception of your fit. A poor resume lets the company contemplate a low offer; a great resume generates a great offer.

When a poor resume causes that much damage, you know you need a professional resume. Robin’s Resumes® specializes in creating resumes that capture and keep the attention of recruiters and hiring managers, grow self-esteem and credibility, ease transitions, and support networking. Contact us today.

How to Network with Your Resume

Nov 12 2017

I often advise clients about the value of networking to find a new job. I also advise them that a strong resume is a vital part of that networking effort. But how do you network with your resume?

One of the key ways to network is in person, at industry events or other gatherings. The most important activities you can engage in at these events are to (a) introduce yourself; (b) listen; and (c) exchange cards. The listening part is important for several reasons. First, it develops ties with the person you are talking to. Second, it keeps the conversation mutual rather than self-centered and demanding (“Hello, I’m Sam, I need a job, do you have one? No? Goodbye.”). Third, it allows you to find out whether the person you are talking to has a problem that you have the background, skills, information, and experience to help with. They may not have an opening now, but they will remember your help.

When do you whip out your resume at networking events? Mostly, you don’t. By this time, you should know your own resume well enough that you can pull essential facts from it as needed in the course of the conversation. If the person you are speaking with asks for the resume, then you are free to hand over a copy. But after the networking event, you can send the person an email (remember, you exchanged cards), thank the person for an interesting conversation (remember, you did not dominate it), and ask permission to send your resume directly.

Another way to network with your resume is online. In this case, your LinkedIn or other online profile should have the same strength and content as your resume. In effect, your profile is your online resume. You network with this resume in two primary ways.

First, you include your LinkedIn or other online address (choose one, not all) with your contact information on emails that you send, as well as on your print resume.
Second, you individually ask your online network for help in finding a position. If you do not want your current employer to know you are searching, you must engage in a stealth search, which some online systems allow you to do. For example, LinkedIn allows you to shut off notifications so that your activities, including connections with recruiters, are not broadcast to everyone you know on LinkedIn.

At Robin’s Resumes®, we are skilled in creating both resumes and profiles. Please contact us before you start networking, and we will make sure your resumes—both paper and online—are up to the task.

Resumes for Career Changers

May 29 2016

When you are ready to change careers, to a new field, a new position in your existing field, or a new industry, make sure your resume is ready for the change. By thinking ahead, you will be prepared to create a resume that is attractive to hiring managers and recruiters in your new career.

First, find out if you will be a more attractive candidate with certifications or classes in your new career. Someone moving from hands-on product development to project management might, for example, want project management certification.

Second, examine ways you can demonstrate appropriate skills for the new career either through volunteering or part-time work. For example, someone moving from for-profit to nonprofit organizations might begin by volunteering for nonprofit boards and events.

Third, read job postings for your desired career to identify skills you already have that are transferrable to the new career. Those skills should play a prominent role in your resume. Accomplishments and skills that are not needed in your new career should play a secondary role, no matter how impressive they are. For example, if you are moving from a receptionist to a sales position, your ability to interact with people at all levels, to keep accurate records, and to make connections with visitors are all important soft skills for a salesperson.

Fourth, network, network, network, both in person and online. The more people you connect with in your desired career, the more likely someone will think of you when an opportunity arises. Have a professional resume available so that you can send it to them immediately, before memories fade and opportunities vanish.

Finally, work with a professional resume writer who is familiar with the process of changing careers. I am a Job and Career Transition Coach (JCTC) with Master Career Director certification and I have myself transitioned careers. I know change is possible, and I can help you on your way to a new career.

Networking: How to Do It in Person and Online

Nov 17 2013

One of the best ways of finding a job is to network. Oddly enough, the rules for in person and online networking are very similar.

For example, in both cases:

Introduce yourself. An “anonymous” profile online sends as bad a message as refusing, in person, to tell someone your name.
Tell the truth and be consistent. You need not share your life story but you should make sure that the information you do share is truthful and identical both in person and online. That’s one reason to keep your online presence as professional as your personal presence—and vice versa.
Show genuine interest in the other person. Engage people by asking questions about what they do, their interests and their families. When you show interest, you build relationships that may help you in the future. Listening is a much more valuable skill than talking.
Be helpful. Give recommendations to people online or pass along job openings you may have heard of that are not right for you. When you are helpful to others, they want to be helpful to you.
Get involved. If you go to a networking event and sit on the sidelines, you are wasting your time. Join online groups or start one yourself; volunteer at an industry event or join a nonprofit board; people will remember who you are and what you can do, and you’ll keep your skills sharp.

Networking pays off as people who know people think of you for their next job opening. And when that happens, you will want a resume that justifies their trust in you. Contact Robin’s Resumes®.

Too Many Choices, Not Enough Decisions

Jul 14 2013

When you are unemployed, people often try to raise your spirits by talking about all the free time you have and all the opportunities now open to you. However, having too many choices can be as devastating to a job search as having too few. Here’s why:

There are dozens of ways to spend the day when you are between jobs. But if you aren’t careful, everyday chores and distractions will draw precious time from your job search. Set yourself daily tasks that are related to your job search, whether that includes going to network events or responding to ads or searching for leads on the Internet.
There are hundreds of books out there on how to write a resume, run a job search and develop your personal brand. At some point, you have to give up on the research and act.
There are thousands of people just like you in the same boat. Don’t beat yourself up over a job loss. Do ask for help. You may benefit from a professional resume writer or career coach; you may find that your best job leads come from former co-workers, family or friends. The only way to get help is to ask for it.
There are millions of possible jobs out there—but how many of them match your experience, skills, education, interests, salary requirements, geographic location and so on? You need to focus yourself and your network or you will waste your time and theirs on fruitless quests for the wrong job.

If you are struggling to get organized after a layoff, contact Robin’s Resumes® and let us simplify one decision: where to get the best possible resume!