The Recruiting Blog of KG Workforce Solutions.
October 16, 2020 by Kelli Long
Do you struggle identifying accomplishments for your résumé?
Many job seekers struggle to articulate accomplishments in their résumés. While some people are natural boasters, others are not. However, accomplishments are a key element of an effective résumé.
Asking questions about what you have done is a great way to help identify key accomplishments. Below are 30 questions that can help you identify accomplishments to include in your résumé. Note, not all accomplishments are relevant to your job search. Use the most relevant accomplishments for the positions for which you plan to apply.
When possible, use data to support your accomplishments. If you are concerned about divulging potentially confidential information, be cautious in how you word things. For example, you can use percentages instead of dollar amounts. While not every accomplishment needs supporting data, it is beneficial to include some data points.
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October 9, 2020 by Kelli Long
Job seekers and ageism is not a new concern. However, with an increase in job applicants for every opportunity, it is important for job seekers with significant experience to understand ageism and techniques to combat it. This starts with having a résumé that minimizes bias by de-emphasizing age.
Before we dive into the 8 résumé tips for older workers, let’s define what ageism is and how prevalent it is in the workplace.
Ageism in the workplace is the stereotyping, discrimination or prejudice against potential employees based on their age. According to an AARP survey, 76% of older workers see age discrimination as a hurdle in finding a new job.
There are many things you can do to help reduce the focus on your age. Below are 8 résumé tips for older workers that are specifically designed to minimize the focus on your age and increase the focus on your value.
Only list your most recent experience with full details and dates. You can add an “Additional Education” or “Early Career” section which only includes job titles and company names, no dates, for your older experience. There is no requirement that you list every job, along with the dates of employment, on your résumé.
If you have great accomplishments from older positions that you want to highlight, add them in a “Career Highlights” or “Key Accomplishments” section. Keep the majority of the focus on recent accomplishments and only incorporate relevant and significant older accomplishments (without dates).
An ATS friendly résumé means that the artificial intelligence in an HR system can read, scan, and interpret the content on your résumé. If your résumé does not score high enough by the ATS, a human may never even see it. Avoid graphics, unusual fonts, multiple columns, etc. You should also avoid using templates unless you can confirm ATS friendliness. Many templates available online are designed for human eyes not ATS algorithms.
While you may be required to disclose your graduation date(s) in an online application, you don’t have to do so on a résumé. If you don’t want to manually enter the dates when you apply online, here is a tip. Add the date(s) on your résumé and turn the font white (or whatever color the background is). The ATS will be able to read and parse the dates into the system yet the human eye will not see your date(s).
Include relevant words throughout your résumé. An ATS can’t score your résumé high if it can’t identify relevant content. If a skill is mentioned multiple times in a job posting, you should list it multiple times in your résumé. However, you should not copy and paste the job description into your résumé. Use your own words and experience. The need for keyword optimization is one reason it is important that you customize your résumé for every application.
Some email addresses are considered less modern, such as Hotmail addresses. If you have an old email address, consider updating it. You can create a free email address specifically for your job search. This not only keeps you looking modern, but it can also help you stay organized by having all job-related content in one inbox. Use your name in part of the handle and keep it professional.
Some employers assume that highly experienced workers are out of touch with modern tools and trends. You can help diffuse this by adding links to your professional profile accounts, such as your blog or LinkedIn page. You should only include links to professional sites, not personal. Keep those sites and profiles up to date with valuable content. For some platforms, like LinkedIn, you will want to add a profile picture. You can use a filter to soften your profile image if you are concerned the picture will draw attention to your age.
Objectives are an outdated résumé trend. Focus on what you have to offer the company, not what you want from them. Modern résumés include a summary, career profile or value proposition statement instead. These statements tell a potential employer what value you have to offer them. These concise statements, typically 1-5 lines, appear at the top of your résumé under your headline and contact information.
Demonstrate your proficiency with current technology. If you have a lot of technical skills, adding a technical skills section can be beneficial. If you only have a few technical skills, incorporate them into your job descriptions and accomplishments, or a competency section.
These résumé tips for older workers can reduce the age bias during the job application process. After all, your résumé lands the interview and your interview lands the job.
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April 3, 2020 by Kelli Long
Misusing a word is a huge disappointment on a résumé. Mistakes happen, but you can limit them by thoroughly proofreading and doing a little research. Studies show that more than 60% of hiring managers have disqualified a candidate based solely on résumé errors.
Spellcheck is a great tool for ensuring words are spelled properly, but not for ensuring the RIGHT word has been used.
If a word is spelled correctly but misused, or a typo creates a real word, spellcheck will often not catch the error. So, if you are updating your résumé or sending it out, make sure you have used your words properly. While there are many errors I see on résumés, below are some of the most common.
Accept/Except
Advise/Advice
Affect/Effect
Capital/Capitol
Complement/Compliment
From/Form
Further/Farther
Here/Hear
Illicit/Elicit
Insure/Ensure/Assure
It’s/Its
Manger/Manager
Personal/Personnel
Principal/Principle
Prospective/Perspective
There/They’re/Their
Your/You’re
Who’s/Whose
There are tons of resources available online to help you determine which words are appropriate, such as Grammarly and Merriam-Webster. Take advantage of these resources and invest some time into your résumé. Don’t let misused words in your résumé cost you a job.
*** Oh, and don’t forget to check your other documents. Cover letters and thank you emails frequently have the same errors.
Happy job hunting!
Contact us if you need assistance creating your dream résumé. We love to help job seekers!
March 26, 2020 by Kelli Long
Let’s be real…..during a pandemic is not the ideal time to be looking for a job. However, there are companies hiring! If you are in the market for a new job, be diligent, organized, and positive! Set daily and weekly job search goals and follow through! While these tips are directed more toward job seekers who are unemployed and/or have been furloughed, they can apply to anyone at any time!
Do the above EVERY day. Don’t get discouraged or make excuses. Stay diligent!
Set your job search goals and stick to them. Be consistent. Stay positive. Network!
For more tips on job searching, check out our other blog posts or follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn).
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March 25, 2020 by Kelli Long
According to Glassdoor and numerous other resources, hiring managers and recruiters spend about six seconds reviewing a résumé. This means that your résumé needs to be concise and relevant. It needs to grab the reader’s attention quickly. For many job seekers, the hardest part of résumé writing is pairing it down. What do you include? What do you exclude? Should you omit education or experience? What accomplishments should you include?
If you are struggling with developing a concise and relevant résumé, below are some tips to help you determine what to add and what to remove!
Make a list of your professional accomplishments; any and all of them. Read your list at least twice. Then, highlight the accomplishments that are relevant to the job for which you are applying. Cross-reference the job posting to ensure you are actually highlighting only relevant ones. Those are the accomplishments that need to shine on your résumé (Page 1)!
Pro tips
Make a list of your primary duties for each job. For each duty listed, ask yourself the following three questions:
If you answer “no” to question three, scratch through that duty. That duty provides no relevance to the job for which you are applying, which means the hiring manager is not likely to find value in it. The remaining duties are the ones you should include in your résumé. Make sure you demonstrate the value of the duty in your résumé; don’t just list tasks.
Pro tips
The above will ensure your content is relevant. You still need it to be concise and accomplishment focused. The below tips will help keep your content concise:
Make a list of your degrees, certifications, and professional training. Highlight the ones that are relevant to the job for which you are applying. Those are the ones that should be in your résumé.
Pro tips:
Use the same process from the above steps to evaluate other categories on your résumé, such as Honors & Awards, Skills Tables, Competencies, etc. Make a comprehensive list and highlight the relevant content. It might be hard but LEAVE OFF THE REST. If it is not relevant, it adds minimal, if any, value to your résumé for the specific job for which you are applying (yes, you have to tweak your résumé for every unique position or category of positions).
While a one-page résumé is no longer the standard, it is still important to be concise and relevant. Few people will read a six-page résumé. Remember, a résumé is a marketing tool to get you an interview. The interview gets you the job. Your résumé is your “sales brochure”. Tell the manager what he/she NEEDS to know, not everything about you. If you were considering a landscaper to make your yard beautiful, would you hire the landscaper who brought you a brochure about his vinyl siding skills? Probably not.
Review your résumé and make sure it tells a story. Effective résumé writing showcases your value and successes. One of my favorite quotes is “demonstrative not declarative.”
For more advice on résumé writing or job search tips, follow our blog and social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn). Need customized résumé writing help? Contact us.
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March 14, 2020 by Kelli Long
LinkedIn is a powerful job search tool. A well-designed profile and strategic engagement can steer hiring managers and recruiters your way. Below are some of my favorite LinkedIn job search tips.
More than 87% of recruiters use LinkedIn in the hiring process, so use it often and use it right! While that percentage varies from year-to-year, it remains a primary tool used by employers! Take advantage of the platform!
For more job search tips, follow us on social media! Need help in creating a great résumé or LinkedIn presence? If so, shoot us a message.
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December 14, 2016 by kgworkforce
Did you know that approximately 50% of employers use social media recruiting strategies to find, screen, and research job applicants? Depending on the study, some data reports as high as 80% of employers are implementing social media recruiting strategies in some capacity. In 2017, this is expected to become even more common. As a job seeker, what does your social media presence say about you? If it does not reflect the attributes you want an employer to know about you, it’s time to clean it up. Below are some easy tips:
The use of social media by job applicants is also on the rise. Data shows that the majority of job seekers are using social media to evaluate prospective employers. If your company does not have content on social media that is designed to attract prospective job applicants, it might be time to refresh your strategy. This is especially important for companies hiring job applicants for non-management positions, as this is the largest job seeking population using social media for employment research. Deploying social media recruiting strategies has become essential in today’s job market.
Looking for more tips for a successful job search? If so, check out other articles at https://www.kgworkforcesolutions.com/blog/.