Every week, NETSHARE hosts Ask the Coach, a phone-in career coaching session with leading career management experts. Here is an excerpt from this week’s session with Kristin Speer of Accelerated Search Consulting.
The first thing we do when we start to look for a new job is dust off and update our resume. But do any of us really understand what role the resume plays in job search? In this week’s call, career coach Kristin Speer gave NETSHARE members an unusual look from the other side of the recruiter’s desk, sharing what she knows about how recruiters look at a resume and what they look for. When you are brushing up your resume, see if you know the answers to these critical true-or-false questions to see if you know the recruiter’s perspective:
Q. The resume is supposed to be a reflection of your experience on paper.
A. FALSE: The resume is supposed to get you an interview. Since most job seekers think the resume is supposed to provide a comprehensive work history, they tend to stuff their resume with lots of information which makes them harder to scan to see if the candidate is relevant for a specific role.
Q. The executive resume should be no more than two pages long.
A. TRUE: You should be able to present your marketability in two pages, except in the case of a technical management resume that may require more technical details.
Q. An introduction page outlining accomplishments is a helpful preface for your resume
A. FALSE. They don’t help and just clutter the presentation
Q. The preferred resume format is to start with an objective or summary, then a list of accomplishments, and then a bulleted section of skills.
A. FALSE. How many ways can you summarize your value? Stick with a simple summary sentence or two, then offer no more than four key accomplishments but get to the chronology of your experience right away.
Q. Putting “consulting” on your resume is the kiss of death.
A. FALSE. How you present your consulting expertise is important. If you have been working with impressive clients doing long-term projects, then it can be useful, but only if you highlight these projects clearly on your resume.
Q. Numbers are really important to list on your resume.
A. TRUE and FALSE. You need to list the right numbers to make your point. The number of dollars in your P&L responsibility; the amount of revenue you generated for the company, the size of the deals you closed, improvement metrics – those are numbers worth listing. But don’t overdo the numbers and don’t overuse percentages, since they can hide low numbers and undermine your credibility.
Q. Leave white space on your resume.
A. TRUE. Leave room to read and let the reader’s eye only deal with relevant information. White space makes the resume easier to read.
Q. The number of jobs listed on your resume isn’t as important now that people change jobs more frequently.
A. FALSE. The number of job changes is still a key marker on resumes. The percent is that a really good executive will be able to stay at the same company and see a few promotions, which makes him a “keeper” when others are laid off.
Q. Recruiters look for “brand name” companies when they source candidates.
A. TRUE. The main search criteria used by recruiters almost always includes a company name, usually someone in a similar business or industry. A recognized name also makes you easier to sell.
Q. Executive recruiters are not using LinkedIn to find candidates.
A. FALSE. Even large retained search firms use LinkedIn to source candidates.
