Table of Contents
To my son, Milo.
So much happiness in so little time.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book is a reflection of all that we have accomplished at JobBound.
First of all, Id like to thank all the wonderful clients who have allowed us to play a role in their career successes. A small sample of our work is represented in the pages that follow. As a career consultant, Ive been inspired by their hopes, their dreams, and their accomplishments. It is truly what keeps me motivated. There is nothing more satisfying than hearing about the life-changing moments that often began with a resume.
Additionally, I would like to thank:
Matthew Carnnicelli from CLM for providing the guidance and direction that helped get this book published.
Maria Gagliano from Prentice Hall Press, whose wise counsel and even wiser editing helped make the book a reality.
Courtney Pike, not only for her help on the book itselfit would not have happened without herbut also for her dedication, commitment, and passion for JobBound.
Gloria Mueller from Glenbrook South High School for being my ultimate evangelist and for spreading the JobBound word.
Mike Sciola from Wesleyan University for providing some extraordinary career counseling well more than twenty years past my graduation date. The collective careers of my alma mater are in good hands!
Milo Karsh, my young son, who provided me with so many fun cuddle breaks during the writing of this book.
And most important, to my wife, Lisa, who supports, cares, and loves more than she can ever imagine.
INTRODUCTION
When its time to start looking for a new job, the first thing job seekers think about is their resume. For better or for worse, this single sheet of paper is one of the most important tools to getting a job. All of your work experience, all of your education, and all of the things that make you great have to be condensed onto this piece of paper. Its kind of scary when you think about it!
But have no fear. We are here to help.
In my career as a recruiting director at Leo Burnett Advertisingone of the largest advertising agencies in the worldI read tens of thousands of resumes. The sad truth is, most of the resumes I read were bad. In fact, I threw away about 50 percent of the resumes I received in less than five seconds! I know what youre thinking: That wouldnt be my resume. However, chances are it would. No one sends out a resume assuming it will be pitched in the garbage in a few seconds.
The vast majority of the remaining resumes werent as good as they could have been.
Its not enough just to have information on your resume if you dont tailor it to your specific situation. This book will not help you write a good resume. This book will help you write a great resume that is tailored to the exact job you want. We will help you realize the importance of thinking about where you are in your career, where you are going, and where you want to be.
Writing a resume is more than just dumping your previous jobs on a piece of paper. Writing a resume is crafting a sales and marketing pitch for
you. Before writing an advertisement, the two main questions you must ask are:
1. Who am I selling to?
2. What makes what Im selling different?
When youre writing your resume, you want to stay on track by remembering and answering those questions. You are marketing yourself to the recruiting director, so you want to keep the recruiting directors interests in mind at all times. Since each company and each recruiting director wants something a little different, you will have to tailor your resume for each job you apply for. In creating your resume, you want to focus on the employers needs, not yours. One size does not fit all when it comes to resumes. If you are serious about the job search, you will have a few variations of your resume, targeted to different companies.
You also want to think about what makes you different and special, to tailor your resume to market yourself successfully. What makes you stand out from hundreds of candidates? What unique experiences, situations, or skills do you have to sell?
This book will walk you through the process of creating and tailoring an amazing resume that presents you as the best possible hire for the exact job that you want.
Your resume is your most important job search tool. You know that, though. That is why you are reading this book. Our goal is to make your resume one of the select few that get noticed and chosen as the best of the best.
Why are resumes so important? The simple truth is that your resume is your introduction to a companyin essence, your calling card. It isnt logistically possible for companies to meet every single person who applies for a job, so they rely on the resume to do the work for them. A recruiting director has to make a snap judgment about you before he or she makes the commitment to an interview. Thats why the resume is so important. It is literally the only means you have to get selected by a company.
What exactly do recruiting directors want to see when they look at a resume? I cant tell you the number of times Ive been asked that question. Figuring out what will get you hired is the holy grail of the job search.
Today is your lucky day, because you are about to hear from inside the recruiting department the secrets that most people never get a chance to learn.
What Qualities Are Recruiting Directors Looking for in a Resume?
1. The essential job qualifications
Can you do the job? That is the question that all recruiting directors ask when looking at a resume. If they want someone with five years of sales experience, they are looking for at least five years of sales experience on your resume. It sounds simple, but you would be shocked at how many people fail to highlight the basic job requirements on a resume.
Recruiting directors are looking for the easy hire. They want to fit a round peg into a round hole. When they are tasked by their internal teams to hire someone, the first thing they are looking for is someone who matches up well with the job description. Now, that is not to say that they will not take a risk every now and then. They may hire the person with just four years of sales experience, but the person with the essential job qualifications is always in a good spot.
2. Achievement
It is one thing to do a job, and it is another to do a job well. Recruiting directors want to see proof of your success. When theyre looking at a stack of resumes, many of them start to look the sameespecially if candidates simply are listing job descriptions and not a sample of their job accomplishments. If I am hiring for a senior financial analyst and most of my candidates are current financial analysts, I want to see what makes each candidate unique. Unfortunately, the first bullet point on virtually every resume for a financial analyst says:
Prepared financial reports
Of course you did! You are a financial analyst. Here is what recruiting directors want to know:
Did you save the company money?
Did you improve any processes?
Did you win any awards or commendation?
Show your individuality by taking the opportunity to spell out your accomplishments in your resume.
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