Resumes: What Hiring Managers Want in 2011

• Question:  What do Hiring Managers want to know when considering the resume of a mid-level to senior candidate?  
• Answer:  They want to know you can solve problems, help the company run more efficiently, and/or help their business make money.

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• Question:  HOW does that translate to a resume?  

• Answer:  SHOW, don't TELL

• Example #1:  if you are a sales representative, writing that you have "excellent sales skills" is telling.  But, writing that you "won 10 consecutive annual sales awards for achieving 110% of plan" is SHOWING.  Because you have made money consistently in the past, the Hiring Manager most likely will infer you will make money for his/her company.

• Example #2:  if you are a C-Level Executive, writing that you are "responsible for branch office  performance of 30 consultants with an increase in revenues" is telling.  But, writing that your "leadership doubled sales staff from 30 to 60, boosted morale, and revitalized performance, resulting in a 58% increase in sales and a 35% decrease in operational costs," now that is SHOWING.

• Answer:  HIGHLIGHT Accomplishments | Results | Impact

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These are simple answers to a tricky question.  Every resume is different.  For a free Resume Consult, send me your resume and I will let you know what I think - in plain English - no sales pitch.  

Randi S. Lewis  |  Founder, Resume Boutique LLC  |  rlewis@resumeboutique.com  

© Resume Boutique LLC 2011. All rights reserved.

Resumes for Moms Returning to Work

I just read an amusing blog post, http://nilsenlife.blogspot.com/2011/02/resume.html, by a full-time mom who contemplated what her "MOM" resume would look like.  Interestingly, I have worked with these back to work moms to help them transform 5 to 13 years at home into something about which they can be proud.  In May 2010, a former retail clothing buyer who has been raising her three children full time for the past 10 years.  Within a short period of time, we had a two page resume that made her feel proud of herself.  What's more, the first thing her interviewers commented on was what a great job she did on her resume.  She didn't get the job, but she made it to the final three, and feels like she has something to contribute to a work environment.

The first back to work mom I worked with was a former practicing lawyer who had been out of the workforce for almost 13 years.  Again, one of the most important challenges is for a mom to appreciate her value.  After she landed an interview with her new resume, we worked on that emotional aspect of her job search, then her attire, then interview prep.  She landed the job!  That was years ago.  And she acted with much more confidence when it was time to move on to the next opportunity.

If you are a mom looking to go back to work, think about all the volunteering you do at school and elsewhere.  Volunteer work should go on your resume.  If you are a mom thinking about returning to the work force and you just want to talk about how to start your resume, email me at rlewis@resumeboutique.com and I will be happy to talk you through the process.

Randi S. Lewis | Resume Boutique™

© Resume Boutique LLC 2011. All rights reserved.