What Employers Have to Say About Resumes

In the meetings we had with employers over the past two weeks, we learned some good things to share about resumes and job search correspondence.

Employers like cover letters. They actually read them. The first paragraph should be what you know about them. Second paragraph -- how you are a match for them. Third paragraph -- thank them and ask for an interview.

Employers don't like resume templates. Their suggestion is to use Word, which gives you more flexibility than a template.

Make sure your resume is clear and easy to read. Tailor your resume for their position.

Include your skills and clarify your competence in those skills. For example: "Proficient in Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint"

Don't discount your experience. Another example: customer service experience shows you have interpersonal skills and can deal with a variety of people. That's valuable for many positions you might be interested in.

Show progression -- how you've advanced in your career. If you are an experienced candidate, don't go back any further than 10-15 years in work history. The world of work changes quickly. And, you don't necessarily want to indicate your age in your resume -- maybe it's better to get in front of the employer before he/she realizes your age.

The information in your resume actually has to be your information. If it gets you an interview, but you haven’t actually done the work, it really doesn’t do any good.

Why is all this so important? You hope your resume will lead to an interview which will lead to a job offer. Right? Well, as one of the employers said: "It's my market right now. I can be choosy."

Pick up a Starter Kit. Or, download it from our website at www.wichita.edu/career. Get started. Schedule an appointment with one of our counselors to see what they have to say about you and your resume. Be prepared. "Get a job!"

~jan

Summary Statements

Our staff was fortunate to meet with a group of employers this week to learn their preferences regarding resumes. One of the first topics that came up was objective statements. These employers had this advice for you – ditch your objective and replace it with a summary of experience.

One healthcare employer receives almost 20,000 resumes a month. Another employer from the banking industry received 200+ resumes a week. Of course, that means they don’t have much time to spend on any one resume. However, all agreed that a well thought out and well prepared summary statement gets their attention and “directs them to the rest of the resume”.

What is a well thought out summary statement? Answer = one that uses important keywords and points out accomplishments and achievements, and shows what you can do for the employer to whom you are sending your resume. A summary statement needs to be targeted for a specific job, so if you have more than one job you are targeting, you will want to tailor a summary statement and resume for each job.

A sample summary statement follows:

MBA graduate with PHR certification and more than five years experience in human resources. Handled all human resource functions for financial institutions of more 100 to 150 employees. Recruited and hired employees to staff five branch locations in addition to filling positions at corporate office. Contributed to 20% reduction in employee relations issues and 15% decrease in turnover for two year period. Involved in community with leadership roles in Society of Human Resource Development, American Society of Training and Development and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

One more thought: be sure you proof your summary statement. Just as this information can influence an employer to keep reading, a typo or grammatical error can stop him on the spot.

Come back to this blog for more information regarding resumes next week. Straight from employer’s mouths to your eyes--how much better can you get?