Resume can make or break job hopes

Your resume is a lot like your breath on your first date: If it’s bad, you’re not getting anywhere.

And while a cover letter and resume rarely alone land a person a job, they are often the deciding factors in whether the candidate gets an interview.

The reason any company hires a new employee is so that it can make more money, said Frank Fox, executive director of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches in St. Petersburg, Fla. That means your resume should reflect how you’ll be able to contribute positively to the company.

“It’s to answer the question, ‘Why should this company hire me?’” Fox said. “Usually, that means more than an obituary-style list of your accomplishments. You always want to explain how those accomplishments will benefit the company.”

Fox’s company has certified nearly 3,000 professional resume writers since it was founded in 1990. After certification, members often work as for-hire resume writers.

“Some people want to put way too much information on a resume, going back to when they got a gold star in kindergarten for finger painting,” Fox said. “The flip-side of that is people who are too humble, so they tend to leave out too much information.”

Cover letters also play a major role in the hiring process, and, too often, job-seekers regurgitate that information on their resume, Fox said.

What you want to do is tailor your qualifications to the job description, he said.

“You want to say in your cover letter, ‘That’s me,’” he said. “‘You’ve described me to a T.”

Allison Williams has looked over thousands of resumes since taking a position 2½ years ago in the human resources department at RBC Centura in Rocky Mount. She screens resumes and then makes recommendations to hiring managers.

Williams spends an average of two to three minutes with each resume.

“That’s why we’re looking for something concise and to the point,” she said. “We’re looking for people that have the skills that we need. If they do, we follow it up with a phone interview.”

The company only accepts resumes and cover letters over the Internet, and Williams often finds herself wading through a sea of credentials that aren’t applicable to the available job.

“So many people send out blanket resumes for jobs that they’re not even qualified for,” she said.

It’s one of her biggest pet peeves. So are typos, or when someone sends in a resume that’s incoherent or rambling.

“People can get very wordy when they want to make themselves sound better,” she said.

Kelley Tippette works as a recruitment specialist at the bank. She’s helped fill about 50 positions at the company since January.

Some days she looks at as many as 300 resumes, and she’s seen it all — from grueling five-page resumes, to resumes that just list a name and address.

“The resumes have to be complete,” she said. “They have to be thorough, but at the same time you don’t have to put too much into it.”

Resumes and cover letters can be even more daunting for students who are entering the job market for the first time.

“It’s all about professionalism,” said Georgia Roberson, who works in the job placement community and career services office at Nash Community College.

She recommends students not include religious or political affiliations on their resumes. Beyond that, everything that could be a selling point for each job should be included.

“The key thing for students, or for everyone to keep in mind is never, never lie on a resume or an application,” Roberson said. “It can come back to haunt you.”

By FRED MARION, Rocky Mount Telegram

Sunday, September 11, 2005

Your resume is a lot like your breath on your first date: If it’s bad, you’re not getting anywhere.

And while a cover letter and resume rarely alone land a person a job, they are often the deciding factors in whether the candidate gets an interview.

The reason any company hires a new employee is so that it can make more money, said Frank Fox, executive director of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches in St. Petersburg, Fla. That means your resume should reflect how you’ll be able to contribute positively to the company.

“It’s to answer the question, ‘Why should this company hire me?’” Fox said. “Usually, that means more than an obituary-style list of your accomplishments. You always want to explain how those accomplishments will benefit the company.”

Fox’s company has certified nearly 3,000 professional resume writers since it was founded in 1990. After certification, members often work as for-hire resume writers.

“Some people want to put way too much information on a resume, going back to when they got a gold star in kindergarten for finger painting,” Fox said. “The flip-side of that is people who are too humble, so they tend to leave out too much information.”

Cover letters also play a major role in the hiring process, and, too often, job-seekers regurgitate that information on their resume, Fox said.

What you want to do is tailor your qualifications to the job description, he said.

“You want to say in your cover letter, ‘That’s me,’” he said. “‘You’ve described me to a T.”

Allison Williams has looked over thousands of resumes since taking a position 2½ years ago in the human resources department at RBC Centura in Rocky Mount. She screens resumes and then makes recommendations to hiring managers.

Williams spends an average of two to three minutes with each resume.

“That’s why we’re looking for something concise and to the point,” she said. “We’re looking for people that have the skills that we need. If they do, we follow it up with a phone interview.”

The company only accepts resumes and cover letters over the Internet, and Williams often finds herself wading through a sea of credentials that aren’t applicable to the available job.

“So many people send out blanket resumes for jobs that they’re not even qualified for,” she said.

It’s one of her biggest pet peeves. So are typos, or when someone sends in a resume that’s incoherent or rambling.

“People can get very wordy when they want to make themselves sound better,” she said.

Kelley Tippette works as a recruitment specialist at the bank. She’s helped fill about 50 positions at the company since January.

Some days she looks at as many as 300 resumes, and she’s seen it all — from grueling five-page resumes, to resumes that just list a name and address.

“The resumes have to be complete,” she said. “They have to be thorough, but at the same time you don’t have to put too much into it.”

Resumes and cover letters can be even more daunting for students who are entering the job market for the first time.

“It’s all about professionalism,” said Georgia Roberson, who works in the job placement community and career services office at Nash Community College.

She recommends students not include religious or political affiliations on their resumes. Beyond that, everything that could be a selling point for each job should be included.

“The key thing for students, or for everyone to keep in mind is never, never lie on a resume or an application,” Roberson said. “It can come back to haunt you.”

Similar Posts:

• Getting A Recommendation From A Past Employer
• Using LunchMeet to Advance Your Career
• Top 5 Employment Trends for 2012
• Staying Motivated at a Dead-End Job