RESUME BUILDING BLOCKS

Here are some building blocks for your resume.

·         Personal Information: Full name, address, phone number and e-mail address should appear as header on the resume.

·         Career Summary: A statement of career summary should follow the personal information. This is just one or two sentences that state what you can do and how you can help your employer. You should write your career summary before you prepare the rest of your resume. This will help you to decide what should be highlighted on your resume. Do not use general statements such as “seeking a challenging opportunity with a growing company”. Such general statements are red flags that may cause recruiters to discard your resume. Your career summary should be related to the job for which you are submitting your resume. This is the first information on your resume following your name and address, and you need to make it highly effective.

·         Accomplishments: A good description of your achievements will make your resume stand out in the big stack of resumes recruiters review every day. You should translate your achievements in monetary terms whenever possible. For example, if you are in sales, you should state how much revenue you were able to bring to your company. If you are in operations, you can state how much money you were able to save for your employer. By stating several achievements that helped your previous employers to make or save money, you increase your chances of being invited for employment interviews.

·         Unique Strengths: You should think about your unique strengths and personal qualities, and develop a one sentence statement that describes the benefits you offer to prospective employers. This statement should be highlighted in your resume and cover letters.

·         Keywords:  Many companies now use keyword software to electronically scan resumes. That means you should make your resume scanner friendly by incorporating relevant keywords in your resume. To find the relevant keywords, you should study job postings for the positions of your interest. It is probable that the keywords in these postings are what the prospective employers will search for. Use those keywords that apply to the skills you possess. Sometimes, good candidates are overlooked because keywords in the job posting were not included in the resume. Job postings are often a great place to identify the keywords that are important to a particular employer. Before sending your resume and cover letter for a particular job, compare them against posting for that job to make sure the keywords in the job posting are used in your application materials.

·         Education and Training: You should state in reverse chronological order the names of educational institutions, dates attended, major subjects, and degrees received. Include any special training.

·         Academic Awards and Honors: Any awards, scholarships, honors, and special recognition you received as a student should be included here. Include any offices you held as a student and your contributions to sports, student publications, and other extra-curricular activities. This section is important for entry level positions.

·         Work Experience: Start with your current or most recent position and include prior work experience and accomplishments. Work experience should focus on the most recent jobs and describe the older jobs in lesser detail. You should include your position title, employer’s name, location, and the employment dates. The order in which you want to present the job titles or company names depends on whether you want to emphasize the names of companies you worked for, or the positions you held. In addition to full time positions, you should feel free to include part-time jobs and voluntary work. Focus on the skills you developed and your achievements in each assignment.

·         Skills: This section may contain information such as computer knowledge and languages spoken. Familiarity with computer systems and programs is essential for most jobs today. You should plan to acquire these skills and remember to include them in your resume. Knowledge of foreign languages is very important in today’s global economy. State the degree of your proficiency in reading, writing and speaking of any foreign language.

·         Country Specific Information: While it is a common practice in some countries to include date of birth and marital status, such information should not be included on a resume in the United States. It is illegal in the U.S. to discriminate in an employment decision based upon an applicant’s age, sex, race, national origin, ethnic group, religion, or a physical disability. It is important to research local customs if you are applying for a job in another country.

·         Awards and Commendations: If you have received awards or commendations from senior management of previous employers, be sure to include that information on your resume.

·         References: You should not include names of your references on the resume. You may include a general statement saying “References available upon request”

Resume should not be longer than two pages. A one page resume is quite appropriate for recent college graduates and to apply for entry level positions. On the other hand, persons with experience usually go to two pages. You should not staple a two-page resume. That makes it harder for the recipient to scan the resume or make photocopies. Remember to include your name and Page 2 on top of the second page of your resume.

HOW TO PREPARE RESUMES THAT GET RESULTS

Your resume is a statement of what you have achieved in the past and your capability for future accomplishments.

Your resume should include a career summary and a description of your education, work experience, accomplishments, special skills, and interests.

A resume is a marketing tool for a candidate seeking a new position. Your resume and cover letter will be competing with hundreds of other applicants for a recruiter’s attention to grant an interview. To get that interview, it must be an exceptional document both in terms of content and presentation. Any short cuts in writing a resume could disqualify a candidate from getting on a short list for initial interviews.

RESUME OBJECTIVE

The purpose of a resume is to get job interviews.  It is a statement of your skills and abilities to do the job for which you are applying. It tells the employer the benefits you offer, and how you will be successful in the position. The resume should have an appealing appearance so that the recruiter will be tempted to pick it up and read it. That means it should be formatted properly, should have ample margins, and a formal type face. Remember, the purpose of a resume is to stimulate the recruiter’s interest so that you get called for an interview. Your resume is a business advertisement, and should appear professional. It should not only be attractive, but also have relevant and valuable content. It should be short, simple, and easy to read.

Keep the objective of getting invited for job interviews uppermost in your mind as you write your resume. It is a marketing document which demonstrates what you have accomplished in the past, and how it will help your prospective employers. Write your resume with great enthusiasm to create a document that you can be proud of. Everything you state on your resume must be true. Your resume is the bridge to reach your dream job. Although, most of the content of a resume is based on your current and previous jobs, it is not just a history of the jobs you have held. Your resume is an advertisement of your experience and accomplishments which has the sole purpose of getting you invited for job interviews.

Carefully checking your resume is a good first step, but it is essential to have one or two people proof-read your resume before you send it to prospective employers. There must be no typing, spelling or grammatical errors in your resume.

Every job posting and newspaper ad results in hundreds of resumes. Recruiters usually glance over a resume in a few seconds. The top half of the first page of the resume often determines whether the candidate gets any further consideration.  

Remember, what you have done in the past is a good guide as to what you will do in the future.

 It is important to show in your resume how you created value for your past employers, or how you saved money for them by improving products or services. Your resume should be a proposal of what you can do in the future, rather than just a statement of what you have done in the past. Every resume is unique. It is a marketing communication designed to win an interview.

Your experience level and the type of job you are seeking determine the type of resume you need. Someone who is just entering the workforce should focus more on educational background, as compared to another candidate with substantial work experience who should focus on job accomplishments.

The most effective way to get interviews is to use an accomplishment based resume and then target it to specific job postings. Recruiters want to know what you accomplished in your previous positions, not just where you were employed. You need to demonstrate how you created value or saved money for your previous employers, and provide specific instances of how you actually accomplished that. Whenever possible, try to attach a monetary value to what you accomplished.

HOW GLOBALIZATION IS IMPACTING CAREERS

Globalization is an opportunity to build and grow your career. You should look upon it as a gift of modern times rather than as a threat to your career. Those who are able to navigate their careers in the new global market place will have tremendous career opportunities.

Workers in the global economy require new skills and new knowledge to succeed. They require ongoing training and education to remain competitive in the changing environment. Each individual worker must be willing to take personal responsibility to increase one’s value in the changing environment. You can make yourself the most sought after worker by acquiring the needed education and occupational skills.

Here are some strategies you can employ to build your career in the global economy.

·         Adopt continuous learning and flexibility. These are essential requirements for careers in the global economy. We are surrounded by change. Many of yesterday’s jobs have disappeared, and many jobs today did not exist a few years back. You should continue to acquire new knowledge by reading professional publications and participating in seminars and meetings.

·         Focus on your skills and areas of interest. Identify what you are good at doing, and build those skills further. Tune up your skills to adapt to new cultures. An open mind and the desire to collaborate with people from other cultural backgrounds will make your skills more valuable in the marketplace.  

·         Develop the ability to market yourself. This means knowing your skills and areas of competence, and effectively presenting what you have to offer.

·         Gain an understanding of other cultures. Travel to other countries. Become friends with people from other cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Participate in multi-cultural experiences. Encourage your children to study abroad. Always show respect for customs of other countries and build an understanding of business etiquette in the country of your interest. Ability to collaborate in multicultural settings will be a great asset for careers in the future.

·         Learn foreign languages. While you can get by in most countries by your knowledge of English, you need to acquire knowledge of the local language to work in other countries. Also, it is a good idea to take courses to acquire knowledge of customs and business practices in other countries.

·         Getting a global job does not necessarily mean that you have to live in another country. According to one estimate, about 80% of international jobs – jobs that require extensive contact by American businesses with other countries are based in the U.S.

·         Create a high quality resume and cover letters. There is a full chapter in this book devoted to the preparation of resume and cover letters.

The Internet has revolutionized communications around the world. The confluence of democratized knowledge, political reform, free trade, and economic development have torn down the walls that prevented many countries from participating in the world economy prior to the mid-1990’s. As international trade grows, the economies of different countries are becoming increasingly interconnected.

When I founded Mehta Consulting as an executive search firm in 1997, my intention was to limit my operations to the United States. After I was in business for 5 years, one of my clients asked me to find a manager who would be willing to relocate from the U.S. to Jamaica to manage their call center operations. I was able to successfully complete that search and find a qualified candidate for that position. A year later, the same client came back and asked me to find another manager for their expanding operations in Jamaica. Again, I was able to find a suitable candidate for that position. Then I received a phone call from a company that had recently established a call center in the Philippines. They asked me to find a manager who would be willing to live in the Philippines for a couple of years to manage their call center. I was able to find an excellent candidate for them who moved from Boston to Makati City in the Philippines. That led to an on-going relationship to find additional candidates for that client’s call center in the Philippines. Because of globalization, it has become easy to serve customers in countries far away from where one is located. Although I was a small business owner, based in the U.S., my company was able to have a global reach and serve clients in several different countries.

There is no question that American workers can thrive in the global economy. But it is going to require hard work and initiative. You have to think globally in order to survive. This requires taking control of your career development, acquiring new skills, and maintaining a positive attitude to succeed in the new environment.  

HOW TO HANDLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Following is a list of questions often asked during job interviews.

·         Tell me about yourself. Suggestion: You should limit your answer to two minutes. In addition to providing factual information, emphasize the work experience you enjoyed the most and the positive results you accomplished. Point out to your strengths and good work habits. This question is a test of your ability to select the relevant portions of your background, and present that information clearly in a short time.

·         What are your major strengths? Suggestion: This is an opportunity for you to focus on your personal traits such as integrity, punctuality, persistence, enthusiasm, hard work, and the ability to get along with others. You should highlight two to three traits and describe how those traits helped you to do a superior job in your previous positions.

·         What is your major weakness? Suggestion: You need to give an honest answer, and at the same time, make a positive presentation. When you mention a weakness, also point out some positive aspects associated with it. You may also want to refer to your self-improvement programs such as training courses.

·         Why are you interested in this position? Suggestion: Describe how your skills, experiences and background match the job requirements.

·         Why do you want to leave your present job? Suggestion: Say positive things about your company and your boss (whenever that is true). Emphasize how the position for which you are interviewing, offers a better opportunity to use your skills and experiences.

·         Why should we hire you? Suggestion: This question is uppermost in the interviewer’s mind whether it is asked directly like this, or in another way. The right way to answer this question is to point out the benefits that will result to the employer by hiring you. You should offer some proof by relating how you helped your previous employers make more money by increasing sales and revenue or by reducing costs or solving problems.

·         What are your salary requirements? Suggestion: The best way to answer this question is to say that you are very interested in the position, and the salary would be negotiable. You should not name a number for the desired salary at this early stage. However, if pressed for this information, give a broad, but feasible range that can help the company determine if you fit within the salary guidelines for the company. When the salary question is asked by a recruiter from an executive search firm, you should clearly state your requirements. The recruiter needs to know if your salary requirements match the client guidelines, and whether you should be referred to the hiring company.

·         How does your experience relate to this job? Suggestion: This is a direct question, and an opportunity to emphasize how your experience fits the job requirements. You should pick each of the major job requirements and describe how your experience would enable you to do an excellent job.

Here is a great question some interviewers use to judge the quality of the candidate they are facing. They ask “Tell me how you spent your day yesterday”. If you have a disciplined and well organized daily routine, you will probably talk about reading the newspaper and trade magazines, checking the available positions of interest online and in print media, adding names and phones to your contact list, researching the companies you have targeted for job search, preparing follow-up letters and thank you notes, making follow-up phone calls, and doing your favorite exercise routine to keep your body in shape. On the other hand, persons who are not focused and organized will probably show their true character. This is a good way for employers to rule out unsuitable candidates.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR JOB SEARCH

Your job search preparation must include the following two elements: Define the Job You Want and Your Key Message; and then develop a list of Potential Employers.

Define the Job You Want and Your Key Message

This is a statement of the kind of job you want based on a clear understanding of your skills and interests. It tells your prospective employers what you are looking for. You may define it by picking a job title such as “Sales Representative” or by selecting a range of job titles such as “Marketing Management”. This would help you in putting together your resume and cover letters. By focusing on jobs that match your skills and interests, you improve the chances of finding a suitable position.

In addition, you need to develop the key message you are going to convey to prospective employers and to those in your network. This message describes how you are a good candidate for the position you are pursuing. You will put your key message in your resume and repeat it again and again in job interviews. That means going beyond determining a job title or cluster of jobs that will suit you. You have to prepare a key statement that describes you to prospective employers.

Prepare yourself to answer the question that often comes up in job interviews: “Why should we hire you?”  This question is a test of your ability to select the relevant portions of your background to show how you meet the job requirements, and present that information clearly in a two-minute presentation. You should write such a statement, practice how you will deliver it in a job interview, and review it carefully to use in your resume.

To prepare your key message, you need to go to your list of accomplishments and skills and then describe your strengths to do the job you want. You need to focus on your desired job when preparing your key message. It should provide evidence that you can effectively handle the job you want to do. You should state your skills, personal qualities, experience and accomplishments that support the cluster of jobs that you are seeking. Your key message will guide your communications including resume preparation, conversations with contacts in your network, and job interviews.

Preparing a list of your skills and linking your skills with stories of accomplishments is a good way to begin to develop your key message. As you proceed with your job search and share your key message in your conversations and written communications, you will certainly find ways to refine your message and present stories of your accomplishments. Keep your target audience uppermost in your mind when you prepare and revise your key message. Discuss your key message with some friends, and particularly with two to three professionals in your field, who can give you an objective assessment.

Most people underestimate their value. They do not realize the skills and experience they bring to the table. While you must not lie about your qualifications, you need to disclose them fully to get the kind of job and compensation you deserve.

Develop a list of Potential Employers

Once you have identified the job you want, you need to determine where you want to work. That depends on where the jobs are located or what business organizations are looking for people to do the type of work you are interested in doing. This exercise will lead you to the development of your target list of prospective employers. Your interest and preferences play a key role in developing such a list. You may prefer certain target employers because of where they are located or type of industry or the employer’s size or other factors.

The selection of your target list depends on where the jobs are for which you are qualified and what are your personal preferences. Some people do not want to relocate and have strong preference as to where they want to live. That puts a limitation on where they can work. Another consideration is your choice of industry. While some occupations may limit your choice of industries, many other occupations allow you to work in a wide range of industries. The size of a prospective employer (number of employees, annual revenue) may not be important in your search. On the other hand, some persons like to work for big companies with a lot of employees and resources while others prefer small organizations. If the size of a company is an important consideration for you, you will need to keep this in mind when picking your list of target companies.  Having a target list of prospective employers will enable you to tap into the unadvertised job market. It will give you the ability to talk to the employers you have chosen rather than depending exclusively on the job openings appearing in newspapers or on the Internet. It is estimated that between 50- 75 percent of the jobs are filled without ever being advertised. You will be able to research companies of special interest to you, and refine your target list as you move on with your job search. This will also enable you to make a better use of your network. You will have a list of your desired employers with you to share with contacts in your network.

When preparing your target list, focus on companies that are well suited to your skills and fields of greatest interest. This is a list of companies you want to work for; not a list of job openings. If you need help in developing your target list, go to your library and tell them the industry, location, and size of companies you want to research. They will be able to direct you to the databases and directories that contain such information. My suggestion is to start with a target list of 25 prospective employers, and then gradually add or delete as you move forward with your search.

Once you have your target list, you need to research each organization. You can do so by going to their company websites and reading information available on the Internet. The publicly traded companies have annual reports that you can access on the Internet. You may also obtain additional information about any company by putting their name in one of the search engines – Google, Bing, or Yahoo. There are also specialized websites that provide profiles for companies in a variety of industries. The best way to get information about a target company is to talk to some of their employees. As you gather information about companies on your target list, you can use that information to rank your targets, and establish your priorities.

JOB OFFER NEGOTIATIONS

When you receive a job offer, you have to make a decision that will have a long-range impact on your career path. Fortunately, most companies give you a few days to make your decision. You have probably determined, before a job offer is presented to you, that the company is a good place to work and you are satisfied with the position and advancement opportunities. If you have any concerns about the company or the position, this is the time to take another look at what you may be getting into. No amount of salary or benefits will make up for a bad career choice. Assuming that you are satisfied with the company and the position, you should take a look at other aspects of the job offer.
This is an opportunity for you to define what you want and what you can get, and then negotiate an employment package acceptable to you. You can negotiate the job responsibilities, base salary, bonus, relocation package, benefits, severance terms and anything else included in the job offer.
Preparation is the key to good negotiation. You have to research, consider alternatives, plan and effectively communicate with the employer. You have to know how far you can go, and when to pull back. When the job being offered to you is hard to fill, the employer will be more accommodating. If other candidates are available to fill the position, the employer may be less inclined to negotiate the terms of the job offer. Smaller companies are more willing to negotiate than larger organizations with firm policies and procedures.
Timing is a critical factor while negotiating. The ideal time to negotiate is when you have received a verbal offer from the employer or through an executive search firm. You should prepare a logical explanation for every change you want to request. Remember that negotiating is a two-way process when both you and the employer try to reach an agreement that will be beneficial to both sides.

HOW TO GET JOB INTERVIEWS

You should apply only for those jobs for which you are qualified and then tailor your cover letter and resume to the needs of potential employers. If you do this right, there is a high probability you will be called for job interviews.
The quality of the resume and cover letter determine who gets invited for the interview. Your success in the interview process will depend largely on the level of your preparation. You should anticipate what questions are likely to be asked during the interview, and know how you are going to answer those questions. You should have a list of questions you want to ask. The interview is an opportunity for you to learn about the job and the company so that you can decide whether that is the right opportunity for you.
A person is invited for the job interview only when the employer thinks there may be a possible match with the job requirements. The interview is a two way process. It enables the employer to identify suitable candidates, and then establish the best match. On the other hand, interviews enable candidates to determine whether the job opportunities fit their qualifications and interests. A candidate, who has studied the job description and researched the employer organization, is likely to interview well. It is essential to have a successful interview in order to get a job offer.
There are many types of job interviews that you will have to handle in the job search process. These include phone interviews, face-to-face interviews, interviews at a meal, and behavioral interviews.