The Employment World doesn’t need another boring resume.
Here are Top 5 Things Not to Do when creating a competitive resume to set yourself apart from your competition. But first a quick ‘Marketing 101 lesson for jobseekers,
“If you are trying to set yourself apart from other jobseekers in the marketplace, don’t market yourself with the exact same methodology as the rest of your competition and hope to stand out.”
Most jobseekers traditionally use a resume to showcase their value. The resume showcases their past accomplishments, past experiences and past education. However, after speaking with hundreds of hiring managers, I am reminded that these managers are far more interested in what a candidate can do for them in the future, not what they have done in the past.
However, only a fraction of the resume focuses on the jobseeker’s future. The “objective section”, usually the lead paragraph, is the only part of the resume that contains any information about the jobseeker’s future objective. But most objective statements are vague and contain never ending clichés.
Objective: “seasoned professional looking for a dynamic and challenging position with a growth oriented company. A great team player, willing to work hard, flexible, loyal, etc…”
In hopes of being unique most job seekers provide employers with identically formatted marketing documents and statements hoping to set themselves apart as being unique. So here are 5 Things Not to Do when trying to create a unique resume
Number One
Don’t be too general and say the same things as every other job seeker.
Employers assume that you are honest, loyal and a team player. No employer disqualifies you right away and says, “Hey, this guy didn’t say he was honest, hardworking and loyal in his resume, he’s out!”
Number Two
Don’t assume that your resume has to showcase every one of your experiences and accomplishments.
Including everything you’ve done in your career doesn’t increase your odds of getting the job or another job at the company. Don’t hope that employers might look deeper at your qualification and figure out that you are qualified for another opportunity within the company.
Number Three
Don’t use words that are long term or process oriented words when describing your achievements. Use a short term, action oriented bursts. Write dialogue to attract the reader’s interest and emotions.
Number Four
Don’t go back more than a decade with your experiences and achievements. Even that’s a long time. Respectfully, not many people care about what you did ten years ago…It’s over. Remember, keep the focus of your resume on what you can do in the future.
Number Five
Make the end of the resume count. Remember, most people remember what they read at the beginning and at the end. End uniquely, by creating an exciting explanation of your passions and interests outside of work.
The end of your resume should provide employers insight into your competitive drive, your creativity, your commitment to charity, volunteer work, how you might save the world!
Be bold, be creative, use the final part of your resume to compel the hiring manager to want to meet the professional and the personality behind the document.
Minto Roy
President
CareersToday Canada/PCMG Canada
www.careerstodaycanada.com
www.pcmgcanada.com
www.mintoroy.net
Listen to Minto on Careers Today Radio. Every week on The Buzz 1410 am Saturdays from 3-4 pm. Past shows available can be downloaded on the Careers Today website.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Saturday, March 15, 2008
An Open Letter To All Employers
An Open Letter to all Canadian Employers. By Minto Roy
I realize the job market is red-hot and recruiting talent has never been so difficult. Managers across the country speak openly about their frustration with recruiting hardworking, professionally educated, skilled talent for their company’s growth.
But on the other side of the hiring desks, thousands and thousands of qualified immigrants are under-employed or unemployed and continue to struggle to find professional work in their field. This vast untapped well-educated, hard-working, labor-force is right in-front of your eyes.
However, our eyes can deceive us.
At first glimpse a new immigrant’s resume brings massive confusion; “ never heard of the university,” “never heard of their previous employer,” “ don’t really know much about the country or culture,” “probably has weak English skills,” “no Canadian experience.” I realize that most hiring managers lack the time and resources to properly screen ANY candidate, never mind a candidate that has no common ground and comes from a city that they have never heard of. Your company however, must recognize and validate what is not on the resume and overcome stereotypes of the immigrant labor force. Consider the value of the professional that is right in front of your eyes. What you see can your company a huge advantage in this tight labor market.
Make sure you see these 5 things about the Professional Immigrant Labor force.
First: Canadian Immigrants come prepared to work.
They have no-choice, this is not a vacation. They bought a one-way ticket.
Try this, go to the airport, and buy a ticket to another country. Land with $10,000 and set up a place to live, buy furniture, place your kids in school and then see how quickly you want to find work and create stability and professionally identity.
Second: Professional Immigrants come pre-screened.
Your tax dollars have set up rigid screening criteria for new immigrants to enter Canada. They must possess and credibly prove their education and experience. The government has already acted as a first level HR screen for your business. Furthermore, the education standard and academic competition in many foreign countries result in creating top level international students. These bright minds are ready and hungry to become a part Canada’s international growth.
Third: Cost-Effective Hires, A Huge bargain for your company.
The vast majority of professional immigrants under-market and under value themselves. They just want a chance to prove they can do the job. To prove they have the right qualifications. They are driven by a need to be identified professionally in their new county. Making a salary commensurate with their current market value in a skills labor shortage market is the last thing on their mind. Many small to medium size companies, can add; MBA’s, PHD’s, from internationally recognized institutions to their corporate profile at a fraction of the cost. Tell that to your share-holders!
Fourth: New immigrants work very hard.
Most immigrants do not come from a country where 9-5 is the norm. I have assisted many new immigrants that worked 50-60-70 hours a week as routine. This work effort is further fueled by their pride not to disappoint their new employer, themselves and their family here and in their homeland.
Fifth: New immigrants will increase your business growth.
Internally for your business, adding culture and information from another part of the world can only bring growth and exciting diversity to your current staff.
Externally, your company will have ability to communicate and talk to customers, suppliers and partners in different languages. The company has the capacity to increase its local reach and position your brand and products into new cultural communities, cities, new countries.
Think about your business growth. Is your company selling more and more each year to new immigrants? If not, then you’d better jump on the band wagon. There is no greater consumer group coming to Canada every year that needs EVERYTHING. This means hundreds of thousands of new customers for your business.
I urge Canadian Employers, look beyond the words on the resume. Look beyond your perceptions or stereotypes of professionals immigrants. The major solution to the labor shortage is right in-front of our eyes.
They are just waiting for you to see.
Minto Roy
President
PCMG Canada / Careers Today Canada /PCMG Executive
www.pcmgcanada.com
www.careerstodaycanada.com
www.pcmgexecutive.com
Listen to Minto Roy each week on the Careers Today Radio Show
Saturdays at 3:00pm on CFUN 1410AM, www.cfun.ca a member of the CTV globemedia group
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
This electronic communication (email) and any attachments may contain information that is proprietary, privileged and confidential and is intended for the use of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient any reproduction or other use of this communication and attachments is strictly prohibited. If you received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by return email or telephone and delete this communication and any attachments. Thank you.
I realize the job market is red-hot and recruiting talent has never been so difficult. Managers across the country speak openly about their frustration with recruiting hardworking, professionally educated, skilled talent for their company’s growth.
But on the other side of the hiring desks, thousands and thousands of qualified immigrants are under-employed or unemployed and continue to struggle to find professional work in their field. This vast untapped well-educated, hard-working, labor-force is right in-front of your eyes.
However, our eyes can deceive us.
At first glimpse a new immigrant’s resume brings massive confusion; “ never heard of the university,” “never heard of their previous employer,” “ don’t really know much about the country or culture,” “probably has weak English skills,” “no Canadian experience.” I realize that most hiring managers lack the time and resources to properly screen ANY candidate, never mind a candidate that has no common ground and comes from a city that they have never heard of. Your company however, must recognize and validate what is not on the resume and overcome stereotypes of the immigrant labor force. Consider the value of the professional that is right in front of your eyes. What you see can your company a huge advantage in this tight labor market.
Make sure you see these 5 things about the Professional Immigrant Labor force.
First: Canadian Immigrants come prepared to work.
They have no-choice, this is not a vacation. They bought a one-way ticket.
Try this, go to the airport, and buy a ticket to another country. Land with $10,000 and set up a place to live, buy furniture, place your kids in school and then see how quickly you want to find work and create stability and professionally identity.
Second: Professional Immigrants come pre-screened.
Your tax dollars have set up rigid screening criteria for new immigrants to enter Canada. They must possess and credibly prove their education and experience. The government has already acted as a first level HR screen for your business. Furthermore, the education standard and academic competition in many foreign countries result in creating top level international students. These bright minds are ready and hungry to become a part Canada’s international growth.
Third: Cost-Effective Hires, A Huge bargain for your company.
The vast majority of professional immigrants under-market and under value themselves. They just want a chance to prove they can do the job. To prove they have the right qualifications. They are driven by a need to be identified professionally in their new county. Making a salary commensurate with their current market value in a skills labor shortage market is the last thing on their mind. Many small to medium size companies, can add; MBA’s, PHD’s, from internationally recognized institutions to their corporate profile at a fraction of the cost. Tell that to your share-holders!
Fourth: New immigrants work very hard.
Most immigrants do not come from a country where 9-5 is the norm. I have assisted many new immigrants that worked 50-60-70 hours a week as routine. This work effort is further fueled by their pride not to disappoint their new employer, themselves and their family here and in their homeland.
Fifth: New immigrants will increase your business growth.
Internally for your business, adding culture and information from another part of the world can only bring growth and exciting diversity to your current staff.
Externally, your company will have ability to communicate and talk to customers, suppliers and partners in different languages. The company has the capacity to increase its local reach and position your brand and products into new cultural communities, cities, new countries.
Think about your business growth. Is your company selling more and more each year to new immigrants? If not, then you’d better jump on the band wagon. There is no greater consumer group coming to Canada every year that needs EVERYTHING. This means hundreds of thousands of new customers for your business.
I urge Canadian Employers, look beyond the words on the resume. Look beyond your perceptions or stereotypes of professionals immigrants. The major solution to the labor shortage is right in-front of our eyes.
They are just waiting for you to see.
Minto Roy
President
PCMG Canada / Careers Today Canada /PCMG Executive
www.pcmgcanada.com
www.careerstodaycanada.com
www.pcmgexecutive.com
Listen to Minto Roy each week on the Careers Today Radio Show
Saturdays at 3:00pm on CFUN 1410AM, www.cfun.ca a member of the CTV globemedia group
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
This electronic communication (email) and any attachments may contain information that is proprietary, privileged and confidential and is intended for the use of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient any reproduction or other use of this communication and attachments is strictly prohibited. If you received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by return email or telephone and delete this communication and any attachments. Thank you.
Important ! You should know this about Hiring Managers
One Very Important thing you should now about Hiring Managers - by Minto Roy
Presidents, Vice-Presidents and Hiring Managers have one important common trait when it comes to hiring. Having an understanding this common ground amongst hiring managers will give average jobseeker a huge advantage in competitive market.
For years, I’ve worked with thousands of professionals on their career search; I have gained tremendous insight, real ideas and powerful strategies on how to differentiate someone from the competition. If you think finding a new job is not fun, try hiring and finding talent in a hot job market.
Working in recruitment has provided a deep understanding about the hiring process from the employer's side. It might surprise you to learn that even though hiring managers and jobseekers sit on opposite sides of the corporate table, they feel the exact same way about the whole hiring process.
Most job-seekers dread the various aspects of finding a new career; polishing the resume, looking through the internet, newspapers, networking with strangers, handling multiple rejections and dealing with the unemployment stigma. The same rings to true for hiring managers. Hiring is frustrating.
Managers candidly inform me about their added stress with the time requirements, the process and the expense of finding new talent. Most companies today simply delegate the responsibility of hiring to a departmental manager. This manager must then add on the hiring responsibility to their already busy work schedule.
Think about it. "Bob" the manager of an IT department needs a software developer. Beyond his regular 40-50 hours a week, Bob must now add on the responsibility of posting, recruiting, screening resumes, conducting multiple interviews with strangers and presenting offers. Bob has to add of another 10 hours a week onto his already busy work schedule. That's time away from his regular duties, his family life, and his personal time. He's not terribly excited about that.
Perhaps, some larger companies have dedicated HR Departments or recruiters assisting them, but not most. Eighty to ninety percent of all new hires are hired by small to medium size companies. These companies dedicate the responsibility to a manager or the owner simple does it. That means, managers like Bob, work more hours when the company needs new employees. Furthermore, Bob is going to work those extra hours until he finds the right employee.
So here's one important thing that you know and remember when you’re conducting a career search: like most jobseekers, the vast majority of hiring managers want to get the hiring process over with as quickly as possible.
You can truly utilize this insight by focusing on closing the hiring deal sooner with employers. Seek closure after you've been interviewed. If you've done all the right things in targeting a new career opportunity; you've done the research, you've prepared a great proposal based on the company's requirements, and you’ve nailed the interview and received great feedback, then ask for the job! Close the deal with the confidence of knowing that both sides want to get the hiring process over with. The average job seeker rarely attempts to close the hiring deal. With your new awareness be assured that the hiring manager want to hire the right candidate as quickly as possible.
Job-seekers concentrate to much on bettering their competition. The true focus should rest on understanding the mindset and frustrations of the hiring manager. Solve their problems and they will solve your career problems.
Try saying this at the end of your next job interview;
"Bob, thanks for your time and candid conversation today. It's great to confirm that your company is in fact an organization that I can see a great future with. I hope I have showcased the amount of value and effort that I would bring this position. I am confident that I am the right fit. What is the next step to move this forward to the offer stage."
If you can do the job and put in the right effort then give Bob a chance to decide. Remember, the Bob's of the world want you their life back.
Minto Roy / President
CareersToday Canada
www.careerstodaycanada..com
www.pcmgcanada.com
Listen to Minto Roy every week Careers Today! Radio www.cfun.ca
Saturdays at 3:00pm on CFUN 1410AM, a member of the CTV globemedia group
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
This electronic communication (email) and any attachments may contain information that is proprietary, privileged and confidential and is intended for the use of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient any reproduction or other use of this communication and attachments is strictly prohibited. If you received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by return email or telephone and delete this communication and any attachments. Thank you.
Presidents, Vice-Presidents and Hiring Managers have one important common trait when it comes to hiring. Having an understanding this common ground amongst hiring managers will give average jobseeker a huge advantage in competitive market.
For years, I’ve worked with thousands of professionals on their career search; I have gained tremendous insight, real ideas and powerful strategies on how to differentiate someone from the competition. If you think finding a new job is not fun, try hiring and finding talent in a hot job market.
Working in recruitment has provided a deep understanding about the hiring process from the employer's side. It might surprise you to learn that even though hiring managers and jobseekers sit on opposite sides of the corporate table, they feel the exact same way about the whole hiring process.
Most job-seekers dread the various aspects of finding a new career; polishing the resume, looking through the internet, newspapers, networking with strangers, handling multiple rejections and dealing with the unemployment stigma. The same rings to true for hiring managers. Hiring is frustrating.
Managers candidly inform me about their added stress with the time requirements, the process and the expense of finding new talent. Most companies today simply delegate the responsibility of hiring to a departmental manager. This manager must then add on the hiring responsibility to their already busy work schedule.
Think about it. "Bob" the manager of an IT department needs a software developer. Beyond his regular 40-50 hours a week, Bob must now add on the responsibility of posting, recruiting, screening resumes, conducting multiple interviews with strangers and presenting offers. Bob has to add of another 10 hours a week onto his already busy work schedule. That's time away from his regular duties, his family life, and his personal time. He's not terribly excited about that.
Perhaps, some larger companies have dedicated HR Departments or recruiters assisting them, but not most. Eighty to ninety percent of all new hires are hired by small to medium size companies. These companies dedicate the responsibility to a manager or the owner simple does it. That means, managers like Bob, work more hours when the company needs new employees. Furthermore, Bob is going to work those extra hours until he finds the right employee.
So here's one important thing that you know and remember when you’re conducting a career search: like most jobseekers, the vast majority of hiring managers want to get the hiring process over with as quickly as possible.
You can truly utilize this insight by focusing on closing the hiring deal sooner with employers. Seek closure after you've been interviewed. If you've done all the right things in targeting a new career opportunity; you've done the research, you've prepared a great proposal based on the company's requirements, and you’ve nailed the interview and received great feedback, then ask for the job! Close the deal with the confidence of knowing that both sides want to get the hiring process over with. The average job seeker rarely attempts to close the hiring deal. With your new awareness be assured that the hiring manager want to hire the right candidate as quickly as possible.
Job-seekers concentrate to much on bettering their competition. The true focus should rest on understanding the mindset and frustrations of the hiring manager. Solve their problems and they will solve your career problems.
Try saying this at the end of your next job interview;
"Bob, thanks for your time and candid conversation today. It's great to confirm that your company is in fact an organization that I can see a great future with. I hope I have showcased the amount of value and effort that I would bring this position. I am confident that I am the right fit. What is the next step to move this forward to the offer stage."
If you can do the job and put in the right effort then give Bob a chance to decide. Remember, the Bob's of the world want you their life back.
Minto Roy / President
CareersToday Canada
www.careerstodaycanada..com
www.pcmgcanada.com
Listen to Minto Roy every week Careers Today! Radio www.cfun.ca
Saturdays at 3:00pm on CFUN 1410AM, a member of the CTV globemedia group
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
This electronic communication (email) and any attachments may contain information that is proprietary, privileged and confidential and is intended for the use of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient any reproduction or other use of this communication and attachments is strictly prohibited. If you received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by return email or telephone and delete this communication and any attachments. Thank you.
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