Written by Rachel Gersten
Resumé Mythbusters – Panel Discussion
Jessica Pierce welcomed everyone and explained the agenda, which was a bit different than standard events. Instead of 1 keynote speaker, it was a panel discussion with 4 resume experts.
The group of experts from the Résumé Writers Council of Arizona included:
Martha Rockwell, owner of A+ Resumes & Career Coaching
Donna Tucker, founding member of Resume Writers Council of Arizona
Amanda Collins, founder of Ink & Quill Communications
Brenda Cunningham, owner of Push Career Management
Question: What are the criteria for a resume writer to be an expert and why do the credentials matter?
Answer: The group explained the steps involved to be a certified resume writer. They go to national conferences; meet once a month; and have an understanding of what the hiring community believes makes a good resume. Their motto is, “You only get one chance to make a good impression”.
Question: What are the biggest resume mistakes you see?
Answer: There are a number of resume mistakes that people make.
- Doesn’t include a relevant headline or title. Remember this is a sales pitch to get the job you want.
- The resume is too long. It should not exceed 2 pages (there are exceptions).
- Lack of contact information such as an email address and phone number.
- Listing what you did, instead of your accomplishments.
- Do not include an objective statement or references available upon request.
Question: What are the must have items in a resume?
Answer:
- Relevant information – connect why something maybe relevant to the job you are applying for.
- Keywords – use as many key words as possible by reviewing the job description.
- Understand the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). When applying online the resume will be submitted to an ATS. Increase your score by ‘playing’ the system and including key words.
Question: What is the information that needs to be included in a resume?
Answer:
- Your name and contact information
- Keywords
- Accomplishments
- Title
Question: What have you done and what kind of job do you want?
Answer:
- Think of a resume as a bridge to help you achieve your goals.
- A resume is like a fingerprint, it’s unique to you. There is no one size fits all resume.
- There are 2 types of resumes used: chronological and functional. Chronological puts events in order and is the most common. Functional is for individuals that are changing careers or those that have been out of work for a while.
Question: When to use bullets?
Answer:
- “Think of a bullet as a punch,” it should be something important.
- Accomplishments should be listed in a formula format.
- Some of these are:
- PAR, which means Problem Action Result
- CAR, which means Challenge Action Result
- STAR, which means Situation Task Action Result
An example is: Increased sales by 25% through employee training program.
- An accomplishment should answer the question 1″so what”.
- No more than 5 bullets per section and list in order of importance.
- Accomplishments/bullets fall under 1 of 4 categories:
- Did it make money?
- Did it save money?
- Did it make people happy?
- Did it make things efficient?
Question: When not to use bullets?
Answer: If you don’t have a result, it is not a bullet.
Question: What is an applicant tracking system (ATS)?
Answer: These are used to save companies time and energy. The system filters out candidates with lower scores. The more key words that match the job description the higher the score will be. Things the system doesn’t recognize ATS are: italics, tables and certain fonts like Times New Roman.
Question: How many years should you include?
Answer: Only go back 10 years if you have relevant experience in the related field. If the experience goes back further mention it in your summary.
Question: How to address a gap in your employment history?
Answer: Address it in just 1 line. Example: Caring for a family member.
Question: Is it hard to overcome the stigma associated with being a mature worker?
Answer: Anything can be overcome. Assume positive intent of others and remember to keep current in your field. If you have an AOL account, change it to a Gmail account. Have a LinkedIn account.
Question: What is the typical cost associated with hiring a resume writer?
Answer: The cost of hiring a resume writer is a minimum of $300 and can go as high as $2000.
Company Hiring
Cognizant
Shauntina McAllister, Senior Recruiter
Cognizant is a software development company. Established in 1994 and are headquartered in New Jersey with offices in the US and globally. They are a fortune 500 company.
Current Arizona openings include:
• Business Analyst
• Claims Examiners
• Claims Supervisors
• Managers
• Product Managers
• Social Media Content Specialist
• Technical Analyst
• Trainers
CLOSING
Jessica Pierce concluded the meeting by thanking our wonderful host Calvary Church for their support, as well as, all our amazing corporate sponsors and volunteers. Jessica reminded the group of assistance available through the Goodwill career services. Last year Goodwill helped 45,000 people get jobs. Jessica went on to remind our guests to visit the Career Connectors website at https://careerconnectors.org for additional support through the complimentary DISC assessment and other helpful tools available. The next event will be held on August 28th, 9 am at the Gilbert location of Central Christian Church – Student Center, 965 E. Germann Road, Gilbert, AZ 85297. Please remember to sign up online for our next event.
