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12/02/20 – Resume Mythbusters: Resumes During Covid

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Resume Mythbusters Panel

Written by Gary Matsuda
Usually, you’ll work with one resume coach at a time but, here you’re getting the collective expertise of four resume writing experts to make sure you don’t make the same errors they’ve seen countless of time over the years.

These are the Biggest Mistakes:
Brenda Cunningham, owner of Push Career Management and President of Resume Writers Council of Arizona, says too many resumes try to one size fits all which makes it harder for the reader to understand what the applicant strengths are for the job.

Donna Tucker, https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnatuckeraz/ founding member of Resume Writers Council of Arizona, says what she sees is applicant suicide – ‘death-by-bullets’ (that’s bullet points BTW) where the resume becomes nothing but a list of functions or tasks without putting them into context.

Jeri Hird Dutcher, National Award-winning Certified Resume Writer says the funniest mistake was a resume with blue green font centered in the document. Stands out – but for the wrong reason.

Amanda Miller, owner of Ink and Quill Communications 8 pages long with a photo of himself an almost 2 page bio, no professional experience, all education dating from the 70’s, left out his phone number and he was wondering why he wasn’t getting responses!

Why You Should Hire a Resume Expert:
For one thing, you are not likely to be an expert at job hunting – and you should have to be. Get help from those who have seen it all (see above) and can steer you away from the all the obvious resume faux pas. There are even times when rules can be broken and unless you know what you can get away with it’s best to get help from experts who’ve have seen thousands of resumes and can spot quickly what you need to present yourself as the best possible candidate. They’ll also work with you to create a strategy for the job search so you won’t waste time sending your resume and applying everywhere.

Most important to have on resume:
Lead with a brief 2 to 4 line headline/summary/branding statement that is specific to the open position. It shouldn’t be merely review of what you do now but answer the question, ‘Why should you be hired?’ A professional resume writer will help you pack as much into your summary in as few words a possible to make the reader to keep reading on.
Everyone wants to see results! Front load the results of your accomplishments near the top and left so they are one of the first things to be scanned. Use the keywords that are specific to your target position and in a meaningful format that impacts the reader. The hiring manager must know right away that you are the perfect fit for the job so anything listed that doesn’t match what the company is looking for will likely get passed over – as will your application.
Make sure you make it easy for them to find you! Have an email address that is easy to associate with your name but in good taste. Also include your phone, general location, and a link to your LinkedIn profile.
Leave out:
• Especially for security reasons, leave out street address, license or certification numbers. Also, references can be left off to save space and they are usually not needed at this point.
• Older formal education dates over 5 years old
• Anything that makes your document go over 2 pages

Font
In most cases use sans serif fonts with size to about 10-12. Serif fonts (with the little feet at the ends of the characters) can look old and may be harder to read on a screen.
Calibri and Arial are the most universal and have better chances of looking the same on most computers.

Bold and italics should be used sparingly.

25 years old with 40 years experience

Ageism is illegal, yet it persists in the workplace and especially in hiring. The resume panel suggests not using old looking email as in ‘hotmail.com’, ‘aol.com’ and avoid using dates in email, for example ‘name1963@gmail.com’.

Don’t mention that you’re seasoned, leave that for enhancing the flavor of aged beef. Spice up your resume by focusing on results and accomplishment, not how long you’ve been on earth. One fear of hiring managers is that those who are retired or are near the end of their careers, might not have the energy or eagerness to do the work and might not stay long term. Present yourself in a way that they feel compelled to call you because you bring much value to their organization. Check with a resume writing professional for tips and job search strategies so you can show off your expertise without being obvious about your age.

Did You Make a Difference?

The old resume style was more skill based but now employers want to see what you’ve done with those skills and how you’ve made the company money, saved money, reduced waste, improved processes/morale/teamwork, solved problems and grew the business.

An easy way to remember how to present this is to use a C.A.R. format.
• Challenge. What was the problem that was solved?
• Action. What action did you take?
• Result. What was accomplished?

Address the question ‘Why should they care about what you did?’ The description should be detailed enough so it doesn’t appear too vague or general and the reader doesn’t have to guess. If you answered phones, how many calls did you make, Teachers can include how many classes or student they’ve taught, nurses can quantify number of patients.

About that Gap Year (or months)

You may know what you did last summer but your next employer doesn’t.
So, it is up to you to bring out your best (and downplay everything else). There’s enough negativity going around so there’s no need (and no room) to have any of that in your resume. Everyone knows how Covid-19 has been so devastating to business so you shouldn’t have to go into much detail if you were laid off during the pandemic. If you had to take care of a family member, experienced a Covid closure or RIF a line stating that would be enough without anyone holding that against you.

If you’ve been out of work because of illness, that’s understandable, but avoid revealing too much information which can be awkward, uncomfortable for the interviewer and irrelevant to the job. It’s discriminatory but health can also signal that you may be higher risk of taking more time off from work.

However, if you’ve been out of employment for a period of time, you need to show how that free time was used constructively. There are plenty of resources available online for professional development, certifications, training, networking and even volunteering that can show you were practicing or building skills useful in the workplace.

One thing that you should be able to do now is work remotely and that means it’s expected that you should know how to use any of the video conferencing, file sharing and project management software that’s in use now. If you don’t, now is the time for some self-directed training and get up to speed on what everyone is using now.

You against the ATS Machine

Mid-size to large companies with enough resources may use Applicant Tracking Systems, so you’ll need to make some adjustments to make your resume electronically friendly. Your resume is scanned by the ATS for keywords that match the job posting. To appease the ATS gods, be diligent in using the same wording in your resume that’s found in the job description (even if it is misspelled). ATS are everywhere, but not that smart! For help, use Jobscan.co https://www.jobscan.co/ which can compare your resume to the job description and point out the keywords that should be in your resume.

To be safe, use .doc format as some ATS cannot take PDF. There should be instructions on how to upload documents so be careful to obey them!

While it’s certainly a real drag to customize according to each job posting, it will increase your chances of getting past the automated screening process. Remember, you’re not only up against the ATS but also dozens or hundreds of other applicants going for the same position. Don’t spray your resume to different positions like spam but, be the one who is sincere about putting in the effort it takes to get hired!

With 200 something different ATS application out there you can’t be sure what you’re going to be dealing with, but with the help of an experienced resume writing expert, you can be sure your resume will hold up against the toughest systems out there.

Can you use a Resume Template?
You may get a visual of a decent format using a template, but they are difficult to customize, could be outdated and what you see isn’t what you get, especially when the document is read by one of the many ATS software programs in use or is viewed through another browser/word processor/email or operating system.

Avoid getting screened out because your resume contained fancy formatting and was translated accidently into Wingdings or Cyrillic script. Instead, use something more universal (Arial or Calibri for example). A template may still be helpful if used for hardcopy only. However, prepare digital versions without the premade templates to feed the various ATS monsters lurking behind every job posting.

Cover letters – Still Useful?
You betcha. But only sometimes. A resume with a cover letter attached will most likely be rejected by an ATS, so do not attach it with your resume to upload – unless there are specific instructions to do so and that it will likely ask for them to be uploaded separately. Nor will it be read by most people, unless you are in the final selection stage.

Not a writer? Go find your friendly local resume writing pro to help you since you should be focusing on working on your employable skills.

Get a Pro – because you are one and you work with other professionals!

HIRING COMPANIES

Cyracom, Caitlin Meek, Operations Recruiter

There are many ways to say, ‘Can I help you?’ At Cyracom you can say that in over 40 different languages! If you know two or more languages you can transition from being bilingual to becoming a professional, certified interpreter! CyraCom trains highly fluent bilingual candidates to become professional interpreters through their leading, comprehensive interpreter training course with over 120 hours of paid training.

RESOURCES

US Health Advisors
Joseph Bourcier
Joe the Health Insurance Pro, and his team, US Health Advisors is personally committed to your well-being. When you’re in between jobs or have need for financial backup, they offer help with getting you the best match between health, dental, vision insurance for you, your family or business.

They’ve received multiple awards for business excellence for the past several years, so they’ve got to be good!

Free DISC Assessment
We all like free, so at no cost to you find your behavior traits (which may help point to your values) and what kind of job will likely fit you through our online DISC assessment at:
https://careerconnectors.org/DISC/

For details about upcoming Career Connectors weekly events throughout the Valley, click here to visit the events section on the website for times, dates, and details about hiring companies and keynote topics!

9/16/20 – Resume MythBuster Panel

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Written by: Connie Huber SHRM-CP PHR

Resume Panel

We are all familiar with resumes. The goal of the resume has been to get an interview. Did you know resumes have been an employment practice for over 500 years? “While it is unclear who actually invented the resume, Leonardo Da Vinci is the first recorded person to use one. In 1482, Da Vinci wrote a letter to the Duke of Milan in an attempt to gain his patronage and support. Da Vinci’s letter listed his skills

KEYNOTE: Resume MythBuster Panel

Resume MythBuster panel had the privilege of having four of Phoenix’s finest resume experts including Brenda Cunningham (BC), Donna Tucker (DT), Martha Rockwell (MR) and Amanda Miller (AM) – all members of the Resume Writers Council of Arizona.

INTRODUCTION
QUESTION: Overview of you, your services and business. Biggest mistake you’ve seen on resume.
ANSWER:
BC: Brenda has received certifications in resume writing, coaching and established her confidence. Biggest resume error is where the resume lists everything. The document needs to be focused.
DT: Has participated by being on Board of National Resume Writers. Mistake has been where writer has written solely in paragraphs or bullets. Donna provided a comprehensive Job Search Guide here!
MR: Martha has over 20 years in sales and marketing. Martha loves what she does. Martha has come across resumes where there are job descriptions without any quantifiable results.
AM: Has been writing resumes since 1996. Her expertise is marketing, sales and project managers. Amanda describes herself as more of a generalist. A mistake she has seen is where the resume only has a name on it and missing all other relevant information,

QUESTION: Resume background and certification. What makes you an expert?
ANSWER:
BC: DT has the newest form of certification. Validation of skills by a larger community.
MR: A concern is getting and accepting the wrong information from those people who are not skilled or knowledgeable.
DT: The resume writer is going to know what words will be accepted by ATS.

MECHANICS/FORMAT
QUESTION: Most important things to have on a resume?
ANSWER:
AM: Most recruiters spend 6-10 seconds to read a resume. Be sure to include contact information, LinkedIn profile, and email address. There should be a short summary and value statement. There should also be an overview of experience. Be sure to avoid portraying
yourself as an old person. Include any degrees or certifications you have received.
MR: Job title on resume needs to be the same as the job you are applying for. A summary statement is helpful in your presentation to an employer.
DT: Give a summary or profile of what you can do. Avoid pronouns in your resume. Write in the first person. Talk about current or future job.
BC: Share the goals you have achieved in your roles. Font should be 10-12 while margins should be 1-1 ½“.

QUESTION: LENGTH OF RESUME
ANSWER:
MR: Resume should be 2 pages. If you have masters or extensive experience, the resume may go into 3 pages.

QUESTION: Number of years back should you go.
ANSWER:
BC:10-15 years
MR: Same.

CONTENT
QUESTION: Accomplishments-what they are, their importance, & how to incorporate. How someone with extensive work experience emphasizes soft skills.
ANSWER:
AM: Accomplishments are results you have achieved in performing your job. Your accomplishments should make you stand out from your peers and make you a highly desirable candidate. The resume should be sprinkled with accomplishments throughout the document. Ideally, there should be accomplishments for each role you have had and listed from the most impactful to the least.
Chronological resume is used more than a functional one. Functional should list 2-3 skills that the employer would like to see. Functional resumes are not good for Applicant Tracking Systems. In addition, functional documents do not parse information successfully.
DT: Accomplishments will demonstrate the candidate’s impact on company. Numbers give credibility to candidate. Accomplishments should be bulleted and listed in order of importance.
MR: Review job description of desired job. Tailor you resume to match the job. Your resume is your sales pitch.
DT: Can’t sell yourself for a job until you know the job description and company overview.

QUESTION: Number of resumes you need to apply for jobs.
ANSWER:
AM: Need only 1 resume with different versions. Your resume needs to be tailored to the open position.

QUESTION: How to handle employment gaps.
ANSWER:
DT: Share lack off work due to COVID. Indicate you were laid off. Add line to resume sharing what you have been doing since you have not worked. Volunteer your time and share details with hiring managers. Avoid focusing on negative. Give yourself time to breathe. Do those things you have been meaning to do.

QUESTION: Applicant tracking systems are awkward and plentiful.
ANSWER:
There are over 200 different applicant tracking systems. ATS reviews the resume for key words. DT: One of the best ways to get around ATS is to establish the desired skills for the job. Review your connections that work for the desire company. Use your connection as an entry to the company.
BC: Invest in yourself and career. Continue learning about you and your profession.

“The challenge in life, I have found, is to build a resume that doesn’t simply tell a story about what you want to be, but it’s a story about who you want to be.”-Oprah Winfrey

HIRING COMPANIES

MCKESSON
MARY MENARD, Human Resources Business Partner

Currently, McKesson is ranked 7th on the FORTUNE 500. McKesson is a global healthcare services and medical supply company dedicated to delivering better care. They support the entire healthcare system, including pharmacies, hospitals, health systems, biotech and life sciences companies, specialty care and oncology practices, physician offices, surgery centers, and long-term care and home health facilities. McKesson delivers pharmaceutical products, medical supplies and business services to each of these groups to create a world of better health. To learn more about the latest trends in healthcare, visit McKesson’s weekly blog, The Vitals: https://www.mckesson.com/blog.
During COVID employees are working from home. McKesson is one of Fortune’s most admired company and culture. Currently, there are several customer service positions available. Employees will find advancement and growth opportunities at McKesson. Please refer to McKesson’s career page for a listing of current openings.

UHAUL
NIJA PARKER, Corporate Partner

U-Haul was founded in 1945. U-Haul trucks and trailers can be rented anywhere in the US and Canada. 32,000 employees are nationwide. The company has the largest truck fleet in the world; 20,000 independent dealers and over 1,900 company-owned centers.
Benefits include medical, dental, vision and prescription. The company also emphasizes the health of its employees with its Healthier U program.
Current openings include positions in every field; contact center, customer service and sales; corporate, accounting and project planners; field, retail sales and customer service agents; and IT, software infrastructure software engineer. For additional details visit U-Haul.


WEALTH WAVE
JASON WISEMAN, Senior Marketing Manager

Wealth Wave presents alternatives for those who are not sure if they wish to return to a corporate employee role with a steady paycheck. Wealth Wave gives you an opportunity to exploit your own business or side gig. At the same time if you are hesitant about going all in towards being an entrepreneur, this organization is flexible enough so they can help you transition into something part time. Wealth Wave’s mission is to eliminate financial illiteracy to keep people from making easily avoidable financial mistakes.
And speaking of confidence, Wealth Wave is a big believer of building your self-development, so you’ll learn much about yourself along the way, including examining what you really want out of life. Sounds like a confidence booster that’s hard to beat – being able to build a business plan around what you really want.
Wealth Wave serves all families. As many of the top firms steer their associates away from serving low- and middle-income families to focus on helping the rich get richer, Wealth Wave sees vast opportunity. Wealth Wave has built their entire company around the chance to provide to every family the same type of financial education, tools, services, and personal care available to the rich. They serve young families, old families, average families, all families. That’s who they are.
More information here.

CLOSING

Jessica Pierce, Founder & CEO, Career Connectors, closed the meeting by thanking the day’s speakers & the volunteers. The next Career Connectors meeting will be a virtual event on
October 7, 2020 ; “Kickstart Your Job Search” presented by Kevin Dumcum. For additional information on this event & future events, please visit the Event Schedule.

4/29/2020 – Get a Job with Skills You Learned in Kindergarten

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Written by: Debbie Adkins

Keynote

Justin Jones

Our speaker, Justin Jones, has all of us looking at “Resumes and Interviews” in a different way. He takes our days in kindergarten and the things we did and puts them to work with our resumes and doing our interviews.

First you need to know “how you feel”. To feel positive, that you can do anything and that you just need to “hold on” will give you a good start. With this you will need to sell yourself through your resumes and interviews.

Remember the employer is “purchasing” a person for their job opening. They do this by taking the resumes they get and putting them through an “application tracking system.” If your resume gets selected in the ATS, you may get to interview with them.

Here is what you can do:
*Pull out a job description for the position you are interested in. Highlight the words that indicate the skills the company wants for this position.
*Take your resume and highlight the skill words that match the job description.
*If there are skills you have but your resume doesn’t show, ask yourself when/where have you demonstrated those skills. You may need to add some of your volunteer or hobby activity to your resume to show these skills.
*Correct or add words that are on the job description to your resume.
*Always use words that the job description has and that the “application tracking system” may use. It all should match.

The interview should be next. Oh yeah, your resume should include your skills, accomplishment (what, when, how), qualifications and a cover letter.
A cover letter is the first thing the employer will see. It should show how your skills would directly match what the company needs. It should not match your resume, but you should use some of the words from the job description.

Once your resume lands you the interview, it’s time to prepare for the interview. You should know and do the following:
*Know ahead of time what questions may be asked and your answers.
*The employer will base their questions on the job description and if you can make them a profit and solve their problems.
*To prepare for answering the interview questions, ask yourself: What do I want them to think, feel, know and do after they hear my answer?
*You will need to PRACTICE with yourself, a friend and set up a “mock interview” with a job coach.
*Go to the interview positive, happy and ready for anything.

In closing, take what you did in kindergarten and put it to use in your job search. You are worth it and don’t forget that! Justin closed by sharing his voice- you can enjoy it here:

HIRING COMPANIES

TTEC
Rob Briggs, Recruiter
TTEC helps bring technology and human connections together to deliver amazing customer experiences.
One of their values is “Do the right Thing”. They have locations in Tempe on Rio Salado and Central Phoenix near I-17 and Bell Road. There is TTEC Engage which is their main office and there is TTEC at Home which are employees that work from home.
They are hiring for Service and Sales positions: B2B Sales Reps, Digital Account Sales Reps, Online Marketing Sales Reps, Social Media Marketing Strategist, Inbound Sales Reps, Customer Service Reps- healthcare and Spanish bilingual, and Healthcare Insurance Agents.

U-Haul International
Jamie Zell Behymer, Senior Recruiter
U-Haul, headquartered in Phoenix, is hiring in all stores and at their corporate office. U-Haul started in 1945 and have approximately 32,000 employees. Benefits include Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Coverage, Weight Watchers program, HealthierU, and soon an on site gym!
U-Haul is hiring for Customer Service Reps, Sales, Retail Sales, General Managers and Reservation Agents.

RESOURCES

LPL Financial
Jian Boldi
Here are some tips for Career Transition:
*Understand your unemployment benefits.
*Do not forget to keep paying taxes.
*Job searching expenses like mileage, relocation, and more are tax deductable.
*Go back to school to advance your skills or learn something new.
*Become under employed by working odd jobs that have lower wages for awhile.
*Budget, Budget, Budget: make a spreadsheet and keep track of your spending.
*If you are 55 or older, you can take penalty free money from your IRA using (72t).
*As an alternative to COBRA, purchase your healthcare insurance with your IRA funds.
*Consider reversing a contribution made to your IRA.
*Ask for help from friends, family and anyone that you may run into during the day. Let people know you are looking for work.

If you have questions about any of these tips, Jian would be glad to help you with them.

What Employers Look For On A Resume: 12 Hiring Managers Share Their Tips

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There is a lot of information swirling around the internet about resume creation. But why not go straight to the source? After all, if anyone knows what makes an effective resume, it’s the people doing the hiring. In this article, 12 business leaders from varying industries share exactly what they look for in candidate resumes. 

So if you’ve ever wondered how to make your resume stand out, read below.

Make Your Resume Results-Driven

The first thing I look for on a resume is how well it’s creatively put together; the overall design. The way the resume is designed speaks largely for the type of person they are. The second thing I look for is how the bullet points are written under each job. If someone is vague or cliche, I rarely consider them. I’m a results-driven individual, I like to see passion, results, and leadership in the bullet points–don’t just tell me you influenced the company’s overall revenue. Tell me how you did it and what the metrics were. A candidate that can show me real results gets an interview every time.

Janelle Amos, Marketing Manager

Nail the Interview

I actually am not a fan of the resume. I will briefly look to make sure they at least have the basic competencies, but I find my candidates in the interview. Passion and curiosity are the two biggest traits I seek. I figure if they have those, any deficiencies (within reason) will be overcome. I would rather have someone that will spend a weekend YouTubing things to learn than someone that is complacent with three degrees.

Eric Rutin, Rutin Marketing

Show How You’ve Advanced Your Skills

Regardless of employer or position, I really look for what you’ve contributed and how you’ve advanced your skills. A great example of this would be our marketing coordinator. A recent grad who worked at FedEx managing event shipments, we hired him on to manage our trade show coordinator. On top of that, we knew that he had a passion for web development and design outside of his job. Seeing passions and applicable skills being developed on his own time, we knew he would be an amazing fit. 

Megan Chiamos, Cannabis ERP Software 

Keep It Accurate and Concise

Organization is essential to organizations. Make sure that everything presented on your resume is accurate and concise. Resumes must fit all on one page, one side. Too much information, sends a message of disorganization. Employers want their employees to represent the values of the company. We hire on energy and attitude more than experience and aptitude. One resume tip is to have business owners, that you trust, review your resume and provide constructive feedback. 

Dr. Levi Nelson DC, Scottsdale Chiropractor

Include Numbers and Timelines

Recruiters spend an average of 6 seconds looking at a resume, so you’ve got 6 seconds to impress. The worst thing you can do is load your resume with menial, vague accomplishments. Edit, edit, edit. Distill your resume down to one page that highlights specific, meaningful wins. Include numbers and timelines. Bonus points if you can make it look pretty. Once you feel like your resume is complete, flip it upside down and see if it looks readable. If you find that it’s still too blocky and dense, edit it again then pass it on to a few friends to edit as well. This is your moment to brag about yourself, just make sure it’s delivered in a palpable way.

Emily Bosak, SEO Marketing Company

Customize for Each Application

Have they customized their cover letter and resume for our company? We receive a lot of response to our career opportunities with candidates who are sending their resumes to as many companies as possible. Sometimes, you can even tell when a candidate resume comes in with a file name of, “JONATHAN-GENERAL-RESUME.” The resumes that stand out are ones that have been customized to our company (“JONATHAN-GENERATED-RESUME”). When candidates take the time to look at our company, we will take the time to evaluate their resume.

Jonathan Cohen, Industrial Recycling Services

Have a Good Elevator Pitch

Resumes can catch my attention if they can summarize their expertise in the first few sentences with a good elevator pitch. I look for people that make lateral moves, spent time in the military, and volunteer as indicators of the desire to be of service to their community. It is essential that people are dynamic and can demonstrate that they are open to learning.  Working for different companies can be an indicator of adaptability.

Erica Scott, Civilian Connections

Make Sure Your Resume Matches Basic Qualifications in the Job Description

There was a time when companies would look for transferable skills or someone who was “ready next”. To successfully make it past the initial computer “screen” it is important that your resume maps to all of the basic qualifications listed in the job description.  Hence, in this time of heavy competition, you want to first ensure that you meet the basic qualifications.  After that, list your achievements against your responsibilities and quantify them wherever possible.

Kelly Chapman, Kegelbell

Keep it Straightforward, Concise, and Thoughtful

When I look at a resume I look for brevity and I look for results. When a candidate takes the time to craft a resume that is straightforward, concise, and thoughtful — it shows! It shows they can speak to the most important aspects of their work and it shows they value the hiring manager’s time.  I also look for quantitative results. Show me your success in numbers or in major accomplishments. I want to know by what percent you increased blog traffic at your last job, or how much money you added to the pipeline, or how much you improved the open rate of your email campaigns. Make your resume one page and really pack it full of the successes your hiring manager likely wants to replicate. And of course, be honest.

Marisa Krystian, Content Marketing Manager

Include Clear Outcomes

You cannot argue with results. I look for clear outcomes over a vague indicator of participation. The single biggest tip I could give someone is to make it crystal clear that you not only have the skill set that a company is looking for but you know how to transfer that knowledge into real value to that organization. It is one thing to say that you “know JavaScript” it is another thing to say that you “increased performance by 32% using component driven architecture in a JavaScript application.”

Lukas Ruebbelke, BrieBug

Include a Relevant Cover Letter

When screening candidates, the first thing I look for is a cover letter that highlights their skills or accomplishments that relate to the role they are applying for. It shows that they took a few minutes to read the description and look at the company website. In the past we’ve even asked applicants to provide their favorite YouTube video to see if they read the whole job posting.

Michael Ashbaugh, Coplex

Tell a Helpful Story

Great resumes tell a helpful story showing me a candidate has solved the exact problems I need him or her to have solved in order to help me. This isn’t done with buzzwords, but with clarity on specific actions taken and (measured) results achieved. Job seekers should take the time to tell the hiring manager just the relevant story or stories to get a call back – or otherwise just don’t bother.

Yuri Kruman, HR, Talent & Systems

02/07/19 – Resume Mythbuster Panel

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Written by Gary Matsuda

Working on updating your resume? Here to help you distinguish fact from fiction are four resume experts who have a total combined experience of working with hundreds of hiring managers and recruiters!
Myth: Include all jobs to show experience.
Save space, employers don’t need to see everything – only what is important to the job they are trying to fill. Unfortunately, there is just too much for them to read. Specialization is everywhere, so your job search must niche down as much as possible to the specific job opening.
Lori Norris, Get Results Career Services, says the biggest resume mistake is a failure to focus. Three or four pages might be too much (unless you are upper level executive management). They don’t want to see everything, only what is important to them. If you try to appeal to everyone then you will reach no one. Have multiple versions ready that target and focus incorporate keywords from job descriptions.
It takes work to remove non-essential work experience, but a shorter, more focused document will improve scoring by an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and will be easier to read by us humans.
Brenda Cunningham, owner of Push Career Management, says to keep it to one page, but it depends on your experience. If you were in the same position for a long time it will look good if it was kept to one page. Most resumes for mid-career professional are 2 pages, but if the job application asks for one page – then you must follow directions!
Myth Busted!
Grain of truth: Show all your experience that relates directly to the job you are applying for.

Myth: Listing all duties and activity makes you look well rounded.
While you should include relevant accomplishments, your resume isn’t a list of ‘chores’. What employers want to know about your experience is did you perform well and will you be valuable to them.
Martha Rockwell, owner of A+ Resumes & Career Coaching says, not to fall back on merely describing activities but include results of your effort.
Donna Tucker, founding member of Resume Writers Council of Arizona: Don’t include your whole story but leave some details for the cover letter or interview. In your resume quickly tell what problem you solved and make it easy to read.
Brenda: Your resume should answer the ‘So what?’ question. Don’t just write that you ‘answered phones’, but say you ‘made 400 calls a day while documenting detailed notes’. Show what made your work special.
Martha: If you give too much information, they may not call for interview since they believe they have enough information from you. Hold back on some details but give enough to tempt them to ask for more. Highlight your value by showing quantifiable results, ‘sales increased’ or ‘reduced rework’. Describe how you made money for the company!
Donna: Including too much can also leave you open to assignments you don’t want and may indicate that you’re desperate or don’t know your strengths.
Brenda: Keep it relevant, don’t make the reader work to figure out what is important. Also, don’t be creative in describing your job title, call it what it is and use what they call it. Be clear on job titles for instance, there’s a difference between project manager and project coordinator. Show what you’ve done matches what the job requires.
Myth Busted!
Grain of truth: You may include your responsibilities but it’s more important to show the value you’ve provided to the business.

So how can your brilliance be captured on a shorter resume? Go deep, not wide. On to the next myth.

Myth: Don’t need cover letter (because ain’t nobody got time for that!)
A well written cover letter shows your personality, communication style and enhances your chance for an interview. After passing initial screening, resumes and cover letters will go to hiring managers but because they’re not going to interview 20 people for a job, they’ll read cover letters to make final selections.
This is the sales pitch that shows what you have to offer and why you are the best person for job. Include a call to action that specifies what happens next. For instance, ‘I will call you for possible of interview’. But if you include this, be sure to do it!
Martha: While the resume is an objective document, a cover letter is more subjective but still tailored to a specific job posting. Place the most important requirements near the beginning of cover letter to show clearly you can do the job.
Donna: If an ATS asks for a cover letter separately, then don’t attach to resume. Its content must be specific to the job. Don’t repeat information that is on resume.
Lori: If uploading to an ATS and there is no separate upload for a cover letter, you might be able to upload the resume first then followed by cover letter attached. Keep them separate if possible.
Myth Busted!

Myth: Fancy fonts help make a resume stand out
Getting past the ATS gatekeeper is difficult enough and fancy fonts can make it even harder for automated software to read your resume. Microsoft Word is best, while PDFs can be tricky for ATS to read. Leave the fancy resume for the interview.
Lori: The way it looks is not as important as content. You don’t need fancy if you’ve got great content.
Donna: To get your resume read more accurately by an ATS use san serif fonts ‘no feet’ such as Calibri or Arial.
Also avoid text boxes, tables, no images, don’t even include your photo!
Myth Busted!
Grain of truth: Print an alternate ‘fancier’ resume to present at interview.

Myth: I can create a resume on my own without help
Not so much anymore. Applicant Tracking Systems have gotten much better at scoring, approving and rejecting applicants depending on how well content matches a job posting. With hundreds of different ATS software screening your applications, you’ll want as much feedback as possible from professional resume writers. The best resume coaches go through professional training, evaluations, certifications and keep up with hiring trends at local and national Human Resource conferences. Based on their relationships with recruiters and hiring managers who are currently trying to fill positions, they keep current on the resume screening process and the foundations of a good resume.
Brenda: We all have different opinions however, if you get advice from too many voices, it may be hard to know who to listen to. It can be counterproductive to apply what every resume writing coach suggests so our advice would be to pick one professional’s help and go with that.
Donna: Time is money and a resume is a tool that gets an interview. It costs a few dollars but gets you started quickly.
Lori: There’s no one right way. There are many format variations, however whatever style it is, it must get you interviews.
Myth Busted!
Grain of truth: You can create your own resume but get professional help, it is worth every dollar.

You Against the ATS Machine
Identify keywords used in the job posting and verify the hard and soft skills required. Good resources to research what keywords are used generally by industry are:
• Onetonline.org
• Jobscan.co
• Occupational Outlook Handbook
Lori: It’s probably best to have multiple versions of your resume. Target and focus by using keywords found on the job description and place them higher on your documents. Show how your results were measured and how you made impact. Remember it’s not about you – it’s about how you will add value to a potential employer.
Donna: ATS vary in sophistication but they generally scan for keywords, parse and score documents for the hiring managers. No one has time to go through all the resumes. They are also stored so they might still review them for another opening. Be careful with formatting, using fancy fonts, headers, that can cause rejection. Keep it simple!
Chronological is most widely accepted format. Functional resumes may sometimes throw off the ATS if it is looking for sequence. It may be flagged as something missing and can appear as if you are trying to hide something.
ATS tracks everything you do, even the number of times you’ve applied to each job, so apply only to relevant positions!

Mature workforce tips:
How far back should you go? What about jobs held back in 1998?
Go back no more than 15 years, but you can use a section at the bottom of your resume to add other career highlights and measurable accomplishments. You may just note that you have 7+ years’ experience without dates.
Brenda: Don’t give hints that may tip them off about your age. Don’t give them reason to think you are expensive or have outdated skills. Age discrimination is real so don’t give them clues that you are older.
Lori: Imagine what a 24 year old hiring manager might be thinking: you could show them up, be after his job or be judgmental. Realize that they may feel intimidated by your experience. Veterans – don’t say you are retired (and reveal you are getting pension). Unconsciously they may think you could just coast through the job and really don’t need the work. Instead, say that you enjoyed a successful career in the military.
Other tips:
• Your email address may give you away. AOL can look outdated, but Gmail is better. Don’t use year of birth in your email address, it can be obvious if a number in your email address looks like a birth year!
• Remove date of college graduation.
• While it may help you feel good to list work done 20 years ago, keep the reader in mind and see if your experience appears relevant.

Employment gaps on resume?
Too long of a break in your career may give the impression your experience and skills might not be current. If you can, show you were productive and learning, where you have been getting an education or trying a new profession. Get guidance at Career Connectors, go to specific industry organizations, take classes, volunteer, be intentional on building your skills so you increase your qualifications. If you took time off to care for family, then just say so.

As one of Career Connectors more well attended events, it’s apparent that in this booming job market while you may be:
• Already working but looking for something better
• Looking for your first job out of the military
• Getting prepared for the next layoff
Resumes that follow expert guidelines will make it easy for employers to know who you are and what you can do for them while getting a job that is the best fit for you.

HIRING COMPANIES

Wells Fargo
Elaine Favasole
Comfortable with your money? Many people aren’t and Wells Fargo needs you to help make their customers feel financially confident. Elaine Favasole.
Some of Wells Fargo’s current openings: Account Resolution Specialist, Administrative Assistant, Lead Teller, Process Developer, Systems Support Analyst, Financial Crimes Spec, Info Security Engineer.

Arizona DES (Department of Economic Security)

Nancy Stanford
If you have a heart to help those in need and care about people, this a great place to land. This is the Human Services arm for the State of Arizona. They’re known for great benefits and they’re hiring veterans!

No ATS used here! But when you apply, please make it easy to read your resume because we have real people reading them!
DES current openings: Customer Service Representative, Payroll Services, Computer Technician, HR Project Manager, Senior Clinical Strategist, Senior Application Manager, Medical Assistant, Office Manager

US Census Bureau

Government shutdown or not, we’re still funded! Bill Pond of the Census Bureau says there is a great need of help to get an accurate count of who lives here in Arizona. Arizona is one of the faster growing states and an accurate count of our population will get more representation at the federal level which could mean more money for Arizona!
Current openings: Field Survey Technician, Field Representative, Supv. Partnership Specialist

RESOURCES

Grand Canyon University

Steven Long
There are 10,000 jobs at GCU so there could be something for you! Although this is the largest Christian accredited university there is high emphasis put on individual relationships.

While we value experience over degrees, certifications and education can get the ATS to score you over the 90% mark. Be a lifelong learner and apply for an MBA!