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9/9/21 -Resume Mythbusters: Certified Resume Writer Panel

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Panel of Experts:
Donna Tucker, Brenda Cunningham,
Jeri Hird Dutcher & Lucie Yeomans

Resume Panel

Written by Sheri Kerr

The Résumé mistakes:

  • Typing or adding your contact information in the header of the résumé. Instead applicants must put contact information in the body of the résumé. This way the applicant tracking system will be able to identify the job seekers’ contact information.
  • Creating your résumé with the task or position responsibilities instead of contributions and accomplishments.
  • Seeking people with no skills to help you develop your resume.
  • Using PDF documents to submit a résumé to ATS (applicant tracking system).

What TO DO:

  • Explain to the recruiter how you did a certain task by providing metrics.
  • Answer the question, “What can you do for me?” Adding your value.
  • Measure results – help the reader understand what you can do for them – Again SHOW YOUR VALUE.
  • Look at the job description – use keywords from it on your resume.
  • List measurable accomplishments.
  • Format the résumé using MS Word and submit using Word. ATS (applicant tracking systems) can read MS Word and not PDF.

GAPS IN A RESUME – How does a person address this on a resume?

Must address gaps of 6 months or more.
Take a class or volunteer during gap times to add this experience to the résumé and explain what you have done during the gap time.

Hiring Companies

Concentrix

Eboni Weekes, Associate Director, Talent Acquisition

Concentrix collaborates with the world’s biggest brands to create a smooth customer transaction. Concentrix has 225,000 employees, in 40 countries, 6 continents, 70+ languages, Fortune 500 clients, 50 disruptors and unicore clients, and 12 years average client tenure. The company has multiple positions open! Learn more about the amazing opportunities at Tempe, Arizona using the link: careers.concentrix.com/united-states.

Pearl Interactive Network

Sherica Rhymes, Talent Acquisition Consultant

Pearl Interactive Network is a certified woman-owned small business. Founded in 2004, Pearl Interactive Network has quickly become a respected federal subcontractor for program management and contact center staffing. They give priority to skilled and talented people who comprise a niche workforce. Pearl is hiring Virtual Customer Service Representatives. All the positions are work from home (wfh) and require quite confidential space to accept service calls. High speed internet is required and the ability to hard wire into a desktop or laptop computer. Candidates can check out the open positions at Pearl’s website: www.pinsourcing.com.

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.

1/8/2020 – Resume Mythbusters: Certified Resume Writer Panel

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Written by Julia Churan

Resume Mythbusters Panel

Your resume is the first step in your journey to an interview. You need to be able to pass through the applicant tracking system (ATS) in order to have a live person even know that you applied for a role in most companies today. That piece of paper or electronic profile is often the first impression a recruiter or hiring manager will have of you. Is your resume representing you in the best possible way and landing you the interview?

In today’s competitive job market, a professionally prepared resume may be the one thing that makes you stand out from the hundreds of strong candidates applying for the same position.

Panel

The Resume Writers Council of Arizona (RWCA) has been a long-time partner of Career Connectors. Members provide resume expertise to job seekers at all Career Connectors regular events. The members of this group are career-services professionals with special expertise and accreditation in resume writing. Three members took the spotlight on today’s panel to help break down the myths of the resume format, content, and function.

Resume Panel
  • Brenda Cunningham (BC), owner of Push Career Management, author, and current president of RWCA
  • Lori Norris (LN), founder of Get Results Career Services and military resume specialist
  • Waleed Alani (WA), career management counselor, coach and Global Career Development Facilitator

The panel was led by Career Connectors’ Founder and CEO, Jessica Pierce with questions submitted by seekers prior to the event.

Q: Share the biggest mistakes you see on resumes today.
LN: Seekers try to cover too much information on one resume. Have multiple resumes for multiple roles.
BC: Seekers use too many adjectives. Example: “high-qualified, multi-faceted, detail-oriented marketing professional.” This isn’t giving actual results from your experience. You are taking up a lot of valuable space telling the hiring manager nothing about how you will perform in this role or for their company.
WA: The biggest mistake many resumes make is not being clear why you should be considered for the role. Connect the dots for the hiring company. Make it clear how your background and experience support the role you are applying for.

Q: Why should seekers listen to professional resume writers?
LN: You shouldn’t listen to a specific professional; listen to the results. Resumes are subjective and no two writers will deliver the same outcome. Pick an expert that you connect with and one that understands your background. If you aren’t getting interviews, you need to rethink what you are sending out no matter how great you think that resume might be.
BC: RWCA members study the current hiring trends, they speak to HR professionals, and they research trends in applicant tracking systems. Certified writers understand what it takes to get in front of recruiters today.
WA: The technology of getting hired is changing as the world is changing. Look at books on job seeking from 5 to 10 years ago. The styles and preferences of resumes were different. The process and systems to support hiring were different from 10 years ago. Professionals will help you stay current with the trends of today and the future.

Q: What are some of the most important things to include on your resume?
LN: Benefits and value statements. Tell the reader how you are going to help the company. The resume isn’t about you; it is how your experience will benefit them.
BC: Don’t be vague by statements like “answered phones.” Demonstrate how you performed and the conditions and measurements of that skill. Explain how you know you did a good job.
WA: Accomplishments must be quantified. Reflect it in the terms of standards or values to the hiring organization.

Q: What are the recommended mechanics of the resume?
Number of pages: 1 or 2 pages as long as your experience and background merit the words. Cut the fluff and focus the content. Avoid “orphan pages” – have 2 full pages or 1 full page. Adjust margins and font size to fill up 2 pages or reduce to 1.
Font Style: Cambria or Calibri – Avoid Times New Roman!
Font Size: 10 – 12 pt
Margins: 1/2″ to 1″

Let the eye decide. Don’t overwhelm the reader.

The book Scarcity: The New Science of Having Less and How It Defines Our Lives helps you be focused, creative and to prioritize. These skills will allow you to manage the resume length.

Waleed Alani

Q: What type of resume should we be focused on?
LN: There are three basic types:
1. Chronological resumes – This style is unanimously recommended by the panel. It is the type you MUST use for ATS systems and should be your primary or only focus. Include not more than 10 years of work history unless you have the specific experience for the role you are applying to.
2. Functional resumes – This type highlights your skills but will not work with an ATS and often raises questions with the reader. These have no dates and raise huge red flags for employers. If you have gaps in your resume, there are ways to work around them. A resume professional can help fill those gaps.
3. Combination resume – This is a hybrid of Chronological and Functional. It may be used for a job fair or networking event but will not pass through automated systems.

Q: How do you avoid age discrimination on your resume?
BC: Age discrimination is real, so don’t give the reader an idea of your age from reading your resume – young or old. Age concerns can be overcome in an interview but you have to get there. Show you are current by taking classes or listing current technology and concept expertise.

Never use “retire” or “25 or 30 years of experience”. Use 10+ or 15+ years. Don’t use antiquated email domains like “AOL.com” or other ’80s domains.
Don’t use dates or years in your email address like JDoe1960@gmail.com.
Don’t put dates on your education, just note the Degree.
Don’t include High School information.

Reverse discrimination is also an issue. If you just graduated, this is the only time that you should use your college graduation dates. It will explain your lack of experience.

Q: Customizing resumes for specific jobs?
BC: Don’t be lazy! Never shoot the one resume out to all job applications. Spend 1-2 hours per application to customize it for the specific company and role. Use keywords from the job posting in your resume. When a specific skill is required, spell out what the skill is and how you have used it.

Don’t just rely on a great resume. Use your network to get referrals into the company.

Brenda Cunningham

Q: What is the best way to get past the ATS systems?
LN: AVOID templates! Templates in MS Word may be pretty, but they are full of formatting that an ATS may not read. Use borders and background shading if you want, never have important information in the header/footer. Never use text boxes or tables in your resume because older systems will not read the information within them.
BC: Save and upload files in MS Word format rather than a PDF or any graphic format. Some older systems won’t read PDF files. Also remember, smaller companies and government agencies may not have an ATS so a human is manually scanning them.
WA: Don’t let the ATS scare you. Keep the format simple using text and tabs. Beware of bullets. Make things stand out with font size and bolding rather that fancy document format. Waleed will post more tips on his Linked In profile for resume formatting.

Remember, the resume content should be the focus and represent you to the employer!

Hiring Companies

All About People, Karen McEnroe, Vice President
They are a professional hiring organization with services to small and large organizations in contract, direct hire, and executive search in several industries, including Accounting/Finance, Supply Chain, HR, and Medical.

Current open positions include:

  • Bilingual Call Center Representatives
  • RN’s, LPN’s and Behavioral Health Technicians
  • Litigation Attorney
  • Enrollment Representatives
  • SVP of Sales

U.S. Census, Cynthia Duncan, Recruiter
The U.S. Census Bureau is the Federal Government’s largest statistical agency in the U.S. Phoenix is one of two national processing centers dedicated to the 2020 Census.

Processing includes receiving and preparing decennial forms, imaging, keying, QA and forms disposal. Positions range from entry-level to supervisory, IT, HR, Health & Safety. Nearly 1000 full- and part-time federal employees will be hired for these temporary roles with excellent benefits. The processing roles will be at the I-10, I-17 and new Loop 202.

Apply at www.USAJobs.gov
Search Keyword: NPC
Location: Phoenix
Create a profile and apply directly to each job of interest.

Resources

Career Connectors Academy, Landi Carfi, VP of Corporate Training
This exciting program is brought to job seekers through a joint partnership with Brighton College. There are a number of short-term IT, Allied Health and other certification programs available at a discounted price for Career Connectors clients. No interest payment plans are also available as well as grants through WIOA and SWFI.

Closing

Jessica took the stage to thank all the attendees, partners and services for attending. She also encouraged attendees to take advantage of the free services for resume and LinkedIn assistance, professional portraits, DISC assessments and coaching that are provided at each event. She also had special gratitude to Grand Canyon University for hosting today’s event and the many staff members and volunteers who make these events happen.

08/23/18 – 2nd Annual Résumé Mythbuster Panel

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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.