More Than A Few Words About Resumes……

Some things don’t change.  The backbone of all recruiting decisions is still the resume (or CV).  A good resume must list the obvious as well as briefly explain the obscure.  A candidate’s experience and skill set must be described in a way that the reader will immediately have a clear understanding of the person’s qualifications.  The best approach is to anticipate what a hiring manager would look for, or perceive, from reading the resume.  And take a second look at what may be missing.  It is our experience that hiring managers are particularly astute at zeroing in on what’s missing.  Spare yourself potential embarrassment.  Explain any gaps/omissions to us at the outset so that we can be upfront with the employer and present you in the most favorable light.

We’ve put together a few “Do’s” for resume construction.  While we realize that most of you are experienced in this, please take a few moments to look these over.  You might be surprised by pieces of this information – and hopefully it will spark you to make the revisions you’ve been dreading.

Do’s:

• Do put your contact information at the top:  name, address, phone, fax, and email.  I know this sounds too basic, but more than a few people have left off significant parts of this critical information – particularly email address.   
• Do list jobs in chronological order (present job first), with dates of employment (mm/yy), name of company, brief explanation of company (ex. $15 billion international packaging manufacturer).  Then your position/title, followed by the job description with accomplishments as well as responsibilities.  This list of accomplishments is particularly important for positions in recent 1-2 year history.  Reality check:  It’s what you’ve done on your current job, not what you did 5 years ago, that gets you this new position.  Content should be precise, readable, and clear.  Try to stay within a 1-page format. Generally the most experienced professionals write the shortest, clearest resumes because they’re accustomed to getting to the bottom line.
• Do start with experience and end with education unless you got out of school in 1 year or less and do not have much relevant work experience.  

Do include industry-specific “buzz” words that will help flag your qualifications to both the recruiter and the hiring manager.  We’ve included some lists of examples from past searches that may jog your memory and help you decide what to put into your resume:

These are just a few examples of the specific experience/qualifications that pop out at the person reviewing a resume for a finance position. This is the content that the recruiter and the hiring manager use to base the decision on whether or not to pursue a candidate. Doing a good job composing the content of your resume is what can take you from being an applicant to being a candidate.

First, a few Don’t’s…

• Don’t count on a cover letter to make up for what should be in your resume.  Not everyone reads them.  Most electronic systems disregard them at best and ban them at worst.
• Don’t state an “Objective” on your resume.  It wastes space and is too broad to be relevant.
• Don’t put references on your resume, but do have them ready when needed later on.
• Don’t try to be too creative with how your resume appears visually – remember it’s the content, not the graphics that will impress.
• Don’t email us or anyone else from your present place of work without realizing the potential for some unpleasant situations.  If you don’t have a private/home email address, this is the time to look at getting one.

Interviewing…Be a Prepared Candidate!

Research, research, research!  Look up the company, including the division/subsidiary and department if you can, in their corporate web site, Hoover’s, and other sites so you’ll be prepared with questions, as well as knowledge, when you walk in the door.  It becomes very obvious very quickly who hasn’t done their “homework”.  Potential employers get back to us soon after an interview session and are quick to let us know about the candidate with no questions, the candidate with no “energy” or enthusiasm for the position, or the candidate who arrived inappropriately dressed for that particular company’s culture.  If relocation is involved, look up city and regional information as well.  Take a look at the sites we have listed on our Related Links page.

Please keep in mind that you are in a sales situation – more so for the applicant than for the employer.  You would not have made it to the interview stage if you were not qualified.  Now the criteria for selection begin to rest on the right “fit” or “match”.  This is where the more personal aspects of who you are add substance to your qualifications.

M. Campbell Associates, Inc.