Robin's Resumes (r)

Adding value to your Career Documentation | Career Coaching

Is it Okay to Use Acronyms in a Resume?

By Leave a Comment

Acronyms serve many good purposes in a resume. The best way to use acronyms is to spell them out the first time you use them:  “Led the Global Commodities Group (GCG).”  However, some acronyms are so well know (such as CEO for Chief Executive Officer) that you can skip the spelled-out version: “Worked directly with CEO on mergers and acquisitions (M&A).”

Here are the best reasons for using acronyms in your resume:

  • Use an acronym to prepare for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that may be set up to look for either acronyms or the spelled out version. For example, an ATS may search for IoT and/or Internet of Things. By defining the acronym, you are ready for both cases.
  • Use an acronym in case a recruiter searches on the acronym only, not the spelled out version. This is most likely for acronyms like P&L (for profit and loss).
  • Use an acronym when it saves space in a resume. For example, if you already have mentioned in the resume that you work in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), you may use the acronym EMEA in future references to that area.
  • Use an acronym that appears in a job announcement—such as SaaS or MBA.
  • Use an acronym if it is very well-known in your field or more commonly used than the actual words –for example, IT for information technology.

Whenever you use an acronym, make sure that you:

  • Are consistent: if the acronym for the Strategic Investment Team is SIT, do not switch to SI team.
  • Are clear about what the acronym stands for: FDA is most likely the Food and Drug Administration but it also has a lot of other definitions, including the Florida Dental Association.
  • Control the number of acronyms: the more acronyms, the harder your resume will be to read.
  • Are using the correct acronym: especially with associations and companies, make doubly sure you have abbreviated the name correctly.

Whenever you are in doubt about an acronym, spell it out. For guidance in creating a readable resume, please contact Robin’s Resumes® today.

What Every Mother Knows Best about Resumes

By Leave a Comment

On this Mother’s Day, we honor our mothers for many reasons, but being able to write a great resume is usually not at the top of the list. Even though resumes and job searches have changed greatly in a single generation, there are some lessons from our mothers that are always valid.

  • Mothers want you to be continually learning and trying new things. Today’s hiring managers and recruiters want to see that you have kept your skills current skills and have the ability to adapt to change. They are interested in language skills, volunteer work, and awards.
  • Mothers want you to get off the computer and be social. In person networking is vital to a job hunt. Of course, online research into companies is also important; and you must make sure your LinkedIn, online portfolio, or other computer accounts are running, professional, and consistent with your resume. But take the time to attend networking and professional events and talk to real people.
  • Mothers want the world to know how wonderful you are. Recruiters and hiring managers want to know what you have accomplished and what skills, education, and talents you would bring to their organization. Give yourself full credit for all you have achieved. If that feels uncomfortable (mothers also tell us not to brag about ourselves), reach out to a professional resume writer.
  • Mothers want you take care of yourself. A job search can get you down. Writing a resume can tax your ability to accurately describe what you do and how you do it so that hiring managers and recruiters will consider you for a position. If you need help, get help. A professional career coach can make all the difference.
  • Mothers want you to be neat and presentable. That is true for both your interview and your resume. Check your resume carefully for typos, misspellings, inconsistencies, formatting errors, and grammatical mistakes.

Mothers truly do know best!

Would you benefit from the help of a professional resume writer and coach? Please contact Robin’s Resumes® today.

Q&A: Guidelines for College Graduates

By Leave a Comment

Q. I am graduating from college and very nervous about the whole process of finding a job. I am an organized person but I know that there are pitfalls and opportunities out there that I might overlook simply because I am so new at this. Do you have any recommendations?

A. Congratulations on graduating and on reaching out for information and guidance. You will find plenty of advice about resumes, interviews, and job searches on my website at Robin’s Resumes®, but here are my top 10 suggestions for recent graduates:

  1. Be careful about the resume recommendations of your career services organization. The resumes they promote are excellent for on-campus career fairs but are less suitable for job hunting in the wide world.
  2. Before you send out your resume, know what type of position you are looking for and research the companies you are applying to. Companies are not in the business of figuring out where you fit into their structure; you have to tell them.
  3. Think in terms of context-challenge-action-result when writing your resume and preparing for interviews. That framework will help you see your accomplishments and communicate why they are important.
  4. Keep a detailed record of your search, including the names and addresses of companies you sent resumes to, the job title and position, and when you sent out your resume. That way, when someone calls, you can immediately refresh your memory about the opportunity.
  5. Consider nonprofit as well as for-profit organizations. Nonprofits also pay salaries.
  6. Practice interviewing. Everyone gets nervous at interviews and you may never have been in an interview situation before. Your resume’s primary goal is to get you to the interview—so be prepared when your resume works.
  7. Be hesitant to give away your work. Have a portfolio on line if that is customary in your field (for example, fashion design or writing) but be leery of any company that wants you to work for free for hours before they decide to hire you.
  8. Ask questions, especially about the job hours and expectations. You do not want to assume you are on the day shift or that the job starts at 9 a.m. or that you will report to the person who is interviewing you.
  9. If you are having trouble finding a job, get a certification, take an internship, or volunteer at a nonprofit. You should keep your skills sharp and open your network to a wider group of people. Take a position outside your field if necessary. Then continue your job search while you work.
  10. Never take a rejection personally. Companies may reject candidates because the job parameters have changed, they can no longer afford a new hire, they found someone in house—the reasons are legion.

My final piece of advice is to sign with a professional resume writer and coach if you have the time. You will never regret it!

Help! I Have No Accomplishments To Write About!

By Leave a Comment

Q. I know you say accomplishments are important in resumes but what if I do not have any? I go to work every day (I am a secretary) to answer phones, type reports, do research, organize files, answer questions for employees, talk to vendors and customers, and make travel arrangements. Every secretary in the world does that. I like my job and would not be looking for a new one except that my boss, the company owner, is retiring and the company is closing. But it is just a job. What do accomplishments have to do with it?

A. Let’s look first at your list of what you do. Despite your certainty, not every secretary handles the range of activities you do; many bosses would not expect or want their secretaries to communicate with vendors and customers, for example. Research is another task that requires skills some secretaries simply do not have or are not interested in acquiring. So right there you have a few accomplishments that stand out and should find a place in your resume.

Now we can delve deeper. What types of software do you use on a daily basis and how proficient are you with each? Expertise with Excel, Acrobat, PowerPoint, and Publisher is always in demand, especially if you know more than the basics (for example, how to create macros). If you know additional software, you should also list that in your resume.

You work for the owner of the company—that is also an accomplishment, especially given the level of trust he has demonstrated in your abilities. And what type of company is it? Is it large or small, domestic or global; what industry is it in; how many employees does it have? How many employees, vendors, and customers do you interact with? The answers to those questions speak to the scale of your accomplishments and set you apart from other job applicants.

You mention answering questions for employees, as well as talking to vendors and customers. Clearly, you are a reliable source of information. What types of information do they want? How often are you called upon to share your knowledge? The fact that these people all look to you for answers is a very important accomplishment.

How do your skills and knowledge benefit the company in terms of efficiency, productivity, cost savings, or improved communications? If you were suddenly to disappear from the company, what would they need to do to replace you—and why would they need to replace you? That need your company has for your (or any employee’s) presence is an accomplishment.

If you have trouble writing a resume that shows you to be an accomplished and valuable employee, please contact Robin’s Resumes®.

Resumes for Engineers

By Leave a Comment

My degree is from MIT, I worked for many years as a software and systems engineer, and I have been writing resumes for engineers since the very beginning of my career. So this blog post aims directly at the resume information that engineers need most.

  • Hiring managers and recruiters may not understand what you do in the depth that you understand it. Instead of filling your engineering resume with long streams of acronyms, program names, and highly technical terms, focus on what you accomplished with your knowledge and skills. You increased productivity, reduced costs, fixed critical components, or met a compromised schedule by applying certain technologies and engineering processes. At the end of your resume, you can list all your technical know-how; but first, focus on results.
  • Make sure you include soft skills such as teamwork, leadership, talent development, mentoring, and working across geographies and business units. Many engineers have an undeserved reputation for difficulty in communicating. Make it clear that you have communication skills. If you are interested in transitioning to management, highlight your leadership experience.
  • Read job descriptions closely—and with a grain of salt. The job description will tell you what technical and nontechnical skills, experience, and education are most important to a company. Unfortunately, some companies ask for impossible combinations of skills and talents in their job postings and advertisements; they search for a super-engineer who does not exist and never has. Your engineering resume should show them that you are capable of quickly learning and applying new technical skills.
  • Be conservative when formatting your resume. You may know how to embed elaborate graphs and images and link your resume to multiple online sites and videos, but your engineering resume will probably have to pass through an applicant tracking system (ATS). Those systems are notorious for choking on high-tech formatting. Instead, concentrate on making your resume content clear, concise, and powerful.

Engineers in every field from mining to aerospace, from basic software to the internet of things, whether domestic or global, turn to Robin’s Resumes® when they want to impress hiring managers and recruiters. I look forward to hearing from you. Contact Robin’s Resumes® today.

© 2006-2017 ROBINS RESUMES

© 2006 - 2018 Robin's Resumes®
Visit Us On TwitterVisit Us On FacebookVisit Us On LinkedinVisit Us On Google PlusCheck Our FeedVisit Us On PinterestVisit Us On Youtube
This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site you consent to our Privacy Policy and are not in the European Union. Read our Privacy Policy on Our Process and Policies.