Global Hiring Survey | Robin's Resumes (r)

Executive Resumes: Take the Time to Tell the Story

Sep 29 2012

According to the 2012 Global Hiring Survey from the global professional association, Career Directors International (CDI), the practice of adding success stories as a separate addendum to executive summaries may pay off in more interviews.

CDI surveyed experienced professionals who “review resumes as part of their sourcing, hiring, and recruiting processes” in several countries and who deal mostly (46%) with executive and management level candidates.

According to the CDI Global Hiring Survey, “59% responded they were likely to read success stories, while 26.1% of respondents indicated they were unlikely to read additional material. Evidence suggests that to capitalize on the intentions of 59% of hiring authorities, executive job seekers should consider including additional examples of their skills and experience.”

As a professional writer of federal resumes, where success stories are imperative, I write the stories that grab the attention of hiring managers. Contact me today.

Social Media and Your Resume

Aug 25 2012

Job seekers have long asked themselves: Does it really help my job hunt to join LinkedIn, create a personal website or set up a blog?

First, you might want to search for your own name on the internet. You may be surprised at the amount of information already available about you.

In reality, your internet activity is already part of your job hunt. You don’t have a choice. According to the 2012 Global Hiring Survey from the global professional association, Career Directors International (CDI), when reviewing a candidate, 58% of hiring authorities search the internet for information at least sometimes; only 14% never check it.

Moreover, the CDI survey found that 62% of hiring authorities would click on an external link if you provided one on your resume. That is, they would click through to your blog or LinkedIn account, for example, if your resume provided a link. Only 17% would ignore the link.

When you engage in social media, it is vitally important that the information you provide—whether on a personal blog or a LinkedIn account—supports your image as a quality candidate and reinforces the information in your resume. Let a professional writer help. Email Robin’s Resumes® today.

Executive Resume Myths: Busted

Aug 12 2012

For the 2012 Global Hiring Survey from the global professional association, Career Directors International (CDI) surveyed hiring managers, Human Resource professionals, recruiters and executives to find out what they really look for in executive resumes. Among the respondents, 46% typically dealt with executive and managerial clients.

The CDI survey officially busted the following myths about executive resumes:

Myth 1. Summary descriptions on executive resumes should be short, not detailed. Nearly half of the respondents preferred a “longer, more comprehensive summary” with only 18% opting for a shorter summary. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of writing a summary that is specific for the position, industry and applicant. In any resume, but particularly executive resumes, content is more important than any arbitrary length.

Myth 2. You should add charts and graphs to your executive resume. Just under 20% of respondents found charts and graphs helpful; about the same amount found them distracting. Moreover, as one respondent pointed out, charts and graphs may not scan into a company’s Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Therefore, Career Directors International recommends making sure that the information in the chart and graph is also part of the text of the resume—which means you are taking up valuable resume space to give the same information twice. My take? Think twice about placing a graph or chart in your executive resume, especially if it duplicates information already in the text or is so small that it is practically unreadable.

If you want to make sure that your executive resume works in the real—not the mythical—world, email Robin’s Resumes® today.

Resume Myths: Busted!

Aug 05 2012

What do business owners, Human Resource professionals, hiring managers and recruiters really look for and want in a resume? This year, Career Directors International decided to find out by surveying the people who “review resumes as part of their sourcing, hiring and recruiting processes.” Among those who replied, 70% had more than 5 years of experience reviewing resumes and selecting candidates and they looked at resumes for workers, managers and executives at every level and throughout the U.S.

According to the 2012 Global Hiring Survey from the global professional association, Career Directors International, the following myths about resumes are now officially busted:

Myth 1. One page is enough for any resume. More than a third of respondents stressed that length was not an issue so long as the information was relevant; another third felt that two pages was the optimum length. The important point, and one I have stressed over and over again, is that content trumps length. Your content must be strong on accomplishments and targeted to the job. It must prove your value as an employee.

Myth 2. Your resume has to make use of the newest technology—including smart phones and QR codes. Actually, only 6% of the respondents review resumes on their smart phones every day. Tolerance for QR codes is even lower: a whopping 21.5% of respondents would refuse to use the QR code if it appeared on the resume and most respondents considered it a fad. While trends may change, right now smart phones and QR codes aren’t primary tools for recruiters.

Next week’s blog busts some executive resume myths.

If you want to make sure that your resume works in the real—not the mythical—world, email Robin’s Resumes® today.