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Questions to Ask Your Resume Writer

Before you sign up with any resume writing firm, you should ask these five essential questions:

  1. Can I see examples of your work? Chances are, if you do not like what you see in the past examples, you will not like the resume they prepare for you.
  2. How long have you been writing resumes? While length of time as a resume writer is no guarantee of quality, you do not want to trust your resume to someone who is completely new to the resume writing field.
  3. Will you be writing the resume yourself? Many resume companies present a professional front but then hand your resume off to a writer you have never spoken to. At the best, that writer is ignorant of your needs; at worst, the writer is a struggling newbie. At Robin’s Resumes® I write all resumes myself, which the best way I know of ensuring quality.
  4. Have you written resumes for people in my field and at my level before? If a resume writer is unfamiliar with your field—at least, the broad industry—then he or she cannot possibly know what questions to ask you and what recruiters and hiring managers are looking for. The same goes for resumes at your career stage and level, whether you are a recent graduate or C-level executive.
  5. What are your credentials? Having founded Robin’s Resumes® after a career in engineering, I am a member of the top four professional organizations for resume writing and career marketing, plus I have additional credentials as a subject matter expert and speaker on resume writing.

In general, you should feel that the resume writer you choose is a professional who understands the employment marketplace and technology, is genuinely interested in you and is able to understand your career goals. In the pressure of a job search, you may overlook or downplay information that could greatly strengthen your resume, and the writer should know what information to look for and how to draw it from you.

After all, your resume is a marketing document that markets you. A resume writer has to communicate with you directly and clearly in order to write a document that truly shows off your strengths and value.

For over 20 years, Robin’s Resumes® has been helping job seekers at every level to find that perfect job. Contact us today.

Answers to Your Resume Questions

Question: “I’ll be graduating college in January. If I use a professional resume writer, I’m afraid I’ll look self-important and as if I’m exaggerating my skills. Would I be better off writing my own resume?”

Answer: As a professional resume writer, I have helped many recent graduates create winning resumes. Many college graduates fluctuate between being over-confident and under-confident in their skills. I can help you find that perfect balance and make sure that you do not overlook the value of experience gathered through internships, practicums, part-time work experience, and volunteer positions.

Question: “I’ve worked in several companies that no longer exist and no one is around to offer a reference. Most of them went out of business but a few merged with other companies. How can I present them in a resume without sounding like the moving finger of corporate death?”

Answer: Today’s resumes require only the name of the company, the city and state where it existed, and the dates you worked there. You don’t need to go into details of why they failed or provide references on the resume. If the company was taken over in a merger and acquisition, you can list it as “Company ABC (now a division of Company DEF).” If you were kept on after the merger, you have a big plus for your resume: you were considered too valuable to be let go immediately.

Question: “I have strong geographic and salary requirements. Should I mention them in my resume or cover letter?”

Answer: It may be wise to address geographic requirements up front, either in the resume or the cover letter. Robin’s Resumes® can help you with this decision.

Salary requirements are another issue. Presumably you know the salary range for people with your experience, education, accomplishments, and background; so do the people who will want to hire you. I recommend saving any salary discussion for when you are closer to getting the job. You don’t want to cut off a good prospect before you have a chance to hear what the position is about and what the company might offer as alternative compensation. It is better to negotiate your salary after you have a job offer, not before. Robin’s Resumes® offers interview and salary negotiation coaching.

More Mistakes That DIY Resume Writers Make

In June this year, I published a blog post on mistakes that do-it-yourself resume writers make, including mistakes with numbers, punctuation, spelling and factual information. Lately I’ve seen a few more mistakes which would be easy to avoid or fix:

  • Overloading the resume with exclamation points (!) and adjectives. Exclamation points have no place in a resume (unless they are part of a title). Adjectives are fine in limited amounts (“strong leadership skills…”) but it is far better to demonstrate your value through accomplishments. Look at this example:

DIY Mistake: “Superior turnaround expert with excellent IT leadership skills and unmatched ability to understand business goals.”

Improvement: “Increased visitors to XYZ’s website 130% in the first quarter by refocusing a struggling IT team efforts from website upgrades to complete redesign.”

  • Exaggerating your role or the importance of your contribution. Yes, accomplishments are extremely important in a resume but they have to be in line with your role. Whether in the interview or through their own contacts, the company is very likely to find out that you exaggerated. Your true abilities will also become clear once you are hired; and that could lead to being fired.
  • Believing that it’s the reader’s responsibility to know what you mean. Whether you work in a high-tech field or a company that loves acronyms or you have fallen in love with management jargon, you must drop your prejudices and write in clear, everyday English. Look at this example:

DIY Mistake: “Developed CXO relationships to capitalize on proactive NPI for BUs in EMEA.”

Improvement: “Developed relationships with chief executive officers to capitalize on new product introductions (NPI) for business units in the East, Middle East, and Asia (EMEA).”

  • Once acronyms are properly introduced, it’s fine to use them throughout. But no one is going to take the time to puzzle out what you mean. Moreover, you may be missing an opportunity if, for example, the applicant tracking system may be primed to look for “Middle East” but not for ME. It is good to put in both the full name along with the acronym in parentheses the first time you use it, such as “Middle East (ME),” and then use ME for the rest of the resume.

Are you having difficulty keeping adjectives in check on your resume or writing accurately and clearly about your accomplishments? Please contact me today.

Work Gaps: How to Return to Work or Transition Jobs

Have you been out of work a long time or are thinking about transitioning into a new job? It is definitely possible to re-enter the workforce after a long absence or in a brand new role. Your value to a company will be clear if you take some of the following steps:

  • Take professional/academic courses to keep you current with your profession.
  • Volunteer because volunteer work also involves skills and accomplishments.
  • Network—you need connections in your profession. Professional associations and conferences are particularly rich networking sources.
  • Accept a position with a professional association or help out with a professional conference. You will be seen and remembered, and you will meet networking contacts.
  • Look for consulting or freelance jobs to build up your resume with current experience rather than trying to move directly into a full-time job.

If you have been out of work for a while or if you are transitioning into a new industry or profession, you may not be aware of all the opportunities available to you. Informational interviews may help you learn about job positions or career paths you had not considered. In an informational interview, you are not asking for a job but for information about your industry or profession.

Before confining your search to entry-level positions, make sure you have fully considered your current and transferrable skills. You should not need to start with a job that requires no skill and no work experience at all: you have skills and you have experience. Again, an informational interview may give you more confidence about the value you bring to a company and indicate what you can do to make yourself even more valuable.

As a professional career coach as well as a professional resume writer, I can help you return to the workplace or transition from your current career.

Resume Tips V: Giving Yourself Credit

I have a friend who is conversational in three languages. That impresses me no end. But when she showed me her resume, I was surprised to find that she never mentioned her talent in languages. As a professional resume writer, one of my tasks is to help job seekers recognize hidden talents that actually have very high value for companies. My friend made four statements that I have heard over and over again from job seekers who undervalue their skills and contribution to a company. Here is what she said and here is how I replied.

My friend: Learning languages is easy.

Me: Maybe a skill like learning languages is easy for you, but “easy” is not the same as “without value.” Besides, acquiring even an “easy” skill requires practice, attention, and dedication. Because I have written resumes for so long, you might say resume writing is easy for me, but that does not mean I was born writing resumes! Take pride in what you do, even if it is easy for you. What is easy for you is difficult for others.

My friend: The companies where I am applying do not need someone with this skill.

Me: That may be true but every company wants employees who are willing and able to take on and meet challenges. Those are soft skills, and they may be the determining factor in getting you an interview. I am not advocating a resume filled with outdated or barely relevant skills. But if you have a 21st century skill—especially one that shows your ability to learn, mentor, meet challenges, lead, work on a team, work with diverse groups and so on—mention it in your resume even if the job postings do not list it as a requirement. You are bringing added value to the company.

My friend: I am not an expert.

Me: That is fine. If you are not fluent in languages, your resume will honestly state: “Conversational Arabic, Spanish, French, and Italian.” If you are not an expert in a software program, you can honestly state you are “familiar with” or “experienced in” that program. You should never exaggerate your abilities in a resume but if you have them, mention them.

My friend: I never used these skills for an employer before. What if they are not good enough?

Me: The best judge of whether your soft or hard skills meet the company’s needs is the company. We have all experienced moments of self-doubt. Do not let self-doubt into your resume to undermine your job search. Your resume must be honest and straightforward about what you can do; it must be focused; and it must set you apart from the competition. As a professional resume writer, I can do that.

Current Trends in the Job Market

Over the last decade the two biggest trends in the job market are the rise of social internet sites and the use of automated applicant tracking systems to select candidates. Social internet sites (LinkedIn, Pinterest, Facebook) are used by job seekers to describe themselves but also by recruiters and hiring managers to research job applicants (which is why I always encourage job seekers to make sure their social media information is professional and matches their resume information). Applicant tracking systems weed out resumes electronically, sorting out those job applicants whose resumes contain the keywords, skills, accomplishments, and education described as vital for the job.

One trend that has remained strong in the job market is the need for networking. That networking may be in person or online, but the one-to-one exchange is important. In my next blog, I’ll discuss how to network both online and in person and the vital role your resume plays in your networking efforts.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has noted a job market trend toward increased hiring in business and professional services, retail trade, and health care. Business and professional services include employment services, management and technical consulting, architectural and engineering services, and financial services.  The largest increase in health care was in home health care and hospitals.

Applicant tracking systems are not the only sign of a trend toward computerizing recruitment. The Society for Human Resources Management’s Employment Verification Survey encompassed 601 for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. More than 60% of organizations use the federal government’s internet program (E-Verify) to determine if a job applicant is allowed to work in the United States. Despite some problems with setting up and using the system, more than 70% support mandatory electronic verification.

As I have stated previously, part of my job as a professional resume writer is to keep up with job market trends like these so that I can better assist job seekers. If you are concerned that your resume is behind the times, please contact me. I can help make sure that your resume receives attention (and the right kind of attention) from recruiters and hiring managers.

Federal Resumes and Keywords

Because of their unique structure, federal resumes demand close attention to keywords, perhaps even more than civilian resumes.

Federal job postings or announcements list the requirements for the job, and your resume is expected to show that you meet those exact requirements (with knowledge, skills, and accomplishments). If a federal job posting or announcement uses the keywords “change leader,” your resume must use that exact combination of words.

However, you must do more in your resume than merely say you are a “change leader.” You must tie your experience into the keywords. A civilian company may take your word for it that someone with your background is a change leader; the federal government wants proof in the form of concrete examples and results.

Writing a resume in reply to a federal job posting or announcement is stressful. With more than a decade of experience in federal resume writing and as a Certified Federal Resume Writer, I am here to help. Contact Robin’s Resumes® today.

What Makes a Resume Writer a Professional?

You have seen those online sites that promise a “free” review of your resume. If you take advantage of that offer, they then suggest that you let them rewrite your resume. But you never meet the actual writer; all you get at the end is a file with your information rearranged.

Professional resume writers have credentials, examples of their work, references, an actual process (number of conversations, number of drafts, timeliness of reviews), and a history of working with people in your field or industry.

Professional resume writers let you know at the beginning about costs, including the procedure for refunds. At the end of the process, they give you a file that you can update, rather than returning to them again and again for even the slightest modification (such as a change in email address).

Professional resume writers have the respect of peers, as indicated by invitations to speak, teach, lead committees, and participate in forums.

But above all a professional resume writer has a name and a face: Someone who works with you one-on-one; a real person who asks questions and involves you in the process. I am proud to be a professional resume writer, and I look forward to working with you.

 

 

Faking Your Degree Is a Bad Idea

A client presented herself as having left a Fortune 500 company, a company where she had a great career for more than 10 years as a Senior Administrative Assistant, when her division relocated. Right after that, she completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and wanted to leverage her new degree.

I saw some room for improvement in the resume; it had a strange structure and did not highlight all of her financial experience. She also did not highlight her recent degree; instead it was on the bottom of the resume.

Her degree came from a school I had not heard of, Greenwood University. In many cases, I look up schools to be sure they are not a scam. If a school is listed in the http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ or http://www.chea.org/search/default.asp databases, it is legitimate. But my research showed that Greenwood University is a diploma mill. That type of degree is illegal in some states and using a diploma mill degree to get a job is actually a felony in New Jersey.

Even after I let the client know how using the phony degree was affecting her job search and the possible consequences on her career (and life), she insisted she wanted to keep it on her resume. I do not want to perpetuate fraud, and I gave back her deposit, refusing to write her resume.

This is the first person who has insisted on using their phony degree on their resume once I tell them about the consequences. I have explained this more than a dozen times to potential clients, and they all have been extremely grateful. Some have become return clients and have gone on to earn real degrees.

If you are considering a diploma mill as a quick source for a degree, please think again. You might believe it is not the resume writer’s responsibility to check degrees but it is certainly the job of a recruiter or a hiring manager. What if someone gets a job with a fake degree and later does harm? In this example, it would have been fiduciary harm with companies that have large legal staffs. You can be sure the company would prosecute. And if I can detect a diploma mill, so can recruiters and employers!

I know how to write resumes that win jobs without breaking the law. Contact me today and let me help.

Why You Shouldn’t Exaggerate on Your Resume

As a professional and accredited resume writer, I often speak before groups of other resume writers and give advice to many job hunters. I always caution people against exaggerating on resumes. I stand up for truthful resumes because I am a truthful person but also because:

  • If you exaggerate on your resume and are invited in for an interview, you are going to have to defend what you wrote. The more you try, the more obvious it will become to the interviewer that you lack enough confidence in yourself to stick to the truth.
  • If you exaggerate on your resume and somehow pass the interview, the company will check references and they will discover that none of the references can confirm the information on your resume.
  • If you exaggerate on your resume and somehow make it all the way through to hiring, you will have to deliver on the job. How can you deliver on skills and accomplishments you simply do not have?
  • If you exaggerate or lie on a resume (for example, claiming that you graduated with a degree when you didn’t or attended a college you didn’t attend), and you are found out later, you can be fired and might even ruin your chance to ever get hired. In some states, you could be charged with a misdemeanor or even a felony.

If you are feeling insecure about your job history, your accomplishments or your skills, please contact Robin’s Resumes®. My job is to make the real you stand out from the crowd and to showcase your real value to employers. I have accomplished this feat for many hundreds of job applicants. I can do it for you.

 

How to Cover Gaps in Employment

At some time in our careers, we will all have a gap in our employment history—maybe a few weeks or months, maybe a few years. A gap can occur because of a layoff, a family emergency, a health issue, a desire to further education and many other excellent reasons. How do you handle an employment gap on your resume?

First, it is not necessary to give the starting and ending months for a job. If you held one job from January 2003 to April 2010 and held the next from June 2010 to the present, simply omit the months from your resume. List only the years (2003-2010, 2010-present). In a long career, a gap of a month or two is of no interest to recruiters.

Second, if you left the workforce to further your education, those years should be covered under the “Education” section of your resume; or you can add a single line in the employment section to indicate that you spent the gap pursuing a degree.

Third, if you worked as a volunteer or consultant during the gap, by all means include that information. Volunteer and consulting work is work.

Finally, you may want to explain a gap in your cover letter or email. The explanation should be very brief, no more than one sentence. Recruiters do not need details about your family, health or other issues. If asked about the gap during a job interview, use the same brief explanation. You want to convey that the situation is over and you are focused on rejoining the workforce.

If you have gaps in your employment that worry you, please contact Robin’s Resumes®. I have years of experience helping job applicants handle problem resumes honestly and forthrightly.

Robin Schlinger: Resume Writer and Career Coach

A few weeks ago I had the honor of being interviewed for an audio presentation on the Women for Hire website, to give expert advice about resumes.

One of the interviewer’s first questions was a request to explain what I do.

I’m a professional certified resume writer and career coach. I moved into this field after years of experience in industry as an engineer and project manager. That background gives me practical experience out in the job market, both as a job applicant and as someone who participated in the hiring process. It also makes me very familiar with the requirements of technical as well as management and staff positions.

Now I am dedicated to helping job applicants identify and achieve their career goals. The better you know your goals, the stronger candidate you will be both in your resume and during your interview. I assist job seekers in many fields, including for profit, non-profit and government.

If you need help discovering and writing about your goals, talents, skills and accomplishments, contact me today.

Write a Resume That Helps You Land Your First Job

Many people writing a resume for their first job make these mistakes:

1. They try too hard to be clever and stand out by using fancy fonts, colors, clip art or even video resumes.

2. They think that volunteer work, summer jobs and school honors or adult-ed courses do not count.

3. They are not clear about their career goals; they apply for everything and expect their resume to get them “any job.”

4. They do not research what employers want.

Your resume helps you land your first job by presenting you at your best to recruiters and hiring managers who are looking for someone with your achievements, skills and education. Here is what your should be doing in your resume to land your first job:

1. Forget about clever paper, fonts and presentations. Companies are not impressed by an origami resume. Focus on skills and achievements and you will quickly grab their attention.

2. Recognize and embrace the value of your experiences and education. One of my clients worked the same summer job every year and showed enough skill in that short time to win two promotions. Another client who wanted to become a training manager wrote her thesis on “Mentoring in the Workplace.” A future sales person helped sell tickets to a nonprofit’s fundraising event. These are all important achievements.

3. Write your resume for the job you want, not “any job.” Do you prefer to work in a forest or an office? Do you like to travel and meet people, to work in a team or to work at home alone? Did you take courses in biology or art? Apply for the jobs that you are prepared for and that excite you.

4. Find out what employers want. Read the ads. Talk to people who already work in the job or industry that appeals to you. Read books about your chosen field. When you know what employers want, you can write a resume and cover letter that shows how you meet their needs.

Applying for your first job is difficult enough. I have years of experience helping people in exactly your situation with resumes that land the job. Give me a call today.

Interview Tips: How Your Resume Helps You Interview Well

Recently, several recruiters and business managers replied to an online request for a few interview tips. The tips that they offered most often were to be honest and to show a genuine interest in the company. The best resume, the kind that I pride myself on writing, prepares you for the interview by providing a strongly worded, truthful summary of your skills and achievements. It shows that you understand what a company wants in its next employee.

When I work with you, I make sure that together we capture all of your most important skills and achievements. A well-written resume lets you head out to the interview with a sense of pride in what you have accomplished. During the interview, you will not have to scramble for explanations because your resume truly reflects you.

The best resume is crafted for the job you want, not the job(s) you left behind. Therefore, every word targets the types of industries, companies and positions that you are most interested in. That focus provides the groundwork for the interest you will show during the interview.

Bring a copy of your resume with you to any interview. It is helpful when filling out forms and may be needed by the interviewer. But most important, while you wait for your appointment, you can remind yourself of how much value you will bring to the company.

Leverage Your Military Experience on Your Resume

As a resume writer who has worked extensively with retiring and separating Veterans, I find they have strong leadership and technical skills which are directly transferable to civilian positions. But if you are a Veteran writing a resume for the private sector, you should be aware that:

  • The civilian world operates on the profit motive, which puts you at a disadvantage when it comes to boasting about increasing company revenues or decreasing overhead. However, your experience with project management and goal setting will appeal to any civilian company or recruiter. You have the skills to bring a project in on time and under budget. You have handled pressures that the civilian world cannot come close to.
  • Leadership in the military—where soldiers must follow orders—is different than leadership in the private sector. But your motivating and mentoring skills are valuable everywhere. You know how to work in a team and you know the value of teams.
  • Military jargon isn’t familiar to civilians. Spell out the essential acronyms and try to “translate” the rest into more familiar words.
  • Your security clearance is in demand in many fields; make sure you mention it.

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of working with extraordinary folks from every branch of the military. With the right resume, one that makes clear the value they bring, Veterans are extremely strong competitors for civilian jobs.

Working with a Professional Resume Writer

This may be the first time you have considered handing your resume over to a professional resume writer. You may be wondering if you need professional help, if it will make a difference to your job hunt and if you will be comfortable with the finished resume. Here’s how I respond to those concerns.

How do I know if a professional resume writer can help me?

When you call me, I will ask you to send me your current resume and a description of the job position(s) you want to apply for. With those items in hand, I will evaluate your needs. Together, we will discuss the best options for you, and I will give you a price quote.

How will my new resume differ from my old resume?

Most people who write their own resumes leave out important information. They hesitate to toot their own horn or they don’t know how to emphasize the skills that recruiters are looking for. I will interview you by phone or email to draw out your accomplishments. Then I will write a resume that helps employers understand your value as an employee. I will also give your resume a professional, up-to-date format.

Will the resume sound like me?

Your resume is all about you. You will have a chance to review it and ask for changes. A resume should be like a new set of clothes: it makes you look and feel your best; but you are still recognizably you.

Do you have more questions? Please check out the “Our Process” page on this website (https://robinresumes.com/our-process/) or give me a call.

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