Need an example? First, let's say (taking from my personal experience here) that your first job was as a carhop at Sonic (or some other fast food job). How on earth is that relevant to any management position? If your resume only says that you were a carhop at Sonic and does not have much else listed, good luck scoring any job outside of the fast food industry! However, it can be done, and here's is how you can make it happen. First, think about what your deliverables were in your job. For me, I needed to get orders out in 4 minutes or less and make the customers happy above all else. As you can imagine, getting much of anything done in 4 minutes is a lot of pressure, and it cannot be done alone. In my resume and letter of interest I spoke about the skills I attained from that job and made correlations for the recruiter from my experience to the job responsibilities that I was seeking. In any entry level management position everyone knows that getting employees to work together is a vitally important part of the job. As a carhop I partnered with my coworkers to make our processes more efficient, and I worked as a team player. I learned every position within the organization so that I could help out wherever and whenever needed. Based on one minor change that I made in the food packaging process, we reduced the average time to get an order out to the customer by 1 minute, and this was shared as a best practice with other franchises which still use this system today. This slight efficiency improvement meant more customers could be handled in a shorter amount of time which translates to more profits for the company. I also outlined my ability to work under pressure with tight deadlines which is important for management professionals. Making the customers happy is also important in any position. Here I talked about how my average tips were about 3 times higher than my coworkers because I ran from car to car during rush hours and made a point to proactively prepare to meet customer’s needs such as bringing extra ketchup packets when I knew they ordered fries or bringing a straw and spoon when they ordered a shake and bringing extra napkins when a kids meal was purchased. These small things translate into insightful customer service skills that speak volumes to recruiters in any industry. These are just a few examples from my past to show you that it can be done. Remember that Google is your friend when seeking to learn more about the position you hope to attain. If you are having a difficult time correlating your experience, volunteer work or education into work ready skills for your industry, seek the help of a professional resume writing service. There are many to choose from, and I happen to offer that service as well if you are interested (shameless plug). May you find all you want and need in your next job! Good luck!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Are Resumes Obsolete?
Not yet. I hear all the time that resumes are becoming obsolete, and while they are certainly becoming overshadowed from the perspective of recruiters who are actively sourcing candidates through LinkedIn profiles and other social media tools... resumes are still a crucial part of the job search. For those of you not in the human resource profession, you may ask, "What is sourcing?" It is what a recruiter does when they actively seek qualified candidates for a job. If you are not at the point yet of being an established professional in your field, you are going to have to get your foot in the door somehow because no one is knocking down your door to get to you. A resume is an important tool to help do this. If you are someone who is well known in your field and who has a vast network of other professionals in your field, than a resume is a bit less important because your LinkedIn profile will tell the recruiter who is searching for you what they need to know. So for an outsider looking in, wishing to be the person that is sought after by recruiters, how do you get there? That is a good question and not an easy task. You have to put into relevant terms your education and other experiences and bridge the gap between what you've done and what you would like to be doing. A well-written resume can do this, especially if paired with a thoughtful letter of interest for a position. Students and recent graduates often ask me how to do this. The first step is learning all you can about the job that you want. If you understand what is required in that job and what is expected in the day to day functions of that position, then you will be better prepared to make the connections for the recruiter from your past experience and how you could be a valuable asset in the job you are seeking. When I was just out of school, I focused my resume on my skills and education and highlighted the longevity on the job which is important to employers. Turnover costs have HR pros seeing red, and they want to see more green. If you stay on a job less than a year, you automatically lose a few points with the hiring manager. If you stay 2 or 3 years, you are more likely to look favorable to the person hiring for the position. 
Need an example? First, let's say (taking from my personal experience here) that your first job was as a carhop at Sonic (or some other fast food job). How on earth is that relevant to any management position? If your resume only says that you were a carhop at Sonic and does not have much else listed, good luck scoring any job outside of the fast food industry! However, it can be done, and here's is how you can make it happen. First, think about what your deliverables were in your job. For me, I needed to get orders out in 4 minutes or less and make the customers happy above all else. As you can imagine, getting much of anything done in 4 minutes is a lot of pressure, and it cannot be done alone. In my resume and letter of interest I spoke about the skills I attained from that job and made correlations for the recruiter from my experience to the job responsibilities that I was seeking. In any entry level management position everyone knows that getting employees to work together is a vitally important part of the job. As a carhop I partnered with my coworkers to make our processes more efficient, and I worked as a team player. I learned every position within the organization so that I could help out wherever and whenever needed. Based on one minor change that I made in the food packaging process, we reduced the average time to get an order out to the customer by 1 minute, and this was shared as a best practice with other franchises which still use this system today. This slight efficiency improvement meant more customers could be handled in a shorter amount of time which translates to more profits for the company. I also outlined my ability to work under pressure with tight deadlines which is important for management professionals. Making the customers happy is also important in any position. Here I talked about how my average tips were about 3 times higher than my coworkers because I ran from car to car during rush hours and made a point to proactively prepare to meet customer’s needs such as bringing extra ketchup packets when I knew they ordered fries or bringing a straw and spoon when they ordered a shake and bringing extra napkins when a kids meal was purchased. These small things translate into insightful customer service skills that speak volumes to recruiters in any industry. These are just a few examples from my past to show you that it can be done. Remember that Google is your friend when seeking to learn more about the position you hope to attain. If you are having a difficult time correlating your experience, volunteer work or education into work ready skills for your industry, seek the help of a professional resume writing service. There are many to choose from, and I happen to offer that service as well if you are interested (shameless plug). May you find all you want and need in your next job! Good luck!
Need an example? First, let's say (taking from my personal experience here) that your first job was as a carhop at Sonic (or some other fast food job). How on earth is that relevant to any management position? If your resume only says that you were a carhop at Sonic and does not have much else listed, good luck scoring any job outside of the fast food industry! However, it can be done, and here's is how you can make it happen. First, think about what your deliverables were in your job. For me, I needed to get orders out in 4 minutes or less and make the customers happy above all else. As you can imagine, getting much of anything done in 4 minutes is a lot of pressure, and it cannot be done alone. In my resume and letter of interest I spoke about the skills I attained from that job and made correlations for the recruiter from my experience to the job responsibilities that I was seeking. In any entry level management position everyone knows that getting employees to work together is a vitally important part of the job. As a carhop I partnered with my coworkers to make our processes more efficient, and I worked as a team player. I learned every position within the organization so that I could help out wherever and whenever needed. Based on one minor change that I made in the food packaging process, we reduced the average time to get an order out to the customer by 1 minute, and this was shared as a best practice with other franchises which still use this system today. This slight efficiency improvement meant more customers could be handled in a shorter amount of time which translates to more profits for the company. I also outlined my ability to work under pressure with tight deadlines which is important for management professionals. Making the customers happy is also important in any position. Here I talked about how my average tips were about 3 times higher than my coworkers because I ran from car to car during rush hours and made a point to proactively prepare to meet customer’s needs such as bringing extra ketchup packets when I knew they ordered fries or bringing a straw and spoon when they ordered a shake and bringing extra napkins when a kids meal was purchased. These small things translate into insightful customer service skills that speak volumes to recruiters in any industry. These are just a few examples from my past to show you that it can be done. Remember that Google is your friend when seeking to learn more about the position you hope to attain. If you are having a difficult time correlating your experience, volunteer work or education into work ready skills for your industry, seek the help of a professional resume writing service. There are many to choose from, and I happen to offer that service as well if you are interested (shameless plug). May you find all you want and need in your next job! Good luck!
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