Employers want skills or competency based resumes. Lengthy chronological resumes with lists of every job you have done are a thing of the past. Skills based resumes get to the point quickly and focus on what the employer is looking to buy.
Our approach is to:
- Keep it short and no more than 3 pages. A resume is a high level summary and not the story of your life.
- Think and write in the employers’ terms. Focus on their needs, not yours.
- Use action verbs, industry language, bullet points and short sentences.
- Quantify claims in dollar terms i.e. value of sales, size of teams.
- Be honest. Sell your achievements but don’t stretch the truth.
- Tell employers just enough to say “yes”, but not too much so they say “no”.
Frequenty Asked Questions
Should I add a picture of myself?
Generally no. However if you are in an industry where your face and appearance are important (fashion, cosmetics, fitness) then add it.
Is a CV the same as a Resume?
No. A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a resume format used in scientific, medical and academic jobs. A CV is more detailed than a resume, covering research work, published papers, academic qualifications, grants and technical experience.
I am a mature age worker. How do I treat my age in a resume?
Do not include your date of birth in a resume. Detail the most recent jobs and the last 10 years of work only. Condense work history prior to this. Generally it is the last few jobs and most recent experience that the employer is most interested in.
I am a student or recent graduate with limited work experience
Write up any part-time or volunteer work in terms of the skills needed to do this work (customer service, communications, systems & procedures). With academic studies, highlight projects and assignments relevant to the “world of work” in terms of the skills used (team work, report writing and initiative).
I’m a Mum returning to work. How do I treat the gap in my resume?
Emphasise any casual, volunteer or home-based work you completed in terms of the skills used in the job. Detail any interests, recent studies or courses in a way that shows how you are a match for the job. Generally it’s acceptable to list at home time as “home & parenting responsibilities” in your resume.
I send my resume to recruitment consultants and never hear back from them?
This is a function of the way the recruitment industry works and the high volume of applicants for job vacancies. There is currently an oversupply of recruitment consulting firms and a shortage of job listings. Because consultants are often paid on a commission only basis, a large proportion of their time is dedicated to cold calling employers to obtain listings. Hence their time is allocated to chasing sales and not finding a job for you. In the current environment, there are high volumes of applicants for every job. For example a managerial job posted on the internet may get 300 applicants in the first 2 days. Hence it is impossible “time wise” to respond to every applicant. Generally the larger, better resourced recruitment consulting firms have automated email response systems.
I have sent out 200 resumes and not had 1 interview?
You are doing something wrong, so stop doing it. Adopting a scatter-gun approach and applying for every job remotely relevant to your qualifications, is the least effective way of getting a job. You need to tailor your resume and cover letter to suit each job. You need to research the company or industry to find out what the employer wants and then show on paper how you can meet this need. That’s how you stand out from the crowd. This all takes time and 5-10 well researched and worded applications per week are a realistic work load.
Should I dumb down my resume?
This is a difficult decision. It’s important to be honest in your resume but being overqualified for a job is a common reason employers use for rejecting applicants. If the job you are applying for has a substantially lower salary or responsibilities than your last job, it makes sense to omit some details to get the new job. Ultimately it’s your call but if you are not getting interviews or hearing the “you are over qualified” response, then it makes sense to change your approach. |
