Resume's...The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!

Creating your resume….

Here are some key points to follow:

- be creative
- be concise, honest and accurate
- don’t just list what you’ve done, where you’ve been etc.
- include your value proposition and try to address a companies ROI on you
- differentiate yourself from the herd
- use specific examples of what you’ve accomplished in your career

Example of a mediocre resume (excerpt):

Employment History:
10/06-9/07 ABC Glass Company, Canvasser -- Sales lead generation; produced, wrote, directed, and starred in company’s training film, trained new employees
3/06-9/07 ABC LLC, Transaction Coordinator -- Assisted homeowners in pre-foreclosure transactions
6/04-12/05 ABC Edgewater Grille, Expeditor -- Coordinated distribution of orders from kitchen to servers, trained new employees
12/02-12/05 ABC Louisiana Style Café, Server Assistant -- Assisted servers and managers with full range of restaurant duties, trained new employees

Skills & Experience:
5+years in fine dining
Excellent hands-on customer service skills
Experience driving small, recreational vessels
Extensive experience working in teams in high-pressure environments
Several years sales experience and related training
Travel throughout United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean







Example of a good resume (excerpt):

PROFILE:

· Comprehensive, executive-level experience in business management, including full responsibility for business plan development/execution, profit building, budgeting, team management/training/mentoring, operations, and strategic planning.

· Skilled in sales forecasting, business development, change management, revenue generation, turnarounds, early-stage operations, relationship development, and policy development.

· Proven ability to identify growth opportunities and create/execute successful short- and long-term business strategies.

· Visionary leader with the ability to implement creative business solutions, motivate staff, improve profit center performance, and streamline operating procedures.


Experience:
ABC Company
A national mortgage finance organization with lending operations in 16 states.

Sr. Vice President

Led a team of three Division Managers and 30 loan officers producing $312 million in annual loan volume. Reported directly to the President. Directed strategic planning/development, training, marketing, and sales, with P&L responsibility. Hired, trained and mentored loan officers and administrative staff. Established and upheld performance standards and goal attainment.

~ Personally responsible for over $33 million in annual loan volume (personal production).
~ Managed all aspects of an account base of 10-25 clients, including business development, networking, sales, service, relationship building, and on-going support.
~ Ranked as top loan officer for 18 consecutive months; held records for the highest revenue per loan, the largest single revenue loan, and the largest revenue month.
~ Played a key role in the transition from an individual to a team structure, including developing the business plan for the team concept. Worked closely with top management to facilitate this transition.
~ Grew the business from 60 loans per month to 150 loans per month as a result of implementing a team structure approach.
~ Assisted in managing the transition from a broker-based loan origination company to a correspondent banking organization.






Experience:
ABC Mortgage
A start-up regional mortgage broker licensed in CA and CO.

Sr. Loan Officer/Sales Trainer

Counseled clients on the loan application process and advised on various types of loan packages offered; made recommendations to meet their specific needs.
Corresponded with/or interviewed applicants or creditors to resolve questions regarding application information. Maintained simultaneous responsibility for training and sales.
~ Aggressively identified, hired, trained, and developed key talent.
~ Developed sales curriculum, including scripts for loan officers, telemarketers, support staff, and call center; trained sales team regarding effective techniques.
~ Consistently ranked as top sales performer throughout tenure in both volume and revenue.



ABC Motorcars,
The largest Mercedes Benz Dealer in the world and one of Ward’s Dealer Business Top 500. Generates more than 2,000 new unit sales and total revenue of $169+ million.

Client Care Specialist

Provided sales and customer relations management. Maintained the dealership’s client base for new model releases, events, specials, and lease retention. Completed formal call center development and scripting training from Universal Dealer Consultants.

~ Played a key role in the development, implementation, and launch of an outbound call center accounting for over 100 daily client contracts.
~ Assisted in growing sales revenue from 25 vehicles per month to over 100 vehicles per month through daily client contact, follow-up, and internet-based advertising.
~ Developed cross-promotion strategies, an internet marketing program, and advanced client relations throughout the dealership to provide high-end client care and services.
~ Recognized as the top-ranked Client Care Representative nationwide.




Keep in mind that the HR Representative is the “Gatekeeper.” It is their job to filter, allow and deny access! This includes receptionists, secretaries and administrative assistants. If you can, find a way to get around the gatekeeper in a respectful manner. Keep in mind; you are not always aware of the gatekeeper’s relationship to the decision maker. Also, these people often represent themselves as the key decision maker or hiring authority when they are in fact not. They are there to advertise a position, collect information and scan documents for key information. When presenting your resume, review the job description in order to address key skills and qualifications.

Some recruiters will re-work your resume but not many. They really don’t have the time. They also don’t have the time to “represent” you to companies. Again, if you are a match for one of their job orders (openings) they will market you to their client. They may even use your resume for marketing efforts to attain new clients but not necessarily to get you a job. Be selective with who you work with when looking for a job/ career change. After all, they are selective with who they are working with as well. They are being paid to find the “perfect” candidate for their paying client (often 30% of starting salary or more).

I do think that it can be beneficial to have someone skilled review, revise, and/or rewrite your resume for you. However, this type of service should not cost you more than $500 nationwide. Remember, no one else can really market you or network for you. Be careful not to get sucked into a “career marketing” or “personal PR” scam.

Dress for SUCCESS...Not in Duress!

Too many co-workers are dressing for the club or ten years too young when they’re in the office. Another problem is comfort. We all want to be too comfortable too much of the time. Jogging suits are for just that….JOGGING! Quite frankly this type of dress in business can become a distraction as well as have a negative effect on one’s career. It’s time to get back to being professional.

Starting with the interview – and beyond:

1. Conservative is the way to go. When in doubt…wear a suit. For men, a dark pants suit with a solid tie and white shirt is most acceptable. For the women, either a pants suit or skirt to the knee again with a white blouse and dark shoe- a low heel is best.

2. Grooming and hygiene should not be overlooked. They are also an important part of your appearance. I know this seems elementary but you’d be surprised at how many people either do not know how to do these things or forget.

a. Hair – should be clean, combed and styled. It should be neat and conservative in appearance.
b. Nails- should be clean and trimmed. No drastic polish for the women and NO polish for the men.
c. Make-up- should be minimal for the women and non-existent for the men.
d. Teeth/Breath- should be clean and fresh.
e. Body Odor- should be non-existent.
f. Cologne/Perfume- should be minimal
g. Body Piercing- should be minimal. Except for the ears, they should not be visible.
h. Tattoos- should not be visible.
i. Gum / Candy – NONE (future post on this topic alone).

It’s really true that you only get ONE chance to make a first impression and in this case it’s through your appearance whether you like it or not. Take into serious consideration that a company is hiring you to represent them. Therefore, the package should match the product.

Again this is attire etiquette for a professional business environment. These tips would not necessarily be appropriate for working in a club, bar, entertainment venue, etc.

For the college student transitioning from “college kid” in sweats to “business professional” entering the workforce, check out www.symsdress.com.

All of these tips and guidelines extend well beyond the interview. Keep in mind that your career is a great opportunity to market yourself and abilities so do it to the fullest. Dress the part! Save the trendy/club looks for the weekend. Dressing for success can be kept very simple and again make it a habit, not a chore. Check out Tim Gunn’s guide to style for real, simple ways to implement success into your wardrobe.

Professional Networking

The Do's and Don'ts of professional networking are simple and something every working professional should follow. Whether you are an executive or just starting out review and implement these tips to further your career the RIGHT way.

Do:

1. Make your networking endeavors personal and do it yourself.
2. Reach out to your personal and/or professional network to ask for help. You'll be surprised at how often people you know are willing to help when and if they can.
3. Respect others time and space.
4. Once you've reached out to your network - leave them alone! Continuing to pester them will often result in the exact opposite of whatever your desired outcome is (i.e. expanding network, a business lead, a job, etc).
5. Use networking sites such as Linked In to boost your professional publicity! Ask your network to endorse you / your work and offer to do the same for them.
6. Keep in mind networking is about building personal relationships not mass marketing yourself to the world.

Don't:

1. Don't rely on "PR Firms" or "Career Marketing Firms" to expand your professional network for you. This is often a waste of money and resources. In addition, Companies will not respect you and dismiss your value. Refer back to Do #1 - your approach should be personal, professional and sincere in order to best maintain your reputation and further your career.
2. Don't ask for a job! This makes you look pathetic. It's acceptable to ask for help i.e. "What do you know about Company ABC?" This will often lead into further conversation about your career goals, value proposition, etc.
3. Don't forget about your contacts! Don't approach them only in a time of need. Again, personal relationships require work and maintenance. Make notes in your contacts information about their birthday, anniversary, or send congrats on a promotion.
4. Don't rely solely on the Internet or electronic resources. Old fashioned networking works! Always keep business cards handy~ you never know when you may make a new contact.

Networking is simple and not as time consuming as many think. Follow the Do's and Don'ts listed above and you'll be surprised at how quickly your network will expand. Even the busiest executives can do their own networking! It really takes no time at all when done correctly. Make it a habit rather than a task and you will succeed!