Grab an employers attention with an accomplishment section on your resume. Competition is tight in today’s job market. There are more job seekers than job opportunities so it’s an employers market.
The job search is no longer about a job seekers skills and experience. It’s about what the job seeker can do for the employer. Why should the employer hire you over hundreds of other job seekers with the same skills?
The opening statement on a resume also referred to as objective or personal branding statement, should state three things about you.
Who you are
This is similar to a job target or the title of position you are applying for. It tells the employer what you specialize in. For example: C# Software Developer, Human Resources Manager, VP of Marketing, Account Manager.
Your biggest strength
Highlight your biggest strength that would benefit an employer. Employers want to know what you can do for them and how you will be able to do it. For example: developing new business, solving complex problems, improving processes, creating marketing campaigns.
The benefit you offer a company
The last part of the opening statement tells the employer what benefit you offer them by being who you are and your biggest strength. It tells the employer why you are an asset to them and how they will benefit by hiring you. For example: reducing down-time, increasing profits, improving production, reducing turn-over, saving the company money
The opening statement should be an attention grabber and make the reader want to find out more about you. Here’s an example of an opening statement after you put together the three parts listed above.
Example of opening statement
Human Resources Manager establishing new personnel programs for hiring, training, and motivating new employees which reduces turnover by 50%.
Recommended Job Searching Links: JobSearchingStrategies.com, Pittsburgh’s Ultimate Career Connection, Job Search in the US, Job Search in Pittsburgh, Free Tips Newsletter, Need Job Search Help?, SeeWho’sHiring.com
If you are in a management role or are looking to move into a management role, solving problems is a primary responsibility. When a company is looking to hire, they want someone who will seek out problems before they become urgent and your job on an interview is to express that you have exceptional problem solving skills.
Here are a few phrases you can use that can highlight your problem solving skills:
Particularly effective in assessing and resolving employee conflicts and organizational problems, resulting in an increase in productivity.
Applied strong interpersonal and communication skill in working with all levels of personnel to gain valuable insight and avoid potential problems.
Strengths in the ability to solve problems, analyzing warning signs, identifying the problem, and finding the solution.
If you are looking for ways to stand out over your competition when interviewing, express how you can and will help the company solve problems and become a more efficient and profitable organization.
Look good on paper. Get a free resume critique or have your resume professionally written from the perspective of the hiring manager. Contact Cori Swidorsky – cori.recruiter@gmail.com
Links for job seekers: JobSearchingStrategies.com, Pittsburgh’s Ultimate Career Connection, Job Search in the US, Job Search in Pittsburgh, Free Tips Newsletter, Need Job Search Help?
Impress employers by highlighting your skills on your resume. Employers are looking for people who will help grow their business and help them to continue being a successful organization.
Here’s a list of 20 powerful phrases you can add to your resume that will impress employers.
Links for job seekers: JobSearchingStrategies.com, Pittsburgh’s Ultimate Career Connection, Job Search in the US, Job Search in Pittsburgh, Free Tips Newsletter, Need Job Search Help?
Are you looking for someone to help you with writing your resume without spending hundreds of dollars?
I am the owner of 1 on 1 career help and have 11 years of Recruiting, Resume Writing, and Job Search Mentoring experience.
With my extensive Recruiting experience, I have learned a lot about resumes. Such as, what employers like and don’t like, that not one standard resume format works for every job, and that keywords and information on how you can help the company you are applying to, are all important when it comes to resume writing. Read the full article
Everyone is so focused on what resume format to use or what keywords to include, that 2 important resume rules are being over-looked. In fact, these 2 resume mistakes seem to be a huge pet peeve to hiring managers and recruiters.
1. Grammar Mistakes: All jobs require some sort of communication, whether it’s with customers, clients, or just within your office environment. Communication includes both written and verbal communication. A resume with poor grammar, run on sentences, and noun/pronoun disagreements can leave a bad impression and cost you a job opportunity.
2. Spelling Errors/Typos: All it takes is one spelling error or typo and the resume gets tossed aside. Sometimes I wonder if people use the spell check before saving their resume and even spell check doesn’t catch all of the errors. If your resume has spelling errors, what message are you giving about how you would do your job?
Proof read your resume after you do the spell/grammar check. Then have someone else look at it before you make it your final copy. Resumes are a marketing tool and represent who you are. Making grammar and spelling errors reflects on you and could come across to a hiring manager or recruiter as you being careless and lacking attention to detail.
A resume filled with errors doesn’t make for an effective marketing tool.
For more info: JobSearchingStrategies.com, Pittsburgh’s Ultimate Career Connection, Free Strategies Newsletter
Sourcing is a term used for recruiters to find and uncover candidates and recruiters are getting more and more creative with their sourcing techniques. One creative sourcing technique being used today is going to Google or other search engines and putting in search strings filled with keywords and terms to generate resumes from all over the internet.
Since recruiters are getting creative with their sourcing techniques, job seekers should start getting creative with online exposure techniques.
7 strategies to get your resume noticed online:
Don’t miss out on being found online! Use as many resources as you can to make sure that your resume is getting noticed online.
Recruiters are doing a lot more than searching websites such as Monster.com or Careerbuilder.com to search for resumes. They are using search engines such as Google and MSN to find resumes online and they are using creative techniques which include keyword searches to find resumes.
Job seekers should have their resume online and not just posted to the job boards. A one page resume website can increase your chances of being found online, especially by recruiters who search the net for qualified candidates.
Getting a website can be expensive, but Emurse.com is a free tool that allows you to create and host your resume online. Emurse.com is a great tool that offers more than just getting your resume online. It keeps track of resume distribution, allows you to keep notes, and set reminders. Emurse will also analyze your resume and deliver relevant job opportunities. Other features include resume templates, resume distribution, and a personal web address (http://yourname.emurse.com).
Emurse.com will help you to be found on search engines and employers will be able to download your resume easily in all formats (DOC, PDF, RTF). You can see how Emurse.com has been rated by reading these articles:
Whether you are an active job seeker or not, your resume/professional profile should be accessible online to Recruiters and Hiring Managers. Don’t be left behind, go to Emurse.com and get your resume website up today.
For more info: JobSearchingStrategies.com
Pittsburgh’s Ultimate Career Connection
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LinkedIn has an application now that allows you to upload word documents, excel documents, and Power Point presentation’s. The application is called Box.net. If you are already on LinkedIn, you can access this application by going to "edit my profile" and clicking on add an application.
I came across this great application when I was recruiting for an opportunity and started to notice that some of the profiles I was looking at had word documents of their resume on their profile. What a great concept! Not only can recruiters and hiring managers see your profile, but now they can download your full resume.
As a recruiter, I love this application because now I can get immediate access to someone’s resume instead of having to wait for them to send it to me. My suggestion, get the box.net application for your LinkedIn profile and start uploading your resume today!
Authors Bio
Cori Swidorsky has been a residence of Pittsburgh for 17 years. Her experience includes 10+ years in recruiting and job search coaching. She’s the owner of Pittsburgh’s Ultimate Career Connection and A Recruiters Tips on Job Searching Blog. She successfully helps job seekers with learning creative techniques to finding a job and coaches recruiters on out-of-the-box thinking techniques. Sign up for the free Job Search Coaching Newsletter
