Your Resume by Section Part 2 - Objective/Summary

This might seem like a silly section to focus an entire posting on, but if written correctly this might just be the most important section you will write. 

A couple of years ago, the company I was working for was bought out by a competitor.  Obviously there were a lot of duplicate employees, especially in the HR department.  In order to help us all in the transition part of the 'deal' our company made was that every employee would have career counseling available to them.  This counseling was provided by Right Management. This is a great company with a lot of stellar information, resources, trainers, etc.

One of the keys they work on in these classes is to develop for yourself a 30 second commercial.  This is a 3-5 sentence summary of your skills and career goals.  The point of this is so that anytime, anywhere you can immediately recall some impressive things about yourself and give someone an idea of how you would like to use them.

The key points to hit in your commercial are:

• Experience
• Strengths
• Accomplishments
• Why you are looking for a new job (if applicable)
• What are you looking for
• End with a question

 

For example, here is one I have been working on as of late (I've had a bit of a shift in career goals in the past month or so, so it needs updating):

"I am a seasoned administrative professional with several years' experience in various fields including human resources and marketing.  I'm a people person who loves to network and I excel at helping people locate the resources they need to help them achieve their goals.  I am currently seeking different challenges and arenas to assist people in new ways.  Do you know of any opportunities in which I can use these skills to help?"

It's a work in progress, but you can see where I am going with it.

Why am I talking about a 30 second commercial when I should be talking about the Objectives/Summary section of your resume?  Because they are so similar, you can kill 3 birds with one stone.  People struggle with their Objective.  People struggle with their 30 second commercial.  People seldom have a useful LinkedIn summary.  All of these can be similar, and useful in their own ways.  So, once you can develop one, the other 2 will be easier. 

Here are the guidelines for your objective:

• What type of job are you looking for?  (include level [senior, junior, executive], area [administration, finance, etc], and industry where applicable)
• What do you excel at (strengths)?
• What can you do for your next employer?

As you can see, very similar to the 30 second commercial.  Obviously you can use more detail in your objective, but the bones of these are the same.  So pick one, get it down on paper, then develop the other.  Since there is less detail in the  commercial, it might be easier to do that one first.  Then you can elaborate with your objective.  Using the above example, my new objective might read something like:

"Detail-oriented Administrative Professional with over 12 years’ experience in various fields including human resources and marketing.  Demonstrated networking success communicating across department levels and industry channels to discretely handle information, manage multiple projects, and liaise between various groups in order to achieve common goals. Proven expertise in program administration, project management and coordination, information management, team building, business communication, and budget development and tracking. Strong organizational and planning skills.  Currently seeking to take the skills I have and use them in new and innovative ways."

again, a work in progress, but on paper I look pretty good, don't I?  Don't forget that your resume is a fluid document.  It changes as your experience and career goals do.  This section should be reviewed and tweaked frequently so as to maximize its effectiveness. 

Now, you can take both your Objective and your commercial, and either copy and paste one into your LinkedIn Summary section, or combine them to form something new.  See, 3 birds, 1 stone. Simple.

On GPAs and Brainteasers: New Insights From Google On Recruiting and Hiring

 Some insightful information on the hiring process that Google currently uses...

(reposted from LinkedIn)

  

“We found that brainteasers are a complete waste of time. How many golf balls can you fit into an airplane? How many gas stations in Manhattan? A complete waste of time. They don’t predict anything. They serve primarily to make the interviewer feel smart.”

That was just one of the many fascinating revelations that Laszlo Bock, Google’s senior vice president for people operations, shared with me in an interview that was part of the New York Times’ special section on Big Data published Thursday.

 

Bock’s insights are particularly valuable because Google focuses its data-centric approach internally, not just on the outside world. It collects and analyzes a tremendous amount of information from employees (people generally participate anonymously or confidentially), and often tackles big questions such as, “What are the qualities of an effective manager?” That was question at the core of its Project Oxygen, which I wrote about for the Times in 2011.

I asked Bock in our recent conversation about other revelations about leadership and management that had emerged from its research.

The full interview is definitely worth your time, but here are some of the highlights:

The ability to hire well is random. “Years ago, we did a study to determine whether anyone at Google is particularly good at hiring,” Bock said. “We looked at tens of thousands of interviews, and everyone who had done the interviews and what they scored the candidate, and how that person ultimately performed in their job. We found zero relationship. It’s a complete random mess, except for one guy who was highly predictive because he only interviewed people for a very specialized area, where he happened to be the world’s leading expert.”
 

Forget brain-teasers. Focus on behavioral questions in interviews, rather than hypotheticals. Bock said it’s better to use questions like, “Give me an example of a time when you solved an analytically difficult problem.” He added: “The interesting thing about the behavioral interview is that when you ask somebody to speak to their own experience, and you drill into that, you get two kinds of information. One is you get to see how they actually interacted in a real-world situation, and the valuable ‘meta’ information you get about the candidate is a sense of what they consider to be difficult.”

Consistency matters for leaders. “It’s important that people know you are consistent and fair in how you think about making decisions and that there’s an element of predictability. If a leader is consistent, people on their teams experience tremendous freedom, because then they know that within certain parameters, they can do whatever they want. If your manager is all over the place, you’re never going to know what you can do, and you’re going to experience it as very restrictive.

 

GPAs don’t predict anything about who is going to be a successful employee. “One of the things we’ve seen from all our data crunching is that G.P.A.’s are worthless as a criteria for hiring, and test scores are worthless — no correlation at all except for brand-new college grads, where there’s a slight correlation,” Bock said. “Google famously used to ask everyone for a transcript and G.P.A.’s and test scores, but we don’t anymore, unless you’re just a few years out of school. We found that they don’t predict anything. What’s interesting is the proportion of people without any college education at Google has increased over time as well. So we have teams where you have 14 percent of the team made up of people who’ve never gone to college.”

That was a pretty remarkable insight, and I asked Bock to elaborate.

“After two or three years, your ability to perform at Google is completely unrelated to how you performed when you were in school, because the skills you required in college are very different,” he said. “You’re also fundamentally a different person. You learn and grow, you think about things differently. Another reason is that I think academic environments are artificial environments. People who succeed there are sort of finely trained, they’re conditioned to succeed in that environment. One of my own frustrations when I was in college and grad school is that you knew the professor was looking for a specific answer. You could figure that out, but it’s much more interesting to solve problems where there isn’t an obvious answer. You want people who like figuring out stuff where there is no obvious answer.”

10 Qualities of Exceptional Interviewers

I read this article today about qualities that a hiring manager should have in order to make him/herself more capable of hiring the best candidate for their position.  As with many articles that are geared toward the manager's side, this one has some lessons that you as a candidate can take with you.  Here are a few...

* you’re not hiring a position: You’re hiring a result

I have said this before, but it cannot be repeated enough...  Do your homework.  Every business is hiring someone because they have a need.  Find out what that is (as best you can).  Also, gear your interview preparation to be results driven.  Rather than saying something like "I worked with Microsoft Excel to keep inventories of product", say "I maintained inventories of over 300 products using tools such as Microsoft Excel in order to ensure proper quantities of stock on hand."  You're not telling them anything new, you are simply showing them that you not only acquired skills, but you also had active, real results to show for it.  Always, always be results driven.  Results are what separates the proactive from the reactive.



* ensure candidates can come prepared

This is something almost no interviewer does.  I don't know why, but many feel they simply need to tell you when and where to show up, and let you figure out the rest on your own.  When I was a teen, my father taught me to tie a tie.  He introduced this to me by saying he was going to 'teach me something every woman should know, because most men don't' (and boy howdy, was he right.  How in the world do so many men not know how to do this?). 

So, I am going to teach you something every candidate should know, because most interviewers don't... BE PREPARED.  Ask questions.  When you schedule an interview, you need to follow this checklist: 

1. Date and time - Add this to your calendar immediately
2. Location (address, building, suite, conference room, etc.)  Get it all, so that if the people you check in with don't know, you do. You don't want to be late because no one knew where you were supposed to be.  Map your route. Have this available so that you are not flustered day of.  Be familiar with where you are going
3. Check-in information - who do you ask for?  Where do you go?  Make sure you have this written down somewhere easily available
4. Parking information - this is something so many people forget to talk about.  If you haven't ever been to this place, you need to know how and where to park your car.  Will there be a fee?  A meter?  Construction?  These are things you need to know
5. The full names of ALL people you will be meeting with
6. If they are expecting you to prepare anything or bring anything (presentation, resume, portfolio, etc), and how many copies
7. Answers to any other questions you have - I add this because sometimes we get called for positions that have vague descriptions, more than one opening, etc.  The more you know, the better prepared you can be



*do more research on the candidate than the candidate does on the company

Take this as a challenge.  Assume that your interviewer will be more prepared than you are.  It is always a good idea to know as much as possible about the company, and about the position. Get this information from wherever you can.  But don't stop there.  Get to know the interviewer(s) as well. You have their names, check them out.  Look for them on LinkedIn.  See if there is information about them on the company website.  Google them.  Knowing where someone else is coming from can help you understand the type of answers they will respond to.  For example, if an interviewer has a background in the legal realm, you may want to emphasize confidentiality, ethics, etc when you meet.  Take notes.  Most employers will allow you to bring these into the interview.  Even if they don't, you will have better recall if you have written it down. 

Most importantly, KNOW YOUR RESUME.  I can't tell you how many people I have seen asked a question about something that is on their resume, and have them draw a complete blank.  You should know every bullet point on your resume, and be prepared to answer any and every question that might come up.

Lastly, do not wait until the last minute to prepare your documentation.  Get a packet together with everything (at the very least, you should have a resume for each interviewer and one for yourself) days before.  Review this packet once or twice before the interview, and adjust it as you see fit.  PROOFREAD anything you will give the interviewers.  Typos are embarassing, and you might miss them the first, second, third, etc. time you read these things.

Your Resume by Section Part I - Heading

This is the first in a series of posts that will break down your resume, piece by piece.  This may seem like a lot of information for some of these seemingly unimportant sections.  However,  your resume is your first impression.  You only get one chance, so all of it is important.  Here is what you should know about the Heading section.

 

 

• Your full name 

The font on this should be the largest thing in your document, and it should be centered (there are conflicting schools of thought on this.  Some think it should be located on the left side.  My thoughts are this:  do not make them hunt for it.  Make it prominent.  People’s eyes are typically, naturally drawn to the center of a page, so that is where you should put it.  In books, title pages are centered.  This is your book, and your name is the title.  Center it.)

 

The rest of the heading should be 12 point font, and directly below your name. Don’t make them hunt for this.

• Your phone #

Your phone # should go next, because that is the first thing they will look for when they want to contact you.  This should be your personal  #, not your work #.  Please make sure it is correct and up to date.  I have seen many people forget to change that when they have a new #.  Also, please make sure that the outgoing voice message is professional.  A potential employer does not need to hear your joke, your kid singing a song, etc.  It’s a simple concept.  Be funny on your own time.  If you are giving a potential employer access to something, make sure it paints you in the most professional light.
 

• Your email address 

Please ensure that your email address is professional.  Ideally it should be your name (or some combination of your name), so that the employer can type it easily. 
 
If you have a cutesy or inappropriate email address, get a new one for professional use. (I have seen some doozies like “jacobsmommy”, “thickrick69” and “sexysandy”.  True story.)

These can be obtained for free through Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, etc.  Some give you the option of routing messages sent to that address into another inbox.  I recommend this for any and all of your personal emails.  This will ensure that you never miss a message and also save you time.

DO NOT, under ANY circumstances use your work email address in your resume.  This makes you look like you use your work email for personal matters, which is a no-no at every employer I have ever worked for.  Keep it simple, use one central, professional email address for your job hunt.

• Your LinkedIn profile address

You can personalize this to reflect your name, which is what I would recommend.  If you haven’t noticed the pattern, let me spell this out for you.  Your name is key.  Put it anywhere and everywhere.  You want it drilled so deeply into the manager’s brain that it can be recalled easily.  If it is at the top, center of your resume, then under it as your email address, then under that for your linked in, the person reviewing has already seen your name 3 times before he or she has even gotten to your qualifications.  Name recognition is never a bad thing (ask Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, etc.).


Here’s how you customize your LinkedIn profile address:  When you go to the “Edit Profile” screen, the option should be just under your picture.  The system will let you know what is available, but get it as close to your actual name (and email address if possible) as you can.

 

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I do not recommend that you put your address in the heading (or anywhere else for that matter).  It’s an employer’s market, and there are employers out there that will eliminate a candidate simply based on the fact that they live too far away.  Their thought process here is that if you have a longer commute you will a) be late all the time, and/or b) continue looking for a job closer to home.  It’s best to leave this off so that you can be the one to decide whether you are willing to make that drive.  Don’t eliminate yourself from consideration simply based on where you live.

 

An Interesting Spin

Recently I read this article from Inc.com.  It is definitely an innovative way of coming at the hiring process.  As a job seeker though, it is a good way to make sure that you are keeping up with the times in your search, as well as just being some good advice in general.  Here are some thoughts I had regarding her pointers. (read the article first, then come back.  Don't worry, I'll wait!)



Step 1:  Don't post a job; post the problem the employee will solve.

This is a good way to come at your application/interview.  Do whatever research you can to try and determine what the company's main goal is in regard to the position you are applying for.  Tailor your experience on your resume accordingly in order to maximize your chances of getting an interview.  For example, if your research reveals that the previous occupant of the position lacked organizational skills, make sure you accentuate yours in your experience.

Once you get the interview, this is even easier.  Ask the recruiter (or whomever calls to set up the appointment) for some feedback on this.  The company will appreciate your desire to be prepared, and it will help you stand apart from others.  When you do your interview preparation, you can make sure that you hit as many of these areas of concern as possible.



Step 2:  Ask candidates to answer three key behavioral questions. 

• What do you know about our business and industry?
• How did you come to learn that what we do is important to our clients?
• What is your favorite aspect of our business, and why?

I LOVE these questions.  These are questions you should ask yourself before applying/interviewing for any position.  You should have an understanding of who it is you will be working for, and be sure you actually want to work for them.  Additionally, if you have the answers to these questions in your head when you interview, you will be able to answer their questions in a more enthusiastic and topical way.


Step 3:  Ask for their LinkedIn profile, Twitter name, and any other online presence that supports their candidacy.

This goes back to my advice on your personal branding.  Social media is just as important a job seeking tool as any other these days.  Make sure potential employers have something good to see.

and finally,

Make it very clear you do not want a resume or any other materials submitted beyond answering your three questions and providing social profile links.

The importance of this is to act as a reminder to always read the instructions the employer gives.  I can't tell you how many people I have seen get thrown right out of the process because they didn't bother to give the employer what they were asking for.  Be sure and provide everything they want, and nothing more.  Even if it is an accomplishment you are proud of, or you think it gives you an edge.  While it might do just that, you won't have the opportunity to get that edge if your inability to follow directions gets you rejected immediately.  Save it for when you get the interview!


 

"3 Secrets to Getting Hired With Linkedin" - WEBINAR TODAY

Sorry for the short notice on this, but I must have missed it the first time around.  Hopefully some of you can still make this, it sounds great!

"3 Secrets to Getting Hired With Linkedin"

Date: Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Time: 1:00 PM ET/10:00 PT

On the day of the event, please CLICK HERE to join.

You will be connected to audio using your computer's microphone and speakers.

A headset is recommended.


Courtesy of CAREEREALISM Staff