6 Tips On How To Maximise Results When Working With A Resume Writer
Writing your own resume can be tough! Most people start the process when they have seen an ad for a job they want. They then have all this pressure to quickly write a resume before the closing date. They sit down ready to get writing and hours later either find themselves staring at a blank screen or going around in circles… This is where professional resumes writers can help take the stress out of the application process. They do this all the time for people exactly like you. They understand what employers are looking for and more importantly, how to present your skills and experience (no matter how complex) so that you are considered a strong candidate. Below are some of our tips on how best to work with a professional writer so that you get the best resume possible. Tip #1: A resume writer is for everyone It’s a common myth that hiring a resume writer is only for highly paid professionals. Successful Resumes work with clients from all sectors in all roles. We’ve found that anyone can benefit from the services of a professional writer, from high school students right through to executives. In fact, we often encourage clients to come to us early in their career so they have a great foundation resume that they can adapt themselves as their career progresses. Tip #2: Let the resume writer work for you If the thought of working with a professional writer seems daunting, this is the easy part. They’re trained to work with job seekers and know the right types of questions to ask in order to get the best information down on paper for you. Let them do the hard work! They do this type of work day-in, day-out and know exactly what employers are looking for. Developing attractive resumes and staying up to date on the most effective resume techniques is part of their job, so sit back and let them work their magic for you. Tip #3: Be open and honest Providing as much information as you can and being as honest as possible will help the writer produce the most outstanding resume possible. For example, if you have a gap in your employment history, explain the real reason, not the reason you think they want to hear. Knowing the facts will help the writer design the most effective document and will also help prepare you for what to say in an interview. Tip #4: Don’t leave your writer guessing Your resume writer is an expert on just that, writing resumes. You are the expert on your career. The writer won’t be able to fill the gaps and can only work from the information you provide. Help them create a winning resume for you by providing all the relevant information in as much detail as possible. Tip #5: Be prepared with examples When professional writers meet with you, they will collect information about your career history and your accomplishments. Many clients find it difficult to recall specifics about their previous roles when they are put on the spot, so spend some time preparing beforehand. It is useful to write a list of all the times that you feel like you contributed to the success of the business. These could be improvements you made, relationships you built or any ideas you came up with to do something better. Tip #6: Be accessible and available Your resume writer will produce a draft and will ask multiple questions along the way. Being available to answer them is critical to keeping the ball rolling. The longer you take to respond, the longer it will take to receive your new resume back. Hiring an expert to write your resume is easy. Forget staring blankly at the screen for hours on end and let us do the hard work for you. Contact Successful Resumes, Australia’s most established network of professional resume writers, to help you create a contemporary resume that will help you get invited for your next job interview.
Managing Risk When Transitioning Employment
Most of us have an aversion to risk; we’re creatures who play things safe and when moving on from your current job to a new one, life can get a bit tricky. Putting in a good day’s work without arousing suspicion that other horizons are looking more attractive is tough. Maintaining enthusiasm for the job you have, while searching for the opportunity you desire, is an emotional journey involving fear, excitement, a sense of betrayal or justice amongst others. The pragmatics are this – if you have a great open relationship with your current manager you can probably discuss your future options; many of us though need the cloak of anonymity – the risk-free solution. Here are some tips for negotiating this tricky situation. Be strategic when networking for job opportunities We all know that lots of jobs are found using your network of professional and personal contacts, but it’s hard to openly start job hunting without the risk of your manager hearing about it on the grapevine. Don’t start telling everyone that you’re on the lookout for a new job or that you’ve had enough of your current one. Instead, casually begin conversations within your networks, saying that while you’re doing well in your current position, you’re always actively considering new options and planning your next big challenge. Don’t use your work email, computer or phone There is a good chance that your employer monitors your communication in the workforce. A country-by-country analysis of legislation on employee monitoring by legal firm Hogan Lovells, found Australia to be one of the easiest countries for employers to monitor their workers. This included keylogging, screen capturing, email communication and internet browsing. If you want to keep your job search under wraps, it’s best to only do it on devices you own. Organise your interviews appropriately Fitting interviews into your workday can be tricky. There are only so many times you can say you have an appointment without raising suspicions. As the first step, check if the interview can happen before or after work. If the prospective employer can only interview you during business hours, let your manager know you have a personal matter and need to take some annual leave time. Don’t let your clothes give you away If you usually go to work casually dressed, you’ll raise eyebrows if you turn up in a suit and tie. Try doing a superman-esque quick change in the bathroom to get into interview attire. Provide appropriate references One of the biggest challenges every job seeker faces. The best approach in the first instance is to offer the names of previous employers, a trusted colleague who can vouch for your performance and a character reference willing to verify the information listed on your resume is correct. If they insist on a reference from your supervisor explain that you haven’t disclosed you are looking for new roles and that you’re happy to provide that reference when an offer has been made. Many organisations will agree to make you on offer subject to a reference check. Tell your manager about new job offers in a timely, considerate manner Once you’ve received an offer you’re interested in, organise a private conversation with your manager to let them know. You certainly don’t want them to hear the news from someone else. Give them professional, objective reasons for moving on, and offer to make the transition as smooth as possible. This may mean you offer a reasonable amount of notice (not necessarily just the minimum required). You should also finalise or handover outstanding projects, and prepare procedures and handover notes for whoever may fill your position in the future. Leaving on good terms with your manager and colleagues always pays off! Not only will you strengthen your professional network and build a positive reputation but you never know who you might work with in the future. Of course, before you spend any time searching for new roles ensure your resume is up to date, looks contemporary and is targeted to roles that interest you. Speak to the team of professional resume writers at Successful Resumes to get started.
Why Body Language Counts at Job Interviews
It is widely recognised that more than half of your message doesn’t come from the words you say. Communication is both verbal and nonverbal, with your tone and body language having the biggest impact. So if you’re trying to make an impression, it’s critical to consider what your body is saying. Forget to smile, slouch in your chair or fail to make eye contact during an interview, and you could miss out on a job offer. Here are some tips on how you can create winning body language that could land you that job offer. Eye Contact Looking people directly in the eye conveys confidence, certainty and transparency. It builds a sense of trust and openness and helps develop a personal connection. But don’t forget to break away, holding eye contact too long can come across as aggressive and a little odd. In fact, Netflix has come under scrutiny for new workplace harassment rules that says you can’t look at anyone for more than five seconds because looking at anyone longer is considered “creepy”. The Handshake Greet your interviewer with direct eye contact and a firm handshake with just enough pressure to say you mean business without bone crushing. The perfect manoeuvre is to slide your hand into the web of theirs and make palm-to-palm contact. Lock thumbs with the hiring manager and apply similar pressure. Watch your Tone When we are nervous, we may find it difficult to control the speed, pitch and volume of our speech. We can come across as hesitant by clearing our throats or using excessive “ums and ahs”. The trick is to the calm that monkey in your mind! Aim for focus and clarity by learning how to relax your thoughts and your voice with your breathing. After each question, get into the habit of taking a deep breath, pausing and then proceeding. It will help make your answers clear and confident. Be Poised Just like your parents always told you: sit up straight! Leaning back comes across as lazy or arrogant; leaning forward can look aggressive and slouching looks disinterested. Instead, aim for a relaxed neutral position, sit up straight, but not so straight it looks like you’re craning your neck to the ceiling. Be Open Crossing your arms, and even your legs is one of the most recognised negative body language positions. It can signal that you are defensive, resistant or bored. Even if you find it the most comfortable way to hold your arms, in an interview you want to project openness and build a good relationship. Don’t be a space invader Be respectful of the interviewer’s personal space. Stand too close and you’ll make them uncomfortable, stand too far away and you’ll look uncomfortable. Aim for about an extended arm’s length away. Mind your hands When we are nervous, our hands like to do all sorts of things like touch our face, play with our hair, drum our fingers or plant themselves in our pockets. By all means, use your hands but keep the movements small and natural. Be Interested When the interviewer is speaking make eye contact and listen to what they are saying: don’t jump ahead and assume you know the question. Be mindful of your facial expressions and under no circumstances check your watch or your mobile phone during the interview. Once you’ve mastered all of that, don’t forget to smile! As much as the interview is about them identifying if you are a good match for the role, it should also be an opportunity for you to discover if the company is a good match for you. While the employer is working out whether you are capable and likeable – you can also be working out whether you think they’re likeable too! Interested in improving your interview performance? Speak to the team at Successful Resumes Australia to master your next interview.
How To Get A Job In Australia
Australia is a dream destination for many. Not only is it a popular holiday destination, but for many people, it is the perfect place to build a career or raise a family. Applying for a job in Australia can be a difficult process. A study by AMES Australia found that migrants often struggle to find opportunities for work. Luckily, the study also found that if migrants get support early in the job hunting process, many achieve great success. Here are some tips to help start your journey to working in Australia. Find an Australian Employment Visa that suits your circumstances As a first step, it is important to decide what Visa option fits your circumstances best. There are two key Visas’ for people wanting to find a job in Australia. The most common is an employer-sponsored work Visa. With this via, you need to already have a job with an employer who ‘sponsors’ your employment. With this Visa, you organise and receive approval before you arrive and start work in Australia. If you are not able to get a job in Australia before you arrive, you could try applying for a Points tested Visa. To get this Visa, you will need to demonstrate you have skills and qualifications that are in demand in Australia. For more information on Visas, the Australian Department of Home Affairs provides a useful Visa Options Comparison Chart that offers a high level overview of skilled Visa options. Once you have identified your Visa options, you will need to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) in Skills Select, the online system that processes skilled migration applications. After you have submitted your EOI, the Australian Government will invite you to apply for a skilled migration Visa. Build your English language skills Australia is an English speaking country so it will definitely help to know some English language before you arrive. Most employment Visas also require you to have “competent English” language skills. Look for local or online classes to help you learn. To prove you have competent English you will need to meet one of the criteria from this list. Check your qualifications are recognised in Australia To help your jobsearch, it is good to have your professional skills and/or qualifications formally assessed and recognised in Australia. Applying for skills recognition will help Australian employers better understand your qualifications and how they are a match for their job. The process compares your level of education to the Australian system. The Australian Skills Recognition Information service is part of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. The site will help you find out how to have your overseas qualifications, skills or experience assessed for the Australian jobs market. You can also find state-specific licensing and registration requirements so that you can practise your occupation in Australia. If you work in a job that is licensed including teaching, medicine or law, contact the regulatory body in the Australian state or territory before having your qualifications evaluated. They will be able to give you advice on what is required for a qualifications assessment. Create CV or Resume for Australia Resumes and CV’s can have small but noticeable differences depending on where in the world you come from. To improve your chances of getting a job in Australia, it is important that your resume reflects the local style, language and expected length. In Australia, resumes are typically two – three pages long so they keep the attention of potential hirers. They include a summary of your professional skills and experience, a detailed job history, your education, qualifications or licenses and sometimes even your hobbies. It is important that your resume demonstrates your skills with specific examples of how you have used your skills to achieve outcomes. Rather than just saying you have good communication skills. Perhaps include you have multilingual communication skills that you developed in a previous job writing reports for managers. There is no need to include personal details like religion, age, marital status etc. Use your networks and contacts to find a job in Australia Don’t just rely on job advertisements to find a job. Lot’s of jobs in Australia, and even around the world, are not formally advertised. Talk to your friends, family and wider networks to discover hidden job opportunities. Successful Resumes supports migrants from across the globe by writing professional resumes tailored to the Australian jobs market. Contact us for a free, no obligation discussion to see how we can help you.
Are Robots A Risk To Your Career?
You’ve applied for the perfect role. You have all the right skills and you should be the ideal candidate but you haven’t been called for an interview and you’re wondering what went wrong. You’re not alone. The world of recruitment has changed. Although technology has made it easier for companies to manage the hiring process, it has also made it harder for job seekers to land a job. One of the biggest impacts has been the rise of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). These systems have become so popular that Capterra’s Recruiting Software Impact Report found that 75% of recruiters and talent managers use some form of recruiting or applicant tracking software. For most jobseekers, this means your resume will be read by a robot before it lands in the hands of a human. Follow these easy steps to beat the systems and land your next opportunity. Write for the robot Applicant tracking systems process, store and analyse the hundreds or thousands of resumes companies receive . They help hiring managers sift through job applications to find the candidates who have skills that match the job requirements. If you want the software to identify you as a strong candidate you need to make sure you tell them you have the right skills. For each role you apply for, review the job description to identify the skills they will be looking for. Make sure your resume includes these skills, experience or qualifications. For example, if the role requires excellent communication skills, use your summary to demonstrate how you have excellent communication skills. It’s not enough to just say you have excellent communication skills though. To beat the competition, you need provide evidence to back up your claim like “Collaborative and outcome focussed communicator with experience negotiating client contracts valued at more than $30k” Avoid acronyms or lingo If you do use acronyms like CPA, make sure you also the full words ie. Certified Public Accountant, because you don’t know what search terms the software will be using. Also, be careful with company specific lingo or job titles. For example, visual merchandisers at H&M are called Sales Market Indoor and Window Responsible however if you use this in your resume and the software is searching for visual merchandiser, you might not come back as a match. Keep your style simple We all love the look of a Pinterest resume but sadly simplicity is the key for applicant tracking systems. Although the software is improving, generally they can’t read fancy fonts and complex formatting. Play it safe with standard fonts like Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, Verdana and Tahoma. Still unsure how to write a resume that works? Successful Resumes is Australia’s most established professional resume writers. We’ve helped more than 100,000 people in Australia get the job they want. Speak to one of our team members about how we can help you create a career-launching resume.
What your resume should look like in 2019
If getting a new job was one of your 2019 resolutions, then you are in the right place! We’re sharing our tips on how to write the perfect resume so you can you land the role you’ve always wanted. Be concise Research from the Ladders showed that on average, employers and recruiters spend six seconds reviewing a résumé. While we’re not entirely convinced that this is the case for every employer, we certainly know when it comes to recruiting there is information overload and attention spans are getting shorter. Keep your resume to an ideal two pages. Only provide detailed information for roles you have had in the last ten years. Earlier roles can be included as a list on your resume with more detail on your LinkedIn profile. Write your resume for your reader. This doesn’t mean you need to write a different resume for different roles. What it means is you should adapt your resume to the role. After all, if you want your resume to spark interest with the reader it has to feel relevant for them. The easiest way to adapt your resume is by using a summary section at the beginning of the document. This section is valuable real estate so maximise the impact by writing bullet points that demonstrate how you have the right skills and experience for the role. Make sure your summary reflects the job requirements for the role you are applying for. If they are looking for someone who can lead a team, include a bullet point about your management experience and approach. If they are looking for a customer service champion, give a brief example of why that’s you. To save time and effort, write lots of summary points. You can then cut and paste the five most relevant to the role you are applying for. This is particularly useful if you have had lots of different jobs so have broad, rather than, a specialised set of skills. Don’t just say it, prove it! Everyone can say they have good communication skills on their resume but unless you link it to evidence, it doesn’t hold much weight. Improve the success of your resume by providing proof of your skills or experience. You don’t need to write every bullet point as a proof point but at least half is ideal. For example, if you want to apply for the role of HSE Manager and the (real-life) job advertisement says the position requires “Demonstrated collaborative leadership skills – utilising collective leadership skills to create connection across all teams within the HSE function and with other stakeholder teams; including the ability to share and utilise team resources to provide seamless, organisational approach to the delivery of the HSE strategy”. Start by breaking it down into key themes. In this case, I could pull out, collaborative, leadership skills, create connection, other stakeholders and organised delivery of the HSE strategy. Picking one or two of these, I would use a bullet point to give evidence of my ability. For example: Experienced change manager with success collaborating across large organisations to integrate HSE strategies as a seamless partner to business operations and reduce workplace injuries by 65% Show your value Every job has a value or purpose or importance. If it didn’t, it probably wouldn’t exist. Rather than writing about the job requirements for your previous roles, write about what you did and how it improved the business/team/customer etc. To help write outcome focussed bullet points start the sentence with an active verb like designed, compiled, changed or organised. If you’re in a senior role, consider words like pioneered, accelerated, generated, aligned, led and grew. Strengthen the content even further by quantifying your statements using the 7 key values of who, what, why, when, where or how much. Providing this information gives context to your experience and reinforces the potential value you bring to a business. Get help If you find you’re stuck, Successful Resumes are one of Australia’s largest and most experienced team of resume writers. We’ve helped more than 100,000 people in Australia kick start, grow, or change their careers. Get in touch with us below and we’ll help you create the career you want.
The Ultimate Guide to Beating Application Tracking Systems
For more than twenty years, applicant tracking systems (ATS) have been filtering hundreds or thousands of job applications to help employers find their perfect candidates. So what are these systems and how does it affect you as a job seeker? We’ve developed the ultimate guide to ATS and how to beat them! Sometimes known as automated recruiting software, resume parsing systems read and parse (analyse) resumes and job applications that are received electronically. Using algorithms, the software classifies each application to determine if it should be stored or trashed. Only resumes that have all the required information will be stored in the system. There are two key phases when it comes to preparing a resume suitable for ATS. The first is getting your resume accepted and stored in the system. The second, and equally important, is making sure your resume is successful in electronic searches. We’ll break these down now. How to make sure your resume can be processed by ATSTo investigate the best way to beat the system, we went to the software developers themselves. The number one tip for creating a software-friendly resume is, keep the style simple. Leading electronic processing software provider, Sovern Group go as far as saying “Computers do not appreciate style or cleverness. Quirky, clever resumes will not be processed correctly by resume software and they will, therefore, end up in a cold dark place where no one can hear you scream”. Sounds dire? Well, it can be if you are a frustrated job seeker who has been applying for multiple roles with no luck. So what does a simple style look like? Avoid using graphics to represent data.In fact, there isn’t much benefit to using any images including logos, clip art or even headshots. They are invisible in most systems. Don’t use headers and footers.Most software programs cannot read information in headers. It’s common for people to put their contact details in the header but doing so risks the information not being read and you not being reached! Don’t use tables or columns.Although tables help organise information neatly and maximise the document space in MSWord, once they are scanned into a system, they can create a scrambled mess. We often see clients come to us with resumes that list their previous experience like this. Jul 2015 – Current Head of Customer Experience Little Big CompanyAug 2009 – Jun 2015 Customer Service Manager Woweee PartiesDec 2005 – Jul 2008 Sales Assistant Something SweetWhile it looks great in Word, It could look like this once transferred into automated software. Jul 2015 – Current Aug 2009 – Jun 2015 Dec 2005 – Jul 2008 Head of Customer Experience Customer Service Manager Sales Assistant Little Big Company Woweee Parties Something Sweet Try not to be tempted by resume templates.Although they might look good, they almost always have elements that don’t work in recruiting software so could end up hurting your chances of getting the job. Use standard font styles and avoid using small caps or other text effects.Popular standard fonts for resumes include Times New Roman, Arial, Tahoma, Verdana, Calibri. Use standard headings.Help the system know where to find the right information by using common headings including, Summary, Work Experience and Education Be consistent with formatting.When it comes to your work experience section, make sure the formatting for each of your roles is consistent so the system knows how to process your job information. In order to process the document, resume parsing systems convert resumes into plain text. If you want to double check how it will look, save and review a plain text version of your document before sending. How to get your resume found in ATS searches.You’ve sent in your resume along with another 120 candidates. All the resumes are processed and stored in the system ready for employers to find the six or so top candidates to interview. So how do you make sure you are selected for an interview? Simple. Make sure your resume uses the words they would search for. Maximise your keywordsJust like how you use Google, employers and/or recruiters will select keywords based on the requirements of the role for their searches. Most of the time, hints on what these keywords might be will be included in the job advertisement. Make sure your resume talks about the skills they are looking for. Leverage your transferable skillsIf you are changing careers and don’t necessarily have all the skills they are looking for, it is worth talking to a career development professional. They can help you frame your previous experience and maximise your transferrable skills. Ace the acronymsIf you work in an industry with lots of acronyms, it is important to spell out the acronyms. There is no rule whether people search for the full term or the acronym so it’s better to cover your bases. Try to incorporate the title of the position you are applying for in your resume.If you are applying for a business development role but your previous job titles have been Strategic Partnerships Manager, Revenue Magnet or even Creator of Something from Nothing, think about changing one of your titles to Business Development Manager or including it in your summary. If you’re still not sure how to create a system-ready resume, speak to the professional resumes writers at Successful Resumes Australia.
Placing a value on personality – Why soft skills should be celebrated
In 2018, LinkedIn surveyed approximately 4,000 professionals. The aim was to find out how workplace learning can support the evolving needs of businesses. What came out of the study, is a clear consensus that soft skills were the highest priority to develop, nurture and grow. As technology matures, the pace of change in many workplaces is at full throttle. Companies have discovered that the ability to harness this change can create a competitive advantage. As a result, they are searching for talent who use soft skills like adaptability, critical thinking and communication skills to prepare them for the opportunities of tomorrow. So, what are soft skills?Soft skills are personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people. Combining people skills, communication skills, social skills, teamwork, attitudes, personality traits and emotional intelligence, they are the skills that help people build relationships, navigate their environment, be adaptable to change, drive performance and achieve goals. It could be as simple as being a great listener – and then with the added complexity of being a great listener who uses empathy and understanding to interpret needs and demands and articulate these as business opportunities. While there is growing consensus that soft skills are important, in fact, 92% of executives say that they are equally important or more important than technical skills, they often can’t be taught or measured on paper. What soft skills are employers looking for in 2019?Different roles require different approaches to be successful so the soft skills you’ll need will depend on the role you are in. With more than 50,000 different professional skills, LinkedIn used their data to determine the skills that companies are looking for in 2019. Below is a list of 2019’s most in-demand skills and why they matter; Creativity – automation is doing a fantastic job of optimising old ideas and practices but organisations who want to stay ahead of the pack need creative people who can come up with solutions for tomorrow.Persuasion – it is a competitive world out there and having a great product or concept alone isn’t enough to be successful. Companies need people who can champion an idea and convince other people to buy into it.Collaboration – as workplaces grow more complex and outcomes become more global, being able to collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders is critical.Adaptability – technology and globalisation are requiring organisations to constantly change at an incredible pace. Being flexible and versatile in your thinking supports organisations navigate change and prepare for the opportunities of tomorrow.Time Management – this skill is never going to go out of fashion because the better you are at managing your time, the better your output is likely to be. Mastering time management is a skill that can be learnt and benefits you at any stage of your career.Along with this list, it would be hard to find a job advertisement that doesn’t refer to communication, leadership, critical thinking, organisation, teamwork or punctuality. How do you learn soft skills?Each skill will often need a different approach. We suggest you start with a list of the most important soft skills for your role. Consider the list and acknowledge where your strengths are and where you have opportunities to develop. Once you have your targeted skills you can look for the right opportunities to help you develop these skills. For example; if it is communication skills that you would like to develop, think about joining your local Toastmasters group. Toastmasters is a not for profit training organisation that focuses on communication and leadership development with more than 800 clubs in Australia. If time management is a challenge for you, try Google. A quick search can show you hundreds of life hacks or tried and tested strategies to help you master your minutes. Most often it will be about having clear goals and a schedule to keep you on track. Developing soft skills can also be about changing your personal behaviours. This can make them hard to teach because of their personal nature, but easy to self learn if someone is committed to change. How do you showcase soft skills on your resume?Demonstrating your soft skills are important to show how you can add value to a potential employer. The key to a great resume is demonstrating. You can’t just say you have good communication skills. You have to prove your claim by including evidence or examples of when your communication skills made something work. So rather than: Good written and verbal communication skillsTry the formula of claim + evidence using who, what, where, when, why or how. Excellent written communication skills, experienced in drafting correspondence, reports and internal documents for an executive audienceA patient-centred communicator who is caring, engaging and respectful and builds a positive rapport with patients from all backgroundsHighly developed communication and interpersonal skills; acts as a trusted conduit between brands, creative agencies and suppliers to achieve the best possible client experience and outcomesEngaging communicator with strong negotiation and influencing skills resulting in high levels of reported customer satisfaction Still stuck? Working with a professional resume writer can help. Successful Resumes has been preparing professionally written CV’s and resumes for people in Australia for the last 25 years. Submit an enquiry below to have a no obligation chat about your resume.
Why Tailoring Your Resume Can Help Land You The Job
If your job search strategy involves firing off the same resume and cover letter for every application, it might be time for a re-think. Although the idea of sending your standard resume is appealing from a time and effort perspective when it comes to job applications, content is critical but relevance is king. The most relevant resume is one that’s customised to the role or job opportunity. So how do you minimise the time it takes to tailor your resume? We’ve laid out a few simple steps to help you create a winning resume, every time. Luck = Preparation + OpportunityThe key to job search success is preparation. We’ve worked with thousands of clients who have found a job they want to apply for but haven’t prepared a resume in years. It becomes a mad dash to submit the application before the deadline and while we give it our best, the best would have undoubtedly been better if we have more time. The perfect time to prepare your resume is when you’re not looking for work. Our experience is that people approach the process with more clarity and confidence when they don’t have the stress of a deadline looming. Develop a Master ResumeThe first step to being prepared is to connect with a professional resume writer to develop your master resume or foundation document. The resume writer will work with you to create a document that contains all of the information a recruiter or hiring manager will want to know including: an evidence-based summary of your career, experience and qualificationsa list of your skillsdetailed employment history, complete with outcome focussed statements on how you have solved problems or contributed to the success of your previous employerseducation and professional development coursespersonal detailsWe recommend clients update this document annually (often coinciding with performance reviews) so that the content stays up to date. Adapt Your Master ResumeThis master resume is a complete career history. Once completed, you can use this generic (and normally longer) document as your starting point. You can then adapt it to the position you would like to apply for. To do this, start by looking at the job description. Make a list of the keywords. These include the skills, experience or qualifications that the employer is looking for. Rank these keywords based on your strengths. Put the keyword you have the most experience or success in at the top of the list and work your way down. Now you want to customise the various elements of your resume. This includes the headline statement (if you have one) and career summary, and the highlights from your employment history. To keep your resume concise, we suggest using a maximum of six bullet points in your career synopsis or summary. Select the top six keywords and create a bullet point for each. The bullet point should refer to the keyword and then provide evidence or proof of your claim. For example, if the job advertisement says:This global leader is looking for a Sales Engineer with at least 6+ years’ experience to support the Sales leader in Australia and New Zealand drive exponential growth in the region. The Sales Engineer must have a Bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics or Computer Science and will provide expert level support to enterprise customers. They will work directly with Sales Directors and Solutions Architects to develop and recommend appropriate solutions for customers. We would pull out these keywords:Sales Engineer 6+ years’ experience Bachelor degree Drive exponential growth Enterprise customers Work with Sales Directors and Solutions Architects Develop solutions Then use them to create an introductory paragraph that says:Degree qualified sales engineer with over ten years’ experience supporting ABC company grow from a $200k entity to a $14m business by designing innovative technical solutions that meet the evolving needs of enterprise customers. If we want to use bullet points, we take the highest ranked keywords to create succinct points like below. In this case, we used the keywords Sales Engineer, 6+ years’ experience and Bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics or Computer Science. Tertiary qualified Communication Engineering and Information Technology professional with eighteen years’ experience leading product sales in a high growth environment Even if you left the rest of your master resume unchanged, highlighting the keywords from the job description in your summary immediately shows the reader that you have proven experience and success in a similar role. However, continuing to tailor your master document could add even more value. We suggest looking at the responsibilities and achievement bullet points under each role. Ifis a good idea to re-order them in order of relevance (again, use the keywords as a guide). If you find the resume is too long, delete the bullet points that are not relevant to the advertised role. Of course, if you are using your resume to leverage your network, seek a secondment or promotion, or facilitate a career change, you may need to customise the resume even further. However, the principles are the same. 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What’s the difference between a resume and a CV?
With Australians using resume and CV interchangeably, it’s no wonder there is a common perception that the two words mean the same thing, but do they? Most employers in Australia would say there is little difference between a resume and CV. A quick scroll through Seek shows that although resume seems more popular, job advertisements commonly use either term when asking candidates to submit an application. In India, South Africa and many Asian countries the terms are also used synonymously. Although it is often said that resume is used more in the private sector while CV is preferred for public sector roles. Despite the wide amalgamation, CV’s and resumes started out as quite different documents and in some parts of the world, they still are. We’ll give you an overview below. Curriculum Vitae Latin for the “course of (one’s) life” a curriculum vitae, often shortened as CV, is a thorough chronological document that details your education and employment history. The term CV is used almost exclusively in the UK, Ireland, Europe, and New Zealand with resume being uncommon. Europe is so serious about the CV, they have an official European Union format to improve the transparency of qualifications and make it easier for cross border workers in the EU. Normally spanning a minimum two pages (but can be more than 10), a CV is typically longer than a resume and gives a more in-depth look into your work history, accomplishments, and skills. The format is structured, the design is minimalist and the document is completely functional. Popular in academia, CV’s almost always include more detailed information on your academic background. This could include your schooling, degrees, research, awards, presentations, publications, memberships and other achievements. Resume The word Resume originated from French résumé which means “to summarise”. In 1482, Leonardo da Vinci wrote a letter to a potential employer, Ludovico il Moro, Duke of Milan. Credited as the world’s first résumé, the letter lists how Leonardo’s skills as an experienced contriver of instruments of war could benefit the Duke. As the default job application document used in the United States and Canada, Resumes are most often a one page summary of your education, work history, accomplishments, and skills. Due to the length, they are often written specifically for a role and focus only on relevant information. There is definitely no verbose descriptions of your achievements and bullet points are kept to a minimum. They are normally either chronological, functional or combination format. In recent years, they have become design led. Contemporary styles using infographics, images and colour blocks have started hitting employer desks in the hope they will stand out. Which one should you have? CV or Resume? We recommend you do what Australians do well! Take the strengths of each and blend them into a new and improved version. We’ll name this the résumé vitae, a summary of your life. Employers might only spend a few seconds assessing your application but when they do, they are looking to answer the question ‘why you?’ What makes you a great candidate? This information is almost always in the detail. Employers want to see evidence of how you contributed to the success of previous employers because it’s a good indication of what you will bring to their table. This is the level of detail you would find in a CV. The expectation in Australia is that most resumes are two, three and occasionally even four pages, whilst graduates or career starters can submit a one or two-page resume. Unless you are applying for a role in academia, employers probably don’t care too much about the subjects you studied, your research topics or your marks. This is more consistent with a resume where only the qualification and the institution are sufficient. Although you can blend your styles, employers still prefer the chronological style of a CV. It is more transparent and easier for employers to read. Finally and most importantly, the resume principle of writing to the reader is always going to be a winner. If you want an employer to think you are the perfect candidate, make sure your job application matches your experience to the job description advertised. Successful Resumes have been helping people in Australia get the job they want for more than 25 years. We are experts at writing resumes and CV’s that help you get ahead. For more information about our services, get in touch below.