CAREER CHANGE RESUMES FOR 2012

Career change resumes need to emphasize and market your transferable skills more than your work experience in another industry. In 2012, it is YOUR responsibility to analyze and present those skills to prospective employers.

WHERE must you do this? In the bulleted Summary section of a Combination resume. This type of resume combines the best features of both the chronological AND the functional formats.

(NOTE: Most employers DON'T like Functional resumes. They don't like to read a lot about your skills, abilities and achievements unless they can also MATCH UP these items with the job titles and dates to which they refer. Recruiters usually distrust a Functional resume because they know it is often used by those with something to hide or disguise. This makes them very wary and suspicious.)

Many of you need to change careers from one industry to another. For example, the continuing housing crisis in the U.S. has forced many mortgage professionals to leave this industry. (The debacles on Wall Street have done the same to investment banking executives.) The retail and automotive industries are also in a terrible mess.

As a result, many mortgage lending (and investment banking) professionals need to think about a CAREER CHANGE. The same applies to executives in retail, manufacturing and employees of General Motors. It means developing a strong change-of-career resume to impress recruiters in a new industry.
For example, an Industrial Engineer or Purchasing Manager in the automotive industry may need to apply to the Aerospace, Medical Device, Appliance Manufacturing or Healthcare industries.

Choose a Job You Love

"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." - Confucius

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." - Albert Schweitzer

"I never did a day's work in my life. It was all fun." - Thomas A. Edison


Here’s how to offer your VALUE -- your skills, experience and accomplishments in a career change resume:

1. STATE YOUR JOB OBJECTIVE OR GOAL UP FRONT:
In 2012, you must tell employers up front what type of position you are seeking now. Don't expect them to guess or read and analyze your resume from A to Z. They WON'T because they are NOT your skills analysts. Besides, it is very unfair to expect them to do what is, after all, YOUR homework!

Develop a resume title or heading that spells it out clearly — such as “OBJECTIVE: Pharmaceutical Sales / Medical Sales.”

Or write an objective that focuses on a specific employer's needs as stated in a job ad and NOT just on what you want. Add to this, 2-3 lines summarizing your key skills and strengths and/or one or two bulleted accomplishments as your selling "hooks". (NOTE: Never assume that these skills will be known to employers outside the mortgage industry. And never ask employers to "utilize all of your skills." Only God knows what all of your skills and abilities are.)

2. WHAT ARE YOUR TRANSFERABLE SKILLS? (10-15):
Mortgage and other Loan officers have already developed a variety of skills and also have a wealth of knowledge that is easily transferable to other industries.

Examples include analyzing and identifying the needs of customers, evaluating their assets, liabilities and creditworthiness, consultative selling or solutions selling or cross-selling, investment or credit counseling, risk evaluation or assessment, relationship building, communication skills, presentation skills, inside/outside sales, closing skills, and proficiency in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint,etc.

But you need to analyze and then detail these transferable skills in your resume to help the reader understand what your CAN DOs are -- especially if you acquired them in another industry. What you claim is transferable, must also make sense to the reader!

You can incorporate your transferable skills into a Qualifications Summary, under “Areas of Skill/Experience/Expertise” and also in the body copy or “Work Experience” section.
3. WHERE TO OFFER YOUR MOST MARKETABLE SKILLS AND STRENGTHS:
A good Summary of Qualifications is a MUST for career changers. You can write it as a brief paragraph or a few bulleted statements. It gives you the opportunity to show and tell employers why your skills would also be valuable to them and why they should interview you. For example:

"Seek to transition my highly related and transferable skills (analyzing, consulting, advising, planning, strategizing, and relationship building) to Investment Banking."
How to Present Your Related Skills as Bullets:








How to Present Your Related Skills as Bullets:





 Skill in researching and identifying potential clients for .....
 Meeting and consulting with clients to analyze and assess or evaluate their current and future financial situations and needs.
 Helping clients to develop customized investment strategies and plans that fit their short and long-term goals.
 Able to educate and teach clients about financial/banking/ insurance products due to my background in Education.
 Success in building rapport and earning the trust and respect of clients due to my personal and professional credibility.
 Excellent communication, presentation and platform skills.
 Problem solving skills.
 Superior relationship building skills.
 Can aggressively build a solid client base that will ultimately drive revenue.
 Leadership and team building skills.
 Proven ability to direct teams in managing customer relationships and providing a range of services.
 Entrepreneurial spirit; business acumen; high energy level.

Or as a Paragraph:“Outstanding sales professional with a track record of accomplishment selling complex products and services to C-level executives in highly competitive marketplaces, now desires to to transition into new product lines and industries. My forte is building rapport and developing ongoing and productive relationships with key accounts.”

4. CONVERT YOUR NEGATIVES INTO POSITIVES:
The ability to survive, act positively and solve problems during a crisis or tough times is something to mention in your resume. Consider adding a bulleted accomplishment or two highlighting such an item.

For example, one administrative client of mine had to cope during a labor strike at the nursing home where she worked. Cathy did not leave her post for days, hired the necessary replacement staff and helped to keep the facility running. She recorded this in her resume and received five interviews and five job offers in a single week! (When she first approached me for assistance, Cathy's biggest concern was the lack of a completed 4-year degree! She had modestly viewed her major accomplishment as "I was just doing my job.")

5. MENTION PREVIOUS PRODUCTION NUMBERS OR USE COMPARISONS WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF YOUR PEERS OR IN RELATION TO INDUSTRY AVERAGES:
“What do I use for accomplishments if my employer has gone bankrupt or if the mortgage industry has collapsed?” Make comparisons to the performance of your peers if this will present you in a favorable light. For example, you may have only closed one deal last month, but if that tied for first place in your office then you can truthfully report that you achieved top ranking despite the industry’s decline! And even if you haven’t received any sales awards this year, include previous honors from other years. Employers like to see a track record of consistent and repeated achievement.

Below are a few samples of bulleted accomplishments to guide you in creating or phrasing your own.

How to Word Your Accomplishments:
-- Received national awards for production: Quadruple Gold nationwide. (Only agent team to receive this award in Miami, FL)
-- “Consistently led the office in sales volume, earning top rankings for production during periods of high growth as well as market decline.”
-- “Recipient of numerous awards during my six-year tenure, including repeated ‘Top Sales’ rankings and election to the President's Club for my superior production (six consecutive months of exceeding $1M in volume).”
-- Consistently achieved 120% or better of established production goals; achieved 130% of business development goal.
-- Exceeded customer retention and business development goals by building the client base to more than 200 clients.

6. REMOVE OR MINIMIZE INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC TERMS:
Due to the negative publicity that Wall Street and the mortgage/asset-backed securities industries have received, you may be tarnished with the same brush through “guilt by association”. You may even be unfairly accused of contributing to the troubles or even demise of a company.

However, sincere and hardworking professionals can deal with this problem by minimizing industry-specific terms in your resume. Avoid mentioning "Wall Street" or “sub-prime,” and even the term “mortgage”. Instead, use neutral phrases or euphemisms like “finance” and “financial services”.

Do these resume tips really help in a career change resume? Below is a recent success story:"Matthew:

First, let me say that I have had rave reviews on my resume from everyone and many have said how impressed they were by my unique career change resume -- from real estate sales to investment banking. It made a lot of sense to them. They could see for themselves what my transferable skills were and why they could use me. This helped them to see my VALUE, as you predicted.

I have already had three interviews with Raymond James and with Merill Lynch. I have been meeting most of the folks at Raymond James and am excited about starting a new career with them. I am already studying for my Series 7 and it has so far been both challenging and fun. I can't thank you enough for all your support and encouragement." -- H.A., Orlando, Florida

For free advice about a career change resume FOR YOU, please E-mail or call me for a FREE consultation or price quote. My fees are extremely reasonable.

mattgreene@aol.comTel.: 1-718-436-3504


Copyright, 2006-2012 by Matthew Greene. All rights reserved.
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Tags:
CAREER CHANGE RESUMES
RESUMES FOR MORTGAGE INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS

RESUMES FOR RETAIL INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS

RESUMES FOR AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS

YES, YOU CAN FIND MANY UNADVERTISED JOBS IN 2012. HOW? BY UNCOVERING THEM

YES, you can still find many unadvertised jobs in 2012. How? By uncovering them. Where? In your own public library. And by networking. HIRING NEVER STOPS -- not even in the Great Recession of 2012.

Find ways to bump into and speak to those who have already interviewed for jobs. Your relatives and friends will also hear of vacancies in their own companies.

Take advantage of social networking websites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to try and identify employers and people within those organizations who may help you.

Keep moving and keep searching. Finding a job is the hardest job of all. It's a 9-5 job in itself! PLEASE DON'T QUIT!

PLEASE VISIT ANY MAJOR PUBLIC LIBRARY. CHECK OUT OLD CLASSIFIED JOB ADS (6-36 MONTHS) THAT APPEARED IN LEADING NEWSPAPERS. YOU WILL SEE WHO WAS HIRING BEFORE AND WILL BE HIRING AGAIN. DO THE SAME SEARCH IN TRADE JOURNALS. Why?

Career News reminds us that workers change jobs, industries, or even careers several times over. This ongoing turnover is known as "churn." The constant churn of workers switching jobs means that at any one time there are plenty of job openings for you -- even amid low unemployment rates or corporate cutbacks as we are witnessing today.



"The immediate reaction of companies, in a slumping U.S. economy and in this recession, is to pull back on hiring activity. But it is generally agreed today, that it was the laying off of essential personnel which contributed most to the demise of Circuit City in 2008. In 1986, the downsizing of AT&T also went too far and many essential personnel had to be re-hired later.) After a period of reactionary cutting, downsizing, rightsizing, and freezing, hiring activity will return.

In other words: workers will quit, retire, get fired, be transferred, find new jobs, return to school, move to new locations, start new businesses, etc. -- even during the 2012 recession. .

Churn will accelerate during the present recession or Depression. Like star athletes who don't want to play for losing teams, top professionals seek out opportunities to play for more successful or less risky organizations and perhaps move from the automotive to the alternative energy or other industry.

Thus, some previously filled positions will now be VACANT again. This is how you, too can uncover or discover the internal or "hidden" or unadvertised job market. Visiting a large public library is as productive and worthwhile an exercise as personal networking.

New vacancies arise all of the time as a result of 10 or more different scenarios, in addition to the usual layoffs, terminations, resignations, transfers, promotions, injury, or death.

BE PROACTIVE. FIND OUT THE NAME OF THE HIRING MANAGER:

If you are able to find an opening before it is posted it can make getting a job easier.

Here are two different ways to discover these opportunities for a position. (They are suggested in The Career News, 10/04/10.)

Find out the name of the Hiring Manager and call them to introduce yourself. Making a good impression with the manager is key, as you will only have a few minutes. Tell the hiring manager your interests and what areas of the company you would be interested in if a job becomes available. By making this connection you could get a phone call before the job is posted.

Another approach to consider is following up on a past interview. If you interviewed with a company in the past but did not get the job, there could be a chance you left an impression. If you feel you had a good rapport with the company but were not just the right fit for that position, get in contact with the interviewer. Tell them you're still hunting for a new job. Let them know you are interested if there is a position that would be perfect for you. Having the ability to apply for a job before it is posted is ideal. This will get your foot in the door before anyone else has a chance to send their resume.

HOW I MANAGED TO UNCOVER OR DISCOVER THREE UNADVERTISED JOBS

I, myself, have done this job search exercise three times in my career -- in a public library. I discovered that one in 12 positions that had previously been filled, were now vacant again. They had previously been advertised but were now in the category of unadvertised jobs in the "hidden" job market. Call or write to those companies. Send them your winning resume and cover letter. Tell them you wanted to apply at the time but were not free to do so or write TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF A SUITABLE POSITION FOR YOURSELF.

I was once the ONLY applicant for a Senior Personnel Manager position in a Fortune 500 company and was appointed within hours -- WITHOUT any competition from other applicants. How could this possibly happen?

This major steel company had already hired the top H.R. person in that State but, after only three short months, they parted company because the new hire and the CEO were not on the same page. X company was then too embarrassed to advertise the position again. At that strategic moment, I contacted them about their 6-month-old job advertisement and was available immediately for the factory's 3-shift operation. The result? I was hired within hours and started quietly and without any fanfare or public announcement concerning this unadvertised management position.

At another time, I was hired for a senior Accounting / Administrative position. The "perfect" candidate was someone from IBM. He was supposed to start on a certain day but decided to accept an offer from another company -- at the 11th hour. It happens all of the time. Again, I was the only "warm body with a pulse" on the premises and willing to step in. They could not wait any longer. I later overheard them say about me: "If he doen't make out, we can always fire him."

Please note that the top three applicants for any position will probably be interviewing for other positions as well and will be receiving offers from more than one company. Such "stars" know their own value and will be demanding bigger compensation packages than the employer is willing or able to meet. In other words, some top applicants will get screened out due to their high salary expectations. Even if they are appointed, they may not stay in the job for a long time before being approached by a headhunter with another tempting offer. Or their previous employer might lure them back with a better counteroffer.

NEVER assume that a position which had already been filled in the past 6-24 months, is still unavailable. It might have become vacant again at any time and might now be an unadvertised position.

Employers or recruiters who advertised in newspapers before, may be unwilling to do so again. Why should they spend this money when they are paying a Human Resources Manager to find staff and so many thousands of resumes are displayed on job boards on the Internet. Their advertising budget cuts will definitely mean more unadvertised positions for you to find or uncover or discover.

I also managed to uncover another position as a Management Recruiter in a Fifth Avenue firm in New York City. How ? By responding to a six-month old job ad. Although someone else had indeed been appointed at the time, that party was not working out and I was available to replace him. Again, I was hired immediately and WITHOUT any competition from other applicants.

In the real estate field, a similar type of situation can happen when a seller becomes desperate to sell. Here you have to research small classified ads and make many phone calls to find or uncover or discover what you are looking for -- a desperate and highly motivated seller who needs to start a new job in another city within a week or who needs to sell the house as part of a divorce settlement or for another urgent reason. Such a party will sometimes be compelled to agree to your "no money down" offer to buy his/her home.

SO, KEEP MOVING SO THAT YOU, TOO CAN BE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME. MANUFACTURE YOUR OWN LUCK. BUT PLEASE DO NOT INVITE A HEADHUNTER TO PUT A PRICETAG ON YOUR HEAD. DON'T EXPECT AN EMPLOYER TO BE WILLING TO PAY A FAT COMMISSION FOR HIRING YOU. RATHER APPLY DIRECT TO COMPANIES -- WITH A WINNING RESUME.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL ME FOR A FREE CONSULTATION Sincerely MATT GREENE mattgreene@aol.com Tel.: 1-718-436-3504

Copyright, 2006-2012 by Matthew Greene. All rights reserved.

Tags:

UNCOVER THE HIDDEN JOB MARKET, FIND OR UNCOVER UNADVERTISED JOBS, UNADVERTISED JOBS IN A RECESSION OR DEPRESSION, FINDING AN UNADVERTISED JOB WITHOUT HEADHUNTERS

Headhunters want you to believe that only they have access to unadvertised jobs. They also pretend that only they can access the so-called "hidden" job market. Folks, that's just hokum. Bunk. Hogwash. B.S. Pick whatever term you're comfortable with! It's simply not true.

MILLIONS OF JOBS ARE GOING UNFILLED

HERE IS THE PROOF

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA -- SimplyHired has released its job trends report highlighting national and local market outlooks, and industry and employer trends. After returning to pre-recession levels, nationwide job openings continued to increase, gaining 6.7% month-over-month and 33.9% year-over year. In March, the government released the most optimistic employment report we've seen in a long time. (The Career News, May 16, 2011)

The outlook for hiring in 2011 is much better than it has been in the last two years. With the slight uptick in consumer spending, retailers and automakers are hiring. Manufacturing hires are also up. Other job postings on the increase include accounting, health care and telecommunications.

Internet job listings have surged to 4.7 million as of December 1, 2010 compared to 2.7 million from the same period a year ago. This is according to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal. Many of the new jobs are in the retailing, accounting, consulting healthcare, telecommunications, and defense related industries, according to data from the job search website Indeed.com. (Farming, manufacturing and construction jobs are under-represented in the survey.)

In October, AOL Career News reported that the following companies were/are hiring for Management, Sales and other positions: AT&T, Z.Zep, Inc., Domino's Pizza, Allstate, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Meineke, Sodexo, Aegis Therapies, Family Dollar, Interstate Bakeries Corporation, CVS Caremark, UPS, Aflac, Verizon Wireless, Sears, Roebuck & Co., Dollar General, adidas, Olan Mills Studio, Quest Diagnostics, H&R Block Tax Services, etc.

Career News reported recently from Washington as follows: "We are in the worst recession in over 20 years, but employers still have millions of jobs going unfilled.

"Bob Gerberg Jr, the CEO of ITS, an outplacement firm, said that this is partially because many people are doing the wrong things and some counselors are still advising job hunters to use methods from the 1990s. "But, traditional job hunting is no longer effective. Gerberg says too many people still prepare a self-written historical resume (instead of the focused or tailored resume required in today's job market). Then they just start answering ads, networking with some friends, contacting a few recruiters, post their resume once or twice and they stop there. "It is hard to believe, said Gerberg, but that's all that tens of millions of people still do. In a typical month they generate only one or two interviews.

"Today, much more is needed. A great many job hunters have good experience and backgrounds, they just need a better approach. The market may be down, but there are still millions of jobs out there. " They need to approach the job market in a much different way. New job hunting approaches are necessary to be competitive in today's job market."

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN UNCOVER MANY UNADVERTISED JOBS IN 2012:

THE AWFUL TRUTH ABOUT SELF-WRITTEN RESUMES

The awful truth is that many homemade resumes commence with a poorly worded Objective or "Profile" or amateurish verbiage such as "Self motivated ..." or "Dedicated" or with the very stale cliche, "Results oriented ...".

Or with a weakly written "Executive Summary" or a weak or confusing Branding Statement .

There are also clumsy sentences that look like they were copied from the same sample resumes. All in all, I find such self-written efforts boring and they don't "sell" me. They won't impress or "sell" picky recruiters either.

Even perfectly written English sentences may have little or no value in marketing you! Good resume writing is much more than English 101. You cannot learn the art of effective resume writing by creating five or ten resumes. You will still be an amateur.

Many well-written Marketing and Communications resumes don't get past Sally the Screener. Why? Because they look so similar and uninviting. They cannot be scanned in seconds. Nothing jumps out at the reader. No italics or bolds are used. Accomplishments lie buried or hidden in the gray text. Nothing is properly highlighted despite the 20-30 black bullets used. (These bullets are neither smart nor strategic. They are used decoratively.)

And some executives foolishly leave out a 10-line Branding Statement or Value Statement. Out of either arrogance or ignorance, they fail or omit to address any of the employer's needs upfront. Unfortunately, this is not 1990, so Sally the Screener is compelled to screen them out.

Please call me on 718-436-3504. My fees are extremely reasonable.

H.R. Can't Write Winning Resumes

Recruiters usually screen out a resume in only 15 seconds. That's quite easy to do. But are they also able to write their own resume in order to avoid being screened out themselves? And are they really qualified to assist you to write yours?

In my experience, most H.R. persons do NOT know enough about selling or marketing themselves in a resume. You see, their experience of scanning, reading, critiquing, and screening out thousands of incoming resumes, does NOT teach them how to write their own. They can only criticize! (An H.R. person is like a baseball catcher who has handled thousands of balls but now tries to pitch or throw a single change-up or curve ball. Only pitchers are trained to do that.) To sell an idea or concept is often referred to as "pitching".

This morning I reviewed the resume of a worried Human Resources person who writes: "I have done much recruiting." This means she herself has previously reviewed (and screened out) hundreds of OTHER resumes. But in designing and writing her own resume, she is being screened out in seconds! Why?

First, in her Job Objective she tells the reader only what she wants or expects. It's all me-me-me. She ignores the employer's needs or requirements. Nowadays, that gets you screened out. As an HR person, she ought to know better!

Second, her entire resume consists of five run-on paragraphs or blocks of solid gray text. That's utterly BORING! Although her individual sentences are written in very good English, the five blocks of solid print look like "mashed potatoes". (For her Cover Letter she has written another boring page even though it contains good material.)

Like many H.R. people, she does know how to screen out the resumes of OTHER folks but NOT how to create and format a winning presentation (with eye appeal) of her own. Why? Because she has little or no training or understanding of how to market or sell herself on paper. (So DON'T ask H.R. persons or recruiters to help you write your resume! They can only advise you on what NOT to write.)

In 2012, after the downsizings, layoffs and bankruptcies, employers are receiving a daily avalanche of hundreds of resumes. Sally or Jim, the corporate Screeners have only 10-15 seconds to scan yours. Will your self-written resume impress them in a few seconds? I honestly DON'T think so!

Are you using the same job resume over and over again even if it's NOT working for you? Are you blaming this lack of success on the job market? How many identical resumes have you already sent to different jobs without results?

But even after a resume has been "tailored" or tweaked to fit specific jobs, a previously unsuccessful resume may continue to bomb or be screened out! Why? Because focusing or tailoring a resume may NOT "fix" resume mistakes or remove hidden resume blemishes or "red flags".

Tailoring will also require the skill and experience of a trained professional writer who knows how to do it better than an amateur like yourself! (If you have written only 5 to 10 resumes to date, then you are still an "amateur" -- as a resume writer.) Please read: [ http://www.winning-resumes.com/best_way_to_advance.htm ]

You need to ask yourself: "Am I qualified to write a winning or 'perfect' or 'tailored' resume for 2012?" I honestly don't think so! Not even after getting a bunch of "resume tips" from resume experts. Why? Because it takes a lot of skill and experience to write a winning resume.

Please E-mail or call me for a FREE consultation or price quote. My fees are extremely reasonable!

mattgreene@aol.com
Tel.: 1-718-436-3504
Copyright, 2006-2012 by Matthew Greene. All rights reserved

MANY SALES MANAGEMENT RESUMES DON'T WORK IN 2012! WHY?

Many Sales Management resumes do NOT work in 2012. They don't generate job interviews. That means they are not EFFECTIVE.

You cannot blame the job market for your weak or ineffective Sales resume! Sadly, losing a job opportunity costs thousands of dollars!

My fees are extremely reasonable. Please call me on 718-436-3504.

Sales Manager Can't Sell Himself in a Resume

"Dear Matt: I know that my resume is outdated and needs some work. I also don't think it accurately reflects what I have accomplished or what I bring to the table."
"Dear Peter: Thank you for writing to me. You are 100% correct so please excuse my extreme candor . You have been using a very old resume template that was first included with Windows 98 about 12 years ago. Today's resume formats for Sales Management are much, much better and the formatting is different. Yours will NOT do you justice in this highly competitive job market.

First, the format needs be improved and modernized to make you look like today's accomplished Senior Sales & Marketing Executive. Your outdated resume can actually be beautiful and the change or makeover will be dramatic. (This is a classic Before and After resume scenario.)

Your Job Objective is very amateurish, weak and unsuitable. It will get you screened out. (Only God knows what all of your skills are -- not the average employer.)

Although the Experience section of your resume is well written and you do have an excellent track record and several accomplishments to offer, these lie buried or hidden in the text and may be overlooked by Sally the Screener. This is a very serious resume mistake.

Worst of all, there is no Value Proposition or Statement-- what you bring to the table which is a fatal mistake because a resume is a marketing document that has to impress the screener in 10-15 seconds. This crucial 10-15 line section needs to be created/developed/written for you.

However, the very good news is that your outdated resume can be transformed into an effective winning resume for today's job market.

Can you be objective about yourself? Are you comfortable writing about yourself? Can you identify your skills and strengths? Why should marketing experience qualify anyone to write a custom or tailored resume with a touch of creativity that gets attention and "sells"?

Can everyone write good advertising copy? No! Can everyone bake a successful cake? Following a pastry recipe or adapting from a sample resume cannot produce spectacular results. It may be better to hire the special talents or gifts of an expert professional resume writer.

William Shakespeare gave the best advice to all job seekers: "If you need to repair your shoes, please find a shoemaker. Do NOT try fixing your own!"

Hundreds of Marketing and Communications people do not seem to understand what self-marketing is all about. Many do NOT know how to highlight keywords or draw attention to their accomplishments. A solid block of gray print does NOT have any "eye appeal". The "mashed potato" look will NOT enhance any resume! And pages and pages of elegant but gray Garamond print are lifeless and boring. They are definitely not scannable by Sally the Screener, especially nowadays when she can only give you 15 seconds of her time.

The reality is that if you've written only 5 or 10 resumes, you are still an AMATEUR as a resume writer and have not yet learned the art of marketing yourself effectively on paper. You need a skilled and experienced resume writer to help you -- one who has successfully written hundreds for successful clients. (Please check his or her testimonials.)

Job hunting in 2012 is very tough. Nowadays, getting the right professional help is the SMART thing to do. (DON'T TRY TO BECOME AN EXPERT RESUME WRITER OVERNIGHT EVEN IF YOUR BUDGET IS TIGHT!

Please e-mail or call me for a FREE consultation or price quote.
My fees are extremely reasonable

mattgreene@aol.com
Tel.: 1-718-436-3504
Copyright, 2006-2012 by Matthew Greene. All rights reserved

CHOOSING THE BEST RESUME FORMAT IN 2012: Chronological? Functional? Combination?

Author's Note: FAR TOO MANY JOB SEEKERS STILL THINK THAT CHOOSING THE RIGHT RESUME FORMAT IS ALL THERE IS TO CREATING A WINNING RESUME. NOT SO. IT IS ONLY A START AND WILL NOT GUARANTEE A SUCCESSFUL RESUME. WHY? DO YOU KNOW HOW TO SELL YOURSELF ON PAPER?  PROBABLY NOT. PLEASE GET PROFESSIONAL HELP!

Choosing the best resume format in 2012 will increase your chances of getting hired in this recession. It will highlight your strengths and hide or disguise your shortcomings or resume blemishes


IN A RECESSION, THE RIGHT OR BEST RESUME FORMAT IS CRUCIAL You cannot hope to build a winning resume using the wrong or unsuitable format.



The right or best resume format in your case will help a reader see what you're offering in the FIRST 10-15 LINES. That is your "sell" -- the reasons why you should be HIRED.
Do you really know how to do this? 95% of all job seekers will "undersell" themselves. That means your resume WON'T impress.


Your worst solution is to use a readymade RESUME TEMPLATE! They may look good to you but help you very little. Many of those templates are outdated or of very little value to you. (For example, Microsoft Wizard templates were included in Windows 98 when it was first launched in 1998!)



By using a resume template that you can find on the Internet, your resume will look like thousands of other resumes! It WON'T stand out or be noticed. Please DON'T use a cookie cutter template that looks like all the others.



Will someone else's design also showcase your unique job history and achievements? Not as well as it should. The same shortcoming or limitation applies to any preformatted resume template.



Writing your own resume is NOT like baking cookies. It is essential that you choose your resume format wisely. Your goal is to find a suitable layout that will help you highlight your own strengths and hide or disguise your own shortcomings or other resume blemishes.



Fortunately, there are several RESUME FORMATS to choose from.



The LENGTH of your resume is also a factor and we outgrow certain formats. The crucial question is how and where will you record your skills, strengths and experience in the most effective manner? How and where will you sell yourself in your resume?



Here are the advantages and disadvantages of using the best resume formats:



COMBINATION RESUME FORMAT



A modern Combination resume is a very good answer because this will combine the best features of the traditional Chronological (dates in reverse order) and Functional (skills) resumes.



This format is ideal or the right choice for a senior executive or manager who needs a stronger and better resume to compete in 2012.



This type of resume has a crucial 15-line section at the top for writing an audience-oriented Job Objective and a Summary or Profile or Qualifications Statement. There is also room for a Personal Branding Statement which I personally dislike because it often results in a boring paragraph praising you and your skills but which screeners don't feel like reading!



The Combination resume enables you to present your "CAN DO's" as well as a summary of your "HAVE DONE's" in the top half of Page One. Managers and executives will also be able to include two to three columns listing their areas of experience or expertise. This section is referred to as Core Competencies or Areas of Expertise and always impresses a reader -- even in today's recession.



TARGETED RESUME FORMAT



Nowadays, a targeted resume that addresses an employer's specific needs is the best resume format. It is always the right choice because it focuses your resume towards a specific career objective or job advertisement in a specific company, environment or industry. This is crucial in a recession.



The targeting takes place mainly in the first 15 lines.



A Tailored ("Just-for-You") resume shows the reader what a good "fit" you are for the position advertised. Such resumes will be effective in any job market. They are always the best resume formats in a recession. A tailored resume format is the right format for anyone and at any time.








CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME FORMAT



VERSUS


FUNCTIONAL RESUME FORMAT



The traditional Chronological resume (dates in reverse order) is popular but very "basic".



It does NOT allow someone with 5-20 years' experience to do justice to his or her skills, strengths, and accomplishments.



This format is limited to the facts of your Work Experience and Education. ( It's like a C.V.) Sometimes, a weak Summary or Profile is included.




Where will you write about your abilities? Where will you offer your VALUE? How will you sell yourself? Much of what a recruiter needs to know - your "sell" -- will be missing! You can't afford such a format in a tough buyer's market or recession.



It may therefore surprise you to learn that the widely used Chronological resume is actually incomplete because it is weak as a SALES / MARKETING tool. Unfortunately, this type of resume relies too heavily on selling yourself in a separate cover letter which may or may not be read. Nowadays, many cover letters do not get read as in the '80s when the cover letter was an important selling tool.



FUNCTIONAL RESUME FORMAT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA BECAUSE IT IS NOT LIKED BY MOST EMPLOYERS



Should you therefore go "Functional"? Too many people rush to use the Functional format. The awful reality is that many employers do not care for it and in this recession they will actually hate it.



This resume which has a big skills section at the top (under different headings such as "Management Skills" or "Production Skills").



The skills statements are followed by one-line items setting out brief details of dates and names of employers at the bottom of the page. The resume is therefore "top heavy".



Many employers DON'T care to read a lot about your skills, abilities and achievements unless they can MATCH UP these claims with the job titles and dates to which they refer.



Most employers prefer a "normal" Chronological resume format with dates and job description



Many distrust a Functional resume because they know it is used to hide or disguise your work history. It makes them very wary and suspicious. In a recession, they will simply screen you out in seconds.



In short, choosing the best or right resume format to create an effective resume in your case is not an easy matter and you may need to seek professional resume help.



There are many factors to take into account, including the length of your resume, your accomplishments, as well as shortcomings or potential negatives or "red flag" items. All are crucial for successful job hunting in this recession.



A first-class writer deals with problems of resume design every day and has the necessary skill and expertise to find or develop the best solution for you.



ASCII (ELECTRONIC) RESUME FORMAT



OR



TEXT-BASED RESUME FORMAT



Expert resume writers will also advise you about the advantages and disadvantages of using Electronic (ASCII) resumes (in Notepad) and what can be done to make them look better.



To copy and paste a Microsoft Word document into an online box will result in a resume that looks like a dog's breakfast. There will be a major change in formatting, a loss of underlines, italics and bolds, and some types of bullet. It will need to be patiently converted into an ASCII or text-based format with a maximum of 600 characters per line.



So, please do not rely on your limited knowledge of different formats. Your resume is your most important job search tool and it will always pay you to consult a resume expert. In this recession you have little choice but to do so.



FOR FREE ADVICE, PLEASE CONTACT ME ON 1-718-436-3504.
MY FEES ARE EXTREMELY REASONABLE.


MATTGREENE@AOL.COM




COPYRIGHT, 2006-2012 BY MATTHEW GREENE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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Using a Sample Resume in 2012 – Pro’s and Con’s

There are advantages in using a "perfect" sample resume to write your own resume in 2012. First, you can get a good idea of what the final product should look like. Second, you may be able to use the same or a similar format. Third, you may be able to copy a few phrases and buzz words.

But don’t become too confident. No sample resume can provide you with all of the ANSWERS you'll need in writing your own resume. Nor will a sample help you to make important DECISIONS about what to include in yours, what to emphasize and what to leave out .

Readymade resume examples will also mislead you because you will never know what has been added or left out during the writing process.

The worst is that you may be copying blindly from someone else's resume without really understanding why the resume was done that way. That resume was once designed for another job seeker with a different work history and his/her own resume problems (or even blemishes). By using the answers given to someone else, you are using the "medicine" prescribed for someone else's resume. This is not smart at all and it will HURT you. It will also cost you a few job opportunities.

The sample resume you are looking at may look very elegant and be neatly done. But has it worked to get the writer job interviews? Some of the most elegant resumes do NOT generate a single interview! They are completely ineffective. Why? Because an elegant, Garamond resume template may not show you WHERE and HOW to add your own "sell" to the neat headings. That means you will be UNDERSELLING yourself which is a fatal mistake.

And that’s why many resume templates are less-than-useful and even outdated!

Most homemade resumes include 20 to 40 stupid black BULLETS. Why? Only to make the resume look "pretty". But those black dots or arrows or other dingbats will NOT impress anyone. There are too many of them. Instead, only 5 to 10 bullets or arrows should be used to draw attention to your most valuable skills and accomplishments. (Please read my # 1 ranked article on Smart and Strategic Bullets.)

Before you decide to copy a phrase written in fancy English, ask yourself whether that is the LANGUAGE used by the employer. The language of a schoolteacher or journalist or literary writer may not be suitable for a job resume.

This is why you need to be extra careful when copying or adapting a JOB OBJECTIVE. Many samples contain objectives that are all "me", "me" instead of addressing what the employer wants to read – what you are offering to do for him/her. Phrases such as "dedicated" and "highly motivated" are turnoffs! Even "results-oriented" is overused.

And don’t ever write that you're seeking a "challenging opportunity in a progressive company or firm". Only God can understand that, not ordinary employers.

In a sample resume, the DATES of employment will usually look "normal". So what must you do about your short-term positions or gaps in your employment history that make you look like an unstable "job hopper"? In a well-written sample, the dates of employment will be expressed only in YEARS. By doing that, the gaps between jobs are closed, your stay in each job will seem longer, and you can now safely omit – yes, leave out, a few of the positions you have held. After all, a resume means "SUMMARY". It is not a True Confessions sheet!

Finally, it is a painful fact that 90% of home-made resumes and resume templates will NOT work in this recession. Please get your resume written or strengthened or "fixed" by a good professional writer.

CALL MATTHEW GREENE FOR FREE ADVICE ON 1-718-436-3504

OR WRITE: mattgreene@aol.com

Copyright, 2006-2012 by Matthew Greene. All rights reserved.
,

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USING SAMPLE RESUMES

USING SAMPLE RESUMES IN THIS RECESSION,

A MANAGEMENT RESUME IN 2012 MUST BE EFFECTIVE. THAT IS CRUCIAL IN A RECESSION.

An effective management resume is crucial in 2012 or any recession. It sells you in the strongest way and makes the best first impression. This helps you to beat the competition for jobs, gets you interviews and more.

To be effective in a recession , a management resume should highlight your strongest management skills (or skills set) and accomplishments. Do you have any special management or project management training or certifications? Such items will help to "sell" your VALUE or worth to recruiters and employers. They are absolutely crucial.

A good management resume is much more than a plain or "basic" resume. For maximum effectiveness, your resume should target the employer's specific needs or requirements and "sell" you up front. That is crucial in a recession The employer needs to know (in your resume) what type of position you are applying for and what you are offering to meet his or her needs.

Selling yourself starts in your JOB OBJECTIVE! It is the marketing "head" of your resume and tells the reader what position you are seeking.

You should also list your areas of skill or experience or expertise (your key or core competencies) in two or three COLUMNS so that the reader will quickly see that you offer "Leadership" or "Project Management" or "Operations Management" or "Strategic Planning" or "Solutions Selling" or "Team-building" or "Negotiating Skills". And so on.

Thus, in only 10-15 lines, your resume will make you LOOK like the strong management candidate they are eager to interview and hire -- even in 2012 and this recession.

Is your resume still on one page? As a rule, managers CANNOT do themselves justice on one page!

Does your Work Experience consist of 5-7 boring, gray paragraphs with run-on lines?

Do your accomplishments lie buried in the text on Page 2 or 3 where they'll be overlooked or do they stand out?

Are you using 20-50 black "bullets" or arrows in your resume? Why? If you try to draw attention to every line, then every item may be ignored! [Please read http://winning-resumes.com/bullets.htm]

You should be highlighting buzz words or keywords such as "strategic planning" or "cost containment" or "cost reduction" or "turnaround" or "start-up" or "strategic or tactical selling" or "selling to C-level executives" or "business process improvement". Such items are of crucial importance. They could get you hired in this recession.

Are you using black bullets or arrows decoratively in your resume? Why? Bullets should be "smart" and strategic. They are crucial for drawing attention to your accomplishments.(http://winning-resumes.com/bullets.htm)

Finally, why do highly qualified management candidates often fail to land interviews? Many of these were beaten by a less-qualified candidate with the best resume.

Please read the following exerpt from a valuable article that recently appeared in Career Hub. It explains how the employment system works:

"The Best Products, Best Singers and Best Employee Don’t Always Win" (Career Hub)

Seth Godin, the well-known marketing guru and best-selling author feels that "success in business is NOT about the best product. The best products do not win. It's the best marketed and branded products that win." This helps to explain why someone as talented but low-key as 21-year-old Laura White was voted off very early in X-Factor -- the U.K. version of American Idol -- a competition she was supposed to win. Why? She failed to make real contact with the voting audience and she neglected to market and promote herself.

Similarly, it's also a shame when talented, hard working people get laid off or are not hired for jobs while less talented managers either remain employed or find employment. The best approach for getting hired, is effective marketing, branding and self-promotion.

That's what a truly effective job resume can do for you. A resume must be a MARKETING tool. It's the way the hiring system works in a marketing economy. Please don't fight it! Time is NOT on your side. We are in a recession that will be "long and deep". (Warren Buffet). It may even turn into a Depression.

PLEASE CALL MATT GREENE FOR FREE ADVICE ON 1-718-436-3504

OR WRITE: mattgreene@aol.com

Copyright, 2006-2012 by Matthew Greene. All rights reserved.

Tags:

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MANAGEMENT RESUMES IN A RECESSION,
EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT RESUME IS CRUCIAL,
MANAGEMENT RESUME IN A HARD TIMES,
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