One of the most common mistakes I see in résumés is that the person has provided essentially a laundry list of what they did in a job.
Boooorrrrring!!
This might be suitable for European-style curriculum vitae and highly technical résumés which thrive on miniscule details, but American-style résumés have turned the corner from the mundane daily job tasks. They have become a valuable tool and key place to illustrate value to a prospective employer.
If there was ever a time for proverbial chest-thumping, this would be it. You HAVE to toot your horn, as you are the only person who is the 100% devoted advocate for yourself. No one else is ever going to do this for you, and you can’t assume that an interviewer is going to know all fabulous things that you’ve done unless you tell them!
How to put this into writing? Think ACTION (what did I do) and RESULT (how did it impact the employer’s bottom line or corporate objectives).
Here’s an example:
BEFORE:
• Assist with multi-state payroll processing bi-weekly
• Update employee changes for 15 company codes using ADP
• Prepare payroll reports for services auditors bi-weekly
• Assist human resources with open enrollment selection
AFTER:
Managed all aspects of payroll cycles, delivering accurate and timely payroll management for 150-900+ employees in a variety of corporate settings, including input of payroll data, human resources and benefit information, garnishments, expense reports, 401k elections, life/medical/flexible spending, direct deposits, employee bond purchases and workers compensation reporting. Within first week of employment, identified and corrected employee healthcare payments to pre-tax (instead of after-tax) deductions.
One of the things that came out of the client interview in this case were some of the actionable items that the person did. With the rephrasing, we created a better picture of what they did in terms of delivering a significant impact to the company.
See your résumé as a critical tool as to how employers perceive your value. They want to know what you did in your previous job and how you helped a previous company’s bottom line as a way to evaluate what you might be able to do for them.
By showcasing what you accomplished in an action-and-result format, you are creating a dynamic document rather than creating a static recitation of what your job entailed. Don't let your old résumé become your obituary!
Showing posts with label resumes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label resumes. Show all posts
Monday, April 13, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Fighting Age Discrimination – Tips for New Workers and Mature Workers
Let’s say you’ve been a dynamic student at your high school, and have a volunteering portfolio that would be the envy of many professionals currently on the job market. Graduation is just a few months away, and you’re looking to the future and your first job. You send résumé after résumé out, with no results.
Or… what if you are a mid-level manager who has been in the workplace more than 20 years, and have a work history listed going back 25 years. Same feedback… no interviews.
What is exactly going on here? And more importantly, if this sounds like your situation, what do you do to address it?
Most employers will deny it, but age discrimination is rampant. On the younger end of the spectrum, some employers think that new entrants to the workplace are too young, green, inexperienced and immature. Or, that these younger workers will be goofing on Facebook or MySpace every time they are near a computer.
This perception does an incredible disservice to the young adults who have worked hard to build an impressive portfolio that sometimes can outshine that of a mid-career worker. The opportunities for leadership development, skills training and community service are so much more abundant now for students and young adults than ever previously available. This has resulted in more highly skilled and knowledgeable workers who are increasingly competitive in the workplace.
Conversely, on the other more mature end of the spectrum, experienced managers have had the opportunity to gain wisdom and knowledge from trial-and-error, and are battle-tested. But some employers see more mature workers as a possible salary liability, operating under the assumption that these prospective employees have higher salary demands, and this would lead to strained budgets.
Another miscalculation is that there is an assumption that older workers are not as tech-savvy. If 85-year-old grandmothers can learn how to do email, video conferencing, and instant messaging, certainly a competent mature worker has already adapted with technology to keep themselves competitive in today’s marketplace.
One way to work around the age discrimination issue (at least until the interview, when the prospective employer sees the interviewee in person) is to neutralize a résumé to avoid disclosing clues as to how old you are. Here are some ways to do this:
1) Evaluate your email address: Is your email address reflective of how old you are, what year you were born, when you graduated? Or is it topical, especially with pop culture? How old do you think the person would be who had this as the first part of their email address: ‘barrymanilowfan’? Or ‘Janes1953’? Or ‘lindsaylohanBFF’. These are all clues as to the age of the applicant. Stick with your name and random numbers or letters after as a professional email address.
2) What does your voicemail or answering machine message say? Is it professional? Or does it have music going on in the background and you are trying to be ‘cool’?
3) Listing education in your résumé: Unless you are going into a scientific, technical or educational field, your academic background should be listed later in your résumé... And don’t list your GPA or year that you graduated- these are other dead age giveaways. I’ve found that many college or school career centers tell students to list it first- which screams to a prospective employer: “Look! This is the most important thing I’ve ever done in my life- so far!” If you list it later, it provides the feel that this is something you’ve done, but you have had some other relevant experience that is also important.
4) How many years of work should you list on your résumé? The ‘sweet spot’ of employment time listed on a résumé should be between 15-20 years. Anything more than that, then you are also screaming out “I’ve been around for a really long time!” Think about it in these terms (and I have had many clients who have been loath to drop off a really important accomplishment from 25 years ago): How relevant is that accomplishment today? An employer might look at that and think: “Wow, you did that 25 years ago- how come you don’t have any more of them like that within the last five years- what’s the matter- losing your edge?” Keeping current on your work history and not dwelling on things far in the past is essential to keeping yourself competitive.
5) If you are just entering the workplace, you can combine your work and volunteer experience into a section called “RELEVANT HISTORY” which can encapsulate the skills and experience you have gained – which allows an employer to see the breadth of what you are capable of achieving.
The key is to think about your own value proposition:
If you are a younger worker, then you offer a prospective employer a fresh perspective, new ideas and enthusiasm.
More mature workers offer companies maturity, life experience, being in touch with their intuition and have proven their mettle on the battleground.
Each generation has a unique proposition to offer employers, and it is important to focus on continuing your education to build knowledge and skills, getting involved in industry associations, trade shows, business groups and memberships, and maintaining a positive, enthusiastic attitude. These are all important factors that are immediately reflected on your résumé, and can help skirt around age issues and allow employers to focus on the value that you would offer them as a new asset to their company.
Or… what if you are a mid-level manager who has been in the workplace more than 20 years, and have a work history listed going back 25 years. Same feedback… no interviews.
What is exactly going on here? And more importantly, if this sounds like your situation, what do you do to address it?
Most employers will deny it, but age discrimination is rampant. On the younger end of the spectrum, some employers think that new entrants to the workplace are too young, green, inexperienced and immature. Or, that these younger workers will be goofing on Facebook or MySpace every time they are near a computer.
This perception does an incredible disservice to the young adults who have worked hard to build an impressive portfolio that sometimes can outshine that of a mid-career worker. The opportunities for leadership development, skills training and community service are so much more abundant now for students and young adults than ever previously available. This has resulted in more highly skilled and knowledgeable workers who are increasingly competitive in the workplace.
Conversely, on the other more mature end of the spectrum, experienced managers have had the opportunity to gain wisdom and knowledge from trial-and-error, and are battle-tested. But some employers see more mature workers as a possible salary liability, operating under the assumption that these prospective employees have higher salary demands, and this would lead to strained budgets.
Another miscalculation is that there is an assumption that older workers are not as tech-savvy. If 85-year-old grandmothers can learn how to do email, video conferencing, and instant messaging, certainly a competent mature worker has already adapted with technology to keep themselves competitive in today’s marketplace.
One way to work around the age discrimination issue (at least until the interview, when the prospective employer sees the interviewee in person) is to neutralize a résumé to avoid disclosing clues as to how old you are. Here are some ways to do this:
1) Evaluate your email address: Is your email address reflective of how old you are, what year you were born, when you graduated? Or is it topical, especially with pop culture? How old do you think the person would be who had this as the first part of their email address: ‘barrymanilowfan’? Or ‘Janes1953’? Or ‘lindsaylohanBFF’. These are all clues as to the age of the applicant. Stick with your name and random numbers or letters after as a professional email address.
2) What does your voicemail or answering machine message say? Is it professional? Or does it have music going on in the background and you are trying to be ‘cool’?
3) Listing education in your résumé: Unless you are going into a scientific, technical or educational field, your academic background should be listed later in your résumé... And don’t list your GPA or year that you graduated- these are other dead age giveaways. I’ve found that many college or school career centers tell students to list it first- which screams to a prospective employer: “Look! This is the most important thing I’ve ever done in my life- so far!” If you list it later, it provides the feel that this is something you’ve done, but you have had some other relevant experience that is also important.
4) How many years of work should you list on your résumé? The ‘sweet spot’ of employment time listed on a résumé should be between 15-20 years. Anything more than that, then you are also screaming out “I’ve been around for a really long time!” Think about it in these terms (and I have had many clients who have been loath to drop off a really important accomplishment from 25 years ago): How relevant is that accomplishment today? An employer might look at that and think: “Wow, you did that 25 years ago- how come you don’t have any more of them like that within the last five years- what’s the matter- losing your edge?” Keeping current on your work history and not dwelling on things far in the past is essential to keeping yourself competitive.
5) If you are just entering the workplace, you can combine your work and volunteer experience into a section called “RELEVANT HISTORY” which can encapsulate the skills and experience you have gained – which allows an employer to see the breadth of what you are capable of achieving.
The key is to think about your own value proposition:
If you are a younger worker, then you offer a prospective employer a fresh perspective, new ideas and enthusiasm.
More mature workers offer companies maturity, life experience, being in touch with their intuition and have proven their mettle on the battleground.
Each generation has a unique proposition to offer employers, and it is important to focus on continuing your education to build knowledge and skills, getting involved in industry associations, trade shows, business groups and memberships, and maintaining a positive, enthusiastic attitude. These are all important factors that are immediately reflected on your résumé, and can help skirt around age issues and allow employers to focus on the value that you would offer them as a new asset to their company.
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