JSTK #2: Resumes
Welcome to the next edition of the Job Seeker's Tool Kit, a series of articles written for Austin's PMI chapter members to help prepare for the inaugural Austin PMI Job Fair, being held in October. To see the list of the articles in this series, go here.
Back to the food analogy, you want something that makes the HR/hiring manager's mouth water. You don't want to give them migraines. Remember that you aren’t the only PM in town, and they have other things to do than to decipher a resume. These are busy people who either look at resumes all day til their eyes cross, or really don't have the time to look at resumes. Make yours stand out, and show you value their time by making their lives just that little bit easier. Take the time to make it readable, accurate, and highlight your accomplishments. Entice them with ways you've added value in past positions and start thinking about how much you can do for them.
Common mistakes in resumes are:Passive voice, paragraph heavy
Too text dense
Too small fonts
Graphics
Excessive formatting
Complete CVs at first contact, instead of a concise, 2-3 page resume
Contact information
Header for pages 2 and on
Summary/Objective
Simple Fonts
Margins and Spacing
Work History
Certifications
Suggested Reading/Sites:
CareerJournal's Resume Articles: http://www.careerjournal.com/jobhunting/resumes Resume Workshops:* Austin PMI Resume Workshop (FULL- no more RSVPs accepted)
Launch Pad Job Club (resume workshops): http://www.launchpadjobclub.com
WorkSource Austin: http://worksourceaustin.com*Kathy Lansford, facilitator for LPJC, also works as an instructor/counselor at Austin’s WorkSource North, Located behind Highland Mall on Airport. Her workshops are highly recommended, and are at no cost.
Next Edition: Networking
Announcements: Your company looking to hire Project Managers, or know a company that does? Lets us know! Post a comment, and I'll forward it to the right person.
Volunteers Needed! The Austin PMI Job Fair needs volunteers; we particularly need people who can work the event with the facilities team, and the Job Seeker Liaison team. Post a comment, and I'll get you in touch with the right folks.
Submitted your Resume? Need more information about the Job Fair? Go to the Austin PMI website at http://austinpmi.org for more information.
Back to the food analogy, you want something that makes the HR/hiring manager's mouth water. You don't want to give them migraines. Remember that you aren’t the only PM in town, and they have other things to do than to decipher a resume. These are busy people who either look at resumes all day til their eyes cross, or really don't have the time to look at resumes. Make yours stand out, and show you value their time by making their lives just that little bit easier. Take the time to make it readable, accurate, and highlight your accomplishments. Entice them with ways you've added value in past positions and start thinking about how much you can do for them.
Common mistakes in resumes are:
The formatting is important not just for readability, but scan-ability; resumes are usually scanned/copied into applications used to manage contact with job seekers by recruiters and HR managers. If your resume has a lot of formatting (text boxes, tables, graphics, headers and footers), it gets jumbled or content missing. You may want to have two master resumes; one with your complete work history, and a shorter , 2-3 page one that you can customize based on who is receiving it. Ideally, you will customize your resume for each position you submit it for. Features of an outstanding resume
- Include phone with area code, email address
- If you have one add your LinkedIn profile link
- This is acceptable to be in the header area, just your name, phone number, and page number. This helps a lot of your resume has been printed out; you never know what can happen to those pages.
- Most HR/recruiting staff will only look at the top half of the first page of your resume to determine if your resume is worth reading beyond that. Having this ‘at a glance’ information is worth the effort. It also can help you develop your elevator pitch.
- Keep the fonts 10-12 point, and easy to read for body text.
- Larger point size for header and section headers.
- Do not use several fonts; keep font formatting limited to discrete use of bold and italic
- Leave room for note taking on your resume; 1 inch margins are ideal.
- Leave room between sections, bullets. This also makes the text stand out, which makes it more readable.
- List the last 10-15 years of experience
- Have a brief description of the company/business Unit, especially if the organization isn’t well known. Remember, it won’t be just other PMs reading it, but those outside of your field could and do screen out resumes.
- Use bullets to list 3-4 accomplishments that demonstrate the value you bring.
- Don’t list your entire history of that position (save that for the interview)
- List each position separately
- DO list them, and all that might be relevant
- If you’re PMP certified, put that next to your name.
These are the basics. On Thursday August 23, the Austin PMI chapter is hosting a project management specific resume workshop, facilitated by the Austin PMI chapter president, David Sekel. At this time, the workshop is full. Never fear, there are other options to help improve your resume. Those of you in Austin, remember there are classes at WorkSource as well as a monthly resume tweaking class at Launch Pad Job Club.
Suggested Reading/Sites:
CareerJournal's Resume Articles: http://www.careerjournal.com/jobhunting/resumes Resume Workshops:*
Next Edition: Networking
Announcements:
Comments