A Life Worth Living, Is One That Is Shared...

When looking for a new job, always remember that you are an individual with many skills and talents to offer employers; many that you may take for granted and overlook.

What most people overlook is the vast amount of experience called “transferable skills”. These are skills that are valuable to any job position in any industry.

Some examples of transferable skills include:

• Computer
• Communication
• Team-building
• Negotiation
• Customer service
• Sales
• and the list can go on and on.

What are some of your transferable skills? Take a moment now to write down at least three (3) transferable skills you have that would also apply to a new job or industry.

To Your Success,
Karen

www.KarenLCox.com

Let’s quickly recap the elements of the “5 Musts” we’ve covered so far.

#1: Organization. Be sure your resume is well organized. The two most common formats are chronological and functional.

#2: Suitable for Level of Experience. Your resume should spotlight your most recent accomplishments and those activities relevant to your target position. Keep in mind whether you are new to the job market or have many years of experience.

#3: Keywords. Be sure your resume contains the keywords your potential employer is looking for and those keywords that are prevalent in your job category or industry.

#4: Power Words. Make sure your resume makes the strongest positive impression by using power words that clearly describe your actions and accomplishments. Examples include: Developed, Managed, Trained, Negotiated.

And now, for Must #5: Use Numbers.

Numbers

Using numbers in your resume shows the level of your accomplishments and makes a stronger case for you being considered for a position. Take a look at these before and after statements.

Before:
“Responsible for the training of personnel on computer applications.”

After:
“Trained 250 office and manufacturing personnel on a newly deployed inventory management system. The successful use of the system led to a 15% reduction in inventory in the first 6 months.”

How can you measure the work you do? Look for items that show a prospective employer how you increased company income or saved money.

Here are some questions to get you started.

Requests
How many requests for a certain task or service do you receive in a day, month, or year?
How quickly do you respond to requests?
What dollar amounts are associated with these requests?

Projects
What projects have you worked on for your employer?
What was the dollar amount associated with the project?
What was your role?

Clients, Customers, Direct Reports
How many clients or customers do you serve (internal customers count, too!)?
How many people report to you?

Always remember you have a lot to offer. Be sure they know it!

To Your Success,
Karen

www.KarenLCox.com

Your resume is typically the first impression of you. And, as we’ve seen in previous postings of the “5 Musts”, your resume will most likely be pre-sreened by a computer program or a person other than a hiring manager, and can be rejected in 30 seconds (or even less)!

So, what is another secret you can use to get your resume into the ‘Must Interview’ pile? Must #4: Power Words.

Power Words

Instead of using words such as “Responsible for”, use words that really describe what you’ve accomplished.

Here are some examples:

• Developed
• Managed
• Deployed
• Trained
• Supervised

Freebie: Notice the use of bullets. This is another element to include in your resume to make sure accomplishments stand out from the rest of the text. Just don’t overdo it!

Now that you’ve started using power words, what can you do to make them even stronger?

Next time, Must #5: Using Numbers.

To Your Success,
Karen

www.KarenLCox.com

In addition to being well organized and suitable for your level of experience, your resume should also past the test of Must #3: Using Keywords.

Keywords

The keywords used in your resume should be keywords found within the job posting description, your target profession, and your target industry. Odds are high these days that your resume will be pre-screened by a computer program or someone looking specifically for these keywords, rather than by a hiring manager.

So, for example, the job you want to apply for contains the following job description:

‘Seeking a motivated individual skilled in direct sales in a business-to-business environment.’
Keywords: motivated, direct sales, business-to-business

Here’s another one:

‘Proficient in MS Office Suite.’
Keywords: MS Office Suite. But note, the screener may also look for Microsoft Office Suite. You may be able to get both in your resume.

Keywords are especially useful in a summary/highlight section at the beginning of your resume.

Next, Must #4: Power Words. A subtle change of wording can dramatically change the impression of your resume and accomplishments.

To Your Success,
Karen

www.KarenLCox.com

Continuing with the 5 “Musts” to make sure your resume gets attention, today we’re going to look at Must #2: Making sure your resume is suitable for your level of experience.

Suitable for Your Level of Experience

If you are new to the job market or have just a few years of experience, your extra-curricular activities and honors in college or high school should be included on your resume if they are relevant to the job for which you are applying.

If, however, you’ve been in the work force for 15 years, for example, the fact that you were a star basketball player or served as student council secretary doesn’t show a prospective employer what you can offer them today. Be sure your resume puts the spotlight on your most recent experience.

Next time: Must #3 – Using Keywords. What keywords, and where should they appear in a resume for it to get the most attention.

To Your Success,
Karen

www.KarenLCox.com