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Resume Writing Basics – Step 3: Write an Eye Catching Profile Summary

Writing in a notebook in front of a laptopPicture this: a hiring manager sits down at her desk to review the dozens of resumes which just arrived via email in reply to a job she just posted online. She decides to sort through them, quickly glancing through the top of the first page of each resume, looking for a few stand-out documents which catch her eye, as well as those which are easy to exclude.

Do you know what her reaction would be to your resume? Will she quickly find the words she’s seeking, or will she dismiss it as unimpressive and set it aside?

While it’s true that many of the larger employers sort through resumes using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), many of the small to medium size companies do not. Those companies rely on the ability of the hiring manager to identify the best candidate, based on their own perceptions and priorities. With limited time and more resumes than ever arriving on her desk, you can be pretty sure that decisions will be made in seconds after a brief glance through the resume.

A well laid out resume is important to create that first good impression, but when the hiring manager begins reading through the document, it is going to be important to capture her attention quickly. I am continually surprised to still see — even recently — that many candidates still use the old-fashioned objective statement at the top of their resumes which does not include any useful information, rather than a well written, concise profile summary, which we recommend.

What is a profile summary?

A profile summary shows “what is in it FOR THE EMPLOYER. It allows you more opportunities to showcase your talents; i.e. a snapshot of all of the great things you have done, all wrapped up in a bow at the top of your resume. So instead of employers having to search through your resume for the reasons to interview you – you make it easy for them by listing them right at the top, where it will be seen first.”

In essence, the summary is a brief introduction of the most important information an employer needs to know about you. It is similar to your answer to that dreaded interview question “tell me about yourself“, otherwise known as the seven second elevator speech, which we have also discussed before here; it also could also be included in your LinkedIn Summary.

What information should be included in the profile summary?

The summary should list about five points, written either in point form or as a paragraph. It should list the most important information that an employer should know about your professional background.

It could include any of these items:

– a suitable professional title, years of experience and expertise, e.g. “Highly respected Human Resource Manager, with over 10 years’ progressive experience working in the non-profit sector”

– relevant educational achievements and/or professional designations, e.g. “University educated and a Certified Human Resource Professional (CHRP)”

– the most important (core) skills and achievements, e.g. “Skilled negotiator, having successfully handled and resolved union disputes; knowledgeable on issues regarding payroll; designed and implemented professional staff development training”

– work values and principles, e.g. “Strong commitment to inclusive non-discrimination hiring practices”

– relevant personal characteristics, e.g. “Highly energetic, enthusiastic and confident”

– basic abilities

– relevant languages, computer software knowledge, driver’s license

How do I write the summary?

Read through job postings to which you are planning to apply and identify the qualifications listed by the employers. Use them as your guide — try to echo the employers priorities; for example, if they mention education first, then start your profile summary with your education. If they don’t mention education, leave it off the summary.

Make sure to load it with proper key words — don’t assume that the employer (or the the computerized Applicant Tracking System) knows your acronyms or abbreviations. Also, be specific — for example, if the employer asks for knowledge of Microsoft Word, don’t just say Microsoft Office — list the specific software that they are asking for.

To sum up…

  • Write approximately 5 sentences
  • Keep the sentences short, crisp and readable
  • Include your relevant background, skills, values and personality
  • Be specific
  • Use the correct key words, focusing on the priorities of employers

For inspiration, check out the almost 200 sample summaries in Susan Ireland’s resume site.

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Ask the Employment Specialist: Should I look for The Perfect Job?

Business people shaking handsDear Joanna,

I am looking for work and although I have not had any luck so far, I insist on waiting for the perfect job that I know will provide me with happiness, a sufficient income and satisfaction. My friends, family and Employment Counsellor disagree with me. Based on their experiences, there is no such beast as a perfect job.

Is it a mistake to want the perfect job?

Signed: Waiting for Perfection

Dear Waiting,

In an informative article on this issue, Folker Wrage, an advertising consultant, suggested that “most of us keep looking for the perfect job for almost all of our careers, and never find it.”, suggesting that if we are set on such a position, perhaps we need to create that job or business ourselves. Gwen Knowles covers this topic as well, stressing a need to take action, open up your options and “dip in before you chose which route to pursue”.

Do not limit your search for that perfect job or career that closely match your skills and experience, advises Knowles; instead, she advises to aim for companies who might hire you, and not companies where you’d love to work.

Knowles presents four suggestions that will hopefully help you change your thinking and be more successful in your job search:

1. Embrace Exploration.

Instead of picking a single career path, why not sample a few? Consider this your invitation to the career ‘buffet’, where you can have a taste of an assortment of options available.

2. Try new things.

Take a risk rather than feel like your choices are all or nothing. Often job seekers have a feeling that they shouldn’t explore a career option unless they are sure it’s the right one, because they don’t want to make another mistake. This pressure can stop you before you start. The opposite is true. You aren’t committing to anything yet; you’re just exploring for a while, in a new direction (or ten!). What roles would you love to explore? What would be really fun to find out about? Some actions to consider might be job shadowing, create a basic website if you have an idea for a new business, and use friends as tester customers; participate in a relevant workshop or course to see if you really enjoy it; volunteer or conduct an information interview.

3. Don’t be afraid and learn from your failures.

There is tremendous pressure that you put on yourself to find that perfect job, especially when you aren’t sure what “right” looks like. Does the fear of failure hold you back from experimenting? Treat your career search as an experiment or creative project. Give yourself permission to try new things and delve into new areas.

4. Explore your passion and values.

Identify those hidden values, passions and skills. What are your hidden values, passions and skills that drive you? You’ll know them as the urges you have had throughout your life; fascination with a field of work, a desire to build particular skills, or a sense of joy at the thought of following a certain path. Your unique personal values stay with you throughout your life. Ask this question: If you give yourself permission to explore your heart’s desires, what fields of work would you be looking at now? What are the roles that you are really drawn to, no matter how far they are from your previous training and experience?

Allowing yourself to explore work that matches who you crave being inside is a huge leap towards finding work that fulfills you, instead of focusing on that perfect job.

Joanna

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Ask the Employment Specialist: Am I owed annual wage increases?

Drawing of a typewriter with the words "Dear Employment Specialist"

Dear Employment Specialist,

I have been at the same job for seven years and have received a wage increase only once. Is it mandated or am I entitled to have an annual wage increase to match inflation rates for permanent positions?

Please help me to understand my rights as an employee.

Signed: Wage Increase Rights (WIR)

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Resume Writing Basics – Step 2: Create an easy-to-read resume

Business woman hand typing on laptop keyboardHow you present your resume can be just as important as what you say, if you want to attract the interest of an employer. At first glance, even before even reading the resume, an employer’s impression will be determined based on the appearance of the document: its length, font, neatness, ease of reading and clarity. In this digital age, the challenge is to create a document which is easily read both on a screen (which is how most employers read resumes presently) as well as on paper.

To make the best possible first visual impression with your resume:

1. Create a clear and distinct letterhead at the top of the first page of the resume (not in the document header, since headers are not always visible) which includes:

  • your name — not necessarily your legal name; it’s more important to provide the name by which you are identified at work
  • your address — most people list their full street address; if you prefer not to do so, at least mention your city and province/state
  • your contact information — cell and home phone and email address
  • additional sources of information about you, such as a LinkedIn URL, twitter handle or website URL

This letterhead has multiple uses beyond the resume — it can be used on the cover letter that goes with the resume, as well as on the Thank You letter you send after the interview. You can also write your references list which you present to employers at the interview on a letterhead.

2. Make it easy to read: space your lines well (not too densely packed) and neatly, with lots of white space, so not to overwhelm the reader, while still keeping the document to no longer than two pages in length.

3. Keep the formatting simple: don’t overuse the bold or italics, and stay away from underlining all together (underlining makes a word look like a link).

4. Avoid CAPITALIZATION, even for headers; caps look like yelling — and when you capitalize more than two words in a line, it becomes difficult to read.

5. Don’t use images or complicated symbols as bullets on a list; a simple dot or dash is sufficient.

6. Justify/align your spacing to the left — “full” justification sometimes leaves awkward spacing in some lines in a document.

7. Choose a font which is readable both on screen and on paper — consider using a clean, san-sarif font such as Verdana, Calibri, or Tahoma,and stay away from the predictable, too-often used fonts such as Arial and Times New Roman.

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Ask the Employment Specialist: Job Scams

Drawing of a typewriter with the words "Dear Employment Specialist"Dear Joanna,

This is a true story. I applied for a job posting on Craigslist for the position of customer service representative. I immediately received an email from the owner of the company with an employment contract attached for me to complete, sign and return by email. The form requested all of my personal details, including my social insurance number. I admit that I was excited to be offered a job, after a year of rejection and frustration with my hundreds of job applications. However, I am concerned about providing my personal details to a total stranger without an interview at least.

Please let me know your thoughts.

Signed: Fraud Alert (FA)

Dear FA,

I’m so glad you contacted me with this question. Do not email anyone your Social Insurance Number or personal details if you have no real evidence that the organization and person are for real. The question of how to determine if you are experiencing a job posting scam or a real job is important. Steffen Allen, Senior Recruiter at Brainhunter, provides some important warning signs and techniques to determine if the employment opportunity is legitimate or not:

1. Be very careful.

This is the first step when you are applying for jobs online, or even in person. There is no shortage of identity-theft, scams, rip-offs and illegitimate companies and job postings in the city and on the internet. It’s impossible to police so many people and places. I would always check out your concerns or the actual job posting with your mentor, job developer and/or employment counsellor before you apply, so you can prevent anything bad happening. You can learn about a standard job application process through our agency.

Allen warns never to NEVER EVER provide a social insurance number until a job offer is given, accepted and the company is verified. Companies will never send a job offer before an interview or phone conversation at the very minimal.

2. Research research research.

Is there a website for the company advertising their position? Can you Google the company and owner? If not, then it might be a scam. I only apply for jobs with legitimate and comprehensive websites with full disclosure of their company name, location, telephone, emails, and contact people lists. I would also Google the address to make sure it’s real. Look for any reports of negative news and reputations.

3. Analyze the job details.

Again, it’s important that the job description be transparent, clear and informative, with an idea of the compensation package. An actual amount might not be listed, but you should have an idea of the payment structure. For example, does the posting indicate a base and commission with the customer service role, or is it an hourly wage?

4. Asking for money and more.

The website Scam Warmers presents the following red flags that confirm that the job and company are frauds. DO NOT PAY A PENNY TO ANY EMPLOYER before getting the job. Avoid jobs that ask you to use your personal bank account, to open a new bank account, to use your credit card, mail, cash a check or money.

5. Check the company’s references.

You have every right to ask the company or employer for references. Request a list of other employees or customers. Then, contact the references to ask about the company. If the company refuses to provide references, then stay away from this opportunity.

6. Beware of quick rich fixes.

Any job that promises getting rich fast or guarantees tons of money is one that you should stay away from. Nothing happens by magic or quickly, whether it’s a job offer or losing weight. This all takes time and is a process.

I really hope that I have saved you from this scammer. You deserve to work for a legitimate and transparent company with fair compensation and a healthy workplace.

Joanna

JVS Toronto

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