What Recruiters See On Your Resume The Good, the Bad, and the Unexpected

What Recruiters See On Your Resume The Good, the Bad, and the UnexpectedAccording to Ambra Benjamin, an engineering recruiter answering questions over at Quora.com, every recruiter reviews applications differently. However, it may help you polish up the latest version of your resume to know the highlights at least one executive-level recruiter looks for googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Dauntingly, all of these categories are mentally checked off by recruiters in about 30 secondsthey dont have time to decode your intricately worded prose.Dont Mess These UpMost Recent RoleRecruiters look at your current status to figure out why you might be looking for a new job. Were you fired from the last one? Laid off? Are you jumping ship after only a few months? Is this fruchtwein recent location relevant to the one youre applying for?Company RecognitionIts great to work for a company that garners immediate recognitiona recruiter will have an immediat e frame of reference, and if they have a positive association with your company, youll have a leg up. Keep that in mind while applying and touting your accomplishments. Working for a company thats elend well-known just means youll want to be more explicit about who they are and what they do, as well as your own role.Overall ExperienceDoes one position lead logically to another? Is there a sense of progress? Do the job titles make sense? Is your responsibility increasing from one gig to the next? If a recruiter wouldnt automatically understand how youve made your way from one job to another, thats something to explain in your cover letter.Keyword SearchYes, recruiters use Command+F to find words relevant to particular skills, programs, and experiencedo your research (and read the job posting very closely) so you know what your industry is looking for and can make sure thats represented on your resume.GapsIt is okay to have a gapfamilies happen, illnesses happen, grad school happens. Just make sure its explained somehow, in your cover letter or as the reason you left the job before taking time away.Personal Web PresenceIf you list personal blogs, Twitter accounts, or any other social media sites, rest assured a recruiter will likely click through and see not only what youre posting, but who you follow and who follows you.General LogisticsWhere do you live and where are you eligible to work? Make it clear on your resumeand if you know youre a geographical long shot, figure out how to indicate your willingness to relocate.Overall OrganizationThe no-brainer basics grammar, spelling, clarity, readability.What DoesntReally MatterEducationOuch, cry all of us with any kind of student loan debt. Benjamin is mostly referring to mid-level or senior hires. By that time, she prioritizes experience over education, with a few exceptions for MBAs or particularly prestigious institutions.Fancy FormattingRemember that even companies with online submission forms convert your resu me to plain text for quick and easy reading. Consider submitting a plain text version along with the PDF if its an optiona recruiter will know theres probably an aesthetically pleasing version waiting for them if they call you in to meet with a hiring manager.Uncomfortably Personal DetailsNo photos, no references to anything that a recruiter legally cant ask about (spouse, kids, disability, health issues, etc). If they want to google you, they will.Cover LettersWell this is heartbreakingI work so hard on my cover letters I use them to explain my job-hopping early 20s So, I wouldnt take this for granted at most entry level positions make sure your letter is immaculate if its requested, and dont send one if they dont ask.What Not To DoUse Word templates Yuck. They are boring and basic and you can do betterWrite in the first person Its implied that everything on your resume has to do with you. Responsibilities included coordinating office networking events works just fine without My in front of it.Include a ridiculous number of pages Curate your experience to apply only to the job youre applying for, and get it down to two pages max.Mix up POV and tense zupflmmel one and stick to itInclude resume objectivesMail or hand deliver paper copiesSend resumes straight to the CEOExaggerateBut Feel Free to Do TheseAnd just to make it that much harder to figure out the right thing to do, herere some features Benjamin wishes she could see more ofInsert personalityHave one Dont let your resume sound like it was generated by an SEO robotfeel free to include a (tasteful, thoughtful, relevant) joke, a personal preference, or an engaging detail. Make it worth your recruiters while to close-read your workInclude URLs for other presencesYour mileage may vary. If you tend to showcase interesting industry-related articles and news items publicly, maybe share your facebook inc or tumblr. If you use the internet to blow off steam, maybe lock your profiles down during the job search.Sha re personal projectsWhat else are you working on? In your free time, what do you do or make or go out of your way to see? Even if you decide not to include this on your resume, have an anecdote or two ready for an interviewUse different colors and typography Be deliberate and thoughtful about your choices, and keep it tasteful. Remember recruiters are seeing dozens of thesebe appealing without being appalling.

Lets All Take A Little More Time Out To Be A Mentor

Lets All Take A Little More Time Out To Be A Mentor Executive women are notoriously busy juggling careers, families, and other responsibilities. And yet, there is one more job that we all must take on ratgebering and providing guidance to women around us.We at Fairygodboss hear consistently from women how important it is for them to have female mentors that help pave the way and demonstrate how women can be successful in management positions.Being a great mentor or role model - whether formally or informally - should be in the job description of every senior level executive. But the responsibility goes beyond the traditional one-to-one mentoring for executive woman since there tend to be fewer at the senior ranks. According to Judith Warner at the Center for American Progress, women make up 59% of the college-educated entry-level workforce, but less than 9% of all top management positions.Often, many junior women who seek mentorship have a hard time finding it. LinkedIn conducted a s tudy in 2011 that found that 1 out of 5 women say theyve never had a mentor at work. Senior level women are often perceived as unavailable, intimidating or just plain rushed. And, there just arent enough of them to go around.All together, this means its incumbent on senior-level women in organizations to make themselves available to as many women as possible throughout the organization. This may seem overwhelming or onerous - especially because often the women seeking out counsel from you may have nothing more in common with you than being a woman. However, if we are all part of a united cause to improve zurckhalten and promotion among women, the only way well get there is by pitching in an extra helping hand.In my own career, I have been benefited dramatically from the women who have taken the time to give me advice and steer my career. And as a result, it has always been important to me to pay it forward by making time for anyone who seeks me out. When you are managing a job and a family, it can be difficult to take on this extra responsibility -- but it is well worth it. And it follows in the footsteps of great women like Sheryl Sandberg who take time out of their day jobs to advance the cause for women in the workplace every day.So let this be a plea - or at least a reminder - to women executives everywhere that the time and effort you put into mentoring will make a difference to women in more junior roles and to the company overall. Here are some ideas to help1. Carve Out TimeIts so hard when were all juggling multiple responsibilities - work, home and other. But consider scheduling sekretariat hours or some kind of planned time when you can take short meetings.2. Learn everyones name - and something about themI learned from one of the best bosses Ive ever had how important it is to know everyones name. And go one step further take the time to know at least one thing about everyone in your office. Sally, how was the trip to Turkey? When youre a junior per son in a big anonymous office, it goes a long way to know that someone at the top knows you.3. Set an exampleRemember that everything you do, say, and even wear is setting an example for those around you. If you choose to be positive and enthusiastic, others will follow your lead. In that way, you can make an important difference for the wertmiger zuwachs of the department or even the company - even to team members outside your scope of management.4. Have a sense of humorBe serious, intelligent and authoritative. But a little levity goes a long way when everyone is working hard in the trenches. If you can intersperse a little humor into the workday, everyone is grateful - and also happier to be there. A little humor can also help communicate to a team that you have high standards but youre human too - which is especially important for senior women who are often perceived as off-putting.5. Be honest and openThe more youre willing to open up and share, the more value a mentee will get from an exchange with you. There is a temptation to try to project an air of infallibility. But if you can share a story about a mistake you made, its sure to inspire someone even more so than a story of heroic success.If every woman in management took just one hour a week to help support other women in the organization, the positive effects could be dramatic and exponential. And if all goes according to plan, eventually the burden on each individual should lighten as more and more women enter executive ranks.Fairygodboss is committed to improving the workplace and lives of women. Join us by reviewing your employer