| You've got about fifteen seconds!
That's it! In that amount of time, your job search is going
to be started...or slowed to a halt. Why to a halt you ask?
Well....it's pretty hard to track down a
candidate who's ended up in the recycle bin.
We have had a chance to work with thousands of candidates and
literally worked on thousands of openings with companies, and we can
tell you that there is a simple rule about resumes.
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It is....
"A well
written resume gets you in the game...nothing more! A
poorly written one...and its over!"
We are not in the business of writing resumes.
There are plenty of internet companies that do that.
But
we can offer some really simple advise on how to avoid the recycle
bin.
Structure of Resume:
Regardless
of your work history or background, there are a few basic rules to use
in preparing your resume. These suggestions focus on the basic
layout and structure of the document.
Length:
If your work history is less than 10 years, a one page resume should be
your goal. If your work history is more than 10, try for two, but
no more than three. Font:
Use a clean font and at least 11pt size. Remember most of the
time your resume will be faxed or photo copied. What happens if
they can't read your phone number?
Paper:
Most resumes will be emailed or faxed, so paper quality and color are
not critical. Darker papers fax poorly...so try to stick with
white or light colors.
When you
are mailing your resume directly to a company, then a quality paper
should be used.
Flow of Content:
Generally the flow of the resume should be:
- Header - Name, address, phone numbers,
email
- Summary of Qualifications: A
paragraph over viewing your career focus.
- Work History: A chronological
listing beginning with current and going backwards of all major
jobs.
- Education: College only.
Don't include personal info, hobbies, marital
status, awards, references, or other miscellaneous info.
Writing
Style: Writing your own resume can be a challenge.
One key is to write short sentences with strong action verbs.
For additional help, go to
Use Action Verbs to Accentuate your
Accomplishments. Content
of Resume: Your career history fortunately
or unfortunately, makes the actual writing of the resume either rather
simple...or close to an impossible task. The truth is that if you
have a lousy work history....you can hide it...but you can't make it go
away! On the other hand...if you have a nice flow to your work
history....then the key is to let it show and try not to cover it up.
Probably
the first point to make is understanding what an HR person or resume
reviewer is trying to do in reading your resume. There are a
couple of basic questions they are thinking about as they are reading. Job
Category: First, who are you?
What is your background? What "mental bucket" can I put
you in? The truth is that 95% of all reviewers are immediately
trying to compartmentalize you into a job category.
Are
you a Store Manager, a District Manager, a Buyer.... a VP of
Stores? They want to look at your resume and be able to tell
that. (this is part of that 15 seconds we talked about
earlier) If it is not readily apparent....then the chances of you
becoming recycle material is high. Quality
of Work Experience:
Secondly, they are
looking at the places you've been and comparing them for fit. Are
the companies recognized as leaders/successful? How close of a fit
are they to their company? What about educational background?
This
scan probably takes another 30 seconds, and this is where you get put
into the "A" pile or the "B" pile.
"A" being the good pile...candidates who they want to
consider. "B" being the not so good pile... if the
"A" pile is exhausted then I might look at you.
(or I might keep looking) If
the company you worked for is a small company or not easily
recognizable, then it's a good idea in the first sentence of your job
description to tell the reader what business and size of company it was.
Example: George's
Discount
Store
Manager
1987-1991
George's Discount was a chain of
39 discount stores averaging 60,000 sq ft which operated in New Jersey
and Maryland. Stores averaged $15 million.
I was responsible for running the
second highest volume store ($22million) in the chain. Increased
sales by 22% in 1988 and 11% in 1989.
Career Progression:
Finally,
they will take another 30 seconds to review the flow of your work
history. At what point in your career are you? This scan
starts at the beginning and traces your jobs. Were the moves
progressive? Larger responsibility, promotions, bigger companies,
bigger assignments? or Do you seem to bounce around a lot with no
real progression. Sometimes the company
values this...and other times it is less important. Does age
matter? Is the sky blue? Of course it does! Sometimes
it's good and sometimes it's not so good. The key is to look at
your work history and be honest with yourself. What do you see
when you review your work history? Which one of the following best
describes you?
- Fast track promotions...still
on the way up
- Solid progression.... demonstrated
staying power and growth
- Slow
progression....a couple of positive steps
- Mixed
progression....some moves forward ...yet some starting over moves
- Too
many moves .... 3 or more moves in a row with less than 2 years
per company
- Early success / Late decline....
career peaked years ago
If you are one of
the first three, then your resume should be expanded to brag about the
accomplishments a little and let the reader see for themselves your
progression. On the other hand, if you see
yourself as one of the last three...then keep the resume short and limit
the verbiage. No reason to make it anymore apparent. I would
count on the cover letter to help explain your work history. (see
also
Writing
your cover letter) Example:
Here
are a couple of sample resumes that may be helpful in giving you a feel for a
style and layout. We have also provided a download file link
to a Word document sample if you want it.
David
Miller Example: The
first one is someone that has a brief but solid work history
progression. A couple of points to highlight.
- One
page
- Use of bullets to expand on
accomplishments
- No college degree so left education
off
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David Miller
123 Main Street
Anytown, PA 12345
Home: (123) 555-1234 Work:
(123) 555-4321
Highlights of Qualifications:
An aggressive young retail executive with a desire to grow
professionally with a strong retail company. A highly motivated
leader who has excellent management skills. Strong interest in
providing retailing services to the community and providing a
friendly environment to shop. Excellent time management skills,
highly organized, and good at follow through. Capable of adapting
to new situations quickly.
Professional
Experience:
McCrory Stores
1999
-
Present
Store Manager
Responsible for the operations of the
store, this includes:
·
Create
innovative merchandise display.
·
Maintain
proper inventory levels.
·
Direct
hiring, training, and discipline of associates.
·
Effective
communication and problem solving skills.
·
Proper
scheduling and payroll control.
1998
-
1999
Assistant
Manager
Provide assistance to Store Manager in the day-to-day
operation of store location. This includes opening and
closing responsibilities. Responsible for supervising
employees on merchandising and operational issues and for
insuring good customer service at all times.
Rite Aide Stores
1990
-
1998
Assistant
Manager
Worked in a number of stores
through a nine-year period. Responsible for assisting in the
operations of the store. This includes carrying keys and
opening and closing responsibilities. Emphasis in position is
in supervising on the sales floor associates in merchandising
and assisting customers.
-
Maintain a high
level of shrinkage awareness and an attitude within store
towards shrink control.
-
Supervise
front-end operation and handle void approvals, and check out
operation.
-
Provide management
support in all areas of store as needed. This includes customer
interactions and supervising of associates
-
Assist in merchandise
display, stocking, and presentation activities. This includes ad
set up, seasonal layouts, and regular staple merchandising.
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Click
here to Download Microsoft Word file of
David
Miller Sample Resume.
If password box pops up, hit cancel and it should
still download file. Or it may open the word document in your
browser and you should be able to save it to your hard drive.
Mary Smith
Example: The second example is someone who
who has extensive work history, but has had smaller jobs recently.
They clearly peaked earlier in their career. The following are
some of the highlights.
- Two page resume
- No use of bullets. Boiled
down work history
- Education included
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Mary Lou Smith
123 Main Street
Anytown, VA 12345
Highlights of Qualifications:
Seasoned
professional with extensive management and merchandising experience
in discount, high volume and mass-merchandise business environments.
Demonstrated effectiveness in personnel administration, budget
projections and district level evaluations.
Professional
Experience:
Super Petz
1997
-
Present
Store Manager –
Richmond, VA
Manage a 20,000 sq. ft. Pet Store with sales in excess of $5
million. Full P&L responsibilities. Hired and trained
all
employees as well as managers. Improved grooming from 2%
to
5% of store sales.
Wine & Spirits
1996
-
1997 Store Manager
–Charlotte, NC
Managed a 20,000 sq. ft. liquor warehouse operation with
projected
sales of $10 million. Responsible for all hiring and
training of
all employees with a staff of 25 associates including
management.
Revco Drug Stores
1996
-
1997
Store Manager
Trainee – Charlotte, NC
Sam’s Club
1994 -1996 Operations
Director – Winston-Salem, NC
Supervised the management
staff of Receiving, Front End, Demo
Dept. Cash Office, Maintenance
and the Fresh Meat and Bakery
Departments. Responsible for the
implementation of training and
improving standards and morale in
both warehouses.
BJ’s Warehouse Club
1992
-
1994
Warehouse
Director – Myrtle Beach, SC
Directed all phases of merchandising from receiving to floor for a
$74
million operation. Promoted April, 1993 to Warehouse
Director for
new 116,000 sq. ft. location with projected sales of
$40 million. Cut
projected first year inventory loss by 50%
while raising projected
revenue in excess of 10%. Restructured
departments to successfully
reduce staffing needs while maintaining
high quality of service
standards.
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Hills Department Stores
1991
-
1992
Store Manager –
Myrtle Beach, SC
Managed 78,000 sq. ft. discount store with projected sales
annually. Directed all operations and departments of the store.
Enhanced follow-up of company policies and procedures. Full P &
L
responsibilities.
Office Depot
1990
-
1991
Store Director
– Wilmington, SC
Managed 48.000 sq. ft. retail store with sales
projected at $7 million.
Assured the implementation of company
policies and procedures.
Directed retail delivery of the three
local stores. Personally
generated special order business
comprising up to 15% of sales.
Mammoth Mart / Kings
1975 - 1990
District Manager – South
Carolina/North Carolina
Oversaw the operations of 8-13 stores, ensuring effective
profitability
in relation to the distribution of budget. Handled
decisions on loss
control. Set and enforced guidelines and
corporate policies resulting
in enhancement of sales in the
district. Directed the management staff
and made determinations
concerning the hiring, training and
transference of personnel
according to promotability. Ensured that
promotional advertisement,
displays and sales were effectively and
properly executed. Directed
advertising, payroll, security,
promotions, and any other aspects
pertaining to the profit and loss of
each unit.
1968
-
1975 Store Manager –
South Carolina
Efficiently managed
scheduling, payroll, customer service, personnel
and inventory.
Conducted thorough interviewing and recruitment
procedures for
hiring new individuals and administered an efficient
in-store
training program for new employees.
Education:
South Carolina State
University
Bachelor of Science,
Business Administration - 1968
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Click
here to Download Microsoft Word file of
Mary
Smith Sample Resume
If password box pops up, hit cancel and it
should still download file. Or it may open the word document in
your browser and you should be able to save it to your hard drive.
If you would like some more info on our
thoughts about resumes, you may want to take a look at
Building the Perfect Resume. This was an article from our
Retail Careers- Straight Talk Newsletter.
For additional help on writing cover letters, go
to
Writing
Your Cover Letter.
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