Showing posts with label Solid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Solid. Show all posts

3/16/12

Easing Recruitment Woes Through Solid CV Design

Knowing how to design your CV is important, and that tends to mean that it isn't easy. The key thing to consider is simplicity. While you may have seem crazy designs across the internet that claim to be tips and hints useful for your job search - they probably aren't helpful.

Also, remember that many of these are just Word templates that have been rehashed. Your CV can stand out simply by making it easy to read, so move away from the so called 50 best ever CV designs. Be focused in what you are doing and you can get a good design, so keep reading for more:

- Content before design - Always remember that it doesn't matter what the end product is if you don't have the right content to go with it. Collect everything you may need, decide what you want to display and then consider how to style it.

- Hierarchy and structure of content - All your information will give with a hierarchy of where it needs to go. There are always things that hold greater importance than others so be sure to think what makes the most and least difference. From here you will see that informative parts and contact details need to be at the start.

- Consider the layout - Don't get sucked into the trap of thinking that you need to stand out so you add crazy fonts. Make sure that it is readable, in a considered hierarchy and with the thought of printing in mind. Consider the possibility that many people may read it, so it needs to work both with and without context.

- Single page - The ideal when it comes to your resume is that it can fit on one page, and the employed doesn't have to go around looking for the information they need. It should never be more than two pages, but a single page makes a CV more readable, printable and interesting.

- Make it a PDF - There are possible font and formatting issues whenever you send a Microsoft Word document, so make sure that the person can actually read it in the first place by sending it in a PDF.

These are all top tips for ensuring that your CV does what it needs to do in terms of getting your resume read. Be sure that you don't try to go too wacky and remember that although the design of your CV may well be a subject that is hugely contested, it should be simple and effective.

Finding a job can be difficult for job seekers, working through CVs that are poorly decided is tough work for executive search companies. Make sure that you get the staff you need by using a top executive recruitment company to meet all of your needs.

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11/1/11

Make Your Resume Stand Out From the Crowd - With Solid, Quantifiable Achievements

Your resume has to stand out on a first read through to get a second read, and the critical call back for an interview.

From my years as a recruiter, and as a professional Resume Writer, I don't believe that flashy formatting or tricks will accomplish that. What made me stop and give a resume a second look when I was recruiting - and what I strive for in every resume I write as a professional Resume Writer - is strong, deep content.

Your achievements - what you've produced or delivered that impacted bottom line - is what will make a hiring authority read your resume with care, and impel the hiring authority to give you that crucial first call.

So make those achievements clear, and include numbers whenever you can - numbers make achievements concrete and memorable. The more you can clearly and accurately quantify your achievements, the more your resume will "pop" - and stick in the mind of the hiring authority.

Here are 3 important tips on ways to quantify, and communicate, the achievements that make your career unique.

1) Be certain to clearly quantify your results. This is often more challenging in a technical career than in a more sales oriented role, so here are a few questions to help focus your resume writing process.

Did the projects you delivered save money? If so, how much? Was this a one time cost savings, or year-over-yearDid you improve processes, streamline efficiency, or reduce time to market? If so, then give adequate detail on those improvements. Every hiring authority is interested in bottom line (especially in the current economy), so efficiency is more crucial than ever before.Did you build products that increased revenue, market share, or contributed to bottom line growth? Again, be as specific as possible. If you designed and launched a product that grew market share by 33% (for example), that's a valuable differentiator.

Once you've determined the quantifiable results you've delivered throughout your career, here are a couple of tips to communicate those results rapidly, for maximum impact.

2) Always find - and lead - with your "wow" achievements. Needless to say, I read a lot of resumes in the course of a week. Many have a simple, easily repaired issue.

The achievements are placed randomly.

If you catch the hiring authority's attention with big achievements, the smaller add to your image of effectiveness. But if you lead small, the reader may not get to the big ones! Always organize your achievements with the most dramatic first, and then place the others in descending order.

As an example, if you have had projects that delivered $2M, $500K, and $100K in cost savings, include the achievements in that order.

3) Use the larger number. If the percentage improvement is huge, but the dollar number is small, use the percentage. On the other hand, if you've saved hundreds of thousands - or millions - of dollars, put that front and center.

So remember! Numbers count - quantifiable achievements are much stronger, and more memorable. And you do want your career to stick in the Hiring Authority's memory!

My goal is to help technology's "best and brightest" take their careers to the next level.
As a technical resume authority and former recruiter, I am committed to crafting compelling resumes, cover letters, and other career documents that capture your career essentials, seize and hold the hiring authority's attention, and open the door for the 1st interview.
For more information, please contact me at http://www.quantumtechresumes.com/.
Follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/QuanTechResume.

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