Kate Sargent’s Post

Resume Hacks: 20 Things to Fix on Your Resume – Thing #7… 7) Missing contact information. This error has multiple forms beyond omissions, misspellings, character transpositions, and bad typing habits or the use of 8-point fonts. Candidates will list a childhood phone number, a number they shared with an ex-spouse. Worst, they use a current or old work phone and work-email. The fix? Stop making those mistakes! Regardless of which file format or text layout you use, place your contact details top-center. It is tradition. It is obvious. It is easy to spot. Do not place your contact info in the header or footer. This post is timely. An UX expert sent me their resume. It was a Canva document. At first glance, there is their photo. Great head shot. I am making sweet-sweet-eye contact (metaphorical) with their face (this might be a good reason to not include photos?). As I snapped out of it, I scroll. As I scroll, there is no contact info. Scroll. Scroll. Scroll. Finally, there it is, at the bottom. White-text on a blue background. Stands out nicely. But it is at the bottom. That is a problem. Many recruiters may not scroll that far! The bottom of the resume could be worst place for contact details. It can "feel" that the contact info is missing. And technically, the phone/email was at the top-right of the resume. But the faded white-font on a faded-grey-scale color pallet made the information invisible at first-glance. Add bad color-contrast selection as another way to accidentally hide your contact information. Your resume might only get one-glance. The eyes take a fixation point that is easiest to read. Review the science at this link: https://lnkd.in/g2zBECm8 With resume Canva-files, use the maximum-contrast color and font available. Use your portfolio to showcase your graphical expertise with faded color schemes. Finally, send the resume to a trusted friend. Have them “manually” do two things for you: - Dial your number using the resume as a reference & leave a voice-mail. - Email you, typing it out using the resume as a reference & send an email. Both outcomes ensure your contact details are visible and correct. Here is the original list of 20-Things: https://lnkd.in/gRhVTAsg Bonus Thing. Logos, Unicode, PNG/JPG/GIF files corrupting your text (spelling, punctuation, format). To less frustration and more offers, Dirk Dirk Spencer Senior Recruiter [email protected] 214-295-8687 Read the previews of my resume books on Amazon: https://lnkd.in/gMe4FGcg Invite me to speak at your next event, my speaker decks on SlideShare (.NET): https://lnkd.in/gecy2qHF My YouTube channel for other Origami enthusiasts: https://lnkd.in/gZYBtZ2i

Hi LinkedIn Connection! In today’s competitive job landscape, your resume is often the first impression you make on potential employers. It’s crucial to ensure it effectively represents your skills, experience, and achievements. Here are 6 tips to help you create a resume that stands out: 1. Identify Job-Specific Keywords Start by carefully reviewing job postings that interest you, focusing on key terms and phrases that the employer values. For instance, in a digital marketing role, keywords like SEO, content strategy, PPC campaigns, or analytics may stand out. Pay attention to the Preferred Skills or Qualifications sections where these terms often appear. If your experience matches, incorporate these keywords into your resume, especially in the skills or accomplishments sections, to demonstrate your fit for the role. 2. Choose a Professional Font Use a basic and clean font, such as Arial or Times New Roman, to give your resume a professional look. Aim for a font size between 10 and 12 points to ensure readability. A well-chosen font enhances the overall professionalism of your resume. To maintain a streamlined appearance, minimize unnecessary white space. This helps to capture the reader’s attention to the content. 3. Focus on Relevant Information Keep your resume simple by highlighting only the most relevant details. Exclude outdated or irrelevant information, such as old positions or minor qualifications. Highlight work experience, achievements, education, and skills that align with the job. Review the job posting to identify key attributes and use a functional format if needed to emphasize how your past roles have prepared you for the position. 4. Utilize Active Language Use strong, active verbs like achieved, earned, and completed to make your resume impactful and clear. Simplify sentences to avoid unnecessary words. For example, change At Freedom Inc., I was responsible for managing various team projects and assisting team members with their tasks to Managed 10 team projects, led a new POS system implementation, and helped five team members achieve project goals with 95% accuracy. This approach keeps the focus on your accomplishments. 5.Highlight Key Achievements Rather than listing all job duties, focus on the top three or four achievements for each role. Include quantifiable results to measure your success. Consider adding a separate Achievements or Skills section to showcase notable accomplishments from your education, career, or volunteer work. 6. Review and Check Review your resume multiple times to catch spelling and grammar errors. Use editing tools and ask trusted friends or colleagues for feedback. You might also consider hiring a professional resume expert for additional insights. Remember, your resume is a living document that reflects your career journey. Invest time in perfecting it, and this will give you a chance to open doors to new opportunities. #ResumeTips #CareerAdvice #ResumeWriting

Ever feel like your resume is just another drop in the bucket? It's time to ditch the Times New Roman and bland black-and-white design. Stand out from the crowd with a creative resume that showcases your personal brand alongside your experience and career goals. And the best part? You don't need fancy design software to make it happen. Microsoft Word resume templates are the secret weapon you've been missing. I just came across this article from HubSpot, "40 Free Resume Templates for Microsoft Word (& How to Make Your Own)". Here are some key takeaways: • 38 free, editable resume templates available for download • Templates cater to various styles and preferences, from minimalist to color-blocked • Suitable for different professional backgrounds and experience levels • Tips for formatting and customizing your resume in Word • Advice for saving in both Word and PDF formats to preserve layout With the right template and a little personalization, you can create a visually stunning resume that effectively communicates your qualifications and sets you apart in the job market. Happy Wednesday! Let me know your thoughts. Have you tried using Word templates for your resume? Casey Jones #resumetips #jobsearch #personalbranding #microsoftword #standoutfromthecrowd

Land Your Dream Job with a Free Photoshop Resume Template (That Won't Make You Scream!). Let's face it, crafting the perfect resume can feel like climbing Mount Everest in flip-flops. But fear not, intrepid job seeker! You don't need fancy design skills or a small loan to create a resume that'll turn heads. Here's the good news: stunning, free Photoshop resume templates exist, waiting to be your secret weapon. But before you dive in, a word of caution: Not all freebies are created equal. Beware of templates that scream "amateur" with Comic Sans fonts and clipart explosions. Your resume should be professional, polished, and reflect your unique personality. So, let's find the perfect template that ticks all the boxes. #resumetips #resume #jobsearch #jobseeker #jobs #cvtips #cvwriting #biodata

Let's talk resumes because I've reviewed over 150,000 and some of you need some HELP 😂 Don't worry, I've got you covered. Choose the Right Format: 🎯 Unless yoy're a Graphic Designer opt for a clean format that is easy to read. People are spending 3 seconds on your resume. 🎯 Use standard fonts like Calibri, and keep the font size at 10. 🎯 Use bullet points to list information for easy scanning. 🚫Do not put in big chunks of text. 🎯 BOLD things throughout your resume to guide the readers eye. You want them to see what you want them to see. Contact Information: 📧 Include your name, phone number, email address, City, State, Zip and your LinkedIn profile or personal website. 🚫Do NOT put your LinkedIn URL instead, hyperlink the word LinkedIn. 📧 Make sure your contact information is professional. Don't have your date of birth in your email and for the love of god, use @gmail. AOL or Yahoo will date you. Achievements: 🎯 Add 4 to 6 bullet points of your top achievements a the top of your resume under contact information. You can repeat sentences already in your resume. This doubles the keywords and makes it less likely for the reader to miss them. Professional Experience: 🎯 List your work experience in reverse chronological order (most recent job first). 🎯 Include the name of the company, a sentence about what they do (adding keywords) your job title, and the dates of employment WITH months. 🚫You do not need the locations of the company on your resume. 🎯 Use nubmers whenever possible (e.g., "Increased sales by 20%"). 🎯 Use keywords from the job description to optimize your resume for applicant tracking systems (ATS) Education: 🎓 Include the name of the school, degree obtained 🚫 DO NOT ADD DATES! This will tell people how old you are Skills: 💼 Create a dedicated section to showcase your skills. A table will work just fine. 💼 Include hard skills (e.g., programming languages) 🚫 Omit soft skills (e.g., communication, teamwork) = unnecessary fluff 💼 Tailor your skills section to match the mandatory requirements of the job you're applying for. Certifications: 🏆 Include any relevant certifications that demonstrate your expertise and accomplishments. Certifications won't get you the job but they will help your resume stand out from the rest. Proofread and Edit: ✏️ Review your resume carefully for any spelling or grammatical errors. ✏️ Ensure consistency in formatting and style throughout the document. Final Touches: 💼 Save your resume as a PDF file to preserve formatting and so no one can change it. 💼 Use a professional file name (e.g., FirstName_LastName_Resume.pdf) so Hiring Managers can easily find it in their inbox. And that my friends... is how you write a WINNING resume. 🤩 All of this applies to your LinkedIn profile too! If you need more support, let's schedule a private resume and LinkedIn audit or come to our free Blockchain Brunch where we do LIVE audits to help you Land On Top of your career goals.

Does your resume have everything it needs to land you your next opportunity? 🎂 Like a 'cupcake' a resume has various aspects to it to make it delicious and interesting. The same should be said with your resume. Your resume, unlike your LinkedIn profile, gives you the opportunity to personalize your “brand” each time you submit it to a new job. Here are 5️⃣ non-obvious tips to help you revamp your resume today: 🎂 Use Keywords to tailor your resume One of the biggest mistakes I see with resumes is when they aren't personalized to the job or company the person is applying for. You can combat this by creating a master resume (think of it like a template), then using keywords to help me tailor my resume for each job and company you apply for. Find any keywords or phrases from that job description and edit your bullet points to include them. 🎂 Use Sub-Headers to Highlight lots of Information It’s challenging to pare down your work experience to just a few bullet points—especially if you’ve held multiple jobs at the same company or, like many of us, wear multiple hats when it comes to job responsibilities. A quick way to showcase what you’ve done at a company without listing eight bullet points in a row is to create sub-headers for your experience. Group your experience by a skill or strength that you want to draw attention to, based on a keyword or phrase. For example, you can list your experience like this: Job Title/ Company 1-2 line description of what you do there Sub Header #1 (i.e Digital Marketing) · Bullet points · Bullet points Sub Header #1 (i.e Paid Marketing) · Bullet point · Bullet points 🎂 Design your Resume with two-columns By far my best tip is to make sure your resume is aesthetically pleasing and well-designed! Think about when you visit the websites of your favorite brands—would you buy from there if the design of their website was subpar, boring, or hard to understand? Probably not. Do yourself a favor and invest in your resume design. 🎂 Add a Portfolio Site A smart way to set yourself apart from the competition is to create a portfolio site. A portfolio site is a more visual way to show off your experience and tell your story, and it let’s employers know you’re tech-savvy. Even if you’re not in a creative field, your professional brand needs exactly that—a brand. Here’s our step-by-step process that anyone can use to create a portfolio site. 🎂 Use your resume during the Interview Almost all recruiters will use your resume as an outline during your interview. Basically, they’ll start at the top (pro tip: make sure your most important information is at the top) and ask questions accordingly. You’ll be turning your interview into an interactive experience and I’m sure very few other interviewees with be doing that! #resume #tipsandtricks #top5nonobvioustips #resumereview #update #thinkofyourresumeasyourbrand #cupcake #layers #addsprinklesbutnottoomany

Job Search Tip of the Week What NOT To Put in Your Resume You probably hear all the time about the things you should include in your resume. But what about the things you should NOT include . . . things that could sabotage your chances? Here are 4 of them: 1. Personal information Never include your age, marital status, number of children or other personal data. This may be acceptable in some countries, but not the U.S. These things can also have EEOC implications. Recruiters and other hiring professionals may be required to ignore resumes with such information in them. They’ll toss your resume aside and take you out of the running. 2. Unprofessional looking fonts and too many different fonts Choose no more than 2 different fonts, but just one is usually better. Use standard, business-style fonts like Arial or Times Roman. And don’t include glitzy symbols or “eye candy”. They can mark you as unprofessional. 3. Ghost-town social media accounts It’s great to include links to your professional social media accounts (especially your LinkedIn profile), but only if you’re active there. Imagine how it plays when someone lands on one of your accounts that shows little to no recent activity. 4. Company-specific acronyms and jargon Assume that people reading your resume may not know what these things stand for, and why they’re important. It’s always wise to write out the full phrase. If wanna know more things which shouldn't be there in your resume them follow me or DM me to ask questions🙋 Md Ishaq Mohiuddin💎

Crafting a standout resume/CV is crucial in the current competitive job market. Here's a comprehensive guide so that your professional experience captures the attention of hiring managers, HR teams and recruiters: FORMATTING RULES: Contact Information: Place it prominently at the top, either centered or left or right aligned.  Include your email, LinkedIn profile link and your City/State/Province. For privacy reasons, don’t include your exact address. Professional Email: Set up a professional sounding email address if you don't already have one. Your funny email address you created years ago doesn’t set the right tone. Font and Size: Stick to a font size between 10-12, using professional fonts like Arial, Calibri, Georgia, Times New Roman, or Verdana. Page Length and Margins: Keep it under 2 pages with 1.5 line spacing and 1-inch (or 2.2cm) margins. This is the standard for business letters and documents. Avoid Design Elements: ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) struggle with scanning tables, charts, photos, logos, etc. Keep it simple, use native MS/Google bullets to highlight skills or achievements.    RESUME/CV CONTENT: Open with a Summary: Create a summary of your professional experience, remember not to use 'I want' or 'I am' and don't refer to yourself in the 3rd person. Achievements Over Tasks: Highlight your achievements, not daily tasks, using action verbs such as ‘achieved’. Tailor to Each Role: Customize your resume for each position you apply for. Include Keywords: Use keywords from the job description to match ATS requirements. Consistent Tense: Maintain consistent tense throughout your resume. If you are speaking of past accomplishments use past tense, in your current role use present tense. Relevance: Although you may have learned a lot that summer working at a fast-food restaurant, only include roles relevant to the position you're applying for with the most recent to the oldest. Quantify Impact: Include numbers and metrics to showcase your contributions, highlight the impact you made in real terms. Omit Graduation Dates: Avoid bias by omitting graduation dates unless you're a current student, then include your expected graduation date. ADDITIONAL TIPS: Storytelling: Craft a narrative about your professional journey within the opening summary. Keep it brief, no more than 2-3 sentences. Networking: Don't forget to network with former colleagues and utilize recruiters experienced in your field of interest. By leveraging these guidelines, you'll significantly improve your chances of getting a conversation and moving towards securing your next career opportunity. Remember, your resume is your first impression—make it count!

To template or not to template – that is today’s question.   So, this may be an unpopular opinion, but I am not a fan of resume templates. Templates work, but they can be restrictive. 👉 DO NOT SACRIFICE CONTENT FOR FORMAT ON YOUR RESUME It is better to take extra time to design your resume starting with a blank document than to limit the content to fit a template. Consider that your resume may go through a text reader or AI before it reaches a human reader (if it ever does). Technology cares about keywords, education, and experience. It’s not impressed by the artistic nature of the design. And even if it starts with a human reader, your resume is your calling card. You are not there with the recruiter to expand upon the information provided, so it must stand alone. That means you need detailed information to show why you are a candidate who should move on to the next step. The real issue with templates is that the formatting may limit the detail you can provide about each position. Or, it may force you to spend time debating how to abbreviate your education to fit the allotted space. And some templates require you to add resume sections that don’t apply to your experience. I love design, too. And those templates are pretty catchy. But unless you are aiming for a creative field (and even then…), recruiters are looking for what you have accomplished. They want to make sure your skills match the requirements of the role. When it comes to resumes, content takes precedence over design. If you find a template design that you really want to use, you may be able to keep some of the decorative details. Just clear the formatting where the text belongs and set it up from scratch. There’s always a workaround!   I’m interested in your thoughts about resume templates - are you pro or con?   My standard disclaimer: Ultimately, this is YOUR resume. Any recommendations from others (including me) are just that. Recommendations. Make this document represent you. Allow the design, selected words, writing style, and content to tell the recruiter who you are and why you’re a good fit for their open role. #resumetips #personalbranding #networking

Free Creative and Modern Resume Template Design I'm excited to share my latest free resume template design with the Facebook community! This template is perfect for anyone looking for a creative and modern way to showcase their skills and experience. It's easy to customize and can be used for any job type or industry. Features: Clean and modern design Fully customizable Easy to read and scannable Suitable for any job type or industry Available in Adobe Illustrator To download the free resume template, simply click on the link below. https://lnkd.in/dc8uPB2V] Usage: Once you've downloaded the template, open it in your preferred word-processing software and start editing! You can change the fonts, colors, and layout to match your personal style and branding. Once you're finished editing, simply save the template as a PDF and attach it to your job applications. I hope you enjoy this free resume template! Good luck with your job search! Hashtags: #resume #resumetemplate #freebie #design #creative #modern #jobsearch #resumedesign #cvdesign #cvdesigntemplate