Show personality and charisma on paper

Dear Sam: I am a parent trying to understand my daughter's job search. It has been 42 years since I sought my first job, so things have changed. She passed the nursing board exam two months ago. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Biology (pre-med) a year ago. She had three years as an LPN in a Cleveland hospital. In two months, she has had only one interview. I am concerned. I asked her why she does not go door-to-door, get in people’s faces, and let them see her. She tells me that there are no longer any doors, just e-mail addresses. She tells me there are no longer faces, but services that process résumés, and that there is no one to personally impress. She tells me that appearance, personality, charisma, and attitude are not factors in the résumé process, and it is more a matter of what you have in the résumé and what "matches" with what the search engine is looking for! Help me out with the above. Is the process this impersonal? I am beginning to doubt how serious her search is, or who knows what. I am confused. Could you please inform a frustrated parent what the job market is like and how does someone break into this job market? Thanks – One Confused Parent

Dear Confused Parent: Your daughter is correct in that there are very few ways to sell yourself in person before you have secured an interview. Her résumé does have to market her credentials and experiences in a manner that it produces the most “keyword hits” based on the relevancy of her background to the position in question. To do this well, she needs to understand what types of positions she is pursuing and what language consistently appears in those job postings, and then tailor her résumé toward that goal to prompt action from that target audience.

Her résumé, however, can, and should, be infused with personality, something that can help differentiate her from other candidates. To do this, be sure the résumé uses engaging words, a format that is aesthetically pleasing, and possibly even incorporates an image, color, or testimonials (excerpts from recommendation letters or performance reviews) to engage the reader further. An effective résumé is truly a marriage of great content and design infused with a little personality! She can use her cover letter to add additional personality to her job search portfolio, communicate her charisma and attitude, and, of course, her passion for the medical field. She may also want to make sure she is being diligent in not only applying online, but also sending printed copies of her résumé to gain additional much-needed exposure in front of the hiring authority. This is often a strategy that is overlooked; but with as little as 7 seconds to grab the attention of a hiring manager, doubling your exposure for the price of a stamp (by emailing and mailing) can be very valuable. Going a step further, by packaging your résumé in a nice paper folder and mailing with coordinated business cards and mailing labels, can go a long way toward differentiating her as a self-starter who really wants the job. I wish you both much success during this stage of her career. Click here to see an example of a resume with personality and charisma.

Dear Sam: After 27 years with a major company that went into bankruptcy recently, I have to take an early retirement. I am only 53 years old and not ready to retire. A lot of the jobs I am applying for ask for at least an associate’s degree. I was told years ago that a four-year apprenticeship program was equal to an associate’s degree. I have also had a lot of training in the past 27+ years. What is your opinion on this? I do plan on pursuing a degree, but I will need a job in the meantime. Thank you - Dilemma

Dear Dilemma: I’ve never heard of a steadfast rule that an apprenticeship equals a degree, but you could present your apprenticeship program in an education section to help the hiring manager make that same judgment. A lot of how a hiring manager will see your education and past training will be determined by how you present it, so be sure you present it as you would a degree, making note of the program name, sponsoring organization, and possibly even some key focuses of the program. Also use the education section to present your other training that is related to your current career objective(s). Be sure to focus on only those programs that are relevant and still current in today’s business environment. Presenting only recent and/or relevant content in this section will yield stronger results when a hiring manager is comparing your training to that of a degree program.

Samantha Nolan is a certified professional résumé writer and owner of Ladybug Design, a full-service résumé writing firm. Reach Samantha at dearsam@ladybug-design.com, www.ladybug-design.com, or 1‑888-9-LADYBUG (1-888-952-3928).

Focus on related, not recent experience

Dear Sam: Previously, I worked for several years in the financial services field with a company that eventually shut its doors. I was also in the middle of finishing up my degree in a course of study that was somewhat related to the industry. To be able to pay bills and support my family while I went to school, I took a job that was not related to my experience or education in the financial services field. Early on, having been at this unrelated job for just a month, my résumé still worked well, as it started with my related experience. Now, with 5 months in this position, I am forced to add it to the top of my professional experience section which not only takes away from the other strong experience, but also causes employers to ask why I didn't pick up something that was related to what I'd been doing. How do I minimize this period of time on my résumé? – Bob

Dear Bob: To minimize the impact of a segue from the industry, use a combination résumé format to present your experience. Begin your résumé with a qualifications summary showcasing all of your related experience and education, of course not making any mention of your brief hiatus from your chosen field. Next, instead of starting the professional experience section, present a selected highlights section. In this section, explore your past related experience that positions you for what you want to do next in your career. Organize these either by employer or by skill. If the employers you worked for were notable, you might want to organize this section by employer, meaning you would have select employers’ names presented with highlights underneath. If you decide highlighting your experiences in key areas would be better, then simply present your content underneath functional subheadings. Next, present the professional experience section. Hopefully, your highlights section will fill the remainder of page one after the qualifications summary, strategically dropping your most recent, unrelated experience to the top of page two—and, most importantly, minimizing its impact during the screening process. Try to translate the skills gained in this position to your current objective, being sure you communicate why this experience is valuable regardless of whether it was related or not. One last point I want to mention is to make sure you are not presenting months of employment on your résumé. If your last related position ended just 5 months ago (in 2008), then really there isn’t a rush to include your nonrelated experience just yet. If that’s not the case, and it ended in 2007, then implement the strategy explained above to minimize its impact on your search. I wish you well.

Dear Sam: I am an electrical engineer in my fifties and looking for ways to not show my age in my résumé, which I think is adversely affecting my job search. I deleted the dates from my college degrees and also deleted my earliest job experience. However, I still show my dates of employment for each of the jobs that I have included, such as 1995-2002. Do you think this is a problem, and is there a good way to omit these dates without raising the suspicion of gaps in employment? – John

Dear John: Omitting dates of employment from all positions will definitely raise enough red flags that it will likely prevent you from getting in the door every time. You have taken the right approach in omitting your year of graduation and excluding earlier experience. I typically start thinking about whether an experience is adding value to someone’s candidacy when I start seeing dates back in the very early ‘90s and ‘80s; it’s then that I really need to see a compelling reason to include that early experience, for it to make the cut on a résumé. As long as your content is in line with today’s industry jargon, and you are not opening your résumé with a statement like, “more than 20 years’ experience,” you should be seen as not such a seasoned professional and be a little more competitive in the job market.

Dear Sam: I have been considering putting my picture on my résumé. I think that seeing a person, instead of just a list of qualifications, would generate additional interest. Is this a common practice and something that you think would be a good thing to do for a recent grad? – James

Dear James: No, placing a headshot on a résumé is not a common practice, and it should be avoided unless your face is key to what you do. In other words, if you have a recognizable face or are in a field where your looks play a significant role in your success, like a model, on-air broadcaster, etc. Using your image really won't generate additional interest for your résumé; instead, the hiring manager will wonder why you included your picture. The only times I have used a headshot on a résumé have been for clients within the music industry who use a candid or artistic image rather than a traditional headshot, or for C-level executives or sales managers who have a recognizable name and face. Stick to using your education, skills, and accomplishments to garner the hiring manager’s interest.

Dear Sam: I last updated my résumé six years ago. I am now required to submit a résumé as part of an accreditation review. The problem lies in that my degree is in one field (Education), and I am currently working in another field, in which I have more than 20 years of experience, but no master’s degree. Is it acceptable to list your educational background without mentioning the type or kind of degree you hold? Thank you. – Karen

Dear Karen: If it would detract from your candidacy to include your degree in Education, then yes, it is fine to simply list the type of degree you have without the major. You would just list the degree-granting institution followed by the degree you hold, whether B.S. or B.A., with no note as to the major. That is a pretty common strategy for those who need to minimize the appearance of having unrelated education or even a previous career.

Samantha Nolan is a certified professional résumé writer and owner of Ladybug Design, a full-service résumé writing firm. Reach Samantha at dearsam@ladybug-design.com, www.ladybug-design.com, or 1‑888-9-LADYBUG (1-888-952-3928).