About that Resume…

by Sharon O’Toole, Workforce Consultant, Canyon County Local Office

Are you sending out resumes, waiting for the phone to ring and not getting called for interviews? Your resume may be letting you down for a number of reasons. Several things to consider:

Command attention.  A resume that just lists past jobs or  spits back a description the employer wants to fill doesn’t create much interest. You need a compelling opening or cover letter. Try adding a “Value Proposition” or “Career Goal” – a short statement that grabs attention and makes the reader want to read further.

Customize your resume.  Remember employers are doing a quick review of your resume to see if it contains the skills and abilities they need for the job. They have neither the time nor inclination to read every detail. You need to tell them specifically what you have to offer and why you are the best person for the job. Provide examples of accomplishments relevant to the job. which do not need to be work related, but should demonstrate relevant skills.

Is your resume all about you?  This is not about you. It is about why the employer you want to work for should hire you. Instead of focusing on yourself,  focus on the manager’s needs. If you were hiring for that position, what skills and knowledge would be important?

Be results oriented.  A ho-hum list of responsibilities just doesn’t cut it. You can be pretty sure employers know what the job description says. Give them a reason to think that you can handle those responsibilities well. Think about your accomplishments and match them up with the responsibilities. Create statements that demonstrate you have the relevant skills. Use action verbs. Resumes should be all about verbs!

Include critical keywords. Whether your resume is first given a quick review or scanned electronically, resumes with  key words correctly associated with the position make it through a first cut.  Read the job description or job listing carefully for clues and what key words are important.  Go to onetcenter.com and find keywords associated with the position. A few common keywords associated with various industries.

KEYWORDS:

Administrative and Clerical Careers Budget Administration Business Administration Clerical Support Client Communications Confidential  Correspondence Contract Administration Corporate Recordkeeping Document Management Efficiency Improvement Liaison Affairs Meeting Planning Office Management Policy and Procedure Productivity Improvement Project Management Records Management Regulatory Reporting Resource Management Time Management Workflow Planning/Prioritization

Accounting, Banking and Finance Careers Accounts payable and receivable Financial analysis and Reporting Asset Management Foreign Exchange Auditing Internal Accounting Controls Budget Control and Administration Investment and Analysis Management Cash Management Lending and Loan Administration Consumer and Commercial Lending Mergers and Acquisitions Corporate treasury Profit and Loss Analysis Cost  Accounting Project Accounting Cost/Benefit Analysis Risk Management Credit and Collections ROI and ROE analysis

Government Careers Briefings and Trainings Budget Planning and Allocation Congressional Affairs Cross-Cultural Communications Cultural Diversity Foreign Government Relations Government Affairs Inter-Agency Relations International Trade and Commerce Legislative Affairs Liaison Affairs Lobbying Press Relations and Me\dia Affairs Procurement and Acquisitions Program Design and Management Public Advocacy Public Works Regulatory Reporting SEC Affairs Zoning and Compliance

Health Care and Social Service Careers Ambulatory Care Behavior Modification Case Management Chronic Care Client Advocacy Community Outreach Crisis Intervention Diagnostic Evaluation and Intervention Healthcare Administration Healthcare Delivery Human Services Inpatient and Outpatient Care Insurance Administration Integrated Service Delivery Patient/Client Relations Practice Management Protective Services Regulatory Affairs and Reporting Risk Management Vocational Rehabilitation

Hospitality and Food Service Careers Back of the House Operations Catering Services Conference and Meeting Planning Corporate Dining Room Operations Customer Service Management Food and Beverage Operations Front of the House Operations Guest Service and Satisfaction Hospitality Management Housekeeping Operations Inventory Planning and Control Labor Cost Controls Men u Planning and Pricing Multi-Unit Operations Occupancy Management Portion Control Property Development Resort Management Revenue Planning and Reporting Special Events Planning

Human Resource and Training Careers Benefits Design and Administration Change Management Employee Assistance Programs Employee Communications Employee Relations Employee Retention Grievance Proceedings and Arbitration Human Resources Administration Labor Contract Negotiations Leadership development Manpower Planning Organizational Development Performance Incentives Performance Reviews and Appraisals Recruitment and Selection Staffing Succession Planning Training and Development Union Relations Wage Administration

Law Enforcement and Legal Careers Arbitration Arrest and Prosecution Civil Law Proceedings Corporate law and Representation Courtroom Proceedings Criminal Investigations Depositions and Discovery Due Diligence Intellectual Property Interrogations Judicial Affairs Legal Research and Analysis Legislative Review and Analysis Litigation Public Safety Administration Regulatory Affairs Risk Management Search and Seizure Trademark and Copyright Law Workers Compensation

Manufacturing and Operations Careers Budget Planning and Administration Continuous Process Improvement Cost Reduction and Avoidance Efficiency Improvement Facilities Engineering Inventory Planning and Control Logistics Manufacturing Technology Multi-Site Operations Management Occupational Health and Safety Operations Re-Engineering Plant Management Process Automation Productivity Improvement Quality Assurance and Control Resource Planning and Management Supply Chain Management Technology Integration Workflow Optimization Workforce Planning and Management

Sales, Marketing and Customer Service Careers Brand Development and Launch Competitive Market Intelligence Contract Negotiations Corporate Communications Customer Relationship Management Customer Service and Retention E-Commerce International Trade Key Account Management Media Affairs and Press Relations Multi Channel Marketing Multimedia Marketing and Promotion Product and Market Positioning Product Lifecycle Management Public Relations Sales Administration Sales Presentations Sales Training Solutions Selling Time and Territory Management

Skilled Trades Careers Blueprints and Drawings Contract Administration Crew Supervision Customer Relations Electrical, Plumbing and HVAC Fault Isolation and Analysis Maintenance and Repair Material Management Preventive Maintenance Project Management Proje4ct Scheduling and Documentation Project Specifications Regulatory Compliance Residential and Commercial Projects Scope of Work Documents Security Systems Installation Testing and Troubleshooting Tools and Equipment Control Training and Apprenticeships Work and Site Safety

Teaching and Education Careers Accreditation Academic Advising Academic Standards Classroom Management Course Design Curriculum Development Educational Services Administration Higher Education Instructional Materials Multimedia Learning Methodologies Parent-Teacher Relations Research and Publishing School Administration Student Advisement Student Placements Student Recruitment Student Relations Teacher Training and Instruction Testing and Evaluation Textbook Review and Selection

Technology, Science ad Engineering Careers Applications Development Capital Projects E-Commerce Engineering Design Fault Isolation and  analysis Information Services Management Information Technology Multimedia Technology Integrati9on Network Design and Technology Performance Optimization Project Planning and Management Prototype Development and TEsting Research and Experimentation Scientific Methodologies Systems Engineering Technical Writing Technology Transfer User Training and  Support VOIP Technology Website Design and Management