HIRING MANAGERS SPEAK OUT: Resume Pet Peeves, Must Haves, and Standout Elements
Presented by Kristin Vandegriend
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
About the client, but for the hiring manager
Our ResearchTalking to decision makers
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
WHO WE TALKED TO
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
1 2 3 4 5
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
INDUSTRIES REPRESENTED
Other: Non-profit managementHealth and fitnessConstructionFinancial servicesSocial servicesHospitalitySalesBusiness supplies
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
Visual Appeal and MechanicsBuilding a resume that will get read
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
PAGE LENGTH
» 63% of respondents: 2 pages max
» 30% say It depends on the type and level of the job
» Only 2% want to see a 1 page resume
» 0% want to see a 3 page resume
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
FONT RECOMMENDATIONS
» 60% of respondents don’t care.
» Preference: Calibri (26%) and Arial (20%)
» Most hated: Comic Sans
» Must be easy to read
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
RESUME FORMATS
Reverse Chronological
✓ Preferred format for employer: easy career chronology to follow
Combination
✓ Highlight less recent experience
✓ Showcase experience/ skills
Cautions
Limit the skills section.
Don’t repeat information
Show where the experience comes from
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
FUNCTIONAL RESUMES
Pros: » I don’t have any concerns: 20%
» I find this format useful: 16%
Concerns: » It’s hard to determine her skill level: 23%
» I want to know specifically what she did in each job: 62%
• Can’t see the career progression• Not suitable in some industries
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
COMMON QUESTIONS
Question Answer
What date format is
preferred?
Month and Year (77% want this!)
How far back should I
list experience?
50% say up to 10 years
20% say 10 -15 years
How many bullet
points per section?
43% say 5 bullet points per section
41% don’t care
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
PREFERRED FILE FORMAT
» 76%: PDF» 11%: Word» 13%: Doesn’t Matter
Follow the instructions!
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
PET PEEVES AND RED FLAGS
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
PET PEEVES
Spelling and Grammatical Errors
“Communication is a key component to most jobs. Your application/resume is your first example of your communication skills.”
“This is your first assignment for the organization. I want to know that you took it seriously.”
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
PET PEEVES
Not targeted to the job
“Imagine someone is only going to glance at your resume for at most 5-10 seconds. Make sure the most important parts jump out to the reader”
“Show me that you understand my business: Take the time to research my organization. Tailor each point to qualities that I'm looking for. Show me how you can fill a gap in my time and make my life easier”
How do you fit?
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
THE RISE OF THE INDEED RESUME
TARGETED RESUMES
StrategicBrandedLogical
Storyline
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
PET PEEVES
Disorganized or Messy Content
PET PEEVES
Not enough information
No employment dates
Small font
“Show accomplishments (not just task lists), be clear about what the client was responsible for (outcomes); Use chronological order and explain gaps!”
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
Make the employer’s job easier!
PET PEEVES
Generic profile sections
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
RED FLAGS
1. Experience unrelated to the position
▪ You can’t turn a donkey into a unicorn
▪ 70% match for application
2. Short-term employment stints
▪ What’s the story?
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
SHORT-TERM WORK
ADDRESSING LARGE GAPS
3. No recent employment or gaps in employment
▪ Use years only ▪ What else did you do? (e.g.
training, community involvement, etc)
▪ Use the cover letter ▪ Explore multiple reasons▪ The further back, the less it
matters
“If you took significant time off to raise kids, I’ll still consider you. I just need to understand why you have a gap in your resume.” – HR Professional
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
ADDRESSING LARGE GAPS
RED FLAGS
4. International or out-of-town applicants
» Include a local address
» Write a line about future
intentions
» Address in more detail in the cover letter
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
THE WOW FACTOR
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
STANDOUT ELEMENTS
Evidence of past work experience 84%
Use of colour or shading 30%
Logo or monogram 12%
Graphs or charts 12%
Endorsements 27%
Use of bold font 55%
Simple, clean, well formatted, easy to read (5x)
Not overly creative/ designed (2x)
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
THE MODERN RESUME
Show personality!
People hire people
they like.
“Let me see your personality shine
through - don't just provide technical
details.”
Including keywords is
key!
“Include keywords from the job
posting when relevant to
experience.”
Design does matter. “Add a splash of color and leave
blank space”
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
HOW IMPORTANT IS…?
Not
important
Somewhat
important
Important Very
Important
Only if
relevant
Complete home address 37.5% 21% 23% 11% 7%
Career objective 29% 34% 14% 11% 12.5%
Profile section 16% 35% 20% 20% 9%
Direct work experience 0% 0% 2% 98% 0%
Non-Canadian experience for
new immigrants
4% 2% 38% 46% 11%
Volunteer experience 5% 20% 36% 25% 14%
Education 2% 2% 13% 77% 7%
Explaining gaps 12% 25% 27% 34% 2%
Awards and acknowledgements 50% 20% 16% 2% 12%
Interests and hobbies 2% 32% 32% 25% 9%
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
PROFILE SECTION
» 30 sec introduction
» Use a job title branding
» Add a tagline value-add
Profile
Highlights of Qualifications
Objective
Don’t use section titles!
RESUMES WITH PERSONALITY
✓ Try using first-person
✓ Insert quotes from others
✓ Personal quotes
READABILITY HACKS
Kerning: letter spacing Line Spacing Recommend 4pt between bullets and summaries
Breathing Space
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
EDITING TIPS
Text-to-Voice
• Siri
• NaturalReader
Grammar
• Grammarly
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
Emerging TrendsWhat do decision makers really think?
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
INFOGRAPHIC RESUMES
Positives: » Captures attention: 61%
» Good networking tool: 30%
Concerns: » Not enough info on experience and skills: 20%
» Won’t get through the ATS: 12%
» Possible discrimination: 42%
• Worked for marketing, design positions• Feels overwhelming. Don’t like graphs• Too much personal detail• Difficult to scan
VIDEO RESUMES
Q: Can a video resume be used instead of a standard resume?
A: No.
Q: Can a video resume be used to enhance a standard resume?
A: Yes, 41% would look a video resume but also want to see a standard resume.
Who has time to watch a video?
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
PORTFOLIO SITES
Would you look at a portfolio site if a client included a link in their resume?
Yes: 50%
It Depends: 39%
No: 7%Is this a new thing now?
– Hiring Manager The resume has to be good FIRST!
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
Beyond the ResumeWhat else decision makers want you to know
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
FINDING CANDIDATES
Multiple
Sources
=
Varied
Strategy
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
“
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
SOCIAL MEDIA
73% of respondents will Always or Often check candidates out on social media
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
WHAT ABOUT COVER LETTERS?
Should an application include a cover letter?
» Yes: 64% (the resume has to be good FIRST!) » Only When Requested: 16%» Not Necessary: 9%
The more technical the role, the less likely the cover letter is critical. The more that philosophical alignment or nuanced understanding of the organization is important, the more important the cover letter.
Join the conversation: @careerstoryca | #contact2018 Career Story
Any questions?Kristin Vandegriend
» [email protected]» Linkedin: /kristinvandegriend