With 20+ years of recruiting world-class talent for Fortune 100 companies, Suzanne Daymond stops by to share her tips on developing a resume that will catch the recruiter eye and what it has in common with a piece of string.
“Whichever way you look at it, we’re not looking for War and Peace.”
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Show Notes
Time to update your resume
What is the difference between a resume and a CV?
In this episode with Suzanne Daymond, long-time corporate recruiter, you will learn what the difference between a resume and a curriculum vitae (CV) and when you should consider one versus the other.
How long should your resume be?
Is there an ideal length for a resume? Suzanne asks "How long is a piece of string?" in response. In general the more experience you have then the longer your resume. If you are a new grad, one page is fine for your resume. If you have 30 years experience, then go to 2-3 pages. Listen in to hear more tips from Suzanne on how long your resume should be.
Use Keywords in your resume
Make your resume easy read - where you've been, what you've done, and how you've done it. And be sure you are really building relevance around keywords in your resume. Remember that recruiters spend 10 seconds reviewing a resume so you need to be succinct, articulate and use action words and terms. Listen in to the podcast as Suzanne discusses the fine line between being relevant and being repetitive. In the podcast you will learn more tips for how to discuss similar roles by using different project examples, measurement, and results and ways to use the job description to tailor your resume.
Top tips for to improve your resume
- Make your contact information obvious - don't make a recruiter dig for it
- Have 4-5 different versions of your resume - tailor each resume for each job applying for
- Ask people in your network to review your resume
Your resume is important but first you have to find the right jobs
Recruiters find candidates on LinkedIn, through networking, employee referrals, returning candidates, job boards, applicant tracking systems to name just a few places. Employee referrals are incredibly effective for recruiters so work your network. Suzanne discusses ways to use your network from a recruiters perspective - listen in to this episode to hear more. She also gives you tips on how to read the job descriptions to know what are the key parts of the job and what the hiring manager is really looking for and how not to be intimidated by the job description.
Avoiding the black hole of the online job application
Filling out an application online or sending your resume in online can feel like a black hole. Remember that most candidates find their jobs through their networks and recruiters LOVE referrals. So work your network because as Suzanne mentions in this episode "It's about who you know" . Suzanne shares ways to work your network and get through to a recruiter and/or a hiring manager - give it a listen.
Mistakes to avoid with resumes
- Too long or too short
- Spelling mistakes
- Untruthful
Try out one of the great resume templates from Texty Cafe here. They have some great templates for Chronological Resumes and Functional Resumes.
Be sure to give this episode with Suzanne Daymond a listen for more great info on writing and updating your resume.
