Resume Writer
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- Feb 7, 2004
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Hi Everyone,
I thought I would share a press release that went out on the newswire today. It has some basic information in it that might be helpful to flightinfo members.
Kathy
Job Seekers Need "Low Carb" Resumes
More “meat” and less “filler” needed in today’s resumes
Phoenix, AZ … (May 6, 2004) … With the enormous number of products hitting the market for Low-Carb and Atkins Weight Loss dieters, a resume writer has coined the phrase “low carb resumes for the serious job seeker.”
While having breakfast at a resume writer and career coach conference in Atlanta, Kathy Sweeney, and two resume writing colleagues from Phoenix, Arizona, began to discuss the craze that surrounded the low carb phenomena.
“I had just purchased a Dunkin’ Donut to eat for a treat after breakfast and had noticed a whole wheat donut in the display case,” said Kathy Sweeney, president of The Write Resume, a resume writing and interview coaching business. “I remarked to my colleagues that having a whole wheat donut defeated the purpose of eating a sweet treat.”
Sweeney started to joke that perhaps “low carb resumes” were the new “product” that could hit the market. Without missing a beat, another colleague quipped that resume writers needed to get to the “meat” of the job seekers history. What started as a joke soon became a reality, as they saw the parallels that were obvious between the two entities.
“I recently spoke to an audience of Human Resource professionals about this very thing,” said Sweeney, a former hiring manager for two Fortune 500 companies. “The overwhelming response from those who are working daily in a screening and hiring capacity was that adding in unimportant or insignificant information is a waste of time.”
The insignificant information included soft skills, such as “team player” and “excellent communication skills,” which meant nothing to Human Resource professionals and hiring managers without solid proof of those skills in the work environment.
“For example, we had a recruiter from Coca Cola speak at our conference about the importance of not including soft skills in the resume,” said Sweeney. “As a trained professional in the resume writing business, I already knew that these items do not belong in a resume; however, it was important to once again hear them from an individual who hires candidates on a daily basis.”
What potential employers want to see is a lean document that emphasizes duties and accomplishments, without a great deal of extra words and meaningless phrases – much like the empty calories from low-complex carbs.
Sweeney has developed a list of items that job seekers should include in their resumes:
• Eliminate phrases that have no real meaning in the resume, including team player and excellent communication skills.
• Use keywords or buzzwords that are relevant to your industry.
• Formulate duties and responsibilities, followed by solid accomplishments that prove your ability to be successful in your position.
• Never emphasize your own needs, but illustrate skills and achievements that will add value to the company.
Sweeney stresses the importance of helping clients discover their skills and accomplishments during the resume-writing process.
“It not only makes them more quickly noticed in the resume scanning portion,” said Sweeney, “but it also prepares them to discuss important contributions that they can bring to the company when they are interviewing.”
I thought I would share a press release that went out on the newswire today. It has some basic information in it that might be helpful to flightinfo members.
Kathy
Job Seekers Need "Low Carb" Resumes
More “meat” and less “filler” needed in today’s resumes
Phoenix, AZ … (May 6, 2004) … With the enormous number of products hitting the market for Low-Carb and Atkins Weight Loss dieters, a resume writer has coined the phrase “low carb resumes for the serious job seeker.”
While having breakfast at a resume writer and career coach conference in Atlanta, Kathy Sweeney, and two resume writing colleagues from Phoenix, Arizona, began to discuss the craze that surrounded the low carb phenomena.
“I had just purchased a Dunkin’ Donut to eat for a treat after breakfast and had noticed a whole wheat donut in the display case,” said Kathy Sweeney, president of The Write Resume, a resume writing and interview coaching business. “I remarked to my colleagues that having a whole wheat donut defeated the purpose of eating a sweet treat.”
Sweeney started to joke that perhaps “low carb resumes” were the new “product” that could hit the market. Without missing a beat, another colleague quipped that resume writers needed to get to the “meat” of the job seekers history. What started as a joke soon became a reality, as they saw the parallels that were obvious between the two entities.
“I recently spoke to an audience of Human Resource professionals about this very thing,” said Sweeney, a former hiring manager for two Fortune 500 companies. “The overwhelming response from those who are working daily in a screening and hiring capacity was that adding in unimportant or insignificant information is a waste of time.”
The insignificant information included soft skills, such as “team player” and “excellent communication skills,” which meant nothing to Human Resource professionals and hiring managers without solid proof of those skills in the work environment.
“For example, we had a recruiter from Coca Cola speak at our conference about the importance of not including soft skills in the resume,” said Sweeney. “As a trained professional in the resume writing business, I already knew that these items do not belong in a resume; however, it was important to once again hear them from an individual who hires candidates on a daily basis.”
What potential employers want to see is a lean document that emphasizes duties and accomplishments, without a great deal of extra words and meaningless phrases – much like the empty calories from low-complex carbs.
Sweeney has developed a list of items that job seekers should include in their resumes:
• Eliminate phrases that have no real meaning in the resume, including team player and excellent communication skills.
• Use keywords or buzzwords that are relevant to your industry.
• Formulate duties and responsibilities, followed by solid accomplishments that prove your ability to be successful in your position.
• Never emphasize your own needs, but illustrate skills and achievements that will add value to the company.
Sweeney stresses the importance of helping clients discover their skills and accomplishments during the resume-writing process.
“It not only makes them more quickly noticed in the resume scanning portion,” said Sweeney, “but it also prepares them to discuss important contributions that they can bring to the company when they are interviewing.”
