The Monster Blog

Your Resume … in 140 Characters

Stephen Baker from Business Week’s Blogspotting blog is asking readers to submit resumes for celebrities, business leaders … and themselves.

But there’s a twist: You have to do it Twitter-style, meaning no more than 140 characters.

Here’s my contribution: “Passionate about teaching individuals and businesses how to use the tools and technologies of the social Web to build strong communities.”

How about you? Care to share your Twitter-length resume?

Are Achievements All That Matter on a Resume?

This morning I came across this nugget from Penelope Trunk in a blog post about writing your resume:

"Don’t focus on your responsibilities, focus on what you achieved. A resume is not your life story. No one cares. If your life story were so interesting, you’d have a book deal. The only things that should be on your resume are achievements."

I don’t agree.

As important as achievements are -- and you can read our articles from Joe Turner and Monster Resume Expert Kim Isaacs on the value of selling your top accomplishments on your resume -- including some of your specific duties from former jobs is helpful for a recruiter, too.

"Achievements are great, but I like to get into the nitty-gritty of what [candidates] are doing daily," says Melissa Shaw, an HR manager for Perkett PR.

Monster senior recruiter Dianne Iannelli offers similar sentiments. Iannelli, who reviews some 150 resumes every week, says that understanding some of a candidate’s previous day-to-day responsibilities gives her a good initial sense of whether that person’s experience would be a good match for the position she’s trying to fill. If she were to only see achievements on a resume, Iannelli says, making the links between the roles would be more difficult.

The How Matters

In other words, including bullet points on your resume about what you actually did to win that award -- managed the project with the help of 10 direct reports, wrote the concept plan and then coordinated the execution with a team developers and designers, etc. -- can provide a recruiter with more meaningful information about you than simply trying to make the honor stand on its own.  You need to provide context.

Here’s how one corporate recruiter friend, who asked not to be named, put it to me: "If I just see achievements, I don’t [really] know what you did."

What do you think?

So, what’s your take on the extent to which you should highlight achievements on your resume?

The Right Way to Go After an Internal Transfer

Making an internal move in a company is a great way to build your skills and explore opportunities with a community of colleagues who have inside knowledge about how you work. If you’re looking to make a career change, an internal transfer can be a great opportunity, as your potential new boss can get more of the story than your resume and cover letter may tell.

Why should companies encourage and nurture folks to make internal transfers? A number of reasons, including:

• Your proven track record at the company is even better than a professional reference.
• It shows the company’s commitment to employees’ career development.
• Retention, retention, retention.

Here are some things to keep in mind if you’re looking to make an internal transfer:

• Tell Your Boss: Be as open as possible to your boss about your intentions. In such situations, your boss can be a great advocate for you. And even if your boss does not want to see you go, he will likely understand that your move could be good for the company. What’s more, since you would be moving internally, your boss and team can benefit from a more structured transition than if you were leaving the company altogether.
• Be Professional: Sure, you may know the folks you are interviewing with, perhaps even outside the office, but that doesn’t mean you can forsake job search etiquette. Remember to be on time for interviews and to dress the part of interviewee. Write thank-you notes and go the extra mile, just as you would for an outside opportunity.
• Update Your Resume: You can’t rely on performance reviews and your accomplishments to speak for themselves. You still need to sell yourself. So update your resume and be sure your prospective boss and HR have a copy on file.

For more advice on making an internal transfer, check out these resources:

• “Apply for an Internal Job”
• “Ten Questions to Ask Before Making an Internal Move”
• “Transfer Internally the Right Way”

Resume Quick Tip: Reorganize Your Resume

As part of Monster Career Advice’s Update Your Resume Week, we’re featuring a daily Resume Quick Tip from Monster Resume Expert Kim Isaacs.

You can quickly improve your resume by reordering your accomplishments according to importance. Review your employment section and think about which accomplishments would most impress hiring managers. Be sure to list those first.

Additional resources:

• “Resume Dilemma: Career Change”
• “Resume Quiz for Technology Professionals”
• Resume Tips message board
• Update your Monster Resume

Resume Quick Tip: Use the Active Voice

As part of Monster Career Advice’s Update Your Resume Week, we’re featuring a daily Resume Quick Tip from Monster Resume Expert Kim Isaacs.

Add punch to your resume by using active voice instead of passive voice. If your sentences are written in active voice, they will present you as a doer and achiever. Compare these sentences to see how active voice is more concise and dynamic:

• Passive: $1.2 million in new products were sold.
• Active: Sold $1.2 million in new products.

Review your resume, and look for ways to express your accomplishments in active voice.

Additional resources:

• “Resume Readiness Quiz”
• “Common Resume Blunders”
• Monster Poll: When is the last time you updated your resume?
• Resume Tips message board
• Update your Monster Resume

Resume Quick Tip: Tailor Your Response to the Job Posting

As part of Monster Career Advice’s Update Your Resume Week, we’re featuring a daily Resume Quick Tip from Monster Resume Expert Kim Isaacs.

If you're responding to a job posting, pay attention to the information the employer asks for. Review the job requirements, desired qualifications and special requests such as salary information, and customize your resume and cover letter to address these key points. You will stand out as well as prove the opportunity is important to you.

Additional resources:

• “Race, Sex and Religion on Your Resume” 
• “Refresh Your Retro Resume in 6 Steps”
• “Rev Up Your Resume to Relocate”
• Resume Tips message board
• Update your Monster Resume

Resume Quick Tip: Keep Your Kudos to Update Your Resume

As part of Monster Career Advice’s Update Your Resume Week, we’re featuring a daily Resume Quick Tip from Monster Resume Expert Kim Isaacs.

Want to make updating your resume a snap? Keep an ongoing kudos file, containing performance reviews, notes about recent accomplishments, letters of reference, awards, training and new skills developed. When it's time to update your resume, your kudos file will put your recent achievements at your fingertips.

Additional resources:

• "Resume Readiness Quizzes"   
  
• "Resume Tips by Industry"    
• Monster Poll: When is the last time you updated your resume?      
• Resume Tips message board     
• Update your Monster Resume    
  

Have You Updated Your Resume Lately?

Right after I began working for Monster, about seven years ago, my old computer went to a better place and took some important documents along with it -- like my resume. So for a couple of years, I kind of didn’t have a resume. It was like the cobbler’s children not having shoes.

One day, inspired by an article I was editing about the importance of keeping your resume up-to-date, I retrieved a text version of my resume from my boss and set out to craft a new version. After all, even if you aren’t looking for a job, it’s important to keep your resume current. Otherwise, it’s too hard to recall all the great work you’ve done, and you end up glossing over details that could help you secure the interview.

Why am I sharing this story that I find somewhat embarrassing? Because we’ve designated August 13-17 Update Your Resume Week. This time of year is prime time to be in the job-hunting game. So get your resume ready, and see what opportunities come your way.

Check out these resources we’ve put together to get you started:

• Update Your Resume Week Home
• “Refresh Your Retro Resume in 6 Steps”
• “Declutter Your Resume in 5 Steps”
• “Common Resume Blunders”
• “Race, Sex and Religion on Your Resume”
• “Rev Up Your Resume to Relocate”
• “Resume Dilemma: Career Change”
• “Resume Tips by Industry”
• “Audio: Resume Style Tips”
• Interactive: Resume Readiness Quizzes

Get Ready for Update Your Resume Week

You may be surprised to hear this, but the doldrums of the summer, namely August, has historically been a hot time for employers to view resumes on Monster. That’s why we’ve designated next week, August 13-17, as Update Your Resume Week.

Here on the Monster Blog, we’ll present a resume tip every day to help and inspire you to update your resume. And these resources provide even more resume guidance. So enjoy the weekend, and get ready to make your resume the best it can be next week.

48% Stretch the Truth, 10% Outright Lie on Their Resumes

We are running a poll on our Resume Tips message board, asking Monster members if they have ever lied on their resumes. Here are the results as of today:

• 10% chose “Yes, I told a whopper.”
• 48% chose “Not really, though I may have prettied-up the details a bit.”
• 42% chose “No, my resume is the stone-cold truth.”

Now let’s look for a moment at the purpose of your resume. Your resume’s job is to get you an interview. It is not a complete recount of your job history; it is a marketing piece that should sell your relevant accomplishments, skills and experience to prospective employers -- at least enough so that they want to talk to you to learn more. But remember, there are ethics in marketing, and you need to have ethics in your job search, too.

Do you know how annoying it is to see former coworkers’ resumes that set their work and experience in a completely different light than the truth? It’s a small world, and the industry you work and look for jobs in makes it even smaller. On more than one occasion, I’ve been casually asked to verify the information on resumes once someone sees I’ve worked with the candidate before. It’s always disconcerting to see someone taking credit for another’s work or inflating a title to encompass responsibilities well out of the person’s domain.

If you feel forced to lie on your resume, it is likely that the document is not doing its job. Before taking drastic measures, you should probably have some people take a look at your resume to provide feedback.

Check out these resources for more information and to get your resume in the best condition without making false claims:

• “Lying on Your Resume”
• “Understand Smart Resume Packaging vs. Exaggeration”
• “Resume Readiness Quiz”
• “Top 8 Resources for a Resume Critique”
• “How to Ask for a Resume Critique”
• “Resume Critique Checklist”
• From the Monster Blog: Is Honesty the Best Policy?
• From the Monster Blog: Let’s Be Honest
• From the Monster Blog: Lying on Your Resume

Related Blogs

• Are Resumes Bogus in Principle?
• Lying and Job Hiring: A Contrarian View
• Lying to Get a Job?
• Is Marketing Everything?
• The Trump Blog: Lying on Your Resume

Resume Inspiration from Honest Abe and George Washington

Monday is Presidents’ Day -- another Monday holiday for a lot of us. Many of us lucky ones who get a three-day weekend are dreaming of hitting the sales, visiting with family or even taking a well-deserved nap.

Or you could spend the day off updating your resume. For inspiration, check out the Monster Resume Expert’s take on the resumes of George Washington and Abe Lincoln, two of our greatest American presidents. In any event, happy weekend!

Are You Sticking to Your New Year’s Resolutions?

New Year’s resolutions -- getting in shape, refreshing your resume, working more productively -- are always easier to make than keep.

In the Monster poll we’re running on our home page this week, we’re asking you which resolutions have been hardest to stick to so far. Here are the choices:

• Job searching
• Balancing work and personal life
• Living a healthier lifestyle
• Committing to go back to school

As I write this, job searching is the runaway leader, with 50 percent of the votes.

So go ahead and vote in the poll, but also add your confession in the comment section below: Which (career-related) resolution(s) have you already broken?

A Job Hunt Challenge for the New Week

It’s been said looking for a job is a job in itself. It involves time, commitment, dedication and decisive action. Trying to better your employment situation is no time to be passive. So why do so many people take a less-than-proactive approach to their job hunt?

If you’re one of those people, I have a challenge for you. It’s a new week. Pick up the phone and follow up on your applications, go to a networking event you’ve been putting off, polish your resume and research your dream company. Even if you are not initially successful, taking action will give you a feeling of empowerment.

These resources will help get you pumped:

• “The Secret of Reinvention”
• “Seven Movies to Motivate You”
• “Ten Reasons to Invest in Your Career”

A New Job for the New Year?

People often resolve to land a new gig at the beginning of the year but have no idea how to go about getting one. Sure, posting your resume online will definitely help, but you can’t stop there. You need to be an active participant in your job search.

Based on job seeker feedback we receive and posts on the message boards, here are some suggestions I think will help everyone who’s looking for a job:

Keep It Simple, Silly: In this case, “it” is your email address. If employers have 20 resumes to look through for one job, they’re looking for ways to disqualify you. While an email address that mentions your favorite movie or how cute you are might be fun for your friends, it could be considered unprofessional. Go create a free email account with a more professional name to use in your job search.

Still Haven’t Found What You’re Looking For? Try reading this article on Boolean logic. It has lots of tips to help you make the most of searching online.

Break Away from the Pack: You know you’re not the only one looking for a job, but how do you make your resume stand out so you get called for the interview? Read these articles for a good start:

• "Five Ways to Make Your Monster Resume Stand Out."
• "Six Tips to Optimize Your Monster Resume."

It's Annual Review Time

Hard on the heels of the holidays, like a hangover after too much celebration, comes that oft-dreaded ritual of modern business life: the annual review or performance appraisal.

Some folks say it's just a waste of time or a terrifying rite of passage, but I disagree on both counts. Yes, there's often an excess of nearly meaningless verbiage associated with the review process -- "360-degree feedback" is one of those nifty management slogans that raise my hackles -- but a key piece of the process, self-appraisal, is actually very useful.

I don't know about you, but in the press of daily or weekly deadlines I tend to keep looking ahead at the next task or project on the list and fail to look back at what I've done already. The annual review is the time to do this, and the self-appraisal portion is the right place to list the year's accomplishments. Here are a few tips I've learned as both a reviewer and a reviewee:

• Go back and count up the tasks you've completed. It may seem silly, but it's satisfying. It also helps explain how you spent your time -- you'll be surprised how many things you've actually done. If the list doesn't look very impressive, now's the time to figure out why.
• Open up that "Kudos!" email folder and reread the emails (or actual letters, if you get them) you've been keeping that thank you for a job well done -- whether from customers or colleagues. If you didn't save them separately, go digging in those archives and set up a folder right now for the coming year.
• Pull together some samples of what you consider your best work this year and save them in a portfolio. This means a hard copy, even if the work is in digital form. Having something tangible to carry around with you is very useful. I still keep a printout of a PowerPoint presentation I gave eight years ago as a physical reminder of what that presentation accomplished.

There's one more reason why the annual review is helpful. You can use all the information you gain from it -- self-appraisal, 360-degree feedback and your manager's comments -- to update your resume. You never know when that will come in handy.

Monster has some great advice on performance appraisals. Be sure to read about both sides of the process so if you're doing a review you understand what your manager might expect.

• "Effective Performance Reviews"
• "Master the Annual Review"
• "Prep for Your Performance Appraisal"
• "Prepare for Your Own Year-End Review"

And if you want to see what other people say about the annual-review process, try these blogs:

• Annual reviews at Microsoft
• SuccessFactors Worst Review Contest
• Want to Vent About Your Annual Review?

Lying on Your Resume

A colleague here at Monster suggested we blog about resume cheating. He'd been reading Freakonomics, which states that 50 percent of people lie on their resumes.

This email reminded me of the weatherman on my hometown news in Schenectady, New York. My parents sent me a newspaper clipping back while I was in college to let me know he was fired for not actually possessing the meteorologist degree he claimed to have on his resume. He defended himself explaining he was only a few credits short, but that wasn't enough for the station or the viewers.

And it looks like this self-proclaimed "meterorologist" wasn't alone. According to About.com -- and a number of other sites and articles I've spotted in my travels -- education is the most common topic people lie about on their resumes.

"Other common lies include:

• Stretching dates to cover employment gaps
• Enhancing job titles
• Embellishing job duties and achievements
• Inventing employers."

Why do people do this? Because they can get away with it provided the company doesn't perform background checks. (On a related note, check out this article about the companies least likely to do background checks -- scary.)

However, more companies are doing background checks, and job seekers need to remember that getting caught in a little white lie -- even after being hired -- can cost the job. There's a fine line between marketing yourself and lying. You need to be sure to stay on the right side of that line.

How Does Your Resume Look?

The Suggestion Kitty is back over at the Technical Careers @ Microsoft blog, and that's a good thing since the kitty is offering such sage advice. The April 13th post reminds us that the resume is a marketing tool, and while you must be honest, you should be sure to present your experiences in the best light possible. The blog offers this analogy:

"When Barbara Walters interviews a celebrity for 'The View' or one of her many 'Barbara Walters Specials,' a soft-filter is applied to the video. The end result is still the real subject telling the same story, but the picture you see is easier on the eyes…it's softer and more appealing. Gone are the blemishes, blood-shot eyes and out-of-place hairs. The image invites you to keep watching and listening...even if the celebrity herself is less than engaging!"

If you're convinced and ready to make some changes, these articles from Monster can help:

• "Prepare Like a Marketer"
• "Tips for Creating a Concise Resume"
• "Use Numbers to Highlight Your Accomplishments"
• "Recruiters' Top 10 Resume Pet Peeves"
• "Five Ways to Make Your Monster Resume Stand Out"