Simply Hired Blog

4 Things Employers Want to See in a Resume

By Sean Weinberg

The job search is a lot like dating.

No, really. If you think about it, it is. You are the suitor, trying to woo a prospective company into taking you on. You dress nicely, get the jitters before meeting for the first time, and show off all the wonderful things you can bring if they pick you.

If the job search is like dating, then the resume is a love letter to the prospective company.

For those of you who aren’t in the know, a love letter is (or at least should be) full of things the recipient wants to see. While your resume might not be the best venue for a poem or flowery prose, it too should be full of things an employer wants to see.

What sort of things? I’ve compiled a list of the top four things any employer wants to see in your resume and how to make it happen:

Results

When you get down to it, it doesn’t matter what you say you can do, who you worked for or for how long. Employers want to see results. After all, what makes a successful company? A staff full of experienced individuals or accomplished individuals? Results on a resume tell prospective employers that, if hired, you can actually get them results.

How to make it happen: Make a point to include at least one quantifiable accomplishment for every position you include on your resume. That means numbers. Writing something like “Introduced and signed on 17 new clients in 3 months” is possibly the most persuasive thing you can write.

Relevance

You could be a new grad or have 30 years of experience in the field – either way, your resume should tell employers that you are current and relevant. Simply put, no one wants to hire an employee who might hold them back.

How to make it happen: Even if you have no experience or are returning to work after long-term unemployment, you can make your resume appear more current by including evidence that you are keeping current in the industry. Include any classes or organizations you are actively part of or add new skills that would be billed as “new ​​and unique”. Nix old-fashioned tasks and skills that aren’t valuable anymore.

Intelligence

This one seems a little silly; after all, of course you’re smart! Right? Not necessarily. Usually, employers want to hire employees who are smart all-around. Having a genius who lacks any social smarts is just as bad as a pleasant employee who doesn’t know how to do their job.

How to make it happen: First and foremost, PROOFREAD. A sure-fire way to look like an idiot is to leave typos on your resume. On the flipside, leave out any and all jargon that HR might not understand.

Consistency

Here’s a fun fact: a consistently-written resume removes any and all need for an objective statement. Employers want to see a resume that flows and highlights an employee who is focused on specific professional goals. When a resume is consistent, it tells the employer exactly what kind of employee you’ll be and where you’re headed.

How to make it happen: Think of your resume as a story. You start at A, do XYZ and then head to B. As you progress through your story, you develop a focus and refine yourself as a worker. Tell this story in bullet points and your resume will be consistent!

What do you think? What other things do you think employers look for in a resume? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Sean Weinberg is the COO and co-founder of RezScore,a free web application that reads, analyzes, and grades resumes – instantly. Also the founder of Freedom Resumes, Sean has dedicated his career to helping job seekers write the best possible resumes.

5 Supply Chain Jobs Experiencing Growth

By Michael Koploy

Here’s some good news for the supply chain industry: according to a study from Wanted Analytics, online job postings are up 24 percent for supply chain positions, totaling 49,000 in the past 90 days. But which jobs are in high-demand? Here are the five hottest jobs in logistics and the supply chain, and the skills and backgrounds necessary for success.

1. 3PL Account Manager - As more businesses look to outsource their logistics needs, the staff of many third-party logistics firms (3PLs) will continue to expand. These professionals are tasked with acquiring new business and communicating with clients. A background in supply chain management isn’t necessary, but prior experience with account/project management, finance, accounting, or customer service--and a working knowledge of supply chain operations--is ideal.
   
   
2. Demand Planner - These individuals are tasked with matching forecasts and projections with inventory production. Experience using enterprise resourcing planning (ERP) applications such as Infor, Sage and SAP is useful, as well as an academic background in statistics, engineering, finance or operations. Many professionals also have advanced certifications, such as APICS’ Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) degree. Training as a Six Sigma Black Belt is also common.
   
   
3. Distribution Center (DC) Supervisor - The DC supervisor is tasked with facilitating transportation of inventory throughout the warehouse, as well as managing the team of warehouse workers. Ensuring this process is smooth and that inventory is easily accessible is essential to an efficient logistics process. Advanced certifications aren’t necessary for success, but many individuals go on from these positions to executive-level positions, as these candidates are commonly sourced as bright-young professionals with experience “in the trenches.”
   
   
4. Procurement Manager - These professionals are tasked with ensuring that a company’s sourcing activities are procuring inventory that is not only high quality, but (relatively) low in cost. These individuals often require both an analytical rigor as well as the ability to communicate and influence individuals both inside and outside of the organization. Certification in spend management is common in this role, with common certifications being the ISM’s Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM), Next Level Purchasing’s Senior Professional in Supply Management, or certification through the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS).
   
   
5. Supply Chain Consultant - Many students straight out of MBA programs or large universities that focused on operations, finance, accounting, or engineering find a home with large supply chain consulting firms. The benefit for these individuals--hard work young in one’s career, but experience working with leaders of some of the world’s most interesting and complex supply chains. Many take this experience to go on and open their own firms, or obtain executive-positionsn within the supply chain itself.

Michael Koploy is an ERP Analyst and blog manager for Warehouse Management Systems Guide.

New Graduates’ Guide to Job Interview Etiquette

After all the time you’ve spent burning the candle at both ends--studying, reading, and writing your way through college--you have finally received your diploma or perhaps you are starting to see the finish line.  Thank goodness, it’s all over or will be over soon, now you can sit back and collect paychecks!

If it were that easy it would be great, but the truth is now the real test begins.  To make matters worse, your time in college hasn’t fully prepared you for the test you are about to take, the job interview.  Fortunately, you don’t need to take out another loan to learn the skills you’ll need to succeed!  In an interview it is not just about answering the questions right like in a test; it is also about presenting yourself properly. Here is a short list of things to keep in mind when job interviewing.

1.  Dress – There are millions of articles on the subject of what to wear to an interview, and most agree men and women should wear a dark suit. However, there are exceptions! 
   
   The best way to know what to wear is appropriate to an interview is to research the company, see what others wear to interviews, and dress comparably.  Most importantly, make sure your clothes are clean and ironed.  When it comes to dress, remember, if you feel good about how you look you will emanate confidence, so look sharp!
   
   
2. Posture – It seems obvious, and studies continually show that individuals who stand tall are more likely to be hired, promoted, etc., so why so much slouching? 
   
   Stand erect, and hold your head up!  This posture will give off a sense of command and confidence (think of how policemen and soldiers stand).  Also, don’t fidget, cross your arms, or furrow your brow, this will make you seem nervous, angry, or confused. 
   
   
3. Eye Contact –As important as posture, eye contact is another key form of non-verbal communication.  When you make eye contact with someone you seem confident, trust-worthy, and intelligent, so be sure to look everyone in the interview in the eye.
   
   
4. Greetings and Name Calling – People love their own name, so when you are introduced to someone make a point to call them by name, “Hello, NAME, it is nice to meet you” (maintain eye contact too).  This will make you seem likeable, personable, and pleasant. This doubles as a great way to help you remember their name for thank you notes later.
   
   
5. Handshaking - When you go to shake someone’s hand, don’t crush it, but don’t be a dead fish either. Give a nice, strong, and confident handshake, and when you shake their hand, remember to look them in the eye.

Those are some of the most important dos and don’ts to remember when embarking on the business world’s equivalent of a blind date (keeping with that analogy you should also avoid having food in your teeth, swearing, doing all the talking, or discussing your ex).

Good luck!

Best Practices for Emailing Hiring Managers

The email is often the first point of contact between you and a prospective employer, and can solely determine whether or not you are considered for the position. Below are some tips to help you get the most out of your initial emails.

Before You Email, Connect

Recruiters get hundreds of emails for a single job opening, so you need to make sure your email stands out from the rest.

To get noticed, first ask yourself, “How can I connect with the recruiter besides just sending an email?”

Well, a great place to start is to use Simply Hired’s Who Do I Know? feature. Log into LinkedIn via Simply Hired’s search result page and check to see if you have any connections at the company. If you have a connection, either reach out to this person directly for a referral to the position of interest or request an introduction.

If you don’t have a connection at the company, consider searching for a new connection at the company on LinkedIn. You can also look for the recruiter on Twitter and introduce yourself. The point is, use whatever means you have to ensure the recruiter recognizes your name and looks over your application.  

Composing the Email

When it comes to actually sending your email there are a few things to keep in mind: 

1. Send Emails from a Professional Address - No HotGURL22@yahoo.com or Cowboysfootballfan99@comcast.net.  The simple name.number@isp.com works best.
   
   
2. Craft an Attention Grabbing Subject Line - Avoid simple subjects like Sarah’s Resume or Jeff’s Application for Employment. Include the title of the position you’re applying for and any kind of credentials you have that set you apart from the pack. 
   
   Remember, the subject line contains the only 50 characters the recruiter or hiring manager is guaranteed to see, so make them count!
   
   
3. Personalize! Personalize! Personalize!  - Forget the cut and paste cover letters or templates with a few substituted keywords (if you forget to update the company’s name in your template, that’s a sure-fire way for your email to get deleted right away). The last thing you want is for the recruiter to think you only put a template’s worth of effort into applying. This email is your cover letter, so customize your email to show how you meet the requirements laid out in the job description, whether that’s specific experience, skills or credentials. And don’t be afraid to show a bit of personality to stick out from the other candidates!
   
   
4. Be Courteous and Polite – Your mother was right -- manners always have and always will go a long way. So make sure you include a greeting and introduce yourself at the start of you email. Likewise, include a thank you and a salutation (Best, Sincerely, etc.) at the end.
   
   
5. Be Precise – Make your email concise and engaging -- many recruiters/hiring managers only briefly scan your cover letter for a few seconds, or a minute or two if you’re lucky. Include the most impressive information first so they are more likely to read it and add the more standard stuff towards the end.  If they list specific requirements, or if they ask any questions, include that information first, more general information can go at the end. Throughout the email be sure to compose short concise paragraphs or even bullet points, rather than giant blocks of text.
   
   
6. Proofread – Whether in an email, a resume, or any other correspondence, you don’t want to be dismissed as a candidate because you misused the semicolon or used the wrong there/their/they’re. Check your work. When you’re done proofreading your email, proofread it again or have someone else look at it. Remember that once you send the email, it is set in stone!

Keep these tips in mind to ensure that your emails will catch the eye of those hiring managers and recruiters and you will land that first interview.

“Why have you been out of work for so long?" Another Tough Interview Question

By Martin Yate CPC 

This question always has you scrambling for an answer, it touches a raw spot and can be humiliating, but you can turn it around by facing and using the facts of the matter.

The facts are that you are a hardworking, competent professional who had always been led to believe that
was enough. You’d never had a problem finding work before and no one had ever told you there were specific job search skills you needed to develop, not at home, school or college or anywhere.

Then you got sideswiped by the biggest recession in eighty years and on top of this, the sudden move Internet-based recruitment (while you were working and not paying attention to such things) had changed all the rules of job search anyway.

You might try something along the lines of, “If you look at my work history you’ll see it has been steady for __ years. Then I lost my job. The big problem for me was my complete lack of understanding about how to find a job in the worst recession in eighty years, at a time when recruitment had moved entirely online and changed all the rules of job search.”

“I’d never had a problem finding a job before, but because of the changes in how you find a job today, when I did apply for jobs, most of the time my resume got stuck in a database and was never even seen by recruiters. I didn’t understand that my resume had to be written differently. The big reason I’ve been out of work is that my resume didn’t work in this new environment and I just haven’t been getting interviews.”

Then move the conversation forward to what’s most important to the interviewer: what you can do and how long it will take you to be productive. You might finish with a question of your own, asking about the most difficult and/or urgent responsibilities of the job and why people fail in this job, “but put me to work and I’ll get right back to doing what I do best: identifying, preventing and solving problems. What are some of the recurring problems your people have to deal with in this job?” The interviewer’s answer should give you ammunition to talk about how well suited you will be for the position.

 

Martin Yate takes readers through over two hundred perceptive answers to tough interview questions in Knock em Dead 2012, The Ultimate Job Search Guide, in ways, like this one, that not only help you answer the question, but also help you grow professionally in the process.

Monday, February 20, 2012 at noon Central time Martin will present a free job search webcast, The Network Integrated Job Search.