The Bagg Group Blog

The art of writing a good resumé is taking on renewed importance as unemployment rates remain high and the number of candidates vying for the same job increase. Yet many job hunters are making mistakes that eliminate them from the short list, say recruiters.

“It is a very competitive landscape,” says Jackie Chua, general manager of the Full Time search arm with The Bagg Group in Toronto. “There are lots of resumés to be reviewed.” Spelling and grammar mistakes, fluffy or vague language and bad formatting are still prevalent when sifting through a stack of resumés, so many recruiters say there is a need to get back to the basics….

Many organizations use applicant tracking systems that will automatically search for certain keywords used in the job postings. If those words don’t appear in a job hunter’s resumé or cover letter, they could be weeded out, so make sure to read the posting carefully.

Tailor your resumé to each organization and align it and your cover letter with the needs of  the organization and the posting, demonstrating you have done your research. It all starts with the first document a recruiter will see.

Cover letters should be no longer than three concise, succinct paragraphs outlining your skills, education and experience in relation to the job posting. In the last paragraph, outline why you are interested in the job and the company by showing you have done your research on the firm.
Most recruiters advise against using a functional resumé that groups skills; instead, utilize a more effective chronological resumé that highlights jobs individually. Professional experience and education should be first and second on the resumé. Avoid using corporate job descriptions, since your job has likely evolved or expanded during the time you have worked there. Instead, use concise language to be as specific as possible about key roles and the achievements you have reached, such as milestones and performance targets.

In both cover letters and resumés, make use of white space to avoid clutter. Similarly, avoid long bullet lists and compress the points into smaller groups that are easier to read.

The standard format is Microsoft Word, but pay attention to the job posting. There has been a trend toward using Adobe Acrobat (.pdf ) documents, but Word is preferred unless an alternate format is requested in the posting.

Stick to the past 10 years, other than any very important previous experience, since you can elaborate on older experience if asked.

Use positive language and make sure all dates are accurate, since recruiters often verify this information. If you fudge a date, it could come back to haunt you if you get the job…. it’s more important than ever to keep in mind most resumés are not just submitted electronically, but also viewed in that format. Too many people leave the spelling, grammar and formatting functions turned on when submitting a document, only highlighting and magnifying mistakes and generally cluttering the document.

Job hunters can set themselves up for success long before they even start looking for a job if they keep their resumé current. It’s easy to forget key information as time passes, so keeping a document updated on a regular basis will help ensure it stands out and includes all relevant information.

Finally, check with references that they are OK with you using them, but don’t list their names and contact information on your resumé. Just note that references are available upon request, and tell your references what you are applying for so they can have some thoughts prepared if contacted.

Throughout the process, keep in mind the person reading the document. And remember the document’s purpose.”A resumé isn’t to get you a job, it’s to get you an interview,” Ms. Chua says.

excerpts from the National Post, FP Careers, Wednesday November 16, 2009

The Bagg Group recruiters say the best thank you is a short one.

Following a job interview, should you send a thank-you note? That’s a question that the experts at The Bagg Group are asked often. 

The answer is easy.  No one has ever gone wrong by saying thank you. 

But recruiters at The Bagg Group know that  people who are seeking full-time work, a contract opportunity, or temporary employment often don’t send a follow-up letter for one reason-they just don’t know what to say.

The good news is that you should not say much.  

Here are some tips to help you put together an appropriate thank you that communicates professionalism and enthusiasm.  And that’s what hiring managers at the top companies in the GTA are looking for.

Keep it short:  Don’t use a thank you note to make a long plea for the job.  Instead of communicating enthusiasm, you’ll be communicating desperation. 

Remember, everyone in the workplace is overwhelmed by emails these days.  So your note should not take more than 15 seconds to read. Since your interviewer has already reviewed your materials and talked to you, it’s safe to assume that they don’t want to take the time to read a repeat of what they already know.

Say it in 3 points:  

• Thank your interviewer for having taken the time to meet with you about the position. 
• In one or two sentences, reiterate your interest in applying your skills and experience to meet the company’s needs.  
• Finally, mention that you would be happy to supply any additional information or answer more questions.

Keep personal comments to a minimum:

For example, you can wish the interviewer a good holiday, or best of luck with a product launch, if these subjects came up during your meeting. But don’t get carried away and assume you are now friends.  You have to stay strictly professional to make a good impression.  

Check for typos…10 times:

Write the note, read it and then don’t send it-not right away.  Instead, take a ten-minute break and read it again.  You will be able to spot typos and grammatical errors more easily when you read it with what proof-readers call “fresh eyes.”  Above all, make sure you have the correct spelling of the interviewer’s name.

For proof-reading tips, check out our April 15, 2009 blog:  Ask a Recruiter: Does one typo on my resume put me out of the race for a job opportunity?

Saying thanks to an interviewer is a small formality, but it’s one that is worth your effort.  Everyone appreciates receiving acknowledgement.  And as American writer Gertrude Stein put it, “Silent gratitude isn’t much to anyone.”

“Let me make this clear…”  Do these words sound familiar to you?  If you have heard President Obama give a speech, you’ll probably recognize them.  The President uses that phrase whenever he wants the audience to remember a key point.

His technique for introducing a statement with an alert that something important is about to be said is not unique. All the great speakers and interviewees do it.  There’s a name for it, it’s called flagging.  And just as you flag an email that you want to make sure someone reads, when you speak you can flag a particularly critical point that you want to drive home.

At The Bagg Group, we’re renowned for our expertise in helping candidates interview well.  For the past 30 years, we have worked with the best employers in the GTA on placing full-time candidates, temporary workers and contract workers, so we know what interviewers in companies in the GTA and across the province are looking for.  And what they are looking for is clarity. 

They want to know what you can bring to their company. And if you can flag your major contributions so that these are easy for the interviewer to grasp and remember, you will be doing everyone a favour.  

What’s more, by flagging, you help the interviewer figure out what to say about you when talking to their colleagues after your meeting is over.  They will likely repeat the key points that you flagged as important.  And these are the perfect messages you want to spread about yourself. 

It’s not hard to flag. Our expert recruiters can tell you how to do it in two easy-to-follow steps:

Step 1:  Before your interview, write down 3 to 5 key points about why you are well suited to the job.

As an example, perhaps you want to emphasize that you developed effective software solutions at your previous job.  Or you want to make sure the interviewer is clear that you have a proven ability to communicate well with external clients.

 Step 2:  Come up with some flags that work for you.  The words should roll off your tongue easily.  

Here are two possible flags:   

• “I think you may find it interesting to know….”
• “If I might emphasize….”

So perhaps you would say, “I think you may find it interesting to know that I developed a software solution…..” Or you might say, “If I might emphasize two things, these would be my ability to come up with software solutions and to communicate these solutions to clients effectively.” 

Flags work because they tell us when to pay attention.  When told you will find something “interesting to know” you can’t help but be curious. Just as when someone alerts you that they wish to emphasize a point, you are keen to learn what it is. This is simply human nature. 

So develop a flag and use it wisely in interviews.  And as you walk away, after your meeting, you may find yourself overhearing the interviewer say about you…”There were two things in particular that impressed me about  (your name here).  He/she developed……”

I prepare well for my interviews. But often, when I’m sitting across the desk from an interviewer, I blank, or I babble.  After I leave, I’m so angry with myself.  Any tips to avoid the interview wipe-out?

Don’t be too hard on yourself.   There’s nothing like the pressure of having to be brilliant to shut you down.  This is performance anxiety and it has a habit of spinning out of control.  Panic leads to more panic.

The recruiters at The Bagg Group have extensive experience with helping candidates succeed at interviews.  We’ve been working with top employers in the GTA for decades, and we know how they think and what they need.  So whether we send someone to interview for a full-time job, contract work, or temporary employment, we know what hiring authorities are looking for.  And we understand our candidates too. 

In an interview situation, we know that both parties are feeling some stress.

That’s right.  You may not be the only one who is nervous. Your interviewer is under pressure to make the right decision, and choose the best person for the job.  They have to select a person who can not only do the work very well, but can also fit in with the company. 

(Companies count on The Bagg Group to send them great candidates, but the hiring authorities still must choose the best person for their organization from the group.) 

So while you may feel that you are alone on a stage, and the interviewer is a critic who is watching you with a skeptical eye, that’s not the way it is.  You are not giving a performance. You and your interviewer are engaged in a conversation. Both of you are trying to learn what you need to know about each other.

But if you still feel performance anxiety, here are proven tips of recruiters at The Bagg Group:

1. Take the desperation out of the situation.  Remind yourself that this interview isn’t the last opportunity you will ever have.  You will get another one if this one doesn’t work out.

2. Whenever your mind goes blank, ask a question.  This buys you time to sit back and breathe.  Have some questions prepared in advance. A great question may be, “How would you describe your ideal employee?”  

3. The only thing you have to do when the interviewer talks is listen.

4. When the interviewer stops talking, repeat back key points or qualities they mentioned. And then address each one, preferably by using examples to show how you possess the desired attributes they described. 

5. Finally, don’t panic about panicking.  Just remember, all you ever have to do is ask a question and that will get you back on track.

It feels like everyone is going back to school and going back to work after their summer holidays, except me. I am already doing everything I can to find a job, do you have any suggestions how I can do more?

At The Bagg Group, we know September can be tough month for job-seekers. It seems as if everyday life is revving up again after the slow days summer, and you are eager to be part of the back-to-work crowd. 

But don’t forget you are working at finding a job.  You are not unlike a salesperson who needs to find a client, or a customer. In your case, you need to find an employer.  And just like every good salesperson, you need top-notch marketing tools and up-to-minute knowledge to get a win.

Whether you are looking for full-time employment, contract work or temporary employment in the GTA, there are things you can be doing to help you stand out from the crowd.   Here are three R’s from recruiters at The Bagg Group. :

Revise your resume:  Don’t just list your responsibilities for each job you had, instead show each of your activities benefited the organization. Update with volunteer or contract work, again demonstrating how you helped meet objectives.

Revisit your contacts:  Send out a friendly short email, reminding your contacts of the type of position you are seeking and mentioning that you’ve updated your resume should they know of any opportunities.  If you know them well, attach the email. If you don’t, paste it into the body of the message. 

Research and read: Stay up-to-the-minute on your industry so that you are able to hold timely, informed conversations at any opportunity. Sharing insights and shop-talk gives you a competitive edge.  Top employers recognize knowledge when they hear it.  As do contacts in your network who will be more likely to pass on your name when they find you have a solid, impressive grasp of your subject.

September is a great month to reinvigorate your job search-and there is no better way to do that than to master the 3Rs.

At The Bagg Group, we remind candidates that looking for a job is a job.  And like any job, you can’t live, eat and breathe it 24-hours a day.  You need a break at the end of each day to recharge your batteries.

• Put in some hours daily on writing covering letters, fixing up your resume, making calls, thinking about interview questions and answers. But when your tasks are complete, give yourself a mental holiday. Go biking, go for a walk, catch a movie, play with the kids, listen to your favourite music.
• List all of the things you like to do, or you’d like to try, such as gardening, hiking, painting. Then see if you can find a group to join which does these activities. It’s energizing to be with people who share your interests.
• Looking for a job can be a lonely business so spending time with others is more important than ever. It’s excellent to network to find full-time job opportunities, contract work or temporary work. But it’s also worthwhile to meet with people just for the joy of it. And to talk about something other than your job hunt.
• Volunteer as much as possible. And don’t feel that every task you do as a volunteer has to develop a career skill. Helping out at a marathon or sorting food at the Food Bank is a chance to get involved, meet people and make a valuable contribution. And that makes you feel good, which is good for you.
• Working on your personal interests as you job hunt is not a waste of time. It’s an excellent strategy for when seeking job opportunities. Employers at companies across the GTA confirm that depressed people do not interview well. Hiring authorities are like everyone else-they gravitate towards positive, upbeat people.
• Above all, allow yourself to laugh every day. It’s long been established by medical researchers that laughter can lower the level of stress hormones and increase endorphin levels, the body’s natural feel good chemicals.

Attitude is important and right now, one of your jobs is to do what you can to maintain a positive one…and that’s a task you are meant to enjoy.

Whether you want temporary work, a full-time job opportunity or contract work,  twittering can work for you. But if you twitter inappropriately, it can work against you.

Never write a tweet that would embarrass you if it fell into the wrong hands. There are already too many stories about people who have interviewed for jobs in the GTA and afterward made what they thought were funny comments about the experience on Twitter.  Sure enough, those tweets were spotted by people within the organizations who were not amused. 

The Globe and Mail recently reported on a story that stands as a warning to all job seekers.  A candidate sent a tweet about being offered a job at Cisco, the high-tech giant in California, that read in part: “Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh…a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.”

In less than hour, this twitterer received a message back from Cisco and lost her job offer.

For tips on how to twitter properly, check out the article 50 Terrific Twitter Tips for Job Seekers.

 Meanwhile, the recruiters at The Bagg Group have put together this list of short tweets for you that are words to twitter by:

• Create an easy-to-remember Twitter name. Make sure it’s not silly and won’t make potential employers wonder about you.  
• Put your professional Web site or even your personal LinkedIn url on your Twitter profile.
• Don’t get too casual. Twitter is an informal way to spread information but you want to project a professional image.  Use correct grammar and spelling to help your image.
• Don’t post anything inappropriate.  When it doubt, leave it out.  You don’t want potential employers to question your judgment or good taste.
• Follow and connect with people with similar interests to network.
• Follow up off of Twitter. Don’t rely on Twitter to make all the connections for you. Network off Twitter or follow up with an e-mail when it’s appropriate.

You might expect that on a scorching day no one would expect you do to drive or take public transit to a job opportunity in the GTA in full business attire. Sadly, you would be wrong.

It doesn’t matter which jobs you are seeking; you have to dress for success, regardless of the weather. Whether you want a full-time position, contract work or temporary employment, your interviewer is going to be looking for professionalism. 

Even on days when it’s so hot you could fry an egg on the sidewalk.

Remember, you aren’t meeting with your interviewer outside, where they too would be aware of the heat and want to bare their arms.  Instead, hiring authorities are working in air-conditioned cool offices and aren’t thinking about the weather.  So the last thing you want to do is show up looking hot, bothered, and dripping with sweat.

At The Bagg Group, we advise all those hunting for jobs in the heat to follow these 4 tips.

1. Even if your interview is on a casual dress day, don’t show up wearing shorts and sandals.  Keep your look professional. Once you get the job, you can dress as the employees do.

2. You do want to be comfortable, so keep clothing simple and not tight. But men still need to wear a tie. And both women and men need to wear a jacket in the interview. It may be tiresome to carry on the way to the interview, but a jacket hides a million wrinkles, and perspiration.

3. You can wear summer shoes but not the kind of casual sandal you might wear to the beach.

4. If there’s a washroom in the hallway before you arrive at reception, stop in to tame your hair, run cold water over your hands and wipe the sweat from your brow.  If there’s not, ask directions from the receptionist before she or he lets the interviewer know you have arrived.

All you have to do is get to the interview.  As soon as you exit the building, you can take off the jacket, roll up your shirt sleeves, change into flat sandals and go for freezing cold iced coffee.

There’s a myth that there is no point looking for a job during the holiday season.  Companies and recruitment firms work all summer long, so there’s no reason to believe all business comes to a complete standstill. At The Bagg Group, we advise that you don’t stop looking for a job until you find one, regardless of the season. 

There are some advantages to looking for jobs in the GTA during vacation times.  The pace at many businesses may be slower so it can be an ideal time to network over a coffee or to seek informational interviews.  As well, there can be less competition since many job-hunters do take the summer off.

Of course, we’d all rather be sailing.  That’s why at The Bagg Group we offer these tips for how to keep job-hunting and still enjoy the summer. 

Adopt summer hours.  Offices do it, and looking for a job is no different than any other work.  Get an extra early start to your workday and give yourself the promise that you’ll complete your job-hunting activities before the afternoon is out.

Use a daybook.  List two or three job hunting activities for the day.  These are tasks that are within your control to complete, such as researching job-boards, applying for a job, touching base with your references, rewriting your resume.   Estimate how long each task will take and schedule it like you would a meeting with yourself.  In this way, you can enjoy the rest of your day, guilt-free.

Consider volunteer work.  Many volunteer organizations need help in the summer when regular volunteers go off on vacations. This is a great time to help out and it’s good for your resume.  As well, volunteering is another way to network, and acquire references if necessary.

Temporary work opportunities.  Whether you are looking for a full-time job, a temporary job, or a contract job, the summer may offer up unexpected opportunities to serve as fill-in while regular staff is on holiday.  Any such opportunities are worth your while.

Finally, it’s important to stay-up-to-date in your field, year-round.  But there’s nothing that says you have to do your reading indoors.  Make a patio your office away from your home office.

We have seen candidates hired who have one poor reference but two to three great ones. So one bad reference doesn’t mean it’s all over for you.

What do recruiters want to learn from your references? At The Bagg Group, we focus on your strengths and areas for improvement.

Nobody expects that your reference will describe you as a perfect employee, since none of us are perfect. In any case, you can be assured that recruiters are extremely skilled at interviewing references, and at listening not just to answers but to tone of voice.

In other words, we know very well how to tell the difference between what is personal opinion and what is an objective assessment of a candidate’s skills.

Whether you are looking for a full-time job, contract work, or temporary work, you will need references. So make a point of staying in touch with your reference provider as you seek job opportunities in the GTA so that they are ready and willing to talk about you.

We put together this reference tip sheet to help you, and us, work with references.

Provide titles and contact information for each of your references. We only call the contacts you provide. If your reference is traveling or out of town, don’t worry. We will contact them by email. And by the way, recruiters prefer not to call references on cell phones. If we must, we have to call the reference provider’s company to verify their position.

Whenever possible, get a letter of reference. This is very helpful if, during the time of your job search, you are unable to locate your reference provider.

Tell your reference what type of role you’re going for. Let your reference provider know the type of job you’re applying for, and the skills it demands. This way, they’ll be able to respond more appropriately to questions.

Test the waters. Make a point of asking, “What type of reference will you provide me?” This way, you’ll know whether you want this person as your reference or not.

Be upfront with your recruiter. If you believe your reference may have areas of concern, tell your recruiter about it. We understand, and honesty is always the best policy.

Recruiters prefer to call three references. And you can list contacts at your volunteer work if you don’t have many references.

References almost always want to help you get a job, not stop you. Give your reference and your recruiter the accurate information they need, and let your expert recruiter handle the rest.