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

It’s not unusual for human resource professionals to conclude one of three unflattering things about you when they spot an error.

• They think you can’t spell,
• They think you don’t know how to use spell check,
• They think you can’t proofread a simple document.

The reality is spell check is not fail proof. Let’s say you accidentally type boast instead of boost when writing of an increase in sales. Spell check won’t save you. And when it comes to the word ‘their,’ you’re on your own. Don’t expect to be beeped if you were meant to spell the word as ‘there’ or ‘they’re.’

So knowing this, you print out your document and you read it carefully. Or so you think. Professional proof-readers know that our eyes can deceive us. Often we see what we expect to see, and not what really is.

I asked the professionals for some solutions for you. Here’s what they suggest to make sure your resume doesn’t get trashed for a tipo, I mean typo.

• Wait at least an hour, if possible, after typing your work before proofreading it. That gives your brain a chance to read it as if for the first time.
• Take a break from thinking about your resume and covering letter before you re-read them. The idea is to ensure that when you review, you’re not reading from memory. 
• To help you see the text with fresh eyes, read paragraphs out of order once or twice. Read the bottom first, and the middle paragraph second.
• Ideally, have someone else also proofread your documents.
• Read your printed resume and covering letter with a pen in hand. Cross out each word after you read it. This forces you to examine the text one word at a time. It’s tedious, but it’s effective.

As a final word of advice. Once you feel you have polished your resume, it can be tough to revisit it. But do re-read it after a week, and after a month. It’s a living document, something that can always be updated and like us all, improved with time.

For some more proofreading tips, check out the Online Writing Lab.