The first thing employers see when they look at your resume is the header where you indicate your name and contact details. There’s nothing to it, right? Just plug in your name, your address (or City and State), phone number, and email address. While it seems straight-forward, there’s much more to it that you should consider in presenting the information.
How you present your name, location, and contact details can leave an impression. In some instances, the header information alone can sway a hiring manager to dismiss the resume and not look any further. Review these tips to help polish up the header of your resume if you want to have a fair chance.
1. Present your name in a manner that suits the employer’s work culture.
Some people go by the name presented on their birth certificate while others may have a variation of it. No matter your situation, when writing your resume consider the employer’s style and culture. For instance, if you’re applying for a job at a corporate law firm, it makes sense to present your name formally as Nathaniel Cornelius Smith or Nathaniel C. Smith. However, if you are applying to a start-up company where everyone wears jeans to work and giving the CEO a high-five is an everyday thing, going less formal on the resume may be more fitting – like Nathan Smith or Nathan C. Smith. Think about what best suits the employer and present your information in that manner.
2. Present a professional email address.
Job applicants should avoid presenting an email address that may include numbers that can be interpreted as their date of birth, like Nathan.Smith1950@.... It’s not necessary for the employer to know your age even if you’re not concerned about age discrimination. And if you have an AOL email address, consider signing up for a Gmail email address. Users with an AOL email address are typically known to be of an older generation. Also consider getting a new email address specifically to use for your resume if the one you currently use is less than professional like partyanimal@.... or teddybearhugs@....
3. Tailor information so you’re local.
Today’s resumes are distributed online so it’s not always favorable to send it out with your home address for the world to see. It’s okay to only include the City and State at the header. When you do include your location, consider where the job you are applying for will be located. Some employers dismiss resumes simply for the fact that the job candidate is not local to their office or they may not want to deal with job candidates who require relocation.
4. Keep it to 1-3 contact methods.
Even if you can be reached several different ways, it’s not necessary to present five different telephone numbers. Simply include one email address and one phone number (at most two). You want to include contact details you’ll be accessible at or where you can return messages or calls promptly.
5. Include your LinkedIn Profile and/or website if it’s relevant.
If your LinkedIn profile is complete and the information is tailored to match the same message you offer on your resume, consider adding your personalized LinkedIn URL to the header. Even if you don’t, it’s likely that the employer will look you up online. If you have a name that’s very common, it may help to include it to your resume so there’s no mix-up in the employer reviewing a LinkedIn profile that’s not yours. Same goes with adding a website. If it contains a portfolio of your work or highlights your achievements relevant to the job you’re applying to, it can be beneficial for the employer to see.
Every bit of information you present whether on the resume, online, or in your email communications can be used to help the employer build an impression of you, so consider all things as you present it as a job applicant!
Don Goodman’s firm was rated as the #1 Resume Writing Service in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Don is a triple-certified, nationally recognized Expert Resume Writer, Career Management Coach and Job Search Strategist who has helped thousands of people secure their next job. Check out his Resume Writing Service. Get a Free Resume Evaluation or call him at 800.909.0109 for more information.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here.Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.