Resume writing comes with many questions like what to include, how much to include, and how far back to go when it comes to detailing work experience. It can get particularly complicated when you’ve worked with the same employer and held several positions with them.
How do you layout all the information on the resume so that it’s succinct, yet tells a story that will impress the potential employer? Some employers may see your long-term employment as dedication, but to other employers, it may raise red flags on whether you can adjust to a new job and if you’ve made progress in your career by staying with one employer.
To add to the complication, you also have to think about how to format the content on your resume so that it’s Applicant Tracking System (ATS)-friendly. Poor formatting means the ATS may skip over an entire section of information on your resume. For more on the ATS, read: “5 Tips To Improving Your Applicant Tracking System Ranking.”
To help ease the resume writing process in situations where you have held several jobs with one employer, follow these tips:
1. Only list one period of employment with each employer.
The ATS looks for a certain pattern of information to tell it where one section of your work experience begins and where it ends. It usually looks for dates on the resume to locate job titles and employers, so you should avoid listing more than one period of employment with each employer if you don’t want to confuse the ATS. There are several ways in which you can format your information:
Company Name, List Your Job Titles (start with the most recent first) (Date of Employment) – It’ll read like XYZ Company, Office Manager / Executive Assistant / Administrative Assistant (2012 – Present). Make note to also put a space before and after each “/.” The ATS may not know to search for keywords in combination of a “/.”
Company name, Present Job Title (Date of Employment) – It’ll read like XYZ Company, Office Manager (2012 – Present). Include information on other positions held under the heading along with the rest of the content you highlight for the work period. For example, Earlier positions include….then include highlights from the positions. There’s no need to break down the period of employment for each of the prior positions.
2. Highlight your promotions.
When you’ve been with an employer long, potential employers fear you may have fallen too comfortable with them and your skills and progression for advancement has remained stagnant. To alleviate these negative perceptions, draw attention to any changes you’ve made in positions held. It can be a move you made to work in a different department or highlighting your successes and promotions on the job. For example, using a bullet point, indicate: Promoted within 9 months for exceptional client relations skills that resulted in the win of pharma client’s global marketing business.
3. Prioritize your information.
When you have several jobs under one employer grouped together on the resume, it’s important to prioritize the information you have under it. While describing your roles and responsibilities and highlighting achievements and success, think about the order of importance and relevance. You want to lead with what’s most impressive to the potential employer first.
Utilizing these tips, you’ll have a resume that demonstrates to potential employers that you’re a candidate with great potential – you’re not only dedicated, but you can also perform and achieve outstanding results.
This post was originally published at an earlier date.
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.