HOW TO CREATE A MILLION DOLLAR RESUME (Part 1)

We have been in the executive recruitment business for over 30 years and have seen a plethora of resume.
Before going into detail about creating a million dollar resume, let’s review
5 of the biggest mistakes we see in many resumes.

1) Unreadable: The number one problem with most resumes is that they are difficult to read. Long and intimidating paragraphs with few breaks and with very little white space force the reader to skip over the difficult areas or pass and move on to the next applicant’s resume. Too much information is as detrimental as too little information.

2) Objective: Many years ago every resume had an objective. This has completely disappeared because companies are less interested in what they can do for you than what you can do for them. Jack Kennedy in his inaugural address challenged Americans when he said “Ask not what your country can do for you- ask what you can do for your country.” So it is with resumes. It’s not about what the company can do for you.

3) Metrics: Absence of metrics is another issue with many resumes. Lack of numbers such as percentages, dollar amounts, and size of staff leave the reader with a concern over believability, Metrics give credibility and a resume without them indicates a potential lack of accomplishments. There are some roles in non-profit, academia, or entertainment sectors where revenue increases, efficiency percentages, or specific cost savings and other numbers aren’t applicable. But in general, metrics matter in most industries.

4) Achievement Deficiency: Another issue with many resumes is a focus on responsibilities. An emphasis on responsibilities rather than accomplishments eliminates the link that a hiring manager has for judging the transferability of your accomplishments to their environment.

5) Disjointed: Two column resumes are difficult to read and unnatural to follow even though they can be visually appealing. Because of the limited space there is less room for achievements and the graphics are very distracting. HR use of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) can lead to parsing errors, confused inputs and resume rejection.

There are other mistakes we have observed but these 5 are the most glaring.

Our next article will go into detail about creating your million dollar resume.

May Day Around the World

Spring rites have been celebrated around the world for over 2000 years, and most countries have blended this May time of rebirth and dancing around the Maypole with a time to consider workers’ rights.
Worldwide, over 160 countries celebrate Labor Day, primarily on May 1, designated as International Worker’s Day. The goal has always been to improve workers’ conditions, often via parades and demonstrations, touching on many issues.

First Monday in September in North America

In the US and Canada, people in the late 19th century also wanted to promote working-class solidarity and belonging, in a world of rapid industrialization. Workers held rallies, parades, picnics, and other celebrations. Following a large labour convention in New York in 1882, the American Federation of Labor and the Knights of Labor promoted the first Monday in September as a day of workers’ celebrations. The Canadian chapters of these organizations quickly followed suit. These organizations then pressured governments to declare this day a statutory holiday. Thus, in 1894, due to pressure campaigns and lobbying, a law declaring this holiday was passed in the Canadian Senate and was signed into law during the Prime Ministership of John Thompson on July 23 , following the passage of a similar law by the US Congress, ratified by President Grover Cleveland, on June 28.

However, Canada and the US made the decision to celebrate Labor Day in September rather than May, to separate the holiday from remembrance of the Chicago Haymarket riots of May 4, 1886, when a rally in support of striking workers was broken up by the police.

These days. fewer people participate in Labour Day celebrations, but this holiday is looked forward to and enjoyed by Canadian and Americans alike. It also marks the official end of summer in North America and the beginning of the school year. Clearly different from the May Day season, but a new and meaningful time.

Secret to Closing the Gap Between Management and Remote Staff

A recent conversation –
“Is this job 100% remote?”
“No it isn’t”
“In that case I am not interested.”
I have never heard that question and response from a candidate until recently. The pandemic plus technology have changed the labour landscape creating a major management challenge: How do you effectively manage a remote work force?

A few pointers that may help follow.

1) Clarity of expectations – Make sure that your team members understand what you expect of them including a timeline for deliverables. Response times to emails, phone calls and messages as well as when to text for crisis situations should also be very clear.
2) Communications – Scheduled coffee breaks with team members just to interact helps remote members feel included. Encourage spontaneous interactions between employees to increase morale and productivity.
3) Segmentation – Break large projects into shorter segments no longer than 2 weeks so there is a measurable sense of employee accomplishment. Track budgets for projects since projects that are delivered on time are usually also on budget.
4) New team members – Arrange a 20 – 30 minute introduction of the new person to the team. Have the team members describe some of their background and their role on the team. This may need to be scheduled over several days especially if team members are in different time zones.
5) Open door policy – Insure that everyone understands they can approach you regarding issues or queries and that you will be checking in with them to establish informal two way dialogues. Very important to keep up an informal dialogue to reduce feeling of isolation among team members.