1. What are some resume red flags?
Here are the top 3 red flags hiring managers see in a resume:
Spelling mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes. The good news is this one is so easy to correct. There are so many free online tools to help check grammar and spelling. I always recommend using Grammarly or a similar tool to double check documents and catch any errors that may have been missed.
Unprofessional email address or missing contact information
This might sound so simple but over the past several years, I have come across many resumes that are missing contact information or have an email from when they were a teenager. If your email is kittykat55@mail.com – it’s time for an upgrade! Have a professional email address and always include a phone number.
Being unclear on your career direction
When making a career transition, it’s so important to write the resume for what the hiring manager wants to see rather than based on your experience. Hiring managers have limited time and they are spending approximately 6 seconds on your resume before deciding whether to keep it or not. That means that you need to do the work for the hiring manager. It is the job seeker’s role to connect the dots between the skills found in the job posting and the skills the hiring manager is looking for. Make it easy for them!
2. What are your thoughts when you see an unemployment gap?
Pre-Covid, employment gaps were a big deal and hiring managers would often ask about them and consider them a red flag. Since Covid – most people have an employment gap. Some hiring managers are concerned by them, most aren’t. The key with an employment gap is to be able to explain why you have a gap and what you did during that time. Things you could include are courses you have taken, any upskilling you have done, volunteer positions, etc. Each of these experiences provide value and share more of your career story.
3. What can applicants do to stand out in a resume?
To stand out in your resume, it’s all about leveraging what makes you unique. Each one of us has a career story that has taken a different path to get to where we are today. Tell your story! If you are making a career transition, share how your previous work experience gives you the skills you need to be successful in this role. If you have a career gap due to raising children, travelling, or relocating, talk about how that experience has shaped you. If you have a hobby, like running Ironman Triathlons, share how that shapes you and how it shows your determination. We all have a story and our story is what makes us unique. Share it!
4. Should I have a LinkedIn profile and what do recruiters look for on there?
ABSOLUTELY! I love LinkedIn – it’s a great platform and everyone should be on LinkedIn. Let me share a story. A client of mine was working and had no intention of switching jobs. She liked where she was. A recruiter reached out to her on LinkedIn and asked her to come in for an interview for this position. She agreed to go through the process out of curiosity. Three weeks later she accepted the job she never even applied for.
Although that doesn’t happen to everyone, LinkedIn is a powerful platform! To have a strong profile, make sure all profile sections are filled out. Here is an overview of the most important sections:
Profile Photo & Banner Photo: Include a recent photo of yourself in the profile photo section and add a banner photo to the top of your page. This can showcase more of your personality!
About: This section is an opportunity for you to share your story. Use this space to showcase who you are, how you got to where you are today and why you are passionate about your career path. You can be a lot more personal on LinkedIn than in your resume, telling a story here will be a lot more engaging.
Experience: Include the last 10-15 years of work experience with some details under each. This section does not have to be a direct mirror of your resume.
Recommendations: Consider asking coworkers and managers for recommendations to live on your profile. These help hiring managers see what your skills are and how you show up at work.
Skills: Include a minimum of 25 skills in the skills section. These skills should be directly relevant to the roles you are applying for. LinkedIn uses the skills section to match you to potential jobs!
5. Do recruiters still want to see a cover letter? Should I be sending a cover letter even when it isn’t being asked for?
On LinkedIn, Austin Belcak shared a study he was apart of. Here were the results:
“74% of employers don’t read cover letters, BUT 53% of employers prefer candidates who submit cover letters.”
That goes to show that, yes, recruiters still want a cover letter; however, they aren’t taking much time, if any, to review it. That means that you don’t have to spend as much time on the cover letter as you would your resume or spending time in your job search. Having a general cover letter that you submit with your applications is perfect.
6. What are your thoughts when you see a candidate with several short-term employment spurts? How should a candidate address those during an interview?
This has happened to a lot of my clients, especially those working in the tech sector and have faced multiple layoffs due to restructuring. The best way to handle this is to address it with honesty. Share what has happened, the reason behind multiple shorter employment stints and what you have learned from it.
Another important thing to do is to re-iterate that you are looking for a long-term engagement. Hiring managers sometimes are afraid that an individual isn’t willing to stay at an organization if they have had many jobs in the past. The key here is to showcase that your goal is to secure a longer-term opportunity that can truly help you build your career.
