Insights into the forces shaping our industry.

7 Areas to Help You Dust Off That Old Resume

Candidate Advice

In the electrical industry, we have noticed more people getting ready to make a job change.  Many seem to have been with their companies for 10 years or more and want to raise their heads out of the sand and see what is out there.   If you feel the same way, dust off that resume!

Below are 7 areas that you can improve or update:

Header:

If you still have an AOL email, update to g-mail or another popular provider. You do not want to look like you are stuck in the past.  Also have your email address on your resume. Add your LinkedIn profile to your resume. Most companies will do a web search and you want to make sure they find the right person.   If you are not on LinkedIn, set up a profile as soon as possible. Make sure to list the city and state where you live and your cell number.

Summary/Executive Summary:

Use a Summary instead of the ancient “Objective Statement”. Also “References Available upon Request” should be removed from your resume.

Experience:

When listing the companies you worked for, make sure to have a description of what they do, their size and headquarters and which location(s) you worked at.  Detail your roles, responsibilities and key accomplishments. Why are you better than the other candidates?  With more employers using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter through resumes, keywords related to industry are helpful to get your resume to the top of the pile.

Keep Things Bite-sized:

Employers review resumes for less than 7 seconds before they decide if you will get a call or interview. Keep your information bite-sized and concise.

Dates:

Make sure you put job dates on your resume. If you’ve had several positions with the same company or have been promoted, it is ok to list the title and responsibility changes during the time you’ve been there.  Putting the year you graduated from college is also important. Your age will be obvious during the interview or when you start discussing your job history.  You want the company to respect what you have accomplished over your career, not what age you are.

Education:

List your education at the bottom of your resume.  Put the degree you earned, not just BA or BS. Some companies are looking for a candidate with a specific degree.  This is important so your resume will be placed at the top of the pile.

Spelling:

Proof read your resume and also have someone else proof it. Misspellings on resumes and LinkedIn look unprofessional.  The spelling error we see most is “ Manger” vs “Manager”.

Good luck on your new job search and dust off that resume!

Pati Kelly is a contingent and retained recruiter exclusive to the electrical industry with a specialty in Wire and Cable. To learn more about how she can help your company identify and attract talent send her an email at pk@egretconsulting.com.