Are you struggling to get noticed by employers who place ads with long lists of job requirements? Sure, you might lack the relevant industry experience requested but you may have all the skills and attitude that would make you a great candidate. Not only do you not get the job you know you would be great at, but you don’t even have a chance to interview! This can be extremely frustrating and demoralizing.
You know that, given the opportunity, you would excel but you keep getting overlooked because employers do not understand your previous experiences and cannot see how the skills you have acquired will transfer over to this new position. Let’s look at how adjusting your resume format can increase your chances of getting that interview opportunity. In our next post, we will look at when to use the functional resume.
Let’s look at it from the employer’s perspective. Every hire that they make is a gamble and the hiring process is typically equally stressful for both candidate and employer. At every stage, the employer is looking to solve an internal requirement and also mitigate risk. Hiring employees is an expensive and time-consuming process and hiring managers are tasked with filling gaps that are typically long overdue with limited training available – particularly in the current labour market. Pressure is heightened to make the right decision. They are looking to progress as a company and taking unwarranted risks on candidates will not only hurt the company but could land the hiring manager in some legal hot water.
From the employer’s perspective then, weeding out resumes of candidates who, on paper, do not align with their needs is the easiest way to mitigate risk and save time.
Now, let’s look at it from your perspective as the candidate. It’s the classic conundrum of “how do I get experience when every company requires experience?” Instead of focusing on experience, focus instead on your skills and thus, what value you can bring to the company. This is where the functional resume can help.
A functional resume focuses more on your skills than specific job-related experience. The jobs listed in chronological order with a synopsis on a traditional resume are instead replaced with specific skills as headers and then dive into examples that prove you have that skill. This is typically followed by a listing of your jobs and then your educational background.
There are many examples of the structure and format of the functional resume online. You can even download a template from Microsoft to build one yourself in Word. Here is the general framework:
Your Name
Your Contact Info
Summary
This is a short paragraph that is a quick synopsis of you. This is your chance to capture the readers’ attention with a quick elevator pitch. Note that this is an optional section in this type of format but does allow you to add further details on yourself that you feel might be neglected in the rest of this resume.
Professional Skills
List 3-5 skills as subheaders with 2-5 bullet points each that show proof that you possess these skills. It is important to include those that are ideally sought after in the type of roles you are ideally seeking, wherever possible.
Pro tip: Create a document with as many skills as you can think of that you have. Use this as a database that you can pull from to customize your resume to each job posting quickly and easily.
Work Experience
Company Name, Job Title, Location and Dates worked there. No additional details are included within this section in this type of resume.
Education
School Name, Degree/Diploma Acquired, Location and Dates you attended and ideally completed each program.
This is what the basic format looks like when printed out. Feel free to play with the style but the format should be more or less standard Credit: Jaclyn Westlake of theMuse.com
And that is it! This is the basic structure of this type of format. Of course, you can play around with the format a little bit and add other relevant headings if you wish but this is the meat of this resume format. Always remember, your resume is generally your first impression for the hiring manager. Treat it like you are an advertising agency and are looking for a way to promote a product (you) to a very specific consumer (the employer). In this case, the consumer has provided you with exactly what they are looking for in a new product, through the job posting, and now all you have to do is meet their needs.
Social media platforms are crucial (if often overlooked) tools which can help you find your dream job in today’s rapidly changing and diverse job market. LinkedIn in particular is exceptionally important as most hiring managers will review your profile and make a quick decision about your suitability on the spot if your resume catches their eye.
If you should find yourself with some time on your hands right now, it is an excellent opportunity for you to ensure this platform is showcasing your talents in the best possible way. I strongly encourage you to dedicate real time and effort to perfect this profile. If you are looking for a second opinion, I would be more than happy to take a quick look and provide some feedback if you feel that would be helpful. Here are a few quick suggestions to help improve your profile, if you are serious about your job search!
1. Choose the right photograph
Make sure you have a simple, professional looking photograph that is visible to hiring managers. Some studies say that profiles with photos are 11x more likely to be viewed. Do check your visibility settings as many of my clients thought their photos were publicly visible but were not! While a classic headshot is best, ideally the photo will show a bit of your personality, and it must be current. It is not necessary that it be taken by a professional but do take time to ensure that it is clear, bright and polished and that you are wearing clothes that you would wear to work. For more great tips, check out this link.
2. Create a headline that entices your intended market
Spend some time creating an interesting and compelling headline that tells the world who you are, what your unique offering is and why you are someone worth connecting with. If this is a daunting task, you may find it very helpful to review other profiles for suggestions – there are many great articles out there to assist with this process as well.
3. Write a particularly strong “About” summary
Start strong, consider that every word matters, optimize search words, add context to your career story and definitely inject your personality where possible. Edit and revise carefully and have this proofread by an advisor prior to posting. For some great examples, see this article.
3. Tell the world you are open to great opportunities
LinkedIn offers the ability to communicate the fact that you are interested in new opportunities in several ways. This can be done by stating this outright in your headline (i.e. Experienced, people-oriented sales manager seeking new opportunities) or, alternatively, in a more confidential way to privately notify a wide network of recruiters through a specific setting on your profile. In this case, the intention is to signal your job search to interested parties while avoiding notifying those recruiters at your own firm or affiliated recruiters (Note: Do consider the consequences of this type of advertising as no system is foolproof). Finally, do ensure that you have made your profile public.
4. Use your profile to help develop your personal brand
Consider changing the background on your profile from the basic blue to something suited to your industry, personality or work-related interests. Seek opinions from trusted advisors on your choices. Always err on the conservative side (unless you are in a very creative field) and avoid any political, religious or other contentious or off-putting posts or statements. Consider adding in interesting and relevant volunteer work and accomplishments that help the reader understand why you might be a great for their role.
5. Tidy up your data
Always keep your status current and ensure there are NO errors or inconsistencies with your resume. Take time to consider capitalization and punctuation. I can’t tell you how many candidates are screened out of interesting searches due to these types of errors that could have been simply corrected. Verify that your specified location and industry are still accurate.
6. Get a few great testimonials
A few strong endorsements can go a long way to help open up doors. The LinkedIn program has a pretty simple process to assist with the process of obtaining brief testimonials from past or current colleagues, clients and managers. Know that even the most well-intended people may struggle to find the time to write these types of endorsements so look for tips and tricks on how to make this as easy as possible for your reference source.
7. Network, network, network
Once you have perfected your profile, the next step is to reach out to your current contact list and key industry players to generate meaningful connections. This topic is a more complex one to be covered in a subsequent piece. Always be mindful of how you go about this outreach but know that this is your eventual goal. The strength of your network improves the perception of your value for many positions, particularly if you are seeking work in sales, communications or public relations type roles. In the meantime, here are some great “Dos & Don’ts” to consider.
