In today’s tight job market, having your résumé ready when a terrific opportunity presents itself is vital. In this blog I’m giving additional tips to last week’s blog to help you prepare yourself when opportunity knocks on the door!

“Whether you’re currently looking for a job or are satisfied in the job you have, you should always keep your résumé updated. You never know when the perfect new opportunity might come along for you, and you want to have your most important marketing tool on hand when it does,” writes Leslie Bonagura, a Managing Consultant.

What is it that hiring managers are looking for in your résumé? DBM, the world’s leading provider of strategic human resource solutions, did a survey and found that hiring managers are looking foremost in a résumé for:

• Transferable skills. Hiring managers today want to know the skills you have that make you the most qualified candidate to fill the position.

You have a number of transferable skills. Make a list of what you enjoy doing, tasks that are easy and that you are complimented on such as customer service, leadership, painting, managing, repairing, presenting, constructing, selling, researching, organizing, evaluating, instructing, persuading, entertaining, writing, facilitating, negotiating, initiating, etc. If you’re interested, we offer a Skills Assessment along with a one-hour session where you’ll go away with a comprehensive list of your transferable skills including most enjoyable to most boring skills.

On your résumé be sure to highlight your skills clearly and accurately that pertain to the position you’re seeking. Use succinct success stories (past blog) to give credibility.

• Experience. Hiring managers want to know that you are prepared and will have success in handling situations that might arise within their organization. On your résumé, speak directly to how you have achieved success pertaining to the job description you are applying for.

• Employment history. Employers prefer chronological résumés. Include solid reasons for time gaps. Employers learn a lot from your track record, most importantly (and interestingly) whether your professional culture preferences fit within their organization’s culture.

• Industry experience. Having industry experience is important, but not necessary. If you can demonstrate on your résumé that you understand the industry challenges and dynamics by noting successes you’ve had in solving problems similar to the ones they face, you have a good chance of overcoming this hurdle.

• Measurable accomplishments. Hiring managers want to know how you have contributed to the success of your previous employers. Use percentages, dollars and metrics as much as possible when giving results. Even if your entire department had a bad year, they want to see that your results were better than average, specifically that you made a positive contribution to the company.

For those who looking to advance or transition, take note that while your previous job titles are of interest to hiring managers, titles were not among the top five points looked for in résumés.

By addressing and focus in on the information above, you’ll have a very good chance of success - making it to the next round of their process, the interview!

I’m passionate about you enjoying Monday morning as much as Friday afternoon!

A session or sessions are offered on updating your résumé & cover letter, interview preparation, strengths identification, career exploration, job search strategy to find a position in the hidden job market, effective communication, career-life balance, career branding, networking, and jump-starting a new position.

You are invited to schedule a 20-minute complimentary coaching session with me. Afterwards we’ll take 5 minutes for both of us to determine whether or not career coaching is what would best meet your goals. If at any point during those 5 minutes you decide career coaching would not be a good fit, I’d value you letting me know since both of our time is valuable!

For more information, go to my website at Summit View Career Coaching or email me at Terri@SummitViewCareerCoaching.com. Daily tips for job transitioners and career managers are on Summit View Career Coaching’s blog.

In the USA, coaching fees are typically tax deductible since they are considered an expense for continuing education undertaken to maintain and improve business and professional skills. (See Treas. Reg.1-162-5. Coughlin vs. Commissioner, 203F 2d 307) Your tax consultant can provide you with further information.

Enjoy Monday morning as much as Friday afternoon!

This entry was posted on Friday, July 18th, 2008 at 10:33 am and is filed under Ask the Career Coach. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.