Picture it: A young lady sitting at her computer staring at the blank white screen of Microsoft Office Word wondering how to start creating the killer resume’ that will land her the job of her dreams. This happens all too often and many of us do not know how to prepare and present a winning resume.

Most of the time, recruiters and employers see your resume before they consider whether or not they will see you. So how do you draw them in so that you are labeled as a valuable candidate and offered that interview? I will provide a five-step method to this madness and help you create that which can lead you to your wildest career dreams.

1. Less Is More.

As someone who has recruited and interviewed several candidates before, I can honestly tell you that every word is not read on a resume, so it’s best to keep it short. Make sure that your resume does not exceed two 8″x11″ pages. I’ve seen resumes tossed to the side and put at the bottom of the pile because the 5 stapled pages full of education and employment experience overwhelmed the recruiting team member to the point of disinterest. ‘Tis a gift to be simple, ladies!

2. Action!

Let’s face it. Resumes can be pretty boring documents, so liven yours up but be sure not to lose the purpose of your message. Don’t merely state what your job description was or is. Instead, vividly tell the recruiting team how you did that job, list the accomplishments you made on that job, and hone in on how those accomplishments were able to benefit your previous or current company but most importantly how you will add value to the employer’s organization. Action words such as “implemented”, “designed”, “collaborated” and “achieved” are your friends when creating a resume.

3. Does It Apply?
Depending on the role you are applying for, it may not be necessary to include all employment experiences on your resume. For instance, if you are applying for a software sales role, it will not be necessary to include and provide detail on your mechanical engineering internship at NASA that took place 10 years ago. Although it’s an impressive internship opportunity, it doesn’t apply to the role you are going for. However, it would behoove you to include information about a retail management job that you recently held while in graduate school obtaining your MBA. The value of the MBA is obvious to most employers; however, the retail management role will also give the recruiting team the opportunity to receive even more insight into your interpersonal skills, negotiation skills, and your business acumen and how they can be applied to the role and the organization. Those areas are major ticket items that go a long way in sales. Build a verbal bridge and connect the relevance between your previous roles that will lead you to your future, dream role!

4. Think SMART
When discussing your current and previous roles and responsibilities, do so by using SMART objective statements that match the skills set of the job you are applying for. Ensure that those entries reflect Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results-oriented, and Time-sensitive (SMART) activity. If Microsoft is seeking a Marketing Manager who “has a proven track record in leading the development and execution of high profile healthcare-based programs and campaigns”, your resume must go above and beyond to prove that you are, in fact, that candidate. An example of a SMART resume entry would be: “Successfully served as project lead for collaborating with business partners to create health insurance advertising/marketing program for Aetna that increased customer base by 30% over 18 months.” The employer now knows specifically what was done, how it was carried out and achieved, and is able to measure the activity’s results and impact over a period of time. This helps to further convince him or her that you are capable of meeting their leadership, development, and marketing execution needs. You are well on your way to more opportunities to be SMART with your new employer!

5. After 5 Attire
Current and previous employment experience are certainly the main areas of focus when reviewing any resume. However, most employers are looking for candidates who excel and make an impact inside of AND outside of the office. Your future boss and co-workers need to see other dimensions of you as an employee as well as a person. If you are on the same level with another candidate in regards to experience, how do you produce additional shine to pull yourself above the other person? It’s all about what you do after 5pm or after your work day is over. Are you a member or an officer in a business organization related to the role you are applying for? Perhaps someone on the recruiting team is a member as well, so that will stand out to him or her. Are you involved in community service? Perhaps your future boss spends a great deal of time volunteering in the community and tutoring inner-city children. He or she will definitely be able to relate to your commitment to your community, and that could mean brownie points for you! What are your hobbies and interests? It’s common knowledge that most business transactions and deals are made on the golf course. Add that as an interest on your resume, and brush up on the latest golf tips and news so you can share your knowledge during that interview that you are sure to be invited to! After all, who can toss your killer resume to the side now?!

If you have further questions or need one-on-one resume’ writing or career guidance, please feel free to ping me at quianas@gmail.com.

Continued success and blessings!

So you are finally done with school and ready to get paid… or you work long hours for little pay and want to step it up… or you love your career, but just want to poke around and see what else is out there. Whatever the case may be, the following paragraphs could be helpful to any SASSY woman that is interviewing for an internship, graduate program or career upgrade.

Each March I receive over 250 applications for a competitive summer internship at my organization. The summer internship attracts many passionate and over-achieving college students. This week alone I interviewed about twenty Ivy league-ers and the outcome was less than fierce (think Christian from Project Runway). These soon to be professionals touted 3.7 GPAs from Brown, resumes that listed references from the District Attorney’s Office, and their application essays were flawless. What they lacked was some serious interviewing prep. Come on everyone, we prep for the SATs, for prom, for the dentist (you know you floss double time a week before your appointment); it’s time to put in the A for effort when it comes to preparing for your next interview.

Step 1: Make the cover letter good.

I am really tired of skimming stock cover letters. The cover letter is a candidate’s chance to say, “Hey, pick me!” Instead, most letters have typos, are very vague, and are even geared towards unrelated careers. The best cover letter I’ve ever read was written by my boss. When she applied to be the new executive director, she got straight to the point. Her cover letter had bullet points, folks. Each bullet point had a clever little headline that showed the readers exactly what she wanted them to take away from what they were reading. She then broke down the bullet point with clear instances in her career that illustrated her point and then ended with a basic, “so now you know why I am the shiiit” closing paragraph. Sounds simple but you wouldn’t believe how many of us don’t do this. Point is: cover letters should be full of action statements that you can back up, they should be well written and most of all they should be specific to the job you are applying to. When job hunting you must accept that you will write several excellent cover letters without using cut and paste.

No Brainer Tip #1: As for resumes, all I can say is, “down with the ‘Objective: To gain entry level experience’ line.”

Step 2: Enter stage right with confidence.

Every September I help prepare 30 bright 8^th graders to enter and thrive in the top high schools across the country. Students write several drafts of their application essays, put together portfolios of their best work and most importantly, undergo mock interviews with school admissions teams. This interview practice has proven to be the cornerstone of our successful admissions acceptance rates. My students have been able to talk their way into full-ride scholarships, gain acceptances to schools that are outside of their given district/school zone and forge relationships with key admissions stakeholders. I realize that some of the lessons my students learn need to be taught to an older crowd too. It all starts with a solid hand shake. A good handshake is firm, strong and no shorter than two Mississippi’s, no longer that four Mississippi’s. The handshake should be coupled with direct eye contact and your most genuine smile. The handshake-eye-contact-grin is a winning combination that exudes confidence and warmth.

No Brainer Tip #2: Don’t try to get away with mismatched H&M gear for the interview. Go classic and invest in a well fitting dress suit.

Step 3: Reflect on your past experiences before the big day.

I recently read an article about the strong correlation between interview questions that asked candidates to reflect on past work experience and later employee success rate. The article prompted me to revamp all of my interview questions from the previous “What if” types to the “How did you react when” types. The difference was stark. Candidates spent more time thinking between questions, they often said “That’s a good question” and the answers offered true insight as to how people may act and perform in the future. Although all this was great, there were also several times candidates were just so caught off guard that they said nothing. They would ask me to rephrase the question and sit silently for more than 3 minutes. Shame, they were unprepared.

As more employers begin to use this experience based line of questioning, potential employees need to come ready! Reflect on your past professional experiences prior to your interview. When applying to business schools, my fiancé took this advice to the next level and created a list of commonly asked interview questions and wrote answers for each. Before his interviews he would review his answers and add additional questions post interviews. I am attaching his list of questions so you can check them out too.

No Brainer Tip #3: Try your best to use professional examples (like work, internships or school) when reflecting on your past experience. In a recent interview, one candidate kept using interactions with her best friend as examples of her character. I found this to be unprofessional and it didn’t help me assess what she is like in a work environment.

Step 4: Go out with a bang! (or, at least a couple questions)

Every interviewer will end with the same question, “Do you have any questions for me?” You should always have something to ask at this point, and it needs to be something that cannot be found on the website, or answered with a yes or no. This is really your chance to flip the script on your interviewer. The best questions I have been asked similarly force me to reflect on my experiences at the organization. You can also use these questions as a plug for any strengths you didn’t get to talk about in the interview. For example, “I really thrive in a collaborative environment. Can you tell me about the culture and the level of teamwork at this organization/company/school?” Point is: make sure your interviewer knows you have thought through why this place is right for you, and not just why you are right for them.

Well, that’s all folks. Follow the steps above and truly become fierce for that next interview.

-Mo

Manuel’s Pre-Interview Prep Questions

• Why do you want this degree/career/internship? Why now?

• What will you bring to X school/company?

• If you were admitted/hired, how do you think you would get involved in this community aside from work/class?

• Tell me about a time you led an individual at work. What style did you use?

• What motivates you? Where did you get it from?

• Tell me about a leadership experience that’s not in your essays.

• Tell me about a time when you led a team – one time at work, and another time outside of work

• Is there anything else you wish I had asked?

• Tell me about a time you failed, or a decision that you regret

• Tell me about a conflict you had to deal with

• Tell me about a conflict that wasn’t resolved the way you wanted

• What role do you typically play on a team?

• What do you think will be most difficult for you at XX school/company?

• What makes you unique?

• What makes you different from other candidates?

• Tell me about a professional setback, and how you dealt with the frustration

• What are your professional strengths and weaknesses?

• Tell me about your typical responsibilities at work

• Why don’t you walk me through your resume? Tell me about your career choices, and why you made them

• 20 years from now, what book would you write about yourself? What will the title be?

• How has your leadership style changed?

• What is your dream job?

• Which of your accomplishments is most special to you? Why?

• What is a common misperception of you?

• What decision would you change if you were in the past?

• What improvements do you need to make on your leadership style?

• How do you motivate others in XX organization/company?

• What book have you read most recently? Did you like it? Why?

• Who do you admire? Why?

• A CEO, aside from your employer, that you admire?

• Why have you been successful at XX job?