Category Archives: Resume Tips

How To Write A Perfect Resume

how to write a perfect resume

Writing a resume is one of the most challenging parts of the job-searching process. In-person interviews are a great way to let your personality shine through but how can you stand on a piece of paper, much less one that has to fully encompass your work history and successes?

What Is a Resume?

First off, what is a resume? Kristina Schulte, who is a senior recruiter at Adidas, says that a resume is the most important part of the application process. This is because the resume is the first thing recruiters see and it determines whether someone will go on to the next step of the interview process.

It should be succinct and lay out all of your job history. David Golightly, who is the Signature Source Communications Manager, says:

“Align your core competencies or skills directly with the job description of the role you’re considering. The first review of your resume will be cursory, so it’s a best practice to always tailor the high-level information to what the potential employer requires for the position.”

Whether you’re just dipping your toes into the job market or have worked at several jobs, there are some tips to keep in mind for writing the perfect resume.

Give An Overview of Your Jobs by Using Concise Examples

Recruiters are not going to spend more than a few minutes looking at your resume so you have to provide a snapshot of what you’ve done in just a few words. Recruiters from BCG’s Dubai office sum it up perfectly: everything on your resume should add value. Do not add “fluff” words or put experience that isn’t relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Similarly, choose examples that highlight important skills, hobbies, or projects that you’re proud of. This also allows the recruiter to have something in mind to ask you about if they decide to move on with an in-person interview.

Use Headers and Sub Headers

Using headers and subheadings keeps things on your resume looking clean and lays out what a recruiter can expect to find. Headers are used to provide a summary of who you are. Subheadings, on the other hand, highlight professional or personal experiences. For example, you can use a subheader to set off your education, skills, or hobbies.

Use bullet points after the headers and sub headers to provide more detail, which can delve into tasks that you worked on, technologies that were used, or projects that are of interest.

If you have questions about boomerang employees or just need more information about the current state of the job market, Signature Source is your go-to resource for all things about job hunting and job hiring. Learn more about our resume resources by visiting our website here!

5 Soft Skills Employees Need To Succeed In Hybrid Workplaces

Five Soft Skills Employees Need For Hybrid Workplaces

It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people work. While some companies have changed their workforce to permanent remote work, others have taken on a hybrid model. According to a survey of 1000 global business leaders from Ernst & Young, about 90% of employees “desire greater flexibility in where and how they work.” However, with hybrid work comes a new skillset to thrive in a workplace that straddles the home and the corporate office. New research from FlexJobs and PAIRIN identified the five most important “soft skills,” or interpersonal skills, that focus on communication, leadership and teamwork. Brie Reynolds, the career development manager and a career coach at FlexJobs, shared some insight to go along with each of these skills:

Supportiveness

Supportiveness means the drive to assist, protect and provide for others in emotional or physical need. This is especially important in a hybrid work environment because you’re likely to be working with people in a physical capacity and a virtual capacity, and showing that you’re willing to help out shows you’re kind and proative. “Check your schedule each morning and if you have a light day, reach out to the colleagues you work closest with and offer to help them out. Message them and say, ‘Hey, I have some extra space in my schedule, can I take something off of your plate?’ says Reynolds.

Assertiveness

Assertiveness means you express and interact with boldness, enthusiasm and confidence. Whether it’s an in-person meeting or a virtual meeting, being assertive shows that you’re interested and listening to what is being said. Reynolds says, “If a manager is seeking ideas or feedback during a meeting, raise your hand, offer your opinion or vocalize support/add to a co-worker’s idea. Even when you don’t have something new to contribute, you can say, ‘I really like this person’s idea, it makes the most sense to me.’”

Compliance

Compliance means to maintain self-discipline and conform to another’s plan, rules, will or direction. This doesn’t mean to let others take advantage of you though. Rather, being skilled in compliance means that you can show your supervisor that you’re aware and responsible when it comes to the job’s expectations. “Write out a to-list or develop a method for keeping track of the work you need to accomplish each day. But also show your manager or tell them how you’re organizing yourself so they can see that you’ve got self-discipline and can be responsible for meeting the job’s expectations without constant supervision,” explains Reynolds.

Conflict Management

Conflict management means the ability to effectively negotiate and resolve disagreements. Similar to being supportive, conflict management is a very important skill because a hybrid work model doesn’t make it easy to spot conflict. You can read body language much easier in person as opposed to over a video chat right? Reynolds says to “[a]ssume mistake over malice when something goes wrong. We can’t see physical cues that a co-worker is struggling over the computer like we might at the office, so it’s better to problem solve, and offer solutions, versus name calling and creating an unnecessary conflict.”

Relationship Management

Relationship management means the drive to draw close and remain loyal to another person or people — to truly connect and enjoyably engage with them. Many employees have learned that it can be hard to maintain relationships virtually, even though you could literally access the person at any time in any location. You need to be more mindful of actually reaching out and cultivating connections. Reynolds suggests, “Start a meeting with some small talk, like, ‘How was your weekend?’ or ‘What are you looking forward to this week?’ You should also plan 20 minute coffee chats with co-workers to learn more about them as a human outside of work and what their interests are to build a connection.”

Do you have more questions about incorporating these soft skills into your workplace? Check out our website and contact us with any questions.

Does Job Hopping Hurt Your Career?

There are some red flags for employers when looking at resumes. First the obvious; seeing someone was fired or finding someone lied about their job history. Then there is calling a reference and hearing negative things about the potential employee. However, there’s one thing potential hires may not realize is hurting their chances beyond the aforementioned. That critical item is hopping around from job to job.

How Does Job Hopping Hurt Your Employment Chances?

Job hopping doesn’t immediately mean you’ll be disregarded. It will ring some alarm bells for some hiring managers. Kevin O’Leary, a judge on CNBC’s Money Court and O’Shares ETFs chairman, said, “Companies don’t like it because they invest in you. If you’re going to leave them after a few months, that’s a total waste of money for them.” O’Leary cites that many companies have to spend money to train you and buy equipment or other necessary items for work. If someone is going to end up leaving after less than a year, there’s no point in spending money on them.

This lines up with a 2018 survey by job site TalentWorks, which looked at a sample of 7,000 job applications in different U.S. industries and found that employees who held their previous job for less than 15 months were 43% less likely to be hired when applying for new jobs. This is because most hiring managers aren’t likely to give the applicant the benefit of the doubt or think “deeply” about each applicant. Even more worrying? The survey also found that having a short stint at your previous job was equivalent to wiping out about five years of experience from your resume.

How Long SHOULD You Be Staying At A Job?

According to the Harvard Business Review, it’s become very common to jump between jobs more often. As a result, employers are less likely to hold it against you. There are some guidelines to still keep in mind. As O’Leary still recommends that employees invest at least two years to a job.

“Have a mental commitment, whether you like [the job] or you don’t, to stay there for at least two years,” he said. “If you’re asking to become part of a team as an employee and represent that company, you’ve got to have a minimum of a 24-month commitment.”

Suzy Welch, the bestselling management author, said that there’s an exception though. If you’ve been at previous jobs for a longer period (e.g. you were at a company for five years), then there’s some forgiveness with hiring managers if you have some stints that are only six or eight months long.

Do you have a lot of job-hopping on your resume? Signature Source can help you turn your various jobs into a positive! We help people write resumes that will help them stand out as a potential hire. If you want to learn more, check out our website here.

Should Your LinkedIn Profile and Resume be the Same?

Before the internet, job seekers would only have a paper resume and cover letter to send to a potential company. It was an easy way to get a sense of someone’s work history at a glance and it provided people a way to highlight their greatest career achievements. Fast forward a few decades and resumes are still a must for any job seeker, but now they can be seen in a variety of formats. One of the most popular ways to share your work history is through the career website LinkedIn. While the website essentially acts as a digital resume, there has been some confusion about sending a LinkedIn profile and sending a resume. So what’s the difference (if there is one)? Should your LinkedIn profile and your resume highlight the same things?

Should Your LinkedIn Profile And Resume Be The Same?

The short answer: NO. According to Erin Kennedy, a professional resume services founder, your LinkedIn profile should be written in a more informal way. Your LinkedIn profile should also be more detailed than a resume. We’ll go into more detail below:

What Should The Content On My LinkedIn Profile Be Like?

Writing in an informal way doesn’t mean you’ll come off as unprofessional. In fact, having an informally written LinkedIn profile can make it stand out and let some of your personality shine through. You don’t want to sound stiff and boring!

In addition, you want to make sure that you’re striking a nice balance between general skills and more focused specialties. With resumes, you need to tailor it to the specific job you’re applying to, but with LinkedIn, it’s important to not get to niche, otherwise you’re missing out on potential opportunities. Some good advice is to include some highlights that will appeal to a wider audience and then some points that show your more detailed interests.

How Detailed Should I Get?

Many career coaches are always saying to keep your resume to one page. “Cut out the irrelevant experiences. Don’t include anything that’s older than 15 years.” While this can be good for resumes, LinkedIn profiles are actually better when they’re more detailed and include a lot about your past work experiences. LinkedIn allows you to really go into details regarding each experience and talk about the job in a way that resumes limit.

Another benefit to LinkedIn is that you can also include attachments. Think about projects that you were proud of or some documents from your portfolio. While it has no place in your resume, it will definitely make your LinkedIn profile stand out. Having a media rich LinkedIn profile can help recruiters get a sense of you and your skill set.

We hope that you found this post helpful. If you have other questions about your career, building a resume, or finding a job, check out Signature Source. We’re your premiere partner for recruiting in the global mobility industry so that both employers and professionals feel fulfilled and valued in their work.

Just Launched – Our Online Career Center

Hunting for a job is hard. With the current state of the world right now and unemployment numbers rising again, searching and applying can feel disheartening and overwhelming, but at Signature Source we want to change that. Our Motto is “Making a Difference, One at a Time…” and we strive to do so for our candidates and clients everyday!

Maybe you’re already familiar with Signature Source as a Global Executive Search and Talent Acquisition firm, or maybe this is the first time you’re hearing about us. Either way, we bring results-driven solutions to companies and job seekers that serve the global mobility/relocation industry. We pride ourselves on “pairing the right talent with the right job at the right company.”

Today we’re delighted to announce the launch of our newly revamped mobile-friendly Career Center on our website. After five months of hard work and dedication, we’re ready to share this new and exciting part of Signature Source. As more and more people use their phones to access the internet and job hunt, we wanted to create a place where candidates could easily learn about available positions and experience a streamlined navigation and application process via a mobile platform. We structured the site so all the useful information is in one place for a “one stop shop” type experience. The Career Center page has a new design and colors that reflect the general Signature Source palette, making for cohesive branding.

With that being said, we’ve made the Career Center page a more user-friendly experience, not just for mobile phones, but also for desktops and laptops. There are several new features that we’re especially thrilled about:

One time upload of your resume into our system. Have you ever become frustrated with applications where you had to keep uploading your resume over and over again? With Signature Source’s Career Center, you just upload your resume into the site once and you’re set.
Customized job alerts and the ability to easily apply to positions of interest. In the Career Center, you can customize the alerts you get for specific jobs (e.g. marketing or office management).
Resume tips. In the Career Center, you’ll be able to access tips on how to make your resume stand out to a recruiter.
Mobile and tablet friendly. The Career Center site is now mobile and tablet friendly, so you can easily work on your job search from the comfort of your phone or tablet.
Reduces the amount of time spent searching through potential jobs and applying to them. Thanks to the customized job alerts and being able to upload your resume into the system, you won’t spend hours on end sifting through jobs that may or may not pan out. Since your resume is already uploaded to the Career Center, you can easily include it in the job you’re applying for.

Learn more about the Career Center and Signature Source on our website. You can contact us here or call us at 1-888-613-4179.