Basics of Writing a Resume

For many, writing a resume can be scary but if you follow these few simple bullets, you will be off to the races.....





1. Formatting for results.



The formatting of a resume is very important and provides the necessary information in a logical, easy to read sequence. The use of underlines, italics, bold, and all caps can guide the employer through the resume with ease. Consistency is key when developing a resume and helps make the information on the resume simple for employers to read.



2. Start by including your personal information.



The employer wants to know your name, address, phone number, and email address on the top of the first page of your resume. Personal information such as marital status, age, religion, political affiliation are not included on a resume and are illegal questions for employers to ask.



3. Including an Objective or Summary of Qualifications is optional.



An objective (optional) can immediately help identify the position to which you are applying. A Summary of Qualifications (optional) can offer a list of your skills and accomplishments right at the very beginning of your resume. You can also include why you are writing in the cover letter if the employer asks for one.



4. Marketing yourself.



Be sure to first list the most relevant experiences related to the internship or job to which you are applying. You may entitle this section Relevant Experience, Business Experience, Leadership Experience, etc.



Maintain consistency in your resume by presenting your information in a logical consistent format utilizing boldface, italics, and capital letters to emphasize headings and important pieces of information. Avoid using several different type sets within the resume.



5. Use Action Verbs to describe your responsibilities & accomplishments.



Creating effective verb statements highlighting your skills and accomplishments will make your resume strong and create a favorable impression with employers. By including only relevant information with just enough detail to demonstrate your skills, you will be illustrating your attention to details along with your ability to communicate and organize your thoughts.



6. Include all relevant Education, Honors, Degrees, & Certifications.



When applying for internships Education, Honors, and Awards will usually go at the beginning of the resume and will move to the end once you have developed some professional experience. As a student, Education will be the first major category (after Objective or Summary if you include one), since student is your most recent full-time role.



7. Maintain white space.



Try to keep margins to 1” all around the edges of the resume and include some spacing within the resume to give it a fresh, professional look. You want to create a resume that's easy to skim.



8. Prepare several resumes.



Be prepared to change your resume based on the position in which you are applying. You may choose to change the information provided or you may just change the order in which you present the information.



9. Focus on the qualifications of the position and the needs of the employer.



Each resume should be the result of researching the employer and reviewing the position description if possible. Be sure to include certifications, achievements, volunteer, internship, employment experiences as well as any special skills such as computer, foreign language, music, art, etc.





10. Review the overall format and how the resume appears visually.



Once you have included all the information and have checked for consistency and formatting, take a good look at how the resume looks and if it is professional. The overall look and appeal of the resume will provide the employer with a lasting first impression of you as an applicant.



11. Proofread. ( Better yet, have someone else proofread your resume)



This is the time you will want to be a perfectionist. There is no room for grammatical and/or spelling errors in a resume. Set it down and come back to it, have someone critique it, do whatever is necessary to ensure that your document is absolutely perfect. You will not get a second chance to create a good impression if you send out a resume that includes errors.





Questions? Feel free to email me at sschantz@cardalifesciences.com

Can't Get a Second Interview

Happy 2011 Everyone. I realized it has been some time since I last updated and to my followers, I apologize. I was reading the Business Section in the local newspaper and saw a great article about second interviews and why people don't get them. Some of the information I will be plagiarzing but alot of what I will say is what I have seen over the last 10 years.





Take inventory as this may or may not pertain to you:



First off, remember perception is everything and this is garnered in the first 30 seconds:





Clothing:

Regardless if this is a $10/hr Warehouse/Assembler position or a Management role, dress professionally. Slacks, dress shirt (tie optional but wouldn't hurt) or Blouse and jacket or sports coat. ***Make sure your outfit is ironed/pressed. *** If you don't care to spend 10 minutes to iron then chances are you really don't care about the job.

Jewelry:

Is it minimal?

Gents - watch is all you need!!

Ladies - Watch, perhaps a simple necklace and if you wear earrings, nothing dangling.



Cologne/Perfume:

Please do not bathe in your spray. You may just off allergies of the interviewer(s).

Smoker:

There are 2 types of smokers;

1- Someone that smokes 1 cigarette and you would never ever know they smoke

2- The same 1 cigarette smoker that smells like they just had a pack.



If you want the jobs, try not to smoke prior to the interview. If you must, try to air yourself out, 20-30 minutes before the interview.

Handshake:

Is it firm or do you lay your hand into someone else's?


Ok so you think that you have aced the above?



Let's analyze the interview:



Were your answers short and concise? There is nothing wrong with asking, can I elaborate or was that the answer you were looking for? Just don't do it after every question.

Not sure how to answer a question? Ask the interviewer to repeat the question to buy yourself a few seconds while you quickly scan your brain for the answer.



Were you able to give specific examples or accomplishments or how you achieved certain thing listed on your resume?



Here are a few examples:


1. Give me an example of when you went above and beyond? What specifically did you do? What was the outcome? Was it readily accepted?


2. Have you ever had to "sell" an idea to your boss/coworkers etc? How did you

3. What makes you an ideal candidate for this job.

Lastly, follow up with a Thank You email 48-72 hrs after the interview.


Something I haven't addressed? Email me at sschantz@cardalifesciences.com

Things that Warm My Heart

As a Recruiting Professional there are 2 things that warm my heart
A) Helping a person find a new job
B) Having a candidate I place call me down the road letting me know they were promoted

Below is a a quick story that made my week.

I recently received word that a Manufacturing Engineer I placed at a company 1.5 yrs ago was recently promoted to Manager. Something I knew was inevitable as this person is a true professional, is as brilliant as can be and is truly one of the nicest people you could ever meet.
Anyway I had the opportunity to speak with this person today, congratulating him on his promotion to which he replied " I couldn't have done it without you". I laughed for a minute to which he replied, " I am being serious, because of you helping me find this job, I am where I am today".

I was immediately humbled, honored and touched by his statement.

Although petty to some, not to me!

Have a Great Week and Happy Holidays!

Resume Do's and Dont's

As a Staffing Consultant I always get tons of questions which I absolutely love to answer. I also came across a Q&A of what HR professionals like and dislike in resumes. Below are a few to help you create that winning resume.

Do's

* Make sure all your contact information is correct; address phone number(s) and some people go as far as putting their linkedin profile links. If you do this, make sure your resume information matches your linkedin profile.

* Make sure your objective is in line with the position you are applying for. If you submit your resume for an Engineer/Associate position, make sure your objective is not geared towards management/manager

* Do make sure your resume somewhat reflects/mirrors the job you are applying for. I am not saying to plagiarize the job description but remember, your resume will only get viewed once. Make that first impression!

* Keep a continuous format throughout

* Do create 2 resumes to specifically outline different roles and responsibilities. If you are an engineer that has worked in say Manufacturing as well as R&D, write one resume more Manufacturing focused and another more R&D focused.

Dont's

* Write your resume in third person, i:e Mr Smith was responsible for x,y,z. Believe me this is a BIG turnoff

* Don't try and cram 20 years of experience into 2 pages. The 2 page rule is a myth. But on the flip side, don't over embellish and wind up creating a 10 page resume. What I am seeing now is a 2-3 page resume with a 3rd or 4th page of brief accolades for each position. I personally think this is great.

* Use colorful fonts, text boxes or boarders. KISS (Keep it short and sweet)

Questioning whether you have an award winning resume? Feel free to send it to me. If you can handle constructive criticism, would be more than happy to lend my eye. sschantz@cardalifesciences.com

Make it a Great Week!

Networking/Looking for a job

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked.......What tools do you use for networking??





Well I would be pretty comfortable but to be honest I don't mind answering it.





There is alot of "social media" out there





http://www.linkedin.com/





http://www.twitter.com/





http://www.facebook.com/





And the list goes on and on.





Now the big question is differentiating between personal and professional





Linkedin - is a business oriented networking site with over 60 million regsitered users. This is the absolute best site for business dealings. Keyword Business! Many employers are using this to find talent to join their companies.





Few tidbits:





1. If you are going to use a picture, use something professional. Doesn't have to be suit and tie but something that clearly depicts your face and perhaps a nice shirt/blouse. I have seen pictures of Guitars, and dogs just to name a few. Companies use this site to find future employees, remember, first impression is everything.





2. Make sure info is up to date. Email addresses, job profile, and degrees. If you're seeking a job, dont be afraid to put that in the "share an update" box. "Seeking a new opportunity within Medical Device Manufacturing"





3. Anyone you meet, ask them if they are on linkedin and when you get home, send them an invite. It's all about increasing your network.

Fee free to email me with any questions about Linkedin, networking etc sschantz@cardalifesciences.com

Where has the Year Gone!?!

Hello to any and all followers. My deepest apologies for the lack of updates as it has been a fun and very busy year. It's hard to believe the Summer is almost over, my Daughter starts 1st grade in 2 weeks as both kids are growing like weeds.

Regardless of what you read, unemployment rates do seem to be going up but as I have stated numerous times, the Life Sciences Industry seems to be the area with the least amount of unemployment. Start-ups are still receiving funding, conglomerates like Boston Scientific are still getting hit by the FDA and mid sized companies continue their R&D efforts....what does this mean? Hiring/job openings.

OK so where are these openings? Well this is the fun and interesting part....You and I have to play Colombo and find them as they are not as prevalent and not on all the job boards. Be proactive, be creative and do your homework. Competition is tough.

As always I am here to help......Feel free to contact me any time.

As for a quick list of openings:

Design Assurance Engineer - Boarder of NH/MA......combination of Quality, Verification and Validation

Regulatory Specialists - Domestic and International, 3 yrs+, North Shore, Ma. both Devices and Biologics, 510K, CE Mark (Shonin is fantastic)

Sr Test Engineer - Metro West Ma - Good blend of HW/SW, V&V and can filly implement and commission Testing from A to Z

Electromechanical Technician - Metro West Ma - Jr role, perhaps an assembler that has transitioned into a tech. Must have a great background with Testing, Voltmeters, ESD and the like.

More to come..

As always wishing you a great rest of the Summer.....

Remember...

People are not trained, Dogs are trained.....people are educated! - Herbert Marcus of Neiman Marcus

Plea to Job Seekers

In today's Marketplace time is of the essence. As you know there is alot more competition on the market. In saying this, when you send out your resume please make sure all contact information is on your resume, address, phone number(s) and please make sure it is updated and correct.

Many organizations will not take the time to email you and await a reply with this information but rather move on to the next qualified candidate.

Thanks for reading and Make it a Great Day!

About us:

With more than 10 years of experience, Carda Life Sciences is one of most recognized Life Science Solution firms. We currently service clients in all major hubs, with a Core Focus on New England. Whether you are a company looking to hire the absolute best talent, build an HR Infrastructure or an individual seeking a new job opportunity Carda Life Sciences is your answer!