The “KIS” (keep it simple) method for the COVER LETTER, career summary and RESUME is always a good method to keep in mind and use. You can’t go wrong keeping these documents simple to read, to understand and to pull information off of. Put yourself in the place of the reader, your audience. You want to capture their attention quickly, draw them into the document to “read it” in its entirety, to clearly “understand” what they are reading and “pull” the necessary information off of them to have interest in doing an interview with you. If these documents are cluttered and difficult to read you will lose your reader before they take interest. Not what you want to have happen.
So, where to start? Let’s see, how about with a chronological RESUME. By far the best choice for almost every RESUME! I wouldn’t even consider using a function RESUME, and, most hiring managers, the individuals who are your primary target audience, are not interested in reading them. They are usually cluttered, hard to read and hard to pull information out of. Why take the chance of losing your audience at the first glance of your RESUME! Nothing will introduce you or speak better of you than a well written COVER LETTER, career summary and RESUME.
I won’t dwell on the COVER LETTER or RESUME here. What I really want to cover with you is the “career summary”. You can also consider the “career summary” your “career profile” or just “profile”. I touched on it previously but it is worth bringing up again and addressing it directly.
COVER LETTER was touched on in the BLOG:
JOB SEARCH! When the shoe drops, you go into JOB SEARCH mode.
RESUME was covered in the BLOG:
Resume; Candidate, Do you “KIS” your resume to your “Audience”?
Both can be seen at:
Both COVER LETTER and RESUME will be featured again in future BLOG’s, however, right now let’s focus on the “career summary”.
Anymore, presentations are done on paper and through various means of communication that allow documents to be sent to the receiver. Email is the most common mode of sending the COVER LETTER, career summary and RESUME. When I present candidates to clients I always put these documents in the following order: COVER LETTER, career summary and RESUME. I want the short, concise and informative COVER LETTER to draw the “audience” into the “career summary” and the well written and informative “KIS” written “career summary” to draw the “audience” into reading the well written and informative “KIS” written RESUME. If you get the reader to the RESUME there are better than even odds you have their interest. Although getting an INTERVIEW is your objective, without getting their interest you will never get an INTERVIEW.
Just as the COVER LETTER and RESUME are written short, concisely and informative, so should your “career summary” be. Don’t forget to put the “KIS” on it as well. The more consistent the lay out and content of the documents, the better they will look and more likely draw the attention you are looking for.
Why have a “career summary” as part of your presentation, the “first impression”? To summarize your skills and experience, your background, to the position you are applying for. You want to focus what you have to offer and tie it to what the company is looking for in the position. The “career summary” will compliment the COVER LETTER and RESUME and ties everything together with the additional detail that makes the COVER LETTER too long and cluttered and the RESUME too specifically written that it takes away from a broader experience you have to offer up.
What should the “career summary” contain? Well, its time to tell you. It goes like this:
NAME
I know, lame, but, what happens if the “career summary” gets separated from the other documents? Better to have your name on each document of the presentation package.
POSITION
The COVER LETTER usually mentions the position you are applying for but remember what I mentioned above about documents getting separated from one another? There is no reason to not have the position title on the “career summary” and it is a reminder as to what you are applying for. No one will be offended, trust me.
NOTES
This is where I put certifications, licenses and other notations that are relative to the position buy take away from other areas if mentioned elsewhere. This is the best place for anything not skill or experience related.
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
This is where you would list all your relative skills and experience you have for the position. I would use a bullet format here to illustrate your background as you would on a RESUME. And, remember, relative to the position. Hiring managers are not interested in things that don’t interest them and anything outside the qualifications for the job will not interest them here.
TRANSFERABLE and/or ADAPTABLE SKILLS
Any transferable and/or Adaptable skills or even experience should be listed here. Be sure it will be relevant and add value to your qualification for the position. Don’t add things just to have them here but when in doubt, I would list them. I would also use the same bullet format you use in relevant experience.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Hiring managers like to see and usually ask during interviews about accomplishments. I would list them but keep them relevant. To list an accomplishment that shows little to no relevance may come across as reaching. Better to not give that impression. Also, you should list accomplishments that may not be functional in skill set but credited to your experience. An example may be how you came up with an idea for manufacturing whom you interface with yet is not an area of responsibility or expertise. It could show the ability to think outside the box or from a broader perspective.
STRENGTHS
Definitely list your strengths but list the ones relative to your skill set or experience first and other ones next. An example here may be; fuel system product development, product testing, product management, project management, mentoring, supervision, team leader, team player, quick study.
PAST MANAGER COMMENT
I always ask candidates “If I were to ask your past managers what they thought your best attributes are what would they tell me”? This is not a reference or reference question. I am looking for things like excellent work ethic, excellent qualify of work, diligent, motivated, excellent mentor of others, etc. The objective is to let the reader know what others think and will say about you. This is a testimony of sorts that will help establish credibility.
INTERVIEW
It is a good idea to let the reader know your availability to interview, days and times.
START
It is also a good idea to let the reader know when you are available to start. If you need two weeks notice, say so. If you can start immediately, let them know. Either way you could state it such as “immediately upon acceptance of an acceptable offer”.
There you have it, an informative piece on the “career summary”, something you should use in your presentations to prospective employers. Give yourself an edge over other candidates, set yourself apart and get the attention you are looking for. You can’t go wrong giving the extra effort it takes to do this. Go out and SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY!
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