Hallie Crawford

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Standing Out From the Crowd: The Cover Letter & Resume

I was recently featured in an article about creating a great cover letter and resume for YP Nation.net. It shows how important these elements are throughout your job search. Check it out to get some great tips on creating your cover letter and resume. Here is an excerpt:

Hallie Crawford, a career coach based in Atlanta, Ga., agreed. “[Cover letters] are still very important because they can highlight how you communicate and that you have effective communication skills,” Crawford said in an e-mail to YPNation.
 
A cover letter should never be longer than one page and it should briefly highlight information from one’s resume--bullet points are generally acceptable, as the letter can then be easily reviewed, Crawford said.
 
Recruiters’ preferences vary, of course, but the three things Arendt looks for in a resume are: what you did, who you did it for and how well you did it.
 
Arendt also prefers a chronological form resume to a functional form resume. A functional resume, which focuses on skills rather than chronological work history, “really doesn’t help you stand out as much as the chronological [resume],” he said. A job seeker should also separate his or her accomplishments from job responsibilities to avoid any confusion between the two and to underscore what you have achieved, Arendt said.
 
Crawford also emphasized the importance of accentuating one’s accomplishments on a resume.

Read Entire Article Here

If you want more help on your resume you may be interested in our Resume and Cover Letter Review Session.

Hallie Crawford
Atlanta Career Coach

Keep Your Resume Out of the Recycling Bin

A resume is a great first step to finding a new job. But whether you are fresh to the job market or are a relatively seasoned professional who needs to make a fresh start, there’s more to the job search process than just a great-looking resume.

Many job hunters discount the importance of the cover letter that accompanies the resume – or overlook its importance entirely. A solid cover letter is key... it is your first chance to communicate with their potential boss or employer.

Here are some tips to help you when writing a compelling cover letter:

1. Be specific and articulate your relevant knowledge
2. Specifically address the position for which you hope to land an interview
3. Explain how your skills and experience qualify you for the job

Refrain from sending the general ‘mass mail,’ all-purpose types of resumes and cover letters, as they generally end in the recycling bin.

Put some serious effort into a well-thought-out cover letter. This time is well spent; after all, the cover letter is a reflection of you – it offers the first impression to a prospective employer, of who you are and whether you are qualified to land an interview. Make it count!

Need help with your resume and or cover letter? Learn more about our Resume/Cover Letter Review Sessions here: http://www.halliecrawford.com/resumereviewsession.html 

Here’s to having a career you love!

Hallie Crawford
Career Coach 
 

Polishing Your Résumé Part II

Is your résumé the best it can be? Need to start over from scratch? Use these insightful tips to create a winning résumé.

(if you missed Part I, you can read it here)

Résumé writing can be intimidating. We wonder, what do I include, what do I leave out? How do I make it look nice? In what order do I need to list everything? Some of the most common concerns I hear from my career coaching clients are about how to organize their résumé and what pieces of information to include. Here are some tips that can help you get started on either creating your résumé from scratch or updating it for your next job search.

Keep it Concise and Easy to Read: Enough said. You don’t want to send a potential employer a novel. You want the hiring manager to be able to scan your résumé with ease. Keep it short while highlighting why you’re the best person
for the job. The typical recommended length is one page for an entry-level position, and two pages for a position requiring more experience.

Include a Cover Letter: Always include a cover letter with your résumé, unless the person doing the hiring specifies not to. This demonstrates your communication skills, shows you are interested in the job because you’re taking time to write the letter, and it can highlight those items you really want them to notice on your résumé. If your writing skills are not great, I highly recommend working with a professional résumé writer for help.

Show Your Personality: Give the potential employer a sense of who you are as a person outside of work. What’s unique or different about you? Where do you spend your time outside of work? Include outside activities and organizations that you are involved in—it helps you stand out in the crowd, or in the pile of résumés, in this case.

Emphasize Contributions, Not Duties: Résumés should always highlight what you contributed or accomplished
at a job, as opposed to duties or responsibilities. This is another area where people tend to struggle. They want to merely list their job description. Don’t do this—explain how you contributed to that organization. Use action verbs and highlight those accomplishments that are relevant to the position you are applying for.

Be Proud: Make sure you feel proud of your résumé. It will show in the interview. If you’re pleased with it, that will come across. Your résumé is representative of you—make sure it’s something you’re proud of.

If you need help with a resume or cover letter, consider a resume/cover letter session.

Here's to having a career you love!

Hallie Crawford
Resume Help
www.halliecrawford.com

Polishing Your Résumé Part I

Is your résumé the best it can be? Need to start over from scratch? Use these insightful tips to create a winning résumé.

Résumé writing can be intimidating. We wonder, what do I include, what do I leave out? How do I make it look nice? In what order do I need to list everything? Some of the most common concerns I hear from my career coaching clients are about how to organize their résumé and what pieces of information to include. Here are some tips that can help you get started on either creating your résumé from scratch or updating it for your next job search.

Brainstorm: The best way to get started is to brainstorm about your natural talents and abilities. Write down everything you’ve accomplished, even as far back as childhood. This is a confidence boost and also can help you get everything out on paper that you could possibly include in your résumé.

Give Yourself Credit: We tend to downplay the things we are naturally good at. This is because we assume that since it comes so naturally to us, everyone must be good at it, right? Wrong. Just because you can easily organize your office and keep your files in amazing working order does not mean everyone can do that. Perhaps you coordinated your local church’s picnic and did a spectacular job. Not everyone has that particular skill, so give yourself credit for what comes naturally to you. Do this, of course, while being honest and accurate. It’s never a good idea to blatantly lie on your résumé.

Organize in a Way that Is Best for You: One thing people frequently ask me is, “Do I have to put my
résumé in chronological order?” The answer is no. Ordering your work experience by date isn’t necessary— relevance is. If you prefer chronological order, and it seems particularly appropriate for the job you’re hunting for, go for it. But I typically recommend highlighting your skills and accomplishments that are relevant to the position, and organizing the résumé with jobs that are most relevant at the top. If you have a spotty job record, this also helps minimize that issue.

Clearly State Your Objective: Make sure your career objective clearly states the type of work you desire—the more specific, the better. Specific objectives are more powerful and hard-hitting. They stand out. If you’re not sure what type of job you want, consider working with a career coach or counselor to clarify the next step you would like to take in your career

If you need help with a resume or cover letter, consider a resume/cover letter session.

Here's to having a career you love!

Hallie Crawford
Career Help
www.halliecrawford.com

How To Deal With That Hole In Your Resume Excerpt

Our clients often ask us this question and I was recently interviewed for a great article for Forbes.com titled “How To Deal With That Hole In Your Resume”. Read the entire article here.

…The best way to address an employment gap of four months or longer is by including a brief explanation in your cover letter. Save touchy conversations for phone calls and in-person interviews with prospective employers. "You don't want to write a novel," says Hallie Crawford, a career coach in Atlanta. "Mention it briefly, and then elaborate in person."

You also can experiment with different résumé formats and styles to downplay gaps in your employment. If you write a résumé that lists your work history with the most recent job first, mention only the years of employment, not the months and years. Another résumé format, the "functional résumé," groups together similar activities under headings like "Teaching Experience" or "Financial Experience." That keeps your succession of jobs from being immediately noticeable. However, "people have to be careful with this format, because it can sometimes be a red flag for employers," Crawford warns. Another option is to create a "Selected Accomplishments" section near the top of your résumé and in it itemize your most impressive achievements regardless of when they occurred…
 

Contact us if you need help with your resume or job search.

Here’s to having a career you love,

Hallie Crawford
Career Expert