10 Outdated Resume Strategies That are Derailing Your Search

Barbara Safani

I don’t know what it is about resumes. People seem to get so caught up in what they think a resume “should” be that they overlook what a resume can be…a path to a new role, a new career, a new life. Some people seem to treat their resumes like they are their tax returns…break a rule and get penalized; enter information in a different place and suffer the consequences…it really doesn’t need to be so formulaic…and it shouldn’t be. A good

resume is a representation of your strengths, your passion, your dreams…all wrapped up into a compelling message of value. Here are ten outdated approaches I see people use when writing resumes and some tips for how to avoid these pitfalls.

1. You think there is one acceptable resume format for your industry. I hear this a lot. “In my industry we don’t use resume profiles” or “No one in my industry ever writes a resume that is more than one page.” Usually these “rules” are perpetuated by people who have been using the same format for their resume since they graduated from college ten or more years ago. What worked then won’t necessarily work now. Or they are perpetuated by people who have gotten used to reading resumes that all look the same so they no longer question their value or relevance in today’s market.
2. You think that because you are confident in your writing abilities you can write a good resume. Sure it helps to have a strong command of the English language. But resume writing is less about the actual writing and more about the strategy than many people realize. A resume writer can look at your background objectively, analyze any potential obstacles in your search, and create a strategy that emphasizes your overarching accomplishments and doesn’t dwell on your more difficult to explain roles and transitions.
3. You think using visual elements on a resume is weird. Many of us are used to seeing PowerPoint presentations where charts, graphs, and other visuals are used to create engagement and communicate information succinctly. Why would you think that a presentation of your candidacy should be any different? Visual elements can differentiate you from your competitors, convey a lot of quality information in less space, and position you as a savvy communicator. Here’s an example of a more visual resume.
4. You are using a resume template to convey how special you are. A resume is all about showcasing your unique value. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot by using a stale Microsoft resume template to explain your unique value proposition.
5. You have copied and pasted your previous job descriptions into your resume. The reality is that people in similar jobs perform similar job tasks. An accountant in company A may not have job tasks that are that different than the accountant in company B. Yet the value that each brings to their organization may be totally unique. Minimize content about job tasks and focus on more compelling accomplishments.
6. You don’t show a clear connection between your past achievements and your future direction. If your resume merely represents your chronology it may be difficult for a hiring manager to understand how your past experience relates to their current position. This is especially true if you are trying to transition to a new job function or industry. Your resume needs to be idiot proof. Be sure to connect the dots between past performance and future value to the organization (I recommend a profile at the top of the resume to accomplish this). No one will connect the dots for you. Take the time to create a clear roadmap from past accomplishments to future value.
7. You have no clue what keywords are. Keywords are the buzzwords or industry terminology that is relevant to your job function or industry. You can source keywords by reviewing job descriptions for positions you would consider applying to and looking for the consistency in these keywords from posting to posting. Many employers use ATS or Applicant Tracking Systems to source candidates and they will only find your resume if the words in your resume correlate to those posted in their job specs.
8. You are uploading a Word version of your resume into a database that requires a text version. Many people make the mistake of taking their formatted Word document and uploading it into a text box on a company website. The format is generally not preserved when you do this and your document will end up looking sloppy and unprofessional. Here are instructions on how to create a text resume.
9. Your resume is made up of big blocks of text that no one wants to read.Imagine going to a website looking for information and being confronted with a homepage with a huge paragraph of text. Would you stay on the site and read everything word for word or would you quickly navigate away in search of a site that enabled you to find the information you are looking for quickly. My guess is you would opt for the later. People who read resumes feel the same way. If they have to muddle through big chunks of text to figure out if you are a potential fit for their job, they will probably navigate away from your resume quickly. Use bullets, bold, shading, or text boxes to highlight critical information and help your reader figure out what you are all about in just a few seconds.
10. Your resume is overwhelming to the reader. If your resume is more than two pages it probably fits into this category. Examine your resume and edit, edit, edit. Do you really need to list the 7 management classes you took in 1987 now that you have been a CEO for the past 10 years? Do you really need to dedicate a full page to your employment experience before 1990? Probably not. Frequently with resumes, less is more.

Barbara Stefani is an Executive Resume Writer, Career Coach, Job Search Strategist, & President at Career Solvers

Plum Market submits site plan for new Ann Arbor store

Michigan grocery chain Plum Market is moving forward with plans for a new store in Ann Arbor.

The company submitted a rezoning request and site plan for a Plum Market store on the former Cleary University Washtenaw Campus at 3601 Plymouth Road.

Plans call to renovate the existing 20,596-square-foot structure and construct a 4,639-square-foot addition on the north side of the building. Plum Market is requesting to rezone the property from PUD to C3, commercial fringe development.

Plum Market has a purchase agreement for the 2.38-acre Plymouth Road property. Cleary University purchased the site for $2 million in 1998.

The university announced in late 2013 it would no longer conduct in-person classes at the Ann Arbor campus starting in the winter 2014 semester. Only one in-person class was taught on campus in fall 2013. The property was listed for sale at just under $3 million.

Plum Market President Matt Jonna said the Plum Market store on Plymouth Road would have a Zingerman’s coffee bar, an outdoor seating area and a cozy feel. Plum Market plans to spend about $12.5 million in acquiring the real estate, building the store and making site improvements.

“We couldn’t be more excited to hopefully get it all approved and get open,” Jonna said during a citizen participation meeting for the project in September.

Based in Farmington Hills, Plum Market operates three locations in Michigan, including a store on North Maple Road in Ann Arbor, and one store in Illinois. In April, the grocer was selected among hundreds of applicants to open a new eatery inside the McNamara Terminal of the Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

Plum Market carries natural, organic, local and specialty grocery items. The Ann Arbor store has a Zingerman’s Coffee Bar, Swirlberry frozen yogurt, a chocolate shop, a prepared foods section, an apothecary, a produce department, grocery items and beer and wine.

Jonna said if approved, the new store on Plymouth Road will have a similar look to the store on North Maple Road, but it will be 10,000 square feet smaller in size.

Parking on the property would be reduced from 99 spaces to 82 spaces. Ten covered bicycle parking spaces are included in the plans.

The outdoor cafe is proposed along the Plymouth Road side of the building. There is a 40-foot buffer between the building and the sidewalk curb.

Access to the site would remain from a shared easement off Plymouth Road.

The new store would be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. The coffee bar would open at 6 a.m. The store would employ 125 people.

Michigan unemployment rates fall in all labor markets

Seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates fell in all of Michigan's 17 major labor market regions in August.

 

The state Department of Technology, Management and Budget said Thursday that jobless rates dropped due to workforce reductions and fewer unemployed people actively seeking summer and seasonal jobs. It says employment levels rose moderately in many areas of the state.

The biggest over-the-month advances in employment were in the Saginaw and Battle Creek areas. The only monthly employment drop was in the Detroit area, possibly because of severe flooding that hit the region.

Jobless rates ranged from a low of 4.6 percent in Ann Arbor to a high of 7.9 percent in Detroit.

Michigan Business Networking Group: Cancer Fundraiser

 The Michigan Business Networking Group is helping to put together a cancer fundraiser in late September.   We are looking for donated items as well as a band that would be willing to donate their time.

If you would like to help please call Ron Dwyer at 248-390-6345  or e-mail rondwyer@roninsureme.com 

Most of the information people take in about their surroundings is visual. When someone is listening to learn more about you and your company, they're also closely observing your body language for even more clues. 

Are you conveying the message you really want to send?

This infographic from Visual.ly and translation service provider Gengo demonstrates how to present yourself--whether you're meeting a potential client for the first time or you're leading a new team. 

Channel 20 Detroit Has New 10pm News Hosted By WXYZ 7 Staff. Merger puts two stations under the same roof.

Detroit area viewers now have a choice for local news at 10 p.m. 

7 Action News at 10 on TV20 Detroit premieres today at 10 p.m. The new 10 p.m. newscast will be anchored Monday-Friday by Glenda Lewis and Malcolm Maddox, with chief meteorologist Dave Rexroth’s 7 First Alert weather forecasts, and 7 sports director Tom Leyden’s up-to-the-minute sports reports.

Weekend editions will be anchored by 7 Action News veteran Dave LewAllen, with meteorologist Hally Vogel and sports anchor David Solano.

According to WXYZ , 7 Action News at 10 on TV20 will be fast-paced and include big interviews, investigative reports and an aggressive “Taking Action for You” attitude.

Cincinnati-based E.W. Scripps Co., the parent company of WXYZ-TV, closed Monday on the purchase of MyNetwork TV affiliate WMYD Channel 20 in a $110 million cash deal that also includes the purchase of WKBW, Buffalo’s ABC affiliate, from New York City-based Granite Broadcasting Corp.

The deal, which has no debt financing and required Federal Communications Commission approval, brings Scripps’ ABC affiliate count to 11, which will reach almost 12 percent of American households, according to a news release.

Scripps now owns 21 stations throughout the country and has a total market share of nearly 14 percent, according to the release.

It creates the second duopoly in the Detroit television market. The other is WWJ-TV Ch. 62, a CBS station, and WKBD-TV Ch. 50, a CW Network affiliate, which are owned and operated by CBS Corp.

“These stations in Detroit and Buffalo will contribute strong cash flow to our core businesses, expand our reach in one of our best markets, and expand our TV footprint in partnership with ABC,” Rich Boehne, Scripps chairman, president and CEO, said in a news release.

Granite bought WMYD in 1997 for $175 million.

WMYD was formed in 2006 when FOX parent News Corp. created the MyNetworkTV network for stations orphaned by the merger of The WB Network and UPN, which resulted in the CBS- and Warner Bros.-owned The CW Network.

WMYD has a studio in Southfield. Its employees will move to the WXYZ headquarters as part of the deal. Some of the station’s content is produced in Fort Wayne.

Scripps has since 1986 owned WXYZ, the broadcaster’s largest television station, reaching nearly 2.7 million households in the Detroit market.

Scripps (NYSE: SSP) in 2012 reported $160 million in profit from its television stations on $903 million in company-wide revenue ($494 million of which was television).

The company’s financial disclosures didn’t break down by station.

The station first went on the air in September 1968 as independently owned WXON-TV Ch. 62, a UHF station. It was WDWB-TV from 1997-2006.

DNR invites public input on forest plans for Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, Mackinac and Otsego counties

The Department of Natural Resources will host open houses on

June 17 in Gaylord and June 18 in Indian River to provide information and receive public comment on proposed forest management treatments for 2016 in the Gaylord management unit, which includes Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, Mackinac and Otsego counties. The open houses are set for:

• Tuesday, June 17, 3-7 p.m.
  Gaylord Field Office, 1732 West M-32, Gaylord
• Wednesday, June 18, 3-7 p.m.
  Indian River Field Office, 6984 Wilson Road, Indian River

Each year, DNR personnel evaluate one-tenth of the state forest. The inventory provides key decision-making information for foresters and wildlife, fisheries and other resource managers. The age, health, quality and quantity of trees and other vegetation are assessed to enable DNR staff to make informed decisions. Timber management, wildlife and fisheries habitat, minerals, archeological sites, recreational use, wildfire potential and social concerns are just some of the topics taken into consideration during this review.

Because the forest is inventoried approximately two years in advance, a year of entry is assigned to indicate when treatments will be prepared. Information currently under review has a 2016 year of entry. This means that treatment activities on lands being reviewed this year will actually begin in 2016.

Proposed treatments, which may include timber harvesting, replanting and other management activities, are designed to ensure the sustainability of all forest resources.

“Open houses are a good way for interested residents, neighbors and stakeholders to learn about the DNR’s proposed treatment plans and to share input with foresters and biologists before any final decisions are made,” said Bill O’Neill, chief of the DNR’s Forest Resources Division.

“This year we’re inviting folks who might not be able to get to a meeting to share their comments via email with unit managers,” he added. “When it comes to the health and sustainability of our state forests, we want the planning process to be as inclusive as possible.”

To more easily and efficiently oversee the forest resources, the DNR divides each management unit into smaller units or "compartments." This year, the compartments under review are in Chestonia and Warner townships (Antrim County); Chandler and Peaine townships (Charlevoix County); Beaugrand, Ellis, Mentor, Mullett and Waverly townships (Cheboygan County); Bliss, Center and Springvale townships (Emmet County); Bois Blanc Township (Mackinac County); and Charlton and Otsego Lake townships (Otsego County).

Maps and information regarding proposed treatments will be available at the open house. The information can also be found at www.michigan.gov/forestry. Compartment review packets for the 2016 year of entry can be found by selecting the shown map and clicking on the “Gaylord” button. Records of decisions, recorded timber harvests and other treatments for past years are available on this page.

On July 17, the DNR will complete its formal compartment review to decide on final treatment plans for these areas. That review will take place:

• Thursday, July 17, 9 a.m.
  Citizens National Bank (basement), 3990 S. Straits Highway, Indian River

Persons with disabilities who need accommodations for either meeting should contact Joyce Angel, 989-732-3541, ext. 5440, a minimum of five business days before each meeting. Anyone unable to attend either meeting may submit comments via email to Joyce Angel. Please use the subject line: Gaylord state forest open house comment. All comments must be received at least three business days before each meeting.

For more information about the state forest planning process, visit www.michigan.gov/forestplan.