Search Results for “resume” | Page 3

Resumes: One Page or Two?

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012|

I used to think that a one-page resume is always the goal. Fit it all on there, and if you can’t, cut something or use a smaller font.

In the business world, however, there are times for a one-page resume and times for a two-pager. Most recruiters generally like one better than the other, but since you don’t know who is reading your resume, here are a few general guidelines:

One Page:

Entry-level candidates – if you are right out of school, you probably don’t have a lot of experience to list. And that’s fine. Make sure you do list your education and any technical skills. Remember, internships count as experience!

Transitioning candidates – if you have been working but are changing career paths, it’s okay to have a one-page resume rather than filling up two pages with irrelevant work experience. However, you should take time think carefully about what skills you can transfer from your old career to your new one and use keywords relevant to your new career to describe those responsibilities. Think about every previous job before you decide not to list them.

Transitioning candidates can also benefit from using a “functional” resume rather than a chronological format. A functional resume focuses on your skills rather than your titles.

Two Page:

Experienced candidates – if you have five to ten years of experience, it’s likely you need two pages to list everything that is relevant to your job search. It’s okay to leave plenty of white space – as it makes your resume easier to read. However, be sure to use at least 75% of the second page if you go on to two pages.

When using two pages, you should have room for volunteer experience, awards and recognitions, professional affiliations, and more bullet points for your job responsibilities and accomplishments.

Three Pages or More:

Unless you are a C-Level executive, three pages is too long. But if you are, go for it!

For what it’s worth, some recruiters and hiring managers never like to see a two-page resume, no matter what your experience level, but since you can’t predict that, do what makes the most sense to you.

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

LOOKING TO HIRE

LOOKING FOR WORK

Resumes: You Have 6 Seconds…Go!

Thursday, April 19th, 2012|

In recent days, the internet has been a buzz about recruiters taking only 6 seconds to look at resumes before deciding whether to toss it or read more.

6 seconds.

That is definitely a bit depressing, right?

My career coach says it takes 80 hours of work to perfect a resume and, even then, you have to tweak it every time for every application. Goodness knows how long we are working for that 6-second look.

But if your resume is effective, of course, you get a lot more than 6 seconds.

We asked the Artisan Recruiters about their thoughts on resumes and whether the 6-second rule really applies:

Account Manager, Carol Conforti, looks at resumes for more than six seconds, but often looks at a portfolio first so she can relate the work to the experience. Carol feels that creative staffing is different from typical recruiting, as often a few creative hands go into making a campaign and job titles can vary from company to company. However, if the resume is from someone that is not local and the client is not willing to relocate anyone, they get a shorter look.

MD, Katty Douraghy, definitely spends more than 6 seconds looking at resumes but, like Carol, weighs portfolios more heavily since we are a creative agency. Katty looks at resumes for: keywords, gaps in employment, agency vs. client-side history and evidence of leadership skills. She checks for longevity and if jobs were for a short time or whether they were clearly freelance projects. It takes more than 6 seconds to do a thorough job.

Creative Recruiting Manager, Jamie Grossman, looks first for at least one well-recognized company, industry or brand, but if the candidate is just out of school, she considers where they went. If a talent does not meet the bare qualifications – you can tell pretty quickly they are not going to be right. But that often requires much more than 6 seconds on average.

Account Manager, Jess Bedford, says the better formatted a resume, the longer she spends looking at it. She likes the use of bold, underlining and bullet points to make it easy to read. Short descriptions of companies are also helpful to get a sense of industry experience. Education should always be at the end and the information should be contained to one page.

We all hope that our resumes get a good look – and we can definitely always improve them. A few key takeaways:

Make sure you are using the keywords from the job description in your bullet points or Summary.
Be as specific as possible about your responsibilities and achievements, especially where you showed leadership.
Leave some white space to keep it clean and clear.
Never neglect the importance of a portfolio when applying for creative roles.

Good luck!

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

LOOKING TO HIRE

LOOKING FOR WORK

What’s Your Resume Really For?

Tuesday, February 28th, 2012|

The purpose of your resume is to get you a job, right?

All those hours, all that tweaking, all that proofreading, and when you’re finally DONE, it will get you the perfect role.

Truth is – you’re never done. Every job application needs its own resume. Every single one.

Why? The purpose of your resume is NOT to get you a job. The purpose of your resume is to get you an INTERVIEW. Only you can get the job.

So – how can your resume get you an interview?

Truth be told – it really varies from job to job. However, there is one best practice you should always follow to better your odds!

Identify and use keywords.

Read that job description again. Get out your highlighter and mark the essential responsibilities or skills. Those are your keywords. What verbs are they using? Use those verbs. What qualities do they want? Put them in your Summary or sprinkle them in your listed achievements or responsibilities. The more keywords the hiring manager (or his computer) sees in your resume – the more likely they are to identify you as a potential candidate for the position.

Everybody hates working on their resume. It’s definitely tempting to just send out the same resume for every job that looks like it could be the right fit. But as more employers and recruiting firms use applicant tracking software to cull resumes, keywords will continue to play a huge role. Make sure you’re not left out!

With a little extra time and a bit more focus – your customized resume will help you get the interviews you deserve. Before long – you should notice those candidate response rates going up as well.

Happy tweaking!

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

LOOKING TO HIRE

LOOKING FOR WORK

Artisan’s Resume DOs & DONTs List: Part 2

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011|

If you’ve ever sent out your resume through an online application – you’ll probably find yourself wondering, at some point, if you’ll ever hear back from that potential employer. Did your resume stand out? Did it contain everything it should? Did you include something you shouldn’t have?

While every employer is looking for something different – most hiring authorities would agree that there are certainly things to avoid on resumes – and other things they love to see. While we can’t guarantee you’ll get a call-back – we’d love to help improve your odds with a few tips!

Last week we discussed some of our suggested resume must-haves. Today, we take a look at some key things to avoid on your resume:

TOP 7 RESUME DONTs

1. Don’t make it longer than 2 pages. Remember you need only include a concise description of your positions and major achievements/successes for those positions in the last 10 years. Your resume should simply whet the appetite of future employers. Leave something to discuss during your interview!

2. Don’t use your LinkedIn profile as your resume. While your LinkedIn Profile can certainly be a great point of reference – and should include much of what you include in your resume – it is not a substitute for your resume. Resumes should be customized for the positions/companies to which you apply.

3. Don’t be vague with dates. Potential employers want to know the duration of time you spent at a company. 2009 to 2010 isn’t clear. Was that 2 years or 2 months? NOTE: If you are a freelancer who has returned to a client many times during a multi-year period, more general annual dates are acceptable.

4. Don’t include salary history. Salary is just one of the elements in negotiating an offer. But it’s a powerful one. Don’t show your hand before you’ve even interviewed. Wait until it’s requested – if it’s ever requested.

5. Don’t list your references; employers or recruiters will ask for them. No need to tell us “Reference Provided Upon Request” either. This is given. You should have updated contact details ready to provide potential employers at any time during an active job search. Make sure references are aware they might be contacted about your professional relationship.

6. Don’t talk about yourself in third person. This practice is not usually received well by most hiring managers. No matter your intention, this normally comes off as awkward, unfriendly, and disconnected – none of which are good if you’re being considered for a position with a new company that doesn’t yet know you. Save the third person for your bio on the company website after you get the job!

7. Do not include a picture of yourself or busy design elements on your resume. They are simply distracting from what’s important – your experience and accomplishments. If you simply MUST have a prospective employer know what you look like – include a link to your LinkedIn Profile and make sure your picture is professional. Chances are – they will be checking you out there anyway. On the flip side – especially for Designers – feel free to include design elements as part of your resume – just make sure they are clean, simple, tasteful, and emphasize your written content, not detract form it.

Jess Bedford, for Artisan Creative

LOOKING TO HIRE

LOOKING FOR WORK

Artisan’s Resume DOs & DONTs List: Part 1

Thursday, December 8th, 2011|

In our line of work, we review hundreds of resumes each week. While no two resumes look the same – there are definitely things that work. And things that don’t.

Does your resume get a passing grade? Here’s a quick checklist before you apply for another job:

TOP 7 RESUME DOs
1. Proofread! There is no quicker way to end up in the “No” pile than a misspelled name, word, or obvious grammatical error in your resume (portfolio or cover letter). Review your resume for grammatical errors both on the computer and in a printed copy. Have at least 1 – 2 other people review it as well.

2. List both your email and phone number. Even if you prefer one method over the other (and note this on your resume) – it is best to offer alternate ways for employers to get ahold of you. Feel free to add your LinkedIn Profile and/or Twitter Handle as well – so long as you check each of these regularly. Nothing annoys employers more than for interview requests to go unanswered for days (without good reason)!

3. List your physical address. Even if you do not list your street address – let employers know in which city you are located. Without this information (and especially if your contact number is not local), you could be easily discounted for positions that require “Local candidates only”

4. Include a Portfolio / Website link of your work. If you are in the creative field, your portfolio is just as powerful as (and in some cases even more powerful than) your resume. Make sure your resume includes a link to your work. And that your link is working! If you’re working is a PDF instead of a site, attach it to the end of the resume so prospective employers are sure to see it!

5. Provide a brief “Overview”. This should be a 3 – 5 line paragraph or 5 – 7 bullet points customized for each job you apply for and summarizing your key skills and specific experience for that position. It should also mention what kinds of opportunities you are currently considering (full time, freelance, on-site, telecommute, etc)

6. Describe your positions in detail. Because job titles vary so much from company to company, it’s important to include a concise description of your role – as well as list your major achievements/successes. As a general rule, this applies to positions in the last 10 years. Any relevant work prior to that can be summarized with just a 1 – 2 line description of your major responsibility and the team/company of which you were apart. *NOTE: If you are a freelancer, you need only describe your position & capabilities once. Then just list your clients.

7. Differentiate Contracts or Freelance work from Full-Time work. This helps employers distinguish between a “job-hopper” and a genuine freelancer.

For more Resume Tips, check out part two next week with our Resume Donts.

Jess Bedford, for Artisan Creative

LOOKING TO HIRE

LOOKING FOR WORK

14 Apps, and AI Tools We Love!

Monday, February 12th, 2024|

It’s that special time of year when our team celebrates Valentine’s Day and our love for the apps, AI, and productivity tools that simplify our lives and elevate our experiences!

With the right tools at our fingertips, our devices become more than just gadgets; they become trusted allies, boosting productivity, nurturing creativity, and adding a touch of joy to our daily routines.

To avoid overwhelming ourselves with too many apps, it’s important to periodically declutter and refresh our digital toolbox. Take a moment to review your apps, bid farewell to those that no longer serve you, and welcome new ones that align with your current needs and goals.

For Valentine’s Day we’ve curated a selection of 14 apps that inspire the Artisan Creative a.team at work, help us unwind at home, and simply bring us joy. Give one (or more!) a try and share your thoughts with us! Happy Feb 14!

Otter: Whether you’re jotting down ideas, transcribing a podcast, recording meetings, or preserving those brilliant midnight musings, Otter’s intuitive voice recorder has you covered. I used Otter when I was writing my book and it helped me dictate my thoughts before I forgot them.
Notes & Voice Memo: Sometimes, the simplest tools are the most powerful. These native apps come pre-installed on your phone and are perfect for everything from jotting down recipes to creating grocery lists.
Canva: Unleash your creativity with this powerful tool to create social media assets, internal communication, and an array of templates to create quick artwork anytime, anywhere.
Pomodoro Timer: One of the simplest time management tools out there. Set your preferred timer and work towards your most productive self.
Trello: A must-have for remote teams, Trello keeps us connected and organized, no matter where we are or what project we are working on.
Spotify: Set the perfect soundtrack for your workday. Music is a powerful positive trigger and has the power to enhance every moment from fostering creativity to promoting relaxation.
Netflix: Because sometimes, a little entertainment is just what we need to unwind.
Grammarly: A must-have for any writing assignment. Elevate your writing with Grammarly’s AI-powered writing assistant and catch those nasty spelling and grammar issues. A must-have for any resume writing.
reMarkable: LOVE this tool. It feels like paper, but it transforms the way you take notes and sketch ideas into a digital notebook. I especially love that it does not have web browsing capability, so it keeps me focused.
Krisp: We’ve been a remote team for close to 15 years. Work-from-home is amazing, although sometimes noisy. Krisp helps us reduce background noise during interviews and client meetings with noise-canceling magic. Our artisan podcast is recorded using Krisp.
Duolingo: Learn something new! Currently, our a.team is learning Spanish and Japanese using this app.
Slack: Another must-have for remote teams. We especially love the integration options with other apps to make the daily workflow and communication seamless.
Loom: Easily create and share video messages to communicate more effectively with your team. We use it to record our SOPs, and to communicate internally and externally with clients.
ChatGPT: No explanation needed! This productivity tool helped me refine this blog post.

At Artisan Creative, we believe in fostering harmony between life and work, and we’re dedicated to helping teams and careers thrive. Get in touch with us today to start a conversation about how we can support your success journey.

LOOKING TO HIRE

LOOKING FOR WORK

Episode 5 – Interview Mindset (IQ, EQ & AQ)

Saturday, November 11th, 2023|

By this point in the hiring process, you’ve spent lots of time and resources to set up your employer brand, write your job description, review incoming resumes, and now you are finally ready to invite a handful of candidates to an interview.

No matter what route you take to get here, make sure your energy tank is full when you meet your prospective interviewee.

Make sure you are present, you are focused, prepared, and in the right interviewing mindset. Also, it’s key to allow each interviewee to shine on their own merit, and not let any history of previous bad hires impact this new person and this new opportunity.

It’s imperative that you or your lead interviewer are not tired, hungry, or rushed and instead are at your best to represent your brand in the proper way and make a good impression.

If your hiring mindset is wrong, it can lead to a wrong hire!

Interviewing is both an art and a skill and it involves curiosity, empathy, and authenticity to become a skillful interviewer. In order to conduct your most perfect interview, consider the following pointers to transform your interviewing mindset.

The perfect interview starts with

Your preparation
Managing your energy
How do you build rapport
Staying present and focused
Creating engagement
Create a true human connection
And building trust

Skilled interviewers have an equal balance of questions to determine IQ, EQ & AQ.

IQ-focused interview questions as about technical skills and expertise, certifications, education, awards, and the specifics of how to do the required tasks.

And while skills-based questions are critical in assessing a candidate’s ability to do the job right, they only paint a partial picture of overall fit within the company.

Equally vital are the interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence (EQ) of a candidate, which reviews alignment, culture fit, values, communication skills, and overall compatibility within the team.

Add to the mix an opportunity to assess for AQ, or adaptability quotient that highlights a candidate’s ability to handle change, leadership, decision-making, stress-management skills, and navigating the unknown!

This can be extremely valuable if you are launching a new product, are a start-up, or going through some changes within your organization or if all your processes and SOPs are not quite solid.

Assessing EQ and AQ skills requires asking open-ended, values-based, and situational interview questions which enable you to delve into a prospective candidate’s empathy, conflict resolution, and problem-solving capabilities.

Open-ended questions also allow your candidate to dive deeper into a topic and expand their answers, highlight their reasoning, thought processing, and communication skills

For example, you can glean so much information by asking:

Share a time when you successfully diffused a misunderstanding between two colleagues.
Provide an example of fostering a sense of belonging and teamwork among your peers.
What leadership qualities do you admire most about yourself or your current boss?

Values-based questions tie the interview questions back to your company’s values.

For example, if your company’s core value is Agility, then a line of questions that focus on agility will give you a glimpse into how that core value shows up for your candidate:

Tell me more about when you had to juggle multiple projects.
How do you handle change and unexpected interruptions?
Can you explain your approach to prioritizing and planning your day?

If Accountability is your company’s core value, then ask:

What do deadlines mean to you, and how do they impact teamwork?
How do you motivate yourself to stay accountable and achieve your tasks?
Describe a situation where you rallied your team members to accomplish a task.

While hard skills can be acquired or taught through various educational resources, assessing a candidate’s cognitive and emotional intelligence requires that you actively listen, be present, and be focused.

Asking follow-up questions, and observing their body language and communication style. This approach ensures a thorough evaluation and helps identify candidates who possess the right blend of technical as well as interpersonal skills that may align with your company culture.

Let’s do a Pulse Check

How are you currently interviewing for IQ, EQ, and AQ?

Watch the previous episodes in this series:

Episode 0: Introduction

Episode 1: Transforming Your Hiring Mindset

Episode 2: Writing Impactful Job Descriptions

Episode 3: Recruitment & Sourcing Strategy

Episode 4: The Candidate Experience

LOOKING TO HIRE

LOOKING FOR WORK

Episode 4 : The Candidate Experience

Wednesday, November 1st, 2023|

Now that you are starting to receive resumes from your job posts or from your agency, let’s consider the various phases of the candidate journey and the experience they have with you.

Their perception either builds or breaks trust and can make them become your biggest fan, or your loudest foe. Their experience starts with their earliest interaction with your website and job board, and then throughout their application process, and the follow-up they receive (or don’t receive).

Having a process for acknowledging the receipt of their resume and establishing follow-up protocols and communication on next steps is an important step to consider, as is setting up initial interviews or even sending a rejection email and offering other resources to someone in their job search.

Follow-up and follow-through either reinforce your employer brand and the impression your company leaves with someone or it detracts from it…because unfortunately there is a resume black hole where candidates apply and they never hear back from anyone.

So even a simple bounce-back email that acknowledges receipt of a resume makes a huge impact and will set your company and practices apart, even if that includes a No. This goes a long way to create advocacy and brand stewardship.

We’ve been thanked many times for replying back with an empathetic and heartfelt “NO, Thank you.” Any reply is better than leaving the candidate wondering, or ghosting them after an initial interaction. Unfortunately, ghosting has become a real negative phenomenon in the hiring space.

So Don’t Ghost. Follow-up!

Let’s do a Pulse Check

Describe your process for handling incoming resumes and applications/
Who reviews the resumes or applications coming in?
What is the follow-up process for acknowledgment and/or rejection?
How do you keep track of who applied, and when?
Do you use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?

Watch the previous episodes in this series:

Episode 0: Introduction

Episode 1: Transforming Your Hiring Mindset

Episode 2: Writing Impactful Job Descriptions

Episode 3: Recruitment & Sourcing Strategy

LOOKING TO HIRE

LOOKING FOR WORK

Episode 3 : Recruitment & Sourcing Strategy

Tuesday, October 24th, 2023|

Now that you’ve clarified your employer brand, and written your job description, let’s talk about your internal and external recruitment strategy.

Before you start looking externally for candidates, have you considered anyone from your current team who may have the skillsets you need to execute? Perhaps they are in another department or are ready to take on a new challenge or for a promotion.

An internal hire could be a morale boost and build trust, bring recognition, growth, and internal mobility within your teams…and in the long run, be a great retention tool. It reduces the need for someone to look for a “better opportunity” elsewhere because they trust that opportunity exists within and you’ll look internally first.

However, if you do need to hire from outside of the organization, you’ll need a recruitment & sourcing strategy that is best suited for your needs.

If you have an HR or recruitment team in place, then you have great support as a first line of reviewers to evaluate the incoming candidates.

However if you don’t have the bandwidth or the support to plan your own sourcing strategy, you may want to consider working with a recruitment agency that will work with you to showcase pre-vetted and pre-qualified candidates.

Let’s do a pulse check:

Who do you know who may know someone?
Do you offer incentives internally for referrals?
Are there companies that are aligned with your expertise, or your mission/ values where you want to see people from?
And…what companies or verticals do you NOT want to hire from? ie. Potential vendors or existing customers, or competitors
Do you want to hire from a competitor?

If you decide to pursue the route of working with an outside recruiter instead of doing it internally yourself, then it’s critical to ask the right questions to find the recruiters and agencies that best suit your needs.

Recruitment agencies typically work either as a retained or as a contingency agency.

A contingency firm will invoice you after a placement is made. There are no upfront fees, however in a contingency search typically the agency is working on several roles with multiple clients at the same time, and every role has equal focus and attention.

A retained firm, on the other hand, typically charges a 1/3 to get started and the balance when the candidate is hired; or a third to get started 1/3 when they present candidates and the third one that hire is made.

In a retained relationship, specific focus and priority are given to an open role, and a dedicated team is assigned. They often will help you write the job description, take you through an in-depth pre-qualification process to learn about the role, team, and your company, and in return will send you a handful of qualified and pre-vetted candidates to review. So if you have an urgent need or have a very specific requirement, this may be the right route for you.

In both cases, fees are typically anywhere from 20 to 30% based on the candidate’s first-year salary, and a guarantee period is extended.

Even though in a contingency agreement there is no upfront fee, there is still an internal cost to consider.

Do a cost analysis of what it means to hire a professional recruitment agency versus the cost of internally doing it yourself.

Internal costs include your or your team’s resources, bandwidth, and expertise, as well as the cost of that open role, the cost of lost productivity

This exercise is no different than doing a cost analysis whether to work with an outside marketing agency, an outside accounting firm, or a payroll agency vs doing those functions in-house.

If you do determine that working with a recruitment agency is the route to go, then hire a firm that has a specific focus and expertise within the skill set that you’re trying to fill versus working with a generalist recruiter.

When you’re gauging potential partners, ask your peers and colleagues for referrals, and schedule a meeting to learn more about that particular recruitment agency’s policies, processes connections in the marketplace, and sourcing practices.

Look at firms whose core values, culture, and mission align with yours and who can attract the type of talent you’ll want to hire.

By the same token, you must be upfront and truthful with your recruiting agency and partner with them.

Share with them any challenges or roadblocks with this role or at your company. Let them know of any past candidates and any who are being reviewed currently. The last thing you’d want is for them to reach out to the same talent pool.

The more your agency knows the more targeted they can be in their search and be advocates for your company.

Let’s do a Pulse Check

What is the internal cost of this position being open?
Is there someone on your team who has the expertise to review incoming resumes?
Does my internal HR team have the bandwidth to recruit this new role?

Watch the previous episodes in this series:

Episode 0: Introduction

Episode 1: Transforming Your Hiring Mindset

Episode 2: Writing Impactful Job Descriptions

LOOKING TO HIRE

LOOKING FOR WORK

Introduction : Transforming Your Hiring Mindset

Saturday, September 9th, 2023|

Do you remember your first job interview and how you felt?

I did. I was excited. I was prepared. I even bought myself a new outfit. And I was confident that I was just going to ace that interview.

However, things changed when the interviewer showed up …late, unprepared, rushed… and then grilled me question after question without creating any space for me to ask my questions. And then they cut the interview short because they had to run to their next meeting.

The irony is, I did get an offer from them after all, and turned them down, and instead accepted another position and ended up staying at that job for close to 10 years.

That first interview was 30 some years ago, and I still remember the feeling I walked away with. Unheard.

And perhaps that’s why I am here with you. A seed was planted that grew into a passion that both the candidate and the hiring company have a win-win relationship.

For the past few decades, my team and I have worked with hundreds of companies and business owners on their recruitment objectives and have gathered great insight into when interviewing and hiring go well, and when they don’t.

Whether you have an in-house HR and recruitment team, work with an outside recruitment agency, or you yourself are reviewing all those incoming resumes, there are several critical steps to implement throughout the hiring process to create success and become a skillful interviewer.

Usually, we expect the candidate to come prepared, be open, be engaged, have high energy, and be communicative. We want them to not only have researched the role, know about our company, and be enthusiastic, we want them to want the job!

Today, we are going to flip the script and focus on us as the business owner, hiring manager, or department head who maybe deciding when it is the time to hire, or greenlighting the budget and salary, or perhaps conducting the first or final interview.

This series is divided into the 3 phases of hiring to transform the hiring mindset and set the stage for a successful hiring practice that will set you apart from your competitors. The three phases are:

The Preparation required before interviewing & hiring can begin
The Process for set-up, and follow-up on applicants and interviewees
The Presence of mind is needed during the interview and onboarding.

Together we will review the importance of establishing trust in your employer brand, writing impactful job descriptions, becoming a skillful interviewer, and creating follow-up procedures to transform your hiring practice.

So, let’s start at the beginning of the hiring journey before you decide to hire!

Enjoy the first of our 9-part series.

Katty Douraghy | President | Artisan Creative

LOOKING TO HIRE

LOOKING FOR WORK

Previous 234 Next

Need a new search?