2. What Recruiters Look for in a Resume
Professional Brand
Value Proposition
Curated List of
Accomplishments/Achievements
Required Skills
Quick Synopsis of Candidate’s Career
Path
3. Think About It: What’s the
Purpose of Having a Resume?
To get the recruiter to invite you to an
interview
It’s a marketing tool, not your autobiography
Use it to sell yourself
It’s not a legal document
The job application, however, is a legal
document
4. Resumes Pointers
Show, don’t tell
Instead of describing yourself with
unsubstantiated adjectives, provide
examples that demonstrate your traits
Rather than write that you’re a leader,
give an example of leadership
Rather than say you’re “results-driven,”
show results
Avoid hackneyed phrases
Everyone is “results-driven,” has a “proven
track record of success,” and is a “team-
player”
5. Here’s What They DON’T Want to See
Candidate’s “Objective”
Hyperbole
Overly complicated explanations of
candidate’s career trajectory
If you’ve moved within the same company,
no need to spell out dates and titles
Professional associations, clubs, personal
interests (although some would argue this
point)
“References available upon request” Really?
6. What Else do I Need to Know?
Resumes on average get between 3 – 6
seconds initial glance, so the compelling
stuff must be at the top
Recruiters read on average 25 – 50 resumes
daily, so take pity on their eyes
One inch margins
Sans serif type, such as Arial, Verdana or
even Copperplate
2 pages is ideal
7. Use LI to Enable your Job
Search
Despite its flaws, it’s a fact that everyone is
on the site:
Lots jobs are posted there
Recruiters use LI to search for passive
candidates
You can immediately see how recent a
posting is and how many others have
applied
Have a compelling, searchable profile
Join groups and actively participate
Read Pulse posts and network updates and
post intelligent, thoughtful comments
8. Job Search Don’ts
Don’t apply to everything in sight
Don’t mistake networking for self-serving
behaviors
Don’t forget to thank everyone
Follow up, but don’t annoy
9. Make Your LI Profile Searchable
Photos are a must
Headshots only
NO SELFIES!, No Kids, pets or spouses,
and no photos where you’ve cropped
them out
Never use your title or company name in the
headline
Never use “looking for my next opportunity,”
or any variation thereof
Stuff your 120 character allowance with
keywords
Write a compelling, first person summary.
Your goal is to have the reader feel as
though they’ve gotten to know you in 2000
characters
10. You’ve Found a Great
Opportunity: Now What?
Type the company name
in the search bar to see
“people who work at XX”
11. You’ve Found a Great
Opportunity: Now What?
If that doesn’t turn up anyone useful, try to
figure out who the hiring manager might be
Say you’re looking for a position in
marketing – look on LI to identify a senior
person in that department by typing
company name, marketing into the search
bar
