Recession-Proof Resumes
Tips and tricks to make your resume stand out when unemployment is high
By Claudine Vainrub, Principal of EduPlan
Hard times are upon the world economy and it isn’t news anymore even to school children. What hasn’t faded is the constant, nagging fear of losing one’s job, or finding a new one if you are already there. Layoffs are on a rise but new openings are not happening. This is indeed a time when only the fittest survive. Here are some tips and tricks to make your resume as recession-proof as possible:
1- Show employers your cost-savings abilities
A way to portray your added value to a company is to show how you can save costs for the employer. Demonstrate how you helped to improve the bottom line for your previous employers. For instance if you were in charge of logistics, explain how you identified a more cost effective method of transporting material. If you were in sales, demonstrate how you produced significant profit margins.
2- Show examples of resourcefulness, flexibility and adaptability to change
According to TheLadders.com, a leading online job market service provider, “past behavior is indicative of future performance”. Portray how you have embraced change successfully in the past and provide examples on how you would adapt to a new opportunity even when the job description is not 100% similar to what you were doing in the past. Demonstrate versatility with live examples of previous successes.
3- Showcase profitability achievement during strenuous situations. Clearly state past opportunities to endure and succeed in times of crisis. Provide examples and numbers, demonstrate professional growth while portraying corporate growth. Give employers opportunities to learn about things you could do for them, to enhance their own bottom line.
4- Avoid vague terms and talk in terms of specifics, facts and figures. If you had to attend to 50 customers in a week and 45 gave good feedback on your service, mention this. It makes a stronger impression than a vague phrase such as “lots of satisfied customers”.
5- Testimonials are important. “If you don’t already keep copies of your performance reviews and letters of appreciation, client thank-you’s, or congratulatory emails you receive, start now. This provides excellent fodder for your resume,” advises Karen Hofferber, senior resume writer at resumepower.com.
If you were in a secure job and had not been looking for long, you may need to update your resume. In some cases, you will have to write a new one. Many of the skills and courses in your resume may be outdated now. Your resume must present a skill set that meets the current requirements. Weight in the importance of including experiences that you had too many years back; they might not be worthy of being included. Seek to develop an attractive uncluttered resume format that expresses your areas of expertise very clearly. When needing extra assistance, recruit family, friends, colleagues and professional resume writers as needed. Do not shy away from getting many different opinions, but form your own through study of the subject matter and in-depth expert knowledge.
Finally, it is not enough that you prepare a resume and send it out to prospective employers. In today’s internet enabled business environment, an online presence can do wonders for your career. Join professional networks like LinkedIn, iHispano, and many others devoted to the different industries. Connect with professionals that share things in common with you. When they ask for your resume, be sure to have your very best available.