Time to Polish Up Your Resume: Ideas, Resources, Templates

With little warning, the pandemic has thrown many people into job search mode.  Many of my readers are finding themselves starting over, looking for a job, any job.  To have a fighting chance at landing a suitable position, now's the time to get the job hunt going in full force.  First item of business:  Get your resume updated.  

I've often written about how to make a great resume.  I do think you can write your own resume, and here's how.   I've also compiled my other resume writing advice here. 

To get started, use a resume template.  Some good ones I've mentioned in the past are on Canva.com.  Recently I have learned about Resume Genius.  They have some great templates and also information about how to write your resume, what to put on it, and how to format it.  I enjoyed their advice on The One Page Resume and The Two Page Resume.  I'm a fan of a one pager, but know that it is tough for an experienced professional to get everything on one page, so I'll concede to a two page resume if completely necessary, just make sure the first page counts!  And don't have the dreaded one-and-about-a-half-page resume.  If you need two pages, fill both pages up.

Not everyone is up for writing their own resume.  With COVID, resume writers are coming out of the woodwork, and plenty of them aren't worth the fee they charge you for a mediocre resume.  Robin Ryan wrote a great article for Forbes Careers about how to avoid getting duped when hiring a resume writer.  Robin is a resume writer, and encourages you to do your homework on the person who will be making your prime marketing piece for your next career move.   

Robin recommends finding a resume writer who has strong referrals, someone who has hiring and work experience in your industry, and someone who takes the time to learn about you and turns around the resume to you in a timely manner.  

Robin also wrote about five resumes mistakes to avoid.  This was all spot on with what I experience with resumes.  While taking her advice, here's another great article from Rebecca Henninger of the Forbes Coaches Council about what your resume should look like in 2020.  

If you find yourself out of a job, treat your job hunt like a job.  Have daily tasks, work with your professional network, and stay on top of industry news.  And keep on keeping on.  If there was ever a time when people will understand that you are job hunting, now is the time.

And don't forget to send me your new resume!

COVID Career Casualty? Time to start the job search

Two months into the COVID-19 shutdown here in California, and things look a lot different than at the beginning of March.  After shelter in place orders were given and the need for some to self-quarantine, our employment situation is drastically different.  We are starting to chart a path to reopen the economy, but it may be a very bumpy ride for the next few months. 

The first few days and weeks of the pandemic response seem like a blur.  Businesses were forced to shut down and employees found themselves sheltering at home.  Workers who could work from home were, sometimes for the first time ever.  Other people whose companies closed were home, facing their future.  Many of us now had young children home, and we were navigating online learning.  And some of us chose to self isolate in order to avoid getting the virus.  Looking back, it was a time full of heightened emotion, uncertainty and fear.  Today, emotions can still run high, there is plenty of uncertainty, and some of us continue to have a good amount of fear of the virus, the future and our livelihoods. 

I think the uncertainty is the toughest part of this pandemic.  While I am fairly confident in how to limit my exposure to the virus, and prevent others near me from becoming ill, I'm not completely convinced the coronavirus will not cause harm to me or my family.  Having geared up to make hundreds of masks early on in our lockdown, I felt like I was making something that could help prevent contracting the virus, or prevent spreading it to someone unknowingly.  Hand washing is a new religion for my entire family.  Yesterday I even made my second batch of homemade soap.  But small projects will not keep me occupied or feeling rewarded long term.

Just like I need to keep myself active and engaged with my business, you may be facing an uncertain employment situation yourself.  Now is the time to plan your "get back to work" strategy.  Now that the future is starting to take shape, let's sharpen our focus on your job search strategy. 

Connect with people you know:  Being isolated from people we see regularly can be very hard on us, and reconnecting with those people may seem daunting.  Right now, people enjoy hearing from friends and colleagues.  Pick up the phone and call your old friends.  If you have lost your job, call your old co-workers.  And call your old boss.  We are all going through this together, and right now connecting with those we care about is important. 

Don't be afraid to express your emotions--within limits!  If you reach out to an old colleague right now, don't be afraid to say you have been scared or lonely.  Those are natural human emotions, and most people are feeling them too.  I would say it's best to avoid putting yourself in a situation where you can't communicate because you completely lose your composure.  And while emotions may be high, don't bad mouth your old boss or employer--many people had to make tough decisions on the fly in the first few days of the pandemic.  Remember that the relationships you have are very important now, and keep them strong. 

There is no shame in having lost your job:  During this lockdown, many high performing people found themselves unemployed for the first time in their life.  If you are still reeling from the fact that you lost your job, you are not alone.  Many people are in the same situation, and can commisserate with you.  Face the fact that you don't have your old job, and present your situation honestly when talking to others. 

Get in touch with people who can help:  Right now many people I proudly helped find a great job are facing shaky employment prospects.  I want to hear from you.  Recruiting can feel like a role that is all about making the placement and walking away.  But it really doesn't stop at the placement.  We want to continue to hear from you, help you on your career path and connect you with a great job again when you need it.  Put a quick call into anyone who has mentored you with your career and let them know you are looking for help again.  Knowing you need help often allows others to assist you. 

Take some small steps in your job search:  Looking for a job can seem like a Herculean task when you are sad and sheltering at home.   Breaking up the task into bite-sized pieces will make it much easier.  

Here are some things to do now to get your job search on track, (with resources where appropriate):

• Update your resume (for tips, click here)
• Create a generic cover letter to use when sending in a resume
• Update your LinkedIn profile (tips, click here)
• Get in the habit of scanning job boards for opportunities
• Talk to friends about what they are hearing out there, job wise.  
• Connect with old bosses and co-workers 
• Have a game plan for taking care of children or family members if you need to do a phone or video interview
• Follow up on any job leads, interviews or networking calls to see how things evolve over time.  While a job opening might be on hold, when it reopens you want to be one of the first people the employer thinks of.
• Make sure you can do a video interview, professionally (tips, click here)
• Get an interview outfit ready, in case something comes up quickly.  The interview may be by video or in-person, and having something ready may save you precious time.  
• Clean up your social networking feeds--if you have a social media presence and are job hunting, now is a good time to have positive posts up and not political, silly or distasteful posts.  

Figure out what works, and keep doing that:  This job search may be quite different than your previous ones.  There may be many people vying for the job.  Some people may be leery about the role based on the potential for exposure to the coronavirus.  The future of the employer may be questionable.  As you put one foot in front of the other on your job search, see which steps work best, and keep doing those as much as possible.  

Reevaluate your career plan:  Does your employment history skew towards industries that are the hardest hit by the pandemic?  Is the type of position you've had before put you too close to potential danger?  Do you need to factor in family care responsibilities differently now?  This new world we are in may make a profession pivot necessary.  Look at reports on what industries are hiring and poll your friends and family for where they think the jobs will be.  If you can repackage your skill set to a new, thriving industry, do it.  Or if you see an opportunity to provide a needed product or service in this environment, figure out how to make that happen and do it.  This dynamic time can be the perfect time to create a whole new career for yourself.

Hang in there:  This is a tough time for all of us.  We are all in this together, apart.  Soon we'll be in this together,  together again.  Find ways to find happiness in small things, and keep a long view for where your career path leads, not simply on this bump along the way.  

Getting into the Wine Industry: 2019 Redux

The most popular post on my blog is Getting into the Wine Industry that I posted back at the end of 2010.  With over 9,000 views of that post, I've gotten a great response over the years, and also have learned about a lot of successful transitions into the wine biz that the post facilitated.  Recently, a finance professional reached out to get a bit more personalized information on that.  Here's his query, along with my answer for today's job market.

Hi Amy,

I hope this note finds you well.  After spending 15 years in finance across various industries (wine/alcohol not being one of them), and getting my MBA along the way, I've decided that I want to work on the business side of wine.  However, getting the transition started has been rather difficult.  I wanted to reach out to see if you can provide any advice on how I can make the transition.

My ultimate goal is to be CFO of a winery but I understand I may have to take some intermediate steps before landing a finance role at a producer.  I live in New York City and job postings for companies in any part of the wine business seem to be few and far between.  And relocation most likely isn’t an option, although my wife has said she’d be willing to relocate if I land the right role in the right geography (i.e., northern California).  I’ve contacted the very few alumni from my business school who work in the industry and scheduled one informational interview so far.  I’m also considering sitting for Level 1 of the WSET certification so that I can add it to my resume.

I wanted to see if you have any additional information to offer, or if there’s anything you can recommend specific to my situation, such as types of companies I might not be considering, how to go about finding networking opportunities, or anything else I can do to make myself more attractive to potential employers.  I’d greatly appreciate any guidance you can provide.

Sincerely,

NYC MBA

Dear NYC MBA,

I'm glad you found that post from 2010, and it is definitely time to put up a new take on getting into the wine business.  Reading my post from 2010, I think a lot of it is relevant for your situation.  First of all, finance experience translates well to a broad array of businesses, including wine.  Having your MBA, from a very prestigious east coast school, is also very impressive and gives you a great foundation in business management that many companies will find valuable.  So you have a strong footing to get this transition going.

As you mentioned, networking is key.  I'm glad you put out calls to fellow alumni.  That's a great first start in building your network.  And you've reached out to me, which is helpful for us to build a relationship and for you to gain more industry information.  Keep doing that with others.  I would recommend reaching out to finance people at some of the wineries you like, and see if they would be up for an informational interview.  Most likely it would be a phone interview, given that you are in New York City.  

You mentioned that you would relocate to Northern California.  What about looking at finance positions that are in smaller markets?  Sometimes there are more viable candidates in the epicenter of the wine business than there are in smaller geographies, and you could set yourself apart by bringing an MBA and business experience to an underserved location.  And some of the other markets outside of Napa have major players in the wine business including Oregon, Washington and Upstate New York.  

But perhaps your goal is also to work in the wine industry in Northern California.  There are bigger companies that have more finance and business management needs in the major winemaking areas.  They also are facing fierce competition from their neighbors for the same talent.  The salaries and compensation packages do tend to be better in the bigger winemaking regions, with Napa Valley leading the way (please see the Wine Business Monthly Annual Salary Survey for more information).  Also, larger companies tend to be more willing to bring in professionals from outside of the industry, partly because many industries are so closely related, especially in finance, and because they have more ability to train and develop employees than smaller companies do.

Now, while the product wineries make gets all of the attention, there are a lot of ancillary businesses that need finance professionals.  Vineyard management companies, equipment suppliers, software development companies, fulfillment operations and packaging suppliers all support the wine business.  Don't forget to look at positions with companies that sell products and services to the wine industry.

And with three-tier distribution still alive and kicking, most states have importers, distributors and brokers supporting wine suppliers efforts to sell their wine.  These companies also need finance people, and have locations nationwide.  New York City has many importers and distributors right in your neighborhood.  

I do encourage you to dip your toe in wine education.  Right now, your LinkedIn profile doesn't reflect any wine knowledge.  Getting a first level certificate from WSET or the Court of Master Sommeliers will be a badge you can put front and center on your LinkedIn profile, and on your resume.  As I've blogged about before, you must show some interest in wine in your job search communications and your resume needs to show your strengths.  

I hope this is helpful, and I look forward to staying in touch.  Keep me posted if you head out to Northern California!

Sincerely,

Amy Gardner

WineTalent

You Can Do It: Writing Your Own Resume

Recently I've been talking to several people who are just starting to put out feelers for a new job.  Some people haven't updated their resume in a couple of years, others for decades.  Now, a good resume writer can be a great way to get your resume up-to-date, but the DIYer in me says you can do it yourself.  Here are some pointers on drafting up your new resume:

Make it easy on the eyes:  First, I think using a free resume template is smart.  Canva.com has some great, free templates you can use.  Some people have also found good templates on Etsy.

Make your resume get noticed: Using a template with some color-blocking or splashes of color is my advice.  Nothing brightens my day like a smart, well-written resume with some good subject headers and some color, any color.  Please!

How do I reach you?  Yes, put your contact information at the top of your resume.  Name, phone number, email and your city and state of residence is what I want.  I recommend not putting down your home address.  Let's keep some personal information private, for your safety.  

Quickly, who are you?  For most people with some industry experience, put a professional summary section at the top of your resume.  It doesn't need to be long, but putting your career highlights in there is smart.  I like seeing numbers.  Percentages of revenue increases, number of new customers brought in, total increases in revenues you were responsible for.  Now, not every job has a lot of numbers, so use information that is important to your role.  Quality improvements in winemaking, new efficiencies in your administrative management, reduction in staff turnover, new software implementations, etc., are all good things to put in there.

Education or Work Experience:  I think if you've been working in progressively more advanced roles for about the last 10 years, start with work experience.  List Title, Company, Dates of Employment, and City or State you worked in.  Now, there are a lot of companies out there, even lots of wineries in wine country.  Don't expect someone to know the company you are working at.  Put a short blurb underneath this info that summarizes what the company is.  I like it in italics underneath.  Something like this shameless plug works:   WineTalent is an executive recruitment company that focuses on individualized searches in the wine industry.   

Give me bullet points!  Within your work experience, call out the main functions of your job.  This can include similar items as I mentioned in the Professional Summary, but keep it unique to each section, not copied from another area on your resume.  List major responsibilities.  For sales positions, I like to see key customer relationships, key accounts, and related information.  For hospitality positions I'd list information such as how the tasting experience is conducted, how you grew your wine club or how many staff you managed.  For winemaking positions list your involvement in the vineyard, your responsibilities in the cellar and in winemaking decisions and your involvement in customer/trade engagement.

Logos?  I like it when people use company logos on their resume in the experience section.  A nice, easily identifiable logo goes a long way, so use it to your advantage in your resume.  But make it look right.  One company logo in a list of several different companies doesn't work.  Too many logos and it starts to get busy.  But think about using them if it looks right.  

Can you list your education now?  If you are a fairly recent graduate, highlight your education above your experience.  Or if you are a newly minted MBA, scream that at the top of your resume.  But if your work experience has eclipsed your education, list education information afterwards.  You need to make the judgment call here, but those are my words of advice.

Do you have hobbies outside of work?  I may be old fashioned, but I like seeing some interesting facts at the bottom of the resume.  It lets me see you a bit more multifaceted.  Be smart, think about what you are putting down.  

Keep it to one page!  I know, I know, you are so much more than one page!   But I can have a 22 year old recent graduate and current Barista with a three page resume and an industry veteran with 30 years of work experience who has a one page resume.  You really can be concise and wow me with your experience and do it all on one page.  Please!  But if it doesn't feel right, make it two pages.  Stick to two pages or less.  

Avoid Errors:  Have someone check your spelling, grammar and details.  I have had to throw out too many resumes of candidates that can't spell, have terrible grammar or odd dates of employment.  Don't end up in my circular file.  Check your work, have someone else check it over, and maybe another person too, just for good measure.    

Check for formatting issues:  Not only do resumes end up getting tossed for errors, formatting issues can cause you headaches too.  Some headers don't show up on programs, meaning your name and contact info is invisible, and in turn, you are invisible.  Send your file to some friends and make sure it looks okay on their computers.  And read this article about how to format your resume best for applicant tracking systems.  

Now get to work and write your resume!  I know this is a good DIY project for you.

Quick and Dirty: What Cranky Recruiter looks for on a resume first #throwbackthursday

Hi Friends,

This was originally posted back in 2012, but it is as relevant as ever.  I originally wrote it in a hurry, so please excuse any mistakes, errors or crankiness.  Those who regularly read my blog will understand that last part. 

I am always being asked for advice with resumes.  Happy to help, when time permits.  Right now time is of the essence.  But I thought I'd give you the quick and dirty version of what I, and most hiring managers, look for in a resume.

1.  A resume that is appropriate for the position.  If I've posted a job and I get a resume out of left field that doesn't match the description at all, it tends to get very little interest.  I do understand that I often post positions and note that I also recruit on other jobs in the wine industry.  So, I do want to hear from job seekers out there, and am happy to get your resume--it just may be reviewed later than a resume that is spot on.  Patience, my friends.

2.  Location, location, location.  I look at where someone is living and consider that heavily in their ability to take the job I'm working on.  Yes, people relocate all the time for work.  People also get through the entire interviewing process all the time and decide that, no, they don't really want to leave (insert home town here).  This really doesn't help me, and can hurt my business, so I do weigh a person's current location in my decision to contact them about a position.

3.  Education.  I want people to have a Bachelor's Degree at least for most jobs.  I do understand that going to school and working can be hard, but do it.  Get that degree, even if it takes 10 years or more.  I love seeing it on a resume.  AA degrees and advanced degrees are also great to see.  But yes, if you have been going to an institution of higher learning for the last 15 years and have no work experience I worry about your ability to work in an industry job.  Just saying.

4.  Lengths of employment.  I like people who have been in a job for a few years.  More than two.  If less, I may wonder why, and sometimes know why, but give me a good 4 years at your last employer, and I'm in heaven.

5.  Gaps of employment:  You hear about this problem.  Yes, I wonder why you weren't working for 2 years.  I often will contact you, but you better be able to address it.

Remember,  no one is perfect.  I understand if your resume doesn't meet my top five points exactly.  I'll often give you a chance.  But just thought many people would like to see what my eye scans when I open up a resume.  Hey, five minutes and five talking points--not bad.  Back to work. 

Making a Cranky Recruiter Smile: Adjectives/Terms/Qualities to Describe Me

Cranky Recruiter has been filing lots of resumes this week, and while looking over a new resume I saw this subject area:

Adjectives/Terms/Qualities to Describe Me

Able, hard-working, determined, accountable, conscientious, down-to-earth, responsible, creative, team-player, initiator, open-minded, out-of-the-box thinker, collaborator,  leader, innovator, professional, diplomatic, flexible, tactful, driven, self-improving, realist, diligent.

This was a fun way to say a lot of the things we all throw on our resume. While this may be a bit of flair, I think those descriptors probably are apt or the person wouldn't call them out specifically.  

Now, I'm a fan of making resumes fun for the reader to view.  I have posted before that if you are in marketing or branding, your resume had better stand out.   What if you put these descriptors at the top of the resume to make them stand out.  Maybe add a little color and some variation.  How about this to set off the top of the resume:

Adjectives/Terms/Qualities that Describe Me

Able hard-working determined accountable conscientious, down-to-earth responsible creative team-player initiator open-minded  out-of-the-box thinker collaborator  leader innovator professional diplomatic flexible tactful driven self-improving realist  diligent

Okay, that might be a bit busy on the top of a resume, but worth a shot.  Maybe craft a little word cloud that would be catchy and space saving.  I do like more avant-garde resumes, but know that they are not to every hiring manager's liking.  You have to craft the resume you feel comfortable with.  But take time to craft something that will be informative and interesting to the reader.  

After reading the resume I wanted to use these adjectives as an example for this blog.  I asked this candidate if he'd be up for me posting about it.  I loved his response, "Yes, you may use my Adjectives/Terms/Qualities to Describe Me section as long as you give me credit publicly on your blog. If you can describe me as a college graduate with an innovative streak in New Jersey who is looking to break into the wine wholesale business, that would be wonderful."  So Evan Bruder out of New Jersey, I definitely will give you credit for making my day.  

Now to see if his descriptors match what I've witnessed in my limited interactions with Evan.....  First, he is highly accountable, citing his name, what he wants and where he is located, publicly.  Scanning those words I come on team-player.  He is letting me use his info for my blog--that's team playing in my book.  All of his communications have been professional and tactful, so those match up.  And i do have to give a nod to the innovator descriptor.  His addition of these items was new and I think highly informative.  

So Evan Bruder out of New Jersey, thanks for putting an original item together on your resume.  If I know of any sales roles within the wholesaler world out in New Jersey we'll be in touch!  

Cranky Recruiter: Show Your Strengths

Uh-oh, here's Cranky Recruiter digging in after a long holiday weekend.  May spell trouble for some job hunters out there.

Ok, so I've wrapped up working on some marketing roles recently and am struck by the fact that so many marketing resumes are so blah.  Often I see sales resumes that are pretty blah and I think that they probably know how to sell things but rely on a good marketer to come up with the collateral.  But a marketer with a boring resume.  It seems to scream poor marketing skills.

Everyone says you should do what you love.  If I was to become a marketer, I think I would love to market things.  If I was in the hunt for a job, I think my number one goal would be to market myself.  First I'd throw away those old versions of my resume, sit down at my creativity inducing desk/table/park bench and brainstorm what I should be branding myself as.  Do I want to be a packaging guru?  Then I had better have a resume that packs a visual punch.  Do I want to be the strategic marketer who can develop an entire program for my future company?  Well I had better have a logically laid out resume that reflects the tactical nature of my expertise.  Am I a technical expert?  My resume had better scream tech wizardry while explaining some highly involved expertise in plain old English. 

This may all seem simple, but this Cranky Recruiter has to slog through boring black and white, Times New Roman resumes all day long.  Occasionally I get a glimpse of color--but all too often it is just the hyperlink blue on an email address.

What wakes me up and makes me notice a resume?  Give me logos.  Did you work at Clorox Company--ooh, put the logo on it for easy recognition.  Were you the lead manager on the revamp of The Gap's marketing campaign--show me some of that classic "Gap" style and make it easy for me to figure out what you did.  Be a little creative--especially if you are in a more creative realm of marketing.  Isn't that the real goal of a marketer--making someone quickly understand why they should want and need the product they are marketing? 

So am I just going after marketers today?  No.  I think this is relevant to every job seeker.  Every resume needs to be factual, but it is also a marketing piece for you.  Do you want to be like every other job seeker out there and hope that your resume, which is one of 100's a hiring manager receives, gets a second look?  I hope not.  So put some time into it and make it reflect you. 

Lastly, get consumer input.  Pass it by someone before you send out your awe-inspiring resume.  Often a friend can spot typos that you've missed over and over.  And yes, you may get some other advice about changes you should make.  Maybe get a few people's advice on the resume and go for the consensus version.   I do often say that you need to take all resume advice with a grain of salt.  People are quick to give advice, but you need to write a resume you are comfortable with.  So, dear reader, take this advice for what it is worth.  Back to the inbox.

You have 6.25 Seconds to Prove Your Worth

This caught my eye recently in a WSJ digest section for careers and management articles:   

Little Time for Résumés

Bad news for anyone who has spent considerable time polishing a CV: Recruiters look at a résumé for an average 6.25 seconds before deciding if the candidate is a potential fit, according to job-search site TheLadders.

Recruiters primarily look for six key pieces of information in the following order: name, current title and company, previous title and company, start and end date of previous position, start date of current position and education.

For the study, TheLadders asked 30 recruiters to review the résumés of five people, first a version written by the individual and then a version rewritten by a résumé expert. The recruiters also looked at two different versions of the online professional profiles of three people.

The firm used eye-tracking technology—infrared lights that lock onto the pupil, combined with cameras that measure pupil dilation— to trace exactly where recruiters' eyes landed as they reviewed the résumés.

Because so little time is spent on each résumé, recruiters prefer clean and uncluttered formats, said Alex Douzet, operating chief and co-founder of TheLadders. "The résumé should be a very standard design and easy on the eyes for navigating through the sections. In the end, less is more," he said.

The same held true for online professional profiles such as those on LinkedIn and TheLadders. Recruiters looked at these for approximately six seconds per profile.

Mr. Douzet added that the study pertained only to recruiters' first interaction with a résumé or profile. If a candidate makes it into the "potential fit" pile, the résumés receive more attention.

I may just be spending too much time reading those resumes.  Now wonder I get cranky sometimes.  Here's my advice:  Make them easy on the eye, concise and factual.  Think of your resumes as a marketing piece.  If it gets in front of a hiring manager, you want it to get you in front of them for an interview--not stuck in in their inbox or in the circular file.  

Quick and Dirty: What Cranky Recruiter looks for on a resume first

I have exactly five minutes to write this.  So please excuse any mistakes, errors or crankiness.  Those who regularly read my blog will understand that last part. 

I am always being asked for advice with resumes.  Happy to help, when time permits.  Right now time is of the essence.  But I thought I'd give you the quick and dirty version of what I, and most hiring managers, look for in a resume.

1.  A resume that is appropriate for the position.  If I've posted a job and I get a resume out of left field that doesn't match the description at all, it tends to get very little interest.  I do understand that I often post positions and note that I also recruit on other jobs in the wine industry.  So, I do want to hear from job seekers out there, and am happy to get your resume--it just may be reviewed later than a resume that is spot on.  Patience, my friends.

2.  Location, location, location.  I look at where someone is living and consider that heavily in their ability to take the job I'm working on.  Yes, people relocate all the time for work.  People also get through the entire interviewing process all the time and decide that, no, they don't really want to leave (insert home town here).  This really doesn't help me, and can hurt my business, so I do weigh a person's current location in my decision to contact them about a position.

3.  Education.  I want people to have a Bachelor's Degree at least for most jobs.  I do understand that going to school and working can be hard, but do it.  Get that degree, even if it takes 10 years or more.  I love seeing it on a resume.  AA degrees and advanced degrees are also great to see.  But yes, if you have been going to an institution of higher learning for the last 15 years and have no work experience I worry about your ability to work in an industry job.  Just saying.

4.  Lengths of employment.  I like people who have been in a job for a few years.  More than two.  If less, I may wonder why, and sometimes know why, but give me a good 4 years at your last employer, and I'm in heaven.

5.  Gaps of employment:  You hear about this problem.  Yes, I wonder why you weren't working for 2 years.  I often will contact you, but you better be able to address it.

Remember,  no one is perfect.  I understand if your resume doesn't meet my top five points exactly.  I'll often give you a chance.  But just thought many people would like to see what my eye scans when I open up a resume.  Hey, five minutes and five talking points--not bad.  Back to work. 

Cranky Recruiter: Must Have Wine Experience

Ok, back to work after battling the flu. Yes, hopped up on cold medicine, and maybe just a bit cranky because of it. But I've got something to say today, and it is about people who want to get into the wine industry and send me a resume with no applicable experience.

While I'm a big fan of people who want to make the change into the wine industry, I do preach that you need to get some knowledge behind you. How many of these posts tell you how to get experience, education, a network, etc. When you say you are a hard worker who is ready to take a pay cut to get into the winery world, great! But if I then read your resume and there is not one shred of wine information on it, it makes me read the next resume.

Crankiness aside, do look at your resume with an impartial eye. If you were an employer reading this resume, would it look like you were serious about making a move into the wine industry. If your resume came in along with several wine industry job seekers, why would they look at yours and not the others. I say you have two minutes to make your resume noticed--if that. If your resume leaves them wondering, it's going to be put to the bottom of the pile, if kept at all.

So, go get some wine education. Work in tasting rooms, retail shops, cellars, labs and restaurants. Marinate in the wine world, so to speak. Getting involved will get you knowledgeable about how things work, and about who is who in this biz. Which in turn will lead you to a better job.

They say you shouldn't operate heavy machinery when you are taking medications. Does that include a computer? Read this post quickly, it might come down soon when I'm feeling better.

Resumes and Winery Marketing--not that much different

Yes indeedy, wine industry recruiting is seasonal. Got a new slew of requirements to work on, and plenty of work to keep me busy.

As I slog through my resumes this morning, I noticed how some resumes tell a good story about someone's career, and others leave me wondering. When I started thinking about it, it reminded me about recent wine industry events I've attended. Several meetings have called attention to the need for wineries to tell a compelling story, and then weave that story through their marketing materials, their branding, and sometimes most importantly, into their label. When you see that dancing coyote on the bottle, it makes you wonder what the brand is about, and then you read the marketing material and have a sense of the winery. And if all gels, you buy the wine, often.

Looking at resumes I sometimes become that Cranky Recruiter. Please, not another objective statement to overlook. But when I see a great resume, I totally understand the person's career history and motivation for looking for a new job. I see their career progression, and possibly career tangents, but understand where they have been and where they want to go. That resume conveys their personal brand, and quickly tunes me into roles they would excel in.

Generic resumes leave me wondering what they really want to do, and why they are contacting me.

So take the time to weave that personal story into your resume. While there most likely won't be a crazy critter on your resume, your personality may just make me call you, often.

Annonymously Posted: What your grammar!

A few posts back I asked for your patience with my comment moderation now that I've "hit the big time" with my blog. This really just means that I get lots of spam comments for new posts. I have some software that's helping cut through the obnoxious comments, but a few still get by. I quickly glance through them to make sure they are not real comments. One thing that gives them away the quickest is the terrible grammar. And here's why I am bringing it up on a career advice post. When you are communicating with a potential employer, or recruiter, take the time to proofread your missives.

Glancing through a few recently, I was asked to help people find real estate, home loans, romance and lost bank accounts. In every single one of these messages there was atrocious spelling and grammatical errors. A few seemed to be possible real comments, but then upon reading them closer, they were also spam.

So why do you need to know this. Well, wouldn't you want me to carefully review your email instead of chalking it up as spam. There is only one click of the mouse separating your message from reply or delete, save or trash, you get the idea. Even if you are not writing a professional cover letter or resume, think about putting time into reviewing your messages. That attention, or inattention to detail could be telling me something.

Day in the Life of a Wine Recruiter

This morning I posted a winejobs.com ad, and within one hour I have received 50 resumes. Bear with me while I sort through them and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Are you there recruiter, its me, Perfect Applicant?

Recently I was speaking to a job seeker who had solid experience in both sales and marketing. I was urging her to tailor her resume for specific job openings, and expanding her descriptions related to the job description. By focusing a resume to the job, it allows you to present yourself well to the reader.

When you are applying to a position directly with a company, often all the resumes are sent to a general delivery email address. A Human Resources recruiter then slogs through the inbox to find out who has responded to the ad. As when I post a job, lots of relevant resumes come in, but also a lot of unqualified but interested job applicants apply. The company recruiter is tasked with finding those applicants that come closest to the job description, and making those resumes available either to an HR manager, or to a hiring manager. Within big companies, the recruiters are going through tons of resumes for all sorts of open positions, from winemakers to CFOs, viticulturists to sales managers. It only makes sense that the concise, clear resumes make it out of the inbox, and onto someone's desk.

While tailoring your resume is important, keeping it readable to the recruiter is crucial. Explaining your work experience clearly and thoroughly is important. Also, keep a handle on your use of buzzwords. While everyone in your industry may be able to quickly ascertain your knowledge when looking through a list of acronyms, to a company recruiter it may be all gibberish. A happy medium is to explain your background in plain words, and list technologies, systems, etc at the bottom of each entry. This allows your resume to be understood by anyone who is looking at it, which is exactly who you want looking at it. Now you just want it to get out of the inbox and into the hands of the decision maker. Good Luck.

Cranky Recruiter: Formatting Resumes

Yes, looking over lots of resumes again, and again I'm cranky--funny how that works. As my blog implies, here is some career advice in the wine industry--don't format your resume in Adobe Acrobat. Although it is a beautiful resume, it is cumbersome for my database--and when I have 20 resumes filling my inbox every hour, I want resumes that are easy to input into my database. I like MS Word docs--or even text resumes. They are easier to put into my database and search within. When we work together and agree to send off your resume to a position, I work to format it as I do all the others. When I have to fool around with Adobe pdf resumes it is difficult, and time consuming. I advise you to send your resume as a word document so I can easily enter it and I can search within my database. I want to find your resume--and you want me to find your resume--and submit you to a position--and ultimately get a new job.

Self-Centered Cover Letters and Resumes

Cranky Recruiter Comment #2

Of course cover letters and resumes are self centered. But I recently read a cover letter from a passionate wine retailer. Every sentence began with the word I. Having written lots of resumes and self-promoting literature, I too can get caught up in the ease of saying what "I" can do. But be careful. Think about selling yourself to the recruiter or hiring manager. They like to think they are important, since in many ways they are very important, and you may get a better reception from the reader if it's more of a two-way street.

I know this can be agonizing. Many times I have to re-read my marketing materials and emails to make sure I'm not using I too much. How can you recreate a sentence about yourself using your reader as the subject. Look at the sentence or subject and try to think of it in another way.

Taking the I out of your cover letters can be a chore, but keep in mind that the whole reason for the letter and cover letter is to promote yourself. Show your command of writing and vocabulary to impress the reader.

Changing Perspective and Introspection

Greetings from Bangkok!

Just got into Thailand--a great place to visit. Second time here--this time will be spent on the beaches and not so much in the city. Traveling is a great way to see new things, meet new people, and learn a bit about yourself.

All of the troubles and pressures of home have slipped away, and I'm able to think about different things, and in a way get centered again. Maybe I'm a bit of a workaholic. Maybe I am always thinking about work, and what I need to do next. That's why taking time out helps me keep working smart.

Job hunting requires a lot of soul searching. Taking time out to figure it out is well worth it. Introspection allows you to find out what your true values are, and determine how to align your work life with your personal life. Introspection can also give you the information to "sell" yourself when you are writing a resume or interviewing. You've thought about what you want, and also where you've been. You can speak about your talents and accomplishments. And you can frame your comments and responses around what you really believe.

So, whether it's taking a couple of hours and sitting in a cafe and putting your thoughts down on paper, or traveling around the world, it can do wonders for your mind and your career.

Black and White and Never Read: How to Make Your Resume Stand Out

My favorite riddle when I was young was "What's black and white and red (read) all over?--a newspaper of course". You want your resume to be read thoroughly by anyone who glances at it. Unfortunately, most resumes are boring and easy to pass over. I read over 20 resumes every day, so here's my tips on making a good resume that recruiters and hiring managers will read, and that will be noticed. (This morning I just read a great resume advice piece in the Wall Street Journal by Dana Mattioli. For those with a subscription, please visit http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116891185519277215.html?mod=careers_left_column_hs)

First, always put your name, address, phone number--including cell phone and voicemail numbers. And everyone should have an email address on their resume. Seems simple, but I get plenty of resumes with no contact info besides a home address.

Next, put a summary section that states what your talents, experience and accomplishments are. This should be fairly short for an entry-level individual, and 5-8 sentences long for exerienced job seekers.

Then a chronologic listing of your job history is always the best bet. Put your most recent position at the top, oldest at the bottom. If you have switched between industries or areas, put the most relevent jobs in a section defined as say, Wine Sales Experience. Then list that experience. Later put Retail Sales Experience and list those jobs. And don't list unrelated old jobs, such as Cattlemen's Bean Girl, or Parking Attendent, part-time. Everyone has had to take odd jobs, but these don't sell your current professional work self.

A resume is a sales/marketing tool. You want to represent yourself in your best light on your resume. Think like hiring managers. If they want a winery sales professional, they want to see that on the resume. If you did indeed sell in the wine industry, put it down. Always represent your dates of employment, job titles and education accurately.

Always list your education, as long as it's post high school. If you took classes, list them. If you have your Associates degree, list it. Of course list your Bachelor's, Master's and Juris Doctorate. I have known Ph.D.'s to not list that degree to prevent being rejected as over qualified, but I'm not sure if this helps them.

Now this is all pretty basic--and if everyone does this all resumes will look the same. First of all, many people don't follow these basic guidelines and their resumes are hard to understand. Second of all, within your job experience you need to list your duties. Use action words and always pay attention to verb tense. And of course, check your spelling. Attention to detail is very important in many jobs, and a resume should be the first example of your's.

So how do you "kick it up a notch"?

• Use simple fonts and keep the size at about 11 or 12 pt. No recruiter will spend a long time squinting at a hard to read resume.
• Make sure all your formatting is consistent--titles bold, sections underlined, etc.
• Keep your information concise--bulleted lists of accomplishments, duties, responsibilities are very good.
• Use color for listing websites, company names, email. Using tags in your email resume allow the reader to link to your website, email or blog
• Keep it to 1 page for entry to 7 years of experience, 2 pages for experienced individuals.
• Show some of your personality in your resume. If you're creative, emphasis it. If you're fascinated with Italian wine varietals, talk about it.

Consistency is key, but a few small details can make your resume the first one I choose to call.

Big Brother is watching, and reading your work email

Did you see a posting for a great job and you want to send your resume? My words of advice are, don't send an email from your current employer's system.

As a job hunter, you want to respond quickly to job postings. Many of us are on our emails first thing when we get to work, and check it regularly throughout the day. Friends send us jokes, family checks in with us, and colleagues shoot out quick messages that need our attention. It's easy to forget that the email system is legally the company's property.

A company has the legal right at anytime to review an employee's emails. Another fact is that email is a written document that can be used in a court of law. So, when you send off your resume to the competition for a job and your employer finds out they can terminate your employment based on improper use of company equipment and systems.

That email you sent with your resume had better be a good one if it means losing your job.

So, when looking for a job, only use personal email accounts for correspondence. Personal email accounts are confidential and cannot be searched by your employer. I also recommend not looking for a job on the company internet because your website visits can also be tracked by your employer.

Having your own email account is simple, and probably takes as long as 3 minutes to set up. I recommend anyone who is actively looking for a job to set up a gmail, hotmail or yahoo account immediately. These email accounts are free for the bare bones features, but all you truly need is an email address where companies can contact you.

So send off those resumes and contact hiring managers or human resource managers all you want through your personal email address. And remember to check your email daily to make sure you are on top of any messages you might have.

Oh, and a personal cell phone or voicemail system is a high priority. Just remember to keep your message professional.