Tech & Innovation Blog

Nice to meet you, virtually speaking through your R.E.S.U.M.E.

Women in STEM, Voice of Our People, Career Advice

Jyotsna M. offers her upbeat and positive approach to building a resume that gets results and showcases the one and only unique you.

A laptop computer, pen, and clipboard with a piece of paper that reads, My Resume, with a column of bullet points

The sun shines brightly, and we look to a new day where the world of work is digitally and virtually connected. If you are a recent college graduate looking for an opportunity or someone looking to change the career path to try something new, this is an exciting time to research, explore, and reach recruiters.

A signpost with the words “Possible” and “Impossible” The unfortunate side effect of the pandemic is that the world is now predominantly virtual, temporarily suspending shaking hands and making connections over coffee. It is still too early for in-person career fairs at the fancy convention centers to resume, or the opportunity to walk up to a recruiter and talk to them. The world has changed, a bit too fast for comfort. For the opportunities posted, there are a lot more applicants.

Now more than ever, your RESUME creates the first impression about you and your skills for recruiters and hiring managers. Your resume will determine if you are a “possible candidate” for an opening with their organization!

A resume is not an itemized bullet list of everything you’ve studied, where you’ve worked, or volunteered. Chances are recruiters will not have time to read, review, and recap all of that to determine your candidate eligibility. So, let your resume do the job it was meant to do!

Something to think about: When was the last time anyone read a full newspaper? Yes, every row and column on every page, to get the news? You only scan the highlights, right?

Your resume has one objective: To make highlight your skills and make an impression on a recruiter, so that you get invited for an interview! That’s it!

A pyramid of 9 triangles with text in each triangle: “About You, Relevant Skills, Recent Results, Work Experience, Education, Power Words, Expertise, Internships & Projects, and Leadership Skills Your R.E.S.U.M.E. needs to highlight accomplishments that are relevant to the job posted. So, you may need to customize it if you plan to apply for jobs in different fields. Start thinking of your elevator pitch in document form. Easy, right?

It’s OK to showcase your skills. You are the only person who can present your talent. You are the builder of your aspirations, and the driver of your career.

Visualize yourself walking up to receive an award, and the greeter announcing your specific accomplishments that led to the award. This is about you, so why hide your skills in a bulleted list? Shine your skills brightly enough to be seen.

Now, start writing your two-page resume to present yourself as a “possible and strong candidate.” Use the pyramid to guide your way. If it’s been a while since you last updated your resume, for creative ideas, be sure to check out the new resume templates on Microsoft Word or a similar editing tool. Give it a try, please.

Next, connect your resume with your digital presence on LinkedIn. Download the LinkedIn mobile app. In a few easy steps, you can create your digital signature with a QR code and save it with your photos.

Smart tip: When a recruiter scans your “Unique QR code,” they can see your accomplishments and connect through LinkedIn Messaging. Super cool!

We live in a digital world, yet the resume is still a PDF or even a paper copy. No problem! Simply, add your QR code to your resume.

Invest in yourself, keep learning, and add your skills to your LinkedIn profile. Show the world skills that make you a dream hire for any organization!

Do all these things, and, yes, soon, you will have that email or in-mail message from a recruiter asking to call you for an interview. That next opportunity is just around the corner. Believe in yourself.

Best of Luck!

Jyotsna

Jyotsna Manikantan is a Lead Product Manager, Portfolio Strategy & Operations, and is celebrating her 13th-year @ADP

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At ADP, we believe that our diversity fuels innovation and benefits our associates, clients, and communities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.