We receive quite a few requests for sample resumes or templates. As we have mentioned earlier, we believe that a resume is only a part of your entire career toolkit and is not the only tool.
That being said, here are three resume templates that you can download right away. A couple of points before we begin:
- These are sample resumes only – you can use it as a starting point but you will have to modify them to suit your unique needs
- These are ‘skeleton’ resumes, you will need to bring in your fantastic content and compelling story telling
- Feel free to share your feedback on how you used these templates – email us or contact us on facebook
New College Grads
First up, we have a template for New College Graduates. It has emphasis on education degrees with additional information for documenting within each of the degrees or certifications. It also has a way to document professional experience in a brief, concise manner. You can download the template here.
Experienced Professionals
Next, we have a template for Experienced Professionals. This one is unique in the sense that it focus on competencies rather than activities. It gives a nice lens on highlighting specific competency that a professional has and the results that he / she has produced within those. Neat, eh? Download the template here.
Technology or Consulting Professionals
Last but not the least, a template for technical or consulting professionals. These folks are always challenged to boil down their vast technical knowledge and experience into a single page. Or maybe two pages. Fear not, this template allows you to highlight your client work, technology / product experience, technical skills and external certifications into one neat package. Download the template here.
These were some samples, we promise to get you more samples in the future. Do you have any favorite resume templates? Are there specific things that you like to include in your resume?
You have a critical choice to make during your job quest.
Should you use job boards like Monster / Hotjobs / CareerBuilder?
The answer is yes – ONLY if you are passionate about wasting your most precious resource, time.
Why job boards don’t work?
We at CareerTiger have always advised our clients to move away from job boards. Because times have changed, the business environment has changed and that’s why, the ways to look for a job have changed.
Jobvite 2009 Survey results
There’s an interesting survey from Jobvite that provides insights into this trend. To get your copy of the survey, go here (registration required).
The survey was conducted across a cross section of employer types and here are some highlights:
- 72% of employers plan to increase their use of social networks while a majority say they will invest less in more costly sources,including job boards, third-party recruitment and campus recruiting. This echoes the results of Jobvite’s 2008 Social Recruitment Survey, in which 68 percent of recruiters said they would increase their use of referrals and employees’ networks.
- 80% of companies use or are planning to use social networking to find and attract candidates this year.
- Among those using social network sites for recruiting, LinkedIn is now used by 95 percent of respondents
So don’t go about looking for jobs like it is 2003.
Go on, slay that monster and recharge your job search!
Starting today, we are publishing Job Search Handbook – a guide to finding your next job.
Here’s Part I in this series.
Allies for your job search
One of the first steps towards finding your next job is to make a list of the people that will be your allies in this process:
Current and Past Employers
This one’s a no-brainer. Your current employer and past employers are excellent sources of reference for you work and also they can point you to people in their professional network that might be hiring.
Friends and relatives
Your personal network can be a powerful ally in your quest since their level of commitment to your success is very high. One more tip to boost this network – get them to introduce you to their current and past employers. There. You just tripled your connections
Headhunters, recruiters and executive search firms
These are the people that can exponentially increase your chances of getting a job. Here’s how to work with them:
Identify the headhunters and exec search folks that are relevant to your target market (more on target market in a later chapter)
- Introduce yourself to them and ask for a time with them either in person or over the phone
- Spend at least 20 minutes providing them a walkthrough of who you are, what is your target market, and what do you bring to the table. This will ensure that the other person has a very clear understanding of what you are looking for
- Create an agreement that no resume will be sent out without your prior consent
- Develop a summary or a tombstone that is specific for this headhunter / exec search firm
- Keep in touch with them regularly over email and develop a warm relationship. Go beyond just a dry email. Get them a cup of coffee before your next meeting or even better, buy lunch.
- Ask for frequent feedback and check in weekly with them to see which companies have they been talking to about you.
Google is your friend
As you might know, every blog posting you create, every word in your LinkedIn profile, every comment that you write on online forums – all that is slurped up by Google only to show up in search results when people Google. We’ll cover ‘Job Search Setup’ in a later chapter that will help you to develop content that enables recruiters to find you when they use Google.
Social Networks
We continue to be raving fans of LinkedIn and Facebook – leverage their capabilities to network with the right people and communities. LinkedIn Groups is a great tool to find network within a set of communities, you can use LinkedIn Answers to establish your eminence and your can display recommendations to enhance your credibility.
My friend Jason Alba has created a great resource to use this effectively.
