You’re bored. You feel that you could be making more money with another employer. Your family wants to relocate to another state. There is no opportunity for advancement where you currently work. Whatever it is, you have decided it’s time to look for a new place to hang your hard hat.
Now, it’s time to begin the search. Oh, and write the resume.
Ugh. Let’s be honest – no one enjoys writing resumes. It’s not easy to tell your whole story on a piece of paper. Writing a blog is easy – just ramble! A resume? Not so much. However, putting some thought into your resume is important – it’s your chance to get your foot in the door and tell your story in person.
At Goliath, we see thousands of resumes for construction professionals – the good, the bad, and the ugly. To help you get started, here are 4 tips to ensure your resume will get the attention of hiring managers.
#1 Be Specific
When it comes to your work experience, be specific about your scope of work. What were your daily responsibilities? What a Senior Project Manager does at one company might be different at another company, so job titles and general descriptions don’t really make your resume stick out from the rest. Did you manage crews? If so, how many people? Did you complete a project early or under budget? If so, by how much? Do you have licenses, certifications, education or technical training? If so, is it listed? You get the picture. By being specific about your career history, you paint a more impressive picture about yourself.
#2 Include a Project List
It’s a good idea to include a list of projects that you have either led or collaborated on as part of your resume. If it’s not included, any hiring manager will ask to see one so they can get a feel for what type of experience you have. A project list helps tell your story and can add credibility to the accomplishments you are highlighting in your resume. A project list should include:
- Approximate value and square footage of the project
- Duration of the project
- Your position on the project
- Any additional notes or accomplishments
To see an example of how to format a project list, CLICK HERE.
#3 No Misspellings or Typos
61% of recruiters will automatically reject a resume with typos; 43% of hiring managers will disqualify a resume because of a spelling error according to Craig S., an editor at Resume Edge. While you might be awesome batting 500 in baseball, we definitely need to improve those stats in your career search.
Another key reason spelling is so important: hiring managers who are filtering through thousands of resumes will use “keyword searches” in career site databases in order to find resumes of qualified individuals they are looking to hire. If your resume says you were a “General Supertendent,” you will not be found when they are looking for a “General Superintendent.” You would be surprised by how many typos we see with the word “electrical” yet that is one of the top keywords we search for when we are looking through resume databases.
Sorry, but your grade school teachers were right. Spelling is important.
#4 LinkedIn – Learning More About You
According to PC Mag, 97% of HR and staffing professionals use LinkedIn when recruiting new hires, yet only 50.5% of LinkedIn users have complete profiles. So spending some time ensuring your LinkedIn profile is up to date and accurate is a wise investment! We have some additional tips to help you with your profile, click here to read more.
At Goliath, we know the electrical construction industry very well. We also know that resumes can be difficult to write. Are you looking for help? Do you have a question?
We can help you polish up your resume to ensure your strengths stand out. Contact us if you are looking for help telling your story!