Resume Suggestions for Mid-Level Employees

This Is An Ideal Resume For A Mid-Level Employee
This Is An Ideal Resume For A Mid-Level Employee


What makes this an excellent resume for a mid-level professional? Augustine outlines the following reasons:

1. The job seeker didn't try to squeeze everything into one page.
"At this point in your career, you've earned the extra resume real estate," says Augustine. "Spend more space elaborating on your most recent work, assuming it's most relevant to your current job goals." Include your header at the top of the second page as well, she says, so your name and contact information are always "top of mind" for the reader.

2. A list of the job seeker's core competencies is featured at the top.
Alex's resume contains a list of his core skill sets, usually referred to as, "Areas of Expertise" or, "Core Competencies." "This list serves two purposes," she says. "One, it allows a reader to quickly scan the top portion of the resume and get a good sense of Alex's capabilities; and two, it helps Alex's resume get past the electronic gatekeepers known as Applicant Tracking Systems."

3. Each role is split into responsibilities and key achievements.
Under each job title is a short description that explains Alex's responsibilities in that particular role. "Underneath the description is a set of bullets that highlight his most noteworthy and relevant contributions," Augustine explains. "Be specific and clear when describing your accomplishments and contributions."

4. Information is quantified wherever possible.
Include numbers whenever possible, whether you're describing the size of your budget, the number of events you helped organize, or the number of people you managed.

5. The job seeker used his work experience to show progression.
"Alex's work experience is listed in reverse-chronological order, starting with his current position," she points out. "More space is dedicated to the details of Alex's recent roles and achievements, as employers are most interested in this information and it's directly tied to his current job goals. Even when the job titles are the same, Alex is demonstrating how he's progressed in his career by taking on larger projects, bigger budgets, and more people."

6. The "Education" section was moved to the end of the resume.
Once you've been in the working world for three years, your education section should shift towards the bottom of your resume. "When you first graduate, your new degree is one of your best selling points," Augustine says. "Now that you've been in the workforce for a while, your experience and the skills you've developed should take center stage."
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12 reasons this is a terrible résumé for a mid-level employee
12 reasons this is a terrible résumé for a mid-level employee

What makes this a bad résumé for a mid-level professional? Augustine outlines the following reasons:

1. He included his address.

"While including your full address isn't going to tank your chances of getting an interview, I recommend leaving the street address off to avoid unnecessary risk of identity theft," Augustine says. "Chances are you'll end up uploading your résumé to a number of job boards and circulating it throughout your network. Play it safe and leave the street address off." There's no reason to include it.

2. LinkedIn profile is missing.

"These days, there's no excuse for a recent college grad to not have a LinkedIn profile, let alone a professional who is further along in his career," she says. Include the URL to your profile — but only after you edit the profile to support your current job goals and tell the same story as your newly edited résumé.

3. Professional title and summary are missing.

According to an eye-tracking study by TheLadders, the average recruiter scans a résumé for six seconds before deciding whether it's worth the recruiter's time. "It's imperative that you use the top third of your résumé to clearly explain what role you're targeting and why you're qualified for such a position," she says. "That's where the professional title and summary come in."

Before you dive into your professional experience, give the reader a summary of your qualifications. Include a professional title, such as "Public Relations Professional" or "Public Relations Manager" and then provide a short paragraph (three to five sentences) that summarizes your qualifications.

4. He doesn't mention his areas of expertise.

At this point in your career, you should be able to list numerous core competencies or specialties you've gained through your experience. "This list serves two purposes," Augustine says. "First, it will help the reader quickly scan your résumé and get a sense of your skill set and interests. Second, this content will help your résumé rise to the top of the pile when you have to submit it for an electronic application." Think of it as search engine optimization (SEO) for your résumé.

If you're unsure what to include, review a number of job listings you're interested in and qualified for and identify the key terms and requirements that routinely pop up. "If you have these skills, include them in your core-competencies section or look for ways to weave them into your professional experience," she suggests.

5. Companies have no descriptions.

If you worked only for big companies that have great brand recognition, you can skip the company descriptions. If you haven't, make sure you include a short blurb — one line only — that describes the company. Choose what information you include based on your job goals. For instance, if you're planning to switch industries, you may focus on the location or size of the company.

"This description will also help the reader put your title into perspective," Augustine says. "For instance, if you're currently a director at a small company, including this description will help the reader understand why you may be targeting a manager-level role at a much larger organization."

She continues: "I also recommend moving the job title onto its own line so it's easier for the reader to pick out the titles and company names."

6. Everything is bulleted.

Augustine recommends breaking descriptions of your experience into two sections: a small paragraph (two to three sentences) that summarizes your role and responsibilities; and a list of two to five bullets that highlights your accomplishments and major contributions. "Bullet points should be considered bragging points," she says. "Save them for the information you want to draw the reader's eye to most."

Whenever possible, quantify your experience and achievements. Include the number of team members you managed, the size of the budgets you worked with, and the number of clients you served. Think about how you illustrate the impact you made on the team.

7. Page two is missing a header.

While you don't have to repeat all the information you included at the top of page one, you should include your name, phone number, and email address. This will help the reader remember whose experience they're reading about and provide them with key contact information, should the recruiter want to speak with you right away, Augustine says.

8. He includes internships.

You're no longer new to the workforce; recruiters are interested in the work you've been doing most recently, not the internships you held back when you were still in college. It's time to remove these from the résumé and focus on more recent and relevant work.

9. Computer skills are light.

"Maybe this job seeker really only knows how to use Microsoft Suite, but I have a feeling that's not the case," Augustine says. "At this point, employers assume you can use MS Word and Excel. Consider what other skills you've gained since graduation. Are there certain databases or software programs you had to learn for one of your jobs? Include that information as well."

10. He lists his GPA.

When you first graduated from school, your stellar GPA was a great selling point, especially if your internship experience was slim. "However, now that you've been in the 'real world' for a number of years, employers couldn't care less about your college grades," Augustine says. "They're much more interested in your performance on the job."

11. He offers references.

There's no reason to mention references or include a list of them on your résumé. Employers know you'll provide this information if you want the job. "Save your precious résumé real estate for other information; leave your list of references off," Augustine says.

12. He uses Times New Roman font.

"While I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with this font, I usually recommend against it because it's so common on résumés," Augustine says. "Why not using something slightly different so you're more likely to stand out?"

Also consider your audience. "If you're working in PR, I'd recommend using a cleaner-looking font, such as Arial, Calibri, or Helvetica," she says. "I usually reserve Times New Roman or Garamond for professionals in finance or law."