Resume Writing Tips:
1. Always be clear and concise
- Your resume is your first impression and your opportunity to market yourself
2. Include all of your contact information so that an recruiter can contact you
- Legal Name
- Address
- Best phone number to reach you. Ensure that any voicemail recording you provide sounds professional.
- Email address should be: first name. last name and then gmail/yahoo/hotmail, (e.g., john.smith@yahoo.com)
3. Provide a clearly-stated OBJECTIVE:
- Your OBJECTIVE should include key words that relate to the desired position. For example, if you are seeking a Senior Workers’ Compensation Claims Adjuster/Manager position, you should include the title within your objective because search engine optimization often will pick up these keywords for the Human Resource Department
4. Provide a job history:
- Start with most recent job experience at the top
- Use bullet points to help recruiters quickly understand your unique qualifications
- For each job, list your key accomplishments (example: maintained a closing ratio of 100%, able to make 3 point contact in 24 hours 95% of the time, received customer service award five years in a row)
- Provide employer name information, location and dates of employment
- Indicate job duties
- Remember to mention technology that you have used in your job
5. Provide an education section:
- Include college information outlining whether you graduated or not
- Show any relevant training/certifications (e.g., ICD-10 for medical billing coding)
- If you are licensed in multiple states, it is important that you list which states
Interviewing Tips:
1. Do your homework before the interview
- Review the company website including company history
- Use Google/Yahoo/Bing to research recent company-specific news items
- Familiarize yourself with the job description details and what is expected
- If you have the name of the interviewer, research his/her background on LinkedIn
2. For live interviews, always dress for success!
- For men, wear a professional-looking suit and tie
- For women, wear a business suit or professional attire with closed-toe shoes
- Attention to clothing detail demonstrates you care about details
- Avoid excessive jewelry
3. Show your interest in the position by preparing questions in advance regarding:
- The role
- The company
- What “successful” people do in that role to contribute to the company’s success
4. Be prepared to provide actual examples of work experience similar to what the interviewer is seeking
- If the role requires specific skills or experience, be prepared to provide examples
5. Be prepared to explain date gaps in your resume
- What did you do to keep your skills fresh during those gaps in employment?
- What did you do to prepare for your next job?
6. If you do not understand a question, always ask for the interviewer to clarify or re-word the question so that you can answer it properly
7. Be positive when you answer questions
- Always focus on positives instead of negatives
- Avoid negative comments about previous employers – discuss positives and how specific jobs helped build your experience
- Always smile! Negativity is a very quick turnoff
8. Be prepared to answer questions like these during interviews:
- What do you know about this company?
- Why are you interested in this position?
- Why did you leave your last job?
- Can you provide an example of a work-related challenge & how you dealt with it?
- Please explain the 3-month gap in your resume before your last job?
- How would you describe your dream job?
- Do you prefer to work alone or as part of a team? Why?
- What does the word “professionalism” mean to you?
- Why should we hire you instead of others with a similar background?
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