Résumé Tips From Hiring Managers

October 29, 2018

You need a new job or you need your first “real” job to start paying off those student loans. For most people that means you need a résumé. If you really want to get noticed, or simply not get rejected, you need a good résumé. We talked to hiring and talent acquisition managers, C-suite executives and other really smart people to bring you the best advice. We want to help you get that dream job.

Number one

This may sound cliché, but everyone told us proofing is the best thing you can do. Go over it with a fine-tooth comb and have others look at it, too. A grammar, spelling or formatting error on your résumé shows you don’t pay attention to detail. In addition to not paying attention to detail it could give the impression that you simply don’t care. Nothing is a bigger turnoff to a potential employer.

Objectives – out

If someone is looking at your résumé, they know you are looking for a job. You don’t need to tell them in an objective statement. Instead, start with a short summary statement. The summary statement could discuss why you’re the best candidate for this job. The summary should be supported by your previous work experience. Below is an example from Columbia University Center for Career Education:

Example- “Publishing executive with multi-faceted background encompassing international licensing and brand management. Developed specialties in editorial planning, global marketing strategy, and design. Managed multiple projects simultaneously and eﬃciently by overseeing the daily operations of 17 magazine titles worldwide. Proven ability to develop strong relationships across cultures and to provide decisive team leadership in a fast-paced environment.”

Tinder^® Experience a Plus

Putting together a résumé can be a lot like putting together a dating profile. It’s a delicate balance of putting your best traits forward without overselling yourself. Getting too cute or creative can come off as cheesy or desperate. Never lie or misrepresent your role or accomplishments. Lying or misrepresentation might get you a date, but it won’t make for a successful relationship.

Show the numbers. “Don’t just tell me you worked on something, tell me you improved something by 20%,” one person told us. Be specific and measurable if possible.

Do the math; your current job may not track the results you want to include. It’s okay to do the math yourself to help tell your story. Just make sure it’s accurate.

Problem, action, result. Bullet points should follow this format if possible. Be specific about what you did, not what your job is/was. (see example in next bullet)
Avoid passive job functions like, “Oversaw workforce of 8 employees dedicated to customer service.” Instead go with something like “Mentored, trained and managed daily activities for 8 customer service representatives resulting in an 15% improvement in average likelihood to recommend score among customers.”

Skip the basics. Oh, you’re proficient at MS Office? Everyone is, and even if you’re not it’s fairly expected. Include more specialized software or instances where you might be highly proficient. Like data modeling in excel for example. That’s okay.

Only include personal interests or hobbies if they are relevant to the position.

Don’t include social handles (other than LinkedIn^®) if they aren’t relevant to the position.

Keywords and customization

Always customize language in your résumé to fit the job description you’re applying for. If they use specific jargon, work it into your résumé because that’s what they’ll be looking for.

Don’t overdo it with keywords. A lot of bigger companies use keyword scanning software, so it’s important to include them, but they’re also used to spot the overuse of these words as well.

Make sure you’re speaking their language. It’s okay to translate titles. If you have a non-traditional job title like “customer success advocate” consider replacing that for industry standard language like “account manager” or whatever is appropriate.

Contact Info

We got conflicting advice on what to do with contact information. Some people told us you might want to leave off details like your city if you don’t live in that city because some employers might prefer a local candidate. Conversely, you might want to include it if you are local. Some say that phone number and email are important, while others say the trend is moving toward just including your LinkedIn^® address. We like this last option because it can leave room for more important things, but we recognize this may be highly situational.

Design and formatting

Don’t make dumb mistakes that get your résumé thrown off the pile. A good design in the résumé world is not typically cutting edge. Yes, if it’s too plain it may get overlooked. The best résumés are usually form over function. The main purpose is to make it easy to read. People don’t typically spend a lot of time with a résumé, so if they have to work to read it, it will get tossed aside. It should look good on screen and on paper.

Use a template. You can search for templates or you can use résumé building sites like uptowork.com. Certain industries may prefer certain styles. Do your research.

Keep it simple. Choose one simple easy to read font. Never something goofy like Comic Sans. Yes, more than one person told us they got a résumé with Comic Sans.

In general, it’s best not to go overboard with colors, symbols or lines.

Stick to one page. Especially early in your career. Don’t overstuff it with irrelevant information. Save some for the interview.

Make sure you’re using the proper tense. Past for old jobs and achievements. Present for current.

Don’t include a picture. Unless you’re a model or your picture is relevant for some reason.

Save it as a PDF file. Word files don’t always translate well. Especially if there’s a lot of special formatting. A PDF will be more consistent between computers.

Make your filename [First Name/Last Name.résumé] (ie. John Smith.résumé.pdf) not Jonrésumé2019.pdf.

The résumé is only part of the equation.

The best résumé is only valuable when people see it. A lot of candidates are hired through referrals, relationship, and persistence. Work as hard or harder on getting your résumé in the right hands as you do on your actual résumé. Also, here’s a few more tips away from the résumé.

Make sure you put as much thought into your LinkedIn^® profile as you do your résumé. Make sure there are no mistakes and it reflects on you the same way your résumé does. One executive told us this is equally, if not more important than a résumé, especially for networking. They said, an email has a good chance of going unnoticed, but a message on LinkedIn^® almost never does.

Social Scrub. Take a serious look at your social channels, even if they are not listed. Employers often take a look when they get serious about a candidate. Many told us they have had social media tip the scales the wrong way for a prospective employee. Take down posts you think might be offensive or give the wrong impression.

You’re hired now what?!

Great, but don’t forget your résumé. Most of us don’t stay in the same job forever. Your next job often doesn’t come around when you expect it, so keep your résumé fresh. It’s a good idea to write down your accomplishments when they happen so when you need it, you’re ready.

3 Steps for Negotiating a Salary

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Prepping for the Career Fair

Do your research Before the fair, contact your college’s career center to see what companies will be present at the fair. Make a list of the companies or organizations that you’re interested in and conduct some online research about them. Understanding the company’s history and information about what they offer will help you better engage recruiters, and just might earn you an on the spot interview. Prepare your resume Proofread your resume, show it to friends and professionals you know, and even run it by someone in the career center. Follow our guide about resume tips for some help here. If you want to go above and beyond, make different resumes for different career paths that you’re interested in. Find appropriate attire While most career fairs suggest business casual attire, make sure you’re prepared to dress to impress. Typically men should wear pressed pants with a shirt and tie, and women should wear pants or a skirt with a blouse. Wearing sneakers or a graphic tee probably isn’t a good idea. Practice your pitch Get your “elevator pitch” ready for the career fair. This is basically just your way of introducing yourself, highlighting your skills, and presenting your interests to the recruiter or employer. Being able to express your skills and aspirations in a succinct manner will be sure to impress potential employers. Create a list of questions Come up with a few questions to ask the employers, so they will know you are interested in their company. These should be questions that you could not find the answers to during your research. Here are some sample questions:

What kinds of entry-level positions exist within your company?
What courses do you suggest in order to be a successful candidate?
What is the average length of stay in entry-level positions?
What new product lines/services have been announced recently?

At the Career Fair

Devise a game plan Picking up a copy of the floor plan at the career fair and mapping out your main booths of focus will help make the process less overwhelming. Some lines may be longer than others, so plan your strategy to make the best use of your time. While you want to try to talk with every employer in your targeted group, remember to stay open to meeting other employers you may not have originally considered. Be respectful While you want to make the most of the career fair, you shouldn’t just move from booth to booth picking up free stuff and handing out your resume. This can be a major turn-off for recruiters because they want to talk with people interested in the company, not the giveaways. Warm up Start your rounds by going to a couple of booths that are not at the top of your list. This way you can get warmed up to interacting with the recruiters before meeting the employer in which you are really interested. Show confidence Remember to smile, make eye contact, and give firm handshakes when introducing yourself to recruiters. Being confident should come easy to you as long as you do your preparation homework before the fair. Remember your pitch and be ready to answer any questions about your resume. Don't forget to ask the recruiters questions about their companies; it shows that you are interested. Ask for business cards and contact information For future correspondence, be sure to request the business card of each recruiter with whom you speak. Make notes on the back of the cards to help you remember what was discussed. Close strong When wrapping up with employers, you should always ask about the next step in the recruiting/application process. Be sure to shake hands and thank them for their time. Stress your interest by saying that you look forward to hearing from them within the near future.

Following the Career Fair

Review literature After the fair, go through all the information that you gathered from the recruiters. Look over your notes and think about your interactions with each employer, so you can decide which positions may be of interest to you. Follow up Be sure to send thank-you notes to the recruiters with whom you spoke. Include specific information so the recruiters will remember you. If the recruiters asked for more information, such as transcripts, another resume, writing sample, reference list, etc., be sure to get that information to them as soon as possible. For more tips and suggestions on navigating the career fair and to find out about career fairs in your area, visit your school's Career Center.

Notice About Third Party Websites: Education Loan Finance by SouthEast Bank is not responsible for and has no control over the subject matter, content, information, or graphics of the websites that have links here. The portal and news features are being provided by an outside source – the bank is not responsible for the content. Please contact us with any concerns or comments.

2019-11-01

4 Ways to Prep For Your Post-College Life – Right Now

College life can be a bubble. In many cases, you’re shielded from the real-world realities of full-time jobs, rent and student loan payments. But before you know it, graduation will pass and you’ll be thrown into the responsibilities of adulthood.

“You need to plan for the future, and the future is here,” says Barbara Thomas, executive vice president of Education Loan Finance (ELFI). “It’s not just when you graduate.”

But you also don’t have to sacrifice a memorable college experience to set yourself up for future success. Here’s how to estimate — and plan for — the cost of your post-grad life.

1. Make a list of future monthly expenses

Having a sense of how much life costs is helpful for choosing a major, researching jobs and negotiating your first salary. It’s okay to estimate for now. For example:

Rent: Nationally, a one-bedroom apartment typically costs about $1,000/month, but that could be higher or lower depending on where you live. Research typical rents for your area (or the place you want to move after college) to get a better sense of what to expect.

Student loan payments: You’d owe about $333/month on a $30,000 student loan balance, which is about what the average undergraduate owes at graduation. (This assumes a 10-year repayment schedule and a 6% interest rate). Use a student loan calculator* to see an estimate of how much your future monthly payment would be based on your loan amount, interest rate and repayment terms.
Food: If you live off-campus and buy your own groceries, your current food expenses are a good indicator of how much you’ll spend on food in the future. For this example, let’s say that’s $500/month.
Transportation: If you have a car, include your monthly payment, insurance costs and gas. If not, budget for public transportation and Uber/Lyft. Let’s say this costs $300/month.
Other bills: This includes utilities, internet and your cell phone bill. If you split costs with roommates and are still on the family phone plan, let’s say this sets you back $150/month.
Miscellaneous: Include other categories that apply to your life, like clothes, travel, and personal care items and services. Let’s say this all costs $250/month.

2. Add it all up, then account for taxes and savings

In this example, your total monthly expenses come to $2,533. But you’re not done yet — there’s a lot this number doesn’t include. For one thing, the government takes money out of each paycheck for taxes, Social Security and Medicare. You also need health insurance, the cost of which may get taken directly from your paycheck if your job offers it.

Those costs vary based on factors including the amount you earn, where you live and your job’s benefit package (use a paycheck calculator to estimate yours), but they could easily run you $1,000/month. This puts you at $3,533/month in this example, or about $42,000/year.

You’re still not quite done. You need to be saving for the future and for inevitable emergencies like car trouble or accidentally smashing your phone on the sidewalk. Experts recommend saving 20% of your paycheck, which is about $600/month in our example. (That may not be realistic at first, but it’s an excellent goal.) So, you really need to earn $4,133/month, or about $50,000/year.

3. Make adjustments to save money

You might be panicking a little right now, but these numbers are attainable. The average annual starting salary for the class of 2018 was about $51,000, according to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Plus, there are ways to cut your monthly expenses to make some wiggle room in your budget. For instance, student loan refinancing* can potentially shave hundreds of dollars off your student loan payment by lowering your interest rate. To qualify, you’ll need good credit, which takes time to build. While you can’t refinance until you at least have a post-college job offer, you can start establishing credit now.

4. Get a credit card (but don’t carry a balance)

Student loan refinancing isn’t the only thing that demands good credit. Almost everything you’ll need or want to do after graduation — rent your own apartment, buy a car, travel on the cheap with credit card points — requires a strong financial track record. The easiest way to establish good credit is to get a credit card, use it and fully pay it off every month.

As a student, you’re limited in your credit card choices because you don’t have much of a credit history. Your options are:

Get a secured or student credit card. These cards require a deposit (secured cards) or that you have an income (student cards), but they’re designed to help you get started. Over time, you can add other cards with more perks, like cash-back and travel rewards.
Ask a parent to add you as an authorized user on their card. This gives you a copy of the card to use, but keeps the payment responsibility on them. Before going this route, double check that the card company will report the card activity to the credit bureaus (the companies that create credit reports) on your behalf. Otherwise, it won’t help your credit.

Having a credit card will only help you if you spend within your means and consistently pay off the balance on time. Otherwise, you’ll rack up interest charges and be stuck with debt you can’t afford.

By doing these four things, you’ll emerge from your college bubble ready to take on the “real” world.

*Subject to credit approval. Terms and conditions apply.

NOTICE: Third-Party Web Sites: Education Loan Finance by SouthEast Bank is not responsible for and has no control over the subject matter, content, information, or graphics of the websites that have links here. The portal and news features are being provided by an outside source – the bank is not responsible for the content. Please contact us with any concerns or comments.

2019-10-31

Best Cities for Young Professionals

You’ve got your degree and you’re ready to move on to the next phase of your life. But now you’re faced with a big question – where do you want to start your life after college? For many, this marks the beginning of your “real” adult life. It’s where you begin your professional journey. Some choose to go back to their hometowns, while others decide to move away and start new chapters. If you’re looking to move to a new place after college, you might want to check out some of the cities on this list from US News.

Minneapolis-St. Paul.

If you can bear the cold winters, The Twin Cities are a great option for young professionals. They have a metro population of about 3,488,436 people, and it’s still very affordable. According to US News, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to find a job in this area – the unemployment rate is only 3.3%, and the median annual salary is about $6,000 more than the national average.

Honolulu.

You may think packing up to move to Hawaii will always be nothing more than a dream, but US News begs to differ. Honolulu has a great reputation as a vacation destination, but it would also be an amazing place for a young professional to call home. The tourism industry is vibrant and full of opportunities, as well as health care and defense, thanks to the military bases on Oahu. They also tout an impressive unemployment rate of just 2.4%. Can you imagine waking up to a tropical Hawaiian breeze every day? We’re right there with you.

Nashville.

The country music capital of the USA has grown significantly over the past few years, and so have its job opportunities. In the Nashville metro area, the unemployment rate is only 3%. If you’re looking for a career in healthcare, you’ll likely find lots of opportunities here. Not to mention, there’s plenty to do in Nashville on the weekends, from taking a night out on Broadway Street to drifting the Harpeth River.

San Francisco.

Young professionals are drawn to San Francisco, even though it is one of the most expensive places in the country. However, the city is home to the second-strongest job market in the United States, so many make the higher cost of living work with their salaries. Plus, the experience of living in San Francisco might be worth a little more money, right? Experiencing the City by the Bay would be a dream for many young professionals, and with a ridiculously low unemployment rate of 1.8%, they might just land their dream job there.

Austin.

Texas’ capital city has felt an influx of millennials over the past decade, primarily due to the conducive environment for young professionals. Austin, Texas is a major tech hub with companies such as Apple, Amazon and AT&T holding offices there, making it a great place for young professionals in the tech space. If you want to spend part of your life in a major city, you’ll want to check this one out.

Portland.

One of the most sought-after metro residential areas, Portland is known for those who like to embrace their “weird” side (the city has been described as “stuck in the 90s”). You’ll find some major companies like Intel Corp., Nike, and more here, so you may encounter some pretty cool employment opportunities. The unemployment rate is a low 3.8%, so a job in Portland is definitely worth looking into. Experiencing a city like Portland could be great for a young professional looking for something different.

Colorado Springs.

US News picked Colorado Springs as the top city for young professionals, primarily due to the ease of living there. With high desirability outside of the Rockies and low costs of living, this city has grown over the past few years. However, its growth has been slow in comparison to other parts of the country, so housing costs are more than a quarter below the median annual income. You’ll have the potential to earn a salary around the national average, but save a little bit on your housing costs, all while enjoying the beauty Colorado Springs has to offer. In other words, it will be easy to get by and get on your feet in this exciting town, making it great for young professionals gaining a foothold in their careers.

Places We Like

Seattle.

With 23.1% of the population between 25-34, Seattle is clearly a hub for young professionals. Now the home of Amazon, Seattle is quickly becoming a tech-hub with plenty of opportunities. With a low unemployment rate of 2.4% and a high-end median income of over $86,000, the largest city in the Pacific Northwest attracts young people from all over the country.

Raleigh.

While it’s usually known for it’s two major universities near the metro area (Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill), Raleigh, North Carolina ranked 13th in best places to live in 2018 due to its affordability, strong median income and low unemployment rate of 3.6%, not to mention the exciting southern culture. Plenty of recent grads from the major universities and around the country make their homes here, with plenty of jobs in education and research.

Atlanta.

Looking for everything you could ask for in a southern city? Look no further than Atlanta. Homes here are $30,000 lower than the national median, and the city offers a high median income. Atlanta is a popular city among young people, from its trendy culture, hip-hop influence and worldwide connection (home of the largest U.S. airport). Also known as the city where the “players play,” it’s a great place for young professionals to start their careers with major U.S. companies. Moving out and starting life in a new place is so thrilling, but deciding where you want to go can be tough. This list just touches the surface of some of the best places the United States has to live. If you want to see the full ranking or read more about the places on this list, check out US News’s original article here.

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