Job searching, whether it's your first time or your tenth, is a common but unique experience. Whether you're looking for an entry-level position, considering a career switch, or re-entering the workforce after a hiatus, you need a resume. Your resume will be a key document throughout your job search. It's how recruiters can get an initial sense of who you are as a potential employee and so it's really important to pay attention to the information on it. Most resumes share many of the same core elements. These are your contact information, previous work and educational experience, and skills. Documenting your experience in a resume gives you the opportunity to stand out to a potential employer. Not only do you get to list your past and current experiences, but you get to highlight your accomplishments as well. Let's break down the elements of a strong resume. Most resumes start with contact information. At the top of your document, you'll include your name, email address, and other relevant contact information you would wish to include, like a phone number or address. Many resumes also include a brief 1-3 sentence summary of your experience. This summary is referred to as an objective, or sometimes, as a profile summary. For example, an objective might sound something like, "A passionate and customer-center focused individual with three years of experience launching new products and managing processes." It's generally considered optional to add an objective or profile summary to your resume. Some recruiters like them while others don't think they're necessary. An objective or profile summary can be helpful however, if you're looking to change careers and want to highlight transferable experience to a recruiter. Next step is the central element of most resumes, your current and previous experience, whether work or education related. When listing your work experience you'll include your current or previous employers and job titles, and for each job, you'll also include start and end dates and 2-3 bullet points explaining your job responsibilities and accomplishments. Your educational experience isn't just high school or college, they can include online degrees, certificates and other professional development you've completed. Finally, you may choose to include skills, especially those that are relevant to the project management roles you're applying to. As we've discussed earlier, some core skills that project managers possess include: enabling decision-making, communicating, flexibility and strong organizational skills. I'd add that it also includes skills like: ability to manage tasks effectively, work well with others, follow through on tasks, and hold teammates accountable. It could also include industry knowledge, like experience with digital tools or work management software. You can highlight these skills and more on your resume, either listed out in a dedicated skills section or incorporated into your section on current and previous experience. Another great skill that some people forget to add are additional languages spoken. If you have a high level of fluency in another language, it's definitely worth mentioning. Another way to show our skills is to mention hobbies on your resume, like volunteer work or experience working in your community. Sometimes listing hobbies that speak to your interests and background can say a lot about you, and that can be helpful to a hiring manager. In addition to highlighting what you're passionate about, many hobbies also require skills that a project manager can use on the job. For instance, some hobbies I see on a resume: coaching a youth sports team or teaching an art class, may tell me you're able to solve problems and connect with people. Things like that really stand out to me because they show that you're someone who has interests beyond their career. Including a broad variety of items on your resume can help show that you're excited about learning new things outside of work. Personally, I think this makes for an incredibly interesting candidates, and these are the kinds of qualities we look for when hiring program managers at Google. We're always looking for people who can bring new perspectives and life experiences to our teams. Google's culture is diverse and inclusive, and we look for people who are open to learn new things and are great collaborators. This is especially true in project and program management. We look for candidates who are open to trying new things because sometimes your first attempt at something may not go as planned and you'll need to try a different tactic. We look for people who can effectively collaborate with other teams outside their own project teams to help everyone reach their goals. As you can see, a strong resume can really help you tell a powerful story about yourself. Providing a full picture of who you are, what your strengths are, and what you're passionate about. Before I wrap up, it's important to note that a resume isn't the only way to document your abilities, you can also use online communities like LinkedIn as an additional tool to increase your opportunities. The same details on your resume should be stressed in your LinkedIn profile. Additionally, recruiters and hiring managers use LinkedIn to scout for talent, view a candidate's professional journey and gain insights to skills, networks, professional associates, things that may not have been included in the typical resume. A recent survey showed that 90 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn to search for qualified job applicants. Once you document your experience, you can begin to search for and apply to jobs at companies. You want to get it right on paper before you have the next conversation. You'll have the opportunity to continue building this skill in the associated readings and activities. Take advantage of these resources and polish or create that new resume. I'll see you soon.
