Job Seekers Need Low Carb Resumes

More meat and less filler needed in todays resumes

Phoenix, AZ May 7, 2004 -- With the enormous number of products hitting the market for Low-Carb and Atkins Weight Loss dieters, three resume writers have coined the phrase low carb resumes for the serious job seeker.

While having breakfast at a resume writer and career coach conference in Atlanta, Kathy Sweeney, Wanda McLaughlin and Kevin Tucker, all resume writers from Phoenix, Arizona, began to discuss the craze that surrounded the low carb phenomena.

I had just purchased a Dunkin Donut to eat for a treat after breakfast and had noticed a whole wheat donut in the display case, said Kathy Sweeney, president of The Write Resume, a resume writing and interview coaching business. I remarked to Wanda and Kevin that having a whole wheat donut defeated the purpose of eating a sweet treat. I laughed and asked them if everything was going low carb.

Sweeney started to joke that perhaps low carb resumes were the new product that could hit the market. Without missing a beat, McLaughlin quipped that resume writers needed to get to the meat of the job seekers history. What started as a joke soon became a reality, as they saw the parallels that were obvious between the two entities.

I recently spoke to an audience of Human Resource professionals about this very thing, said Sweeney, a former hiring manager for two Fortune 500 companies. The overwhelming response from those who are working daily in a screening and hiring capacity was that adding in unimportant or insignificant information is a waste of time.

The insignificant information included soft skills, such as team player and excellent communication skills, which meant nothing to Human Resource professionals and hiring managers without solid proof of those skills in the work environment.

For example, we had a recruiter from Coca Cola speak at our conference about the importance of not including soft skills in the resume, said McLaughlin, who owns Execuwrite, a resume writing firm in Chandler, Arizona. As trained professionals in this business, we already knew that these items do not belong in a resume; however, it was important to once again hear them from an individual who hires candidates on a daily basis.

What potential employers want to see is a lean document that emphasizes duties and accomplishments, without a great deal of extra words and meaningless phrases much like the empty calories from low-complex carbs.

Tucker, who was a corporate hiring manager prior to owning C-Cubed Career Consulting, confirmed that he felt the same way when he was hiring candidates.

When I hired individuals prior to owning my company, I wanted to see concrete achievements and strong keywords that matched the competencies I had lined out in each position description, Tucker said.

The three professionals agreed that these points were vital and have developed a list of items that job seekers should include in their resumes:

* Eliminate phrases that have no real meaning in the resume, including team player and excellent communication skills.
* Use keywords or buzzwords that are relevant to your industry.
* Formulate duties and responsibilities, followed by solid accomplishments that prove your ability to be successful in your position.
* Never emphasize your own needs, but illustrate skills and achievements that will add value to the company.

Sweeney, McLaughlin and Tucker stress the importance of helping clients discover their skills and accomplishments during the resume-writing process.

It not only makes them more quickly noticed in the resume scanning portion, said Sweeney, but it also prepares them to discuss important contributions that they can bring to the company when they are interviewing.

For additional information concerning this strategic approach to resume preparation, you can contact:

Kathy Sweeney, CPRW, at The Write Resume, at (866) 726-9052 or visit her website at www.awriteresume.com

Wanda McLaughlin, CPRW, at Execuwrite, at (480)732-7966

Kevin Tucker at C-Cubed Career Consulting, (480)892-9204.

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