Coffee with a Recruiter, feat. Jared Wenzel – Resume Best Practices

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Senior Account Manager, Jared Wenzel is Blue Signal’s own one-stop shop for healthcare and managed care talent. He has 10 years of recruiting and consulting experience, making him an expert in strategy, talent development, and even resumes. In this segment of Coffee with a Recruiter, Jared tackles common resume queries that can help you stand out as the best of the best among any applicant pool. 

Question: Do I need a one-page resume?

Answer: “If the rumors about recruiters and hiring managers only reviewing resumes for a few seconds each, if those are true then yes I definitely believe you need to have a one-page resume. In regards to a lot of resumes that I see, many of them look like the person just copy and pasted their job description right into the body of the resume. While that does show an overview of what you can do, what’s really important is showing measurable accomplishments, any type of metrics, anything that you can show that you can stand out from the rest of the resumes is definitely a good way to go. 

Really what it should look like is less like a job description and more like your own personal highlight reel. The best way to do that is really just to cut the fluff. I always think of “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” - what sparks joy? What would spark joy in the minds of a hiring manager? What do they want to see? Well they want to see that not only can you do the job, but you can excel in the position. And I think showing measurable accomplishments and metrics is really going to make you stand out from the other applicants that just, again, copy and pasted the job description into the body of the resume.”

 

Q: How can I get hiring managers and recruiters to see my resume?

A: “That is a very good question! And one that I get asked a lot, because it seems like no matter how many times you send out a resume, sometimes it can be very hard to hear back from people. The truth is that oftentimes there’s a lot of people - could be hundreds of people - applying for the same job. So it’s really important to get your resume to stick out to those recruiters and hiring managers. 

For me as a recruiter, when I’m searching for somebody I’m going to be taking the position description and breaking it down into specific keywords that hopefully I’ll find on a resume or a LinkedIn profile. I think what you need to make sure is that you have keywords that are industry-term specific, like any type of business associations that you are in. Acronyms are great. I also think it’s very important to spell out those acronyms, not everyone is as familiar as you are with the industry. Anything ranging from the technology you have used, how you measure your metrics, anything like that is important. It can really identify the specific industry or position that you are looking for. 

There are resume optimization tools and certain websites where you can upload your resume and upload the position description. They’ll actually grade it by how many keywords are found based on your resume compared to the position description and give you recommendations on how to improve your resume to increase visualization. Many organizations will actually have tools that will scan resumes and grade them individually. If you don’t meet a certain grade your resume is getting kicked to the trash can, and the other ones are making it through. So tools like this are really helpful to kind of make sure that your resume can get more visibility. (Jared’s personal pick can be accessed here!) 

And once you have your resume in front of them, kind of a neat little tip is to highlight - I wouldn’t go yellow highlight - but you can bold, underline, or italicize certain metrics or measurable accomplishments that you want to make sure that human resources or hiring manager sees. Anything that draws their eye is going to grab their attention. So again, underlining, italicizing, or even bolding certain key metrics to make sure someone sees them, is a good way to get someones eyes directly where you want them to be.”

 

Q: What are some ways to take my resume to the next level?

A: “There are a number of ways which you can take your resume to the next level. First one may seem pretty obvious, but it is making regular updates to your resume. Especially as accomplishments are fresh in your mind, it’s easier to jot things down and especially make them more accurate. Now I’m totally about, you know, approximations when it comes to metrics, but obviously if you can capture them as you’ve completed them, it’s just going to make your resume look more accurate. And - no one likes to have to scramble and make updates to their resume, and look back and try to dig up all these old metrics. Especially if you find yourself without a job. So, keeping your resume current - updating it quarterly, or at the very least annually. When you’re doing your annual reviews with your direct report it's a really good time to grab those metrics and jot them down on your resume. 

The next one is to use a thesaurus. I’ve seen “dynamic” be used on so many resumes. Just put that into Google, put it into a thesaurus, and look up some variances of different words. It’s just going to make you look much more intellectual if you can throw in a couple words other than “strong,” or “innovative,” or one of the long list of cliche, descriptive adjectives people use for their resumes. Try to find something a little bit unique, and something that maybe fits your personality a little bit better too. 

I’m always a big fan of editing for consistency. You know, get down to your bullet points - do they have periods or are they open ended? Is your font consistent all the way through? How are your margins? Little things like this. I see typos all the time. Really just making sure, and keeping a close eye on things not only shows that you can be a meticulous person. Proofread, I think it goes a long way. And really, it looks way worse on a person when they find typos in resumes or in thank you notes, or anything else like that. Send it off to somebody else if you need someone to proofread it. If you see the red squiggly mark, it means it’s spelled wrong! So, try to fix that. You know, take a fine-toothed comb and go through your resume and make sure everything is pretty consistent. 

A little bonus tip for everybody, grab some references! If you know some people you work with or a past manager, get those set up and ready. Again, it’s not something that you really need to go scrambling for later. So if you can get some good people on your side, and kind of in your back pocket, it will just help for later on. Even if you don’t need it, but just in case you do, those are some good tips to help elevate your resume.” 

 

The Key Takeaways 

A resume really is the first introduction you have with a hiring authority, and just like actual intros - if not done right - it could be your last. To make sure your resume not only stands out, but also gets in front of the right audience, keep it simple by creating a one-page highlight reel, include the right keywords to get past those pesky Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) filters, and use some new adjectives to describe your style. Update your resume often, and keep good references in your back pocket in case the need arises. Finally, if all else has failed, you can always pick up the phone and call one of our expert recruiters to help get you on the right track for that next career move. 

Jared Wenzel
Jared Wenzel

Jared Wenzel

SR. EXECUTIVE RECRUITER

Jared is our own one-stop-shop for healthcare and managed care talent. With a background in recruiting, strategy, leadership development, and consulting – he knows what needs to be done to get your business to the next level. He finds the best of the best, not just the best in your zip code.

Coffee with a Recruiter, feat. Jonathan Lee

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From professional development, to management, and even having experience recruiting himself, Blue Signal’s Senior Manager of Operations has extensive experience working with recruiters, candidates, clients, and the industry overall. In our newest installment of Blue Signal’s Coffee with a Recruiter series, Jonathan Lee shared with us a two part segment on some key things people should know when working with recruiters - as both candidates and clients. Watch and read on to gather the intel you need to make the most of your recruiting experience. 

Working with Recruiters as a Candidate 

Question: “As a candidate, what should you know before reaching out to a recruiter?” 

Answer: “As a candidate, what you really should know before reaching out to a recruiter is really more about the recruiting company itself. They’re going to be representing you to the new company you want to work at, or maybe new companies that you’ve never heard of but could have your dream job, so you want to make sure the company has good reviews online. More importantly, you want to be sure they specialize in your industry or in the functionality of the role you are currently in. This is really really important. They might have a really good reputation in the industry and those big, target companies will tend to utilize those companies more. Just keep in mind that they will be representing you, so make sure who is representing you is who you want to.” 

 

Q: “Should you have anything prepared beforehand?” 

A: “As a candidate, there are actually things you should prepare before you reach out to a recruiter. This is going to be a simple tip, but I feel like there is a lot of value. Of course you should have your resume prepared and most up to date with your current job experience, current responsibilities, things like that. But also, I think it’s a really good idea and will up your chances of you being placed at that dream job if you have something like a brag sheet of rewards that you’ve won, patents you were granted, quotas that you’ve overachieved, things like that. 

Recruiters are so inundated with resumes that the more additional information that you can provide, the better and the reason is this. So whenever you send in your resume, cover letter, things like that - recruiters will put it in their ATS system. This is how they keep track of all the applicants, all their resumes. Now these systems are able to search for specific keywords. So if the recruiter has the dream job you’re looking for, or they get that dream job later on in the future, they are going to search their ATS. So the more information that you can provide the recruiter, the more chance they can reach out, the more they can better represent you, and the more likely that you’re going to get that dream job.” 

 

Q: “What is a common misconception candidates have when starting to work with recruiters?” 

A: “I think a big misconception that people have when starting to look for a new job with recruiters is that the recruiting companies find jobs for you. In reality, logically speaking, it really is a free service for the candidates. So recruiters technically find their clients people to fill their jobs and not the other way around. I’m just being straightforward and honest. So what I recommend is having patience. To really try to get ahead of that curve if you know something has changed in your current job situation, the right time to reach out to a recruiter is not when you need to find a job now, it really is a month out in advance. So keep on applying, keep on reaching out to recruiters. Make sure those recruiters are in your industry, have good reviews, are really good at what they do - and you will find your dream job.” 

 

Working with Recruiters as a Client 

Q: “As a client looking to hire, what should you know before reaching out to a recruiter?” 

A: “As a client looking to hire, there are really 3 things you need to keep in mind before reaching out to a recruiting firm. These 3 things that differentiate recruiting firms from each other are cost, speed, and quality. One recruiting firm really can’t have all 3 of these things so you really need to understand which is most important to you. All of these have their own merits and there are many different situations where one of the three would be more valued than the other. So you really just need to understand and have that alignment with the recruiting firm on which is important and they can definitely help you create that good hire that you want.” 

 

Q: “Knowing the search, what should you have prepared for your recruiter?” 

A: “Knowing the search, there are really two things you should know before reaching out to a recruiter, and these are really about your own company. The first thing is your weak points, and really being transparent when you talk to the recruiters about weak points. These weak points - whether it be bad reviews, whether it be a bad reputation in the industry - will come up throughout the interview process as candidates conduct their own research and talk to people in the industry. Having the ability as a recruiter to counter it or show that you’re having that level of transparency with the willingness to improve will always help the recruiter bring that talent and really address those weak points right up front, and help you create that good hire. 

The second point is your strengths. Now a good recruiting firm will take candidates away from their companies, not just find the ones who are unemployed. (Not to say that there isn’t good talent who are currently unemployed.) We call these strong points the sizzle. It is incredibly helpful to attract the best candidates in general, not just the ones who are available.” 

 

The Key Takeaways 

As a candidate, it’s important to do your research and make preparations before reaching out to a recruiter. Since finding you a job is essentially a free service, it helps to support the recruiter through updating your resume, setting goals, and getting on the market early. Recruiters need to know how to best represent you for the job you want, so communication is essential. 

As a client, transparency should be your priority when working with recruiting firms. You’ll need to know your goals, and know what you are willing to prioritize in order to reach them. Recruiters are masters at marketing opportunity - but in order to best market your company and the role you are looking to fill, they need to know both its strengths and weaknesses so they are fully prepared to tackle any objections as they arise. 

Blue Signal Search has over 150 years of combined recruiting experience, proving we have the knowledge you need to land that perfect job or hire. Contact us today to discuss your options and see if Blue Signal is the right fit for your next search. 

Jonathan Lee
Jonathan Lee

Jonathan Lee

SR. MANAGER OF OPERATIONS

Jonathan supports a range of customer-facing and strategic functions. He heads the operations and technical support departments and manages IT initiatives and sales support goals. He also acts as our database administrator. He excels at building customer-focused action plans to help companies reach their business goals.

Coffee with a Recruiter, feat. Wyatt Humrichous

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This Halloween season, perhaps one of the spookiest things the workforce has had to face is the shift to working remote. For our second Coffee with a Recruiter segment, we were joined by Blue Signal’s Human Resources Project Manager, Wyatt Humrichous, to discuss best practices when it comes to promoting a cohesive and engaging company culture within a remote workforce. Wyatt discussed some key points, including: 

  • Being present and consistent with remote teams can help ensure those satellite workers are staying engaged with the company culture. 
  • By fine-tuning the onboarding process, you are putting your best foot forward when it comes to including a new hire into the culture - right at the start. 
  • Simple voice-to-voice, and better yet, face to (virtual) face, communication can go a long way. Don’t underestimate the power of some traditional communication in forming bonds. 

 

Watch the video or read on to get the full scoop on combating these culture shifts! 

Question: What is one common misconception about company culture when working remotely?

Answer: “I believe a lot of people approach working remotely with this, “I could never do that, how could anyone stay motivated, working remotely just isn’t for me,” type of attitude and usually kill their fire before even considering a remote position or offering themselves the opportunity to really excel at one. I’ve found in my experience working remotely, as well as working to excite remote teams as we build out our remote model, that really the pros and cons of working in a traditional office and working in a remote office almost outweigh themselves. With the global pandemic, so many people have fathomed working from home now and have really put some thought into the possibility and reality of what that would look like. Through this experience I hope that many people will approach the idea from a different angle. 

At Blue Signal we have still been able to nurture a strong sense of community and team camaraderie by ensuring our teams are meeting weekly, if not daily. Being as present as possible and as consistent as possible are two ways to really ensure teams maintain their strength. Additionally, by doing the work of reaching out and understanding what support employees need as we all swim these new waters together allows us to create communication bonds and reassure our employees that our primary objective is to support them and see them through to their inevitable success. Finally, this may seem like a no-brainer, but by having the proper values and foundational structure in place to build your culture and policy around, you do yourself the favor of getting off on the right foot and avoid any cracks that may lead to troubles with culture down the road. At Blue Signal we adhere to a standard of excellence that is second to none, and this standard fuels our ability to provide a top notch service to our clients and be an invaluable resource to our candidates.”

 

Q: What has been one major challenge you have had to overcome in supporting a remote workforce?

A: “When it comes to supporting a remote workforce so many hiccups come with onboarding. Screening, interviewing, sending offers, negotiating, equipping, training - all of these core components of onboarding adjust greatly based on your business model and a prospective or new employee’s life-cycle experience right from the jump. By diving in and fine tuning so many of our onboarding details, we have taken what can seem like a daunting task with never ending steps and made it concise, friendly, and engaging for everyone involved.”

 

Q: What are some tricks and tips you have for keeping employees engaged with their teams in a remote workforce?

A: “With so many of us working in our siloed home offices and lacking good old-fashioned communication that we so often thrive on, I’ve found that calling employees instead of emailing sometimes is a great way to engage folks and remind them that they aren’t alone. I hear stories of employees that work elsewhere going a day - or even days sometimes - without real voice-to-voice contact with a fellow colleague. That sounds like a nightmare to me! Anytime you’re able to connect with someone via video conference or phone call, take that opportunity, as they are few and far between and mean so much more now that we don’t get caught in elevators with co-workers, or have lunch in the break room together anymore. While we are all looking forward to that again, for now it’s important to reach out in those traditional fashions. 

Also, we’ve found that by providing fun opportunities for employees to get to know each other and cut loose aside from work hours, it really can boost morale. We’ve hosted Happy Hours on video conferences, put together health initiatives to try and promote some healthy competition from our own homes and neighborhoods, we have implemented small video segments, sharing photographs and personal statements about each other, airing them company-wide for all employees to gather a glimpse of what we are all like. We have found each of these items, as well as a combination of them, to really promote the interconnectivity that we like to foster here within our Blue Signal culture.”

Wyatt Humrichous

Wyatt Humrichous, HR Department

“Wyatt Humrichous supports the entire Blue Signal team through a variety of projects including operational management and human resources support. As a subject matter expert on company culture and employee retention strategy, he is the ultimate resource when it comes to ensuring employee buy-in and overall morale.”

With over 120 years of combined experience in the industry, we have seen and heard it all when it comes to the good and the bad of company culture. More often than not, bad culture is what drives employees to want to make a move. Leverage our insight and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to hear more about our tried and true best practices when it comes to employee retention and successful company culture. 

Coffee with a Recruiter, feat. Melissa Coleman

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As part of Blue Signal’s Coffee with a Recruiter series, our own Senior Executive Recruiter, Melissa Coleman kicked us off with a discussion on some misconceptions about recruiting and the industry overall. Some key takeaways: 

  • Networking is about being helpful and becoming a knowledgeable resource within our industries - not about “stealing” LinkedIn connections. 
  • Recruiters have to be of service to both clients and candidates in order to reach their end goal. 
  • Recruiters are matchmakers, working to source and network to find candidates rather than dive into a magic drawer for resumes. 

 

Watch and read below for the full discussion! 

Question: What does networking look like for you as a recruiter? 

Answer: “As recruiters, our goal is to be a valuable resource within our industry and focus.

A lot of people, when we send a LinkedIn invite, they are worried about us stealing their connections. Let’s be real here - most recruiters have all the tools we need that we can find anyone on LinkedIn and beyond - that’s not the goal. The goal is to be helpful. We want to be helpful to people within our industry. We want to be able to network with them and help them. Whether it is directly finding a job, or sharing industry information in terms of more depth, understanding, and knowledge.

We work really hard to understand and be well-networked within our industries.” 

 

Q: As a recruiter, who do you “work” for? 

A: “Technically, from a legal perspective, we’re working for the company. The company is the client because they are always paying us. But from a realistic perspective, we work for both sides. You need the candidates. And some companies actually refer to candidates as clients as well. We need both in order, quite honestly, for us to get to the end goal. 

At the end of the day, we have to be of service to both sides. We want companies that think of us when they have a need - we want to do a good job and we want them to call us. And then we want the candidates, if they need a recruiter or if they have a friend that’s looking for a recruiter, to refer us. We’re not trying to shove a square peg into a round hole, or at least those of us that have been in the industry for any period of time. Our goal is to be of service to both sides.” 

 

Q: What is a common misconception about recruiting? 

A: “A very common misconception is that we have a magic drawer. It’s a little bit of a dated analogy, but that we simply pull out a drawer and pull out a resume. In truth, we put in a lot of effort and we have a process in order to find the right candidate for a role. 

We work with the company to understand their needs. Going back to networks, we have a good network that’s a starting point for us. But we also actively source and recruit for roles to make sure we get the right fit on both sides. We’re matchmakers. We’re looking to make sure it’s a match on both sides.” 

Melissa Coleman

“Melissa Coleman’s 15 years of recruiting experience gives her a second-nature understanding of clients’ hiring needs. When it comes to manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, and sales in IoT and AI; she has a unique capacity to review chemistry and motivation from both parties and make lasting placements.”

Curious to learn more about recruiting? Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay up to date on the latest news in recruiting, telecom, wireless, healthcare, manufacturing, and other exciting industries. To learn more about what Blue Signal can do for you, contact us for a free consultation.