HRinmotion Blog – Career advice from HR Pros

What Makes A Good Early Childhood Educator Resume?

Well, where do I begin?  I have hundreds of post on this site providing resume tips writing along with sample resumes.  While I cannot cover every aspect of what makes a good Preschool Teacher resume, I will discuss a few of the major points below.

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Know the Requirements For an Early Childhood Educator

My first Early Childhood Educator resume tip:  You first need to have a good understanding of what the employer is looking for and what the job requires.  Sometimes, it is easy to forget what our job really requires because we do it everyday.  So take a moment to think about the knowledge, skills and abilities that should be listed in an Preschool Teacher resume.  Ask yourself what personality traits are needed to be a good Early Childhood Educator.  By asking yourself these questions, you get yourself into the right frame of mind needed to write your Early Childhood Educator resume.

For example, when I write an Preschool Teacher resume, this is what comes to mind for the type of work.  Organizing fun things for children in preschool and school-age children, Early childhood educators play an integral role in a child’s intellectual, physical and emotional development. An early childhood educator or  Preschool Teacher works with and leads ECE assistants to watch over children in child-care centres, day care, kindergartens, nursery schools, and special education agencies for exceptional children.  As such, Early Childhood Educators should show an employer their experience planning activities, teaching arts and crafts, encouraging learning and managing the classroom or groups of children.

Highlight Core Early Childhood Educator Competencies

Now my second Early Childhood Educator resume tip, follows the first:  Knowing the traits required for your Early Childhood Educator job, is important because a great Day Care Worker or Early Childhood Educator sample resume highlights the core competencies required of the job.  Core competencies are like the essential traits required to be successful for Preschool Teacher jobs.  In other words, a good Early Childhood Educator sample resume should highlight traits like patience, caring and compassion, ability to multitask, ability to teach, passion for teaching children and so forth.

Focus on Your Accomplishments As an Early Childhood Educator

Let’s face it, employers want employees who can deliver results.  This brings me to my third Early Childhood Educator resume tip:  In your Preschool Teacher resume, it would be beneficial for you to highlight your Early Childhood Educator career related accomplishments.  This means you need to give examples of where you increased profit, revenue, decreased profit, improved efficiency and so forth.  Mention awards and recognition you earned as an Early Childhood Educator.  Don’t limit yourself to just formal awards and recognition.  For example, suppose you are Sales Associate and you achieved the most sales but win a company award for it, mention this in your resume.

If your work as an Early Childhood Educator or Day Care Worker is not easily measured then use social evidence such as testimonials and references to demonstrate your accomplishments on your resume.  A quote from a former employer or customer inserted in your resume can show any employer that you are the one to hire.

Don’t Be A Needle In The Haystack

Most employers today use software programs or a database to manage their resumes.  No one searches resumes manually, instead employers use their software programs to search for job candidates.  When it comes to resume search queries, one of the most often used job searches is to search for candidates by job title.  Because of this, the job title you list can determine if your Preschool Teacher resume will be found.  For example, if you work as an HR Manager but your job title is “People and Talent Manager”, you might be better off listing “Human Resource Manager” in your resume for better searchabililty. For more tips on how the job titles listed in your resume can affect your chances for landing your next job interview, check out our article “Don’t Get Pigeon Holed By Your Resume“.

For Early Childhood Educator sample resumes and Day Care Worker resume examples.

Fake It Till You Make It

According to news sources, former presidential candidate Joe Bidden has done it.  Former Primer Minister of Canada, Kim Campbell has done it, so has former Radio Shack Chief Executive, Dave Edmondson.  What I am talking about is lying / misrepresenting on your resume or RESUME FRAUD.

Below I have just a small list of very famous and powerful people who have been reported to have lied on their resume.  You may be surprised at who has made the list, what they lied about, and how much money they have made from it!  It seems just a little unfair to me that these rich guys faked their way to the top while today’s job seekers need to pass urine tests, criminal background checks, and proof of a PhD to work the drive through at McDonalds.  It definitely seems unfair to me that some of us work hard to get our credentials, while these guys just made up theirs.

Should You Lie or Mislead in Your Resume?

Judging by the salaries made by the members on this list, it may look like lying on your resume pays off but it don’t do it.  There are several reasons you should not lie on your resume.  For starters you will be caught, with the age of the internet information is more easily obtainable than ever.  This means you can lie but you will be found out.  The other is that hiring circles can be small and we talk.  I can remember one applicant in particular sent to me by a recruitment agency who lied on his resume.  The long and short of it was that he was blacklisted not only from my former employer (a large provincial company but also from the circle of recruitment companies that specialized in this industry).  In Recently one of our articles on resume fraud was published in 24 hrs newspaper, a publication for the greater Vancouver area.

Anyway, this got me researching on the famous people  who have made resume fudge.  Below are a few famous folk that have been reported to have lied or at the very least stretched the truth on their resume.

Anyway, without further ado, here is my list of famous resume fudge:

Famous Resume Fudge

Joe Bidden – Former American Presidential Candidate

Plagiarism and exaggeration on academic record.

Jane Fulton – Former Deputy Minister of Health, Alberta

Government commissioned report and concluded she was guilty of overstating about 12 accomplishments.  She retained her position. – Halifax Daily News, April 5, 1995

Ralph Klein – Former Premier of Alberta

In 1993 he indicated he graduated from high school when he had dropped out. – Halifax Daily News, April 5, 1995

Jag Bhaduria – Former Member of Canadian Parliament

Used initials LL.B (Int.) after his name suggesting he holds a law degree.  He dropped out of liberal caucus. – Halifax Daily News, April 5, 1995

Kim Campbell – Former Prim Minister of Canada

Resume indicated she was fluent in German, Russian and Yiddish.  Lost next election, no longer active in politics. – Halifax Daily News, April 5, 1995

Terry Popowich – Former Vice President, Toronto Stock Exchange

Resume claimed he had an MBA from London School of Economics.  He was fired when the truth was discovered that he did not hold such degree. – Halifax Daily News, April 5, 1995

Dave Edmondson – Chief Executive, former RadioShack

“Busted for faking his college degree. Edmondson claimed to hold diplomas in psychology and theology from Pacific Coast Baptist College in California. There was no evidence he ever graduated from the school.”  Source:  Forbes, 2002.07.07

Ronald Zarrella – CEO, Bausch & Lomb

“Pulled the same stunt, claiming an M.B.A. from New York University’s business school in his bios for 10 years. He’d started the program, but he never graduated”. Source:  Forbes, 2002.07.07

Submit Your Own List Of Fudgers

Of course, you have my commitment that I will be adding to this list as my research continues.  In the meantime, if you have some news on famous people who have lied on their resume or committed resume fraud, feel free to contribute by adding:

1.  Adding in our comments.  Share your thoughts about with the rest of the world about this dishonest behavior.

2.  If you have a story about resume fraud then share with us.

An interesting study on discrimintation conducted by University of B.C. Associate Prof. Philip Oreopoulos, suggests that job seekers with foreign sounding names have less chance of getting a job interview.

In this study, fake resumes were sent out with the exact same qualifications to determine what role the applicant’s name played in the job search process. The results indicate that applicants with foreign names had less chance of being called for an interview.

Public reaction to the findings have been varied. To some Canadians with ethnic names, these findings comes as no surprise. There are many examples of highly qualified immigrants who experience trouble finding work in their field. While other Canadians, see this study as one sided by not examining the discrimination perpetrated by ethnic employers against English sounding names. And lastly, there are some who think that these findings are completely untrue. In fact, some believe that visible minorities benefit at the expense of white males from the preferential hiring practices of some employers.

So while the opinion and reaction to this study is mixed, one thing for sure, “a rose by another name” does NOT smell as sweet…..

What do you think?  Do you feel you been discriminated against due to your ethnic background?  How do you feel about the findings of this study?

View News Clip On Hiring Discrimination

PS -  Whether you discriminate against a foreign name or a white male, it is illegal and contravenes the human rights legislation.  For our foreign readers interested in working in Canada or new Canadians, see our article on how volunteering can help your job search and volunteering resources.

“I have a gap in my employment history, how should I handle this?”

We receive many questions on how to handle employment gaps.  There are many reasons for taking a break in employment.  Some of the common reasons are:  travel, childcare, elder care, school and so on.

It is important to be prepared to address any employment gaps both in your application and interview.  This means you should explain to the hiring manager what you did in that time you took off from work.  And it would be a bonus if you can explain how what you did in this time has helped prepare you for the role that you are applying for.

Most employers are concerned about employment gaps only if it suggests a lack of motivation, employability and so forth.  So whether you left the workforce to start a family, go back to school or be a competitive athlete explain this.  You can do this either in your in your cover letter, resume, and job interview.

If you don’t address this gap in employment, the employer is left to come to their own conclusions.  Unfortunately most people assume the worst in the absence of information or when facing the unknown.  Thus, whatever you do don’t lie or misrepresent by omission.  Failure to explain gaps and misrepresentations can create doubt in the integrity of your application.  You can also be terminated if you are hired under false pretense.  Depending on your field, the hiring circle can be very small so be honest in your application.

What if your gap is related to a disability or illness?  Again the same points apply here.  Be honest and address it upfront, don’t give the employer an opportunity to be suspicious.  You can frame the gap positively by explaining that you took the time to nurture positive traits and skills like perseverance, teamwork, patience, in your effort to over come or manage your disability.

Lastly, a good strategy to strengthen your application is to volunteer.  It is a well known fact that you are most employable when you are currently employed (ironic).  Volunteering can have the same effect, since it shows the employer that you are socially responsible, well-rounded, responsible and so forth.  For further resources on how volunteering can help your job search see our post.

Until next time, we wish you much luck and success in your career.

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Recently, a resume client asked for my thoughts on the “Hobbies and Interests” section in her resume.  She is client care rep who was applying for a client care manager job.  According to her resume she has 12 years of experience in customer service, a bachelors degree in psychology and apparently a fondness for painting with water colors.  She felt it was important to let the recruiter know about her outside interests and being passionate about her art she felt she should include this but wanted to get my opinion.

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Additional sections at the end of your resume can be very useful and even play a strategic part in your application.  They can strengthen your resume, leave a good last impression and make your resume more personal giving it a human touch.  The important thing is not whether the additional resume information is playing hockey, knitting or painting.  The key  here is to only include job relevant information.  For example, a while back I created a resume for a elementary teacher entering the field.  At the end of her resume, I included a hobbies section that indicated she enjoys teaching her nephews how to dance.  Not only was this her true passion and past time but it personalized her resume while demonstrating to the recruiter that she truly loves teaching young children.  So while you may have fantastic interests and hobbies ask yourself does the recruiter need to know this?  The key is to include hobbies and interests only if they related to the job requirements and strengthen your application.

Some other great skills to list as an additional could include (if job relevant):

• Fluency in other languages
• Professional associations and groups
• Publications
• Public speaking events
• Awards, achievements and recognition

So the above are great suggestions for you to include as additional resume sections.

Some of the ones I would omit unless they are a job requirement include:

• Height, weight, health, marital status and religion

While it may seem new to you, I do see many resumes that indicate volunteering with religious organizations and so forth.  Some candidates include this type of information only to get worried and then second guess the decision for fear of discrimination due to religion.  My thought is why include this information if you are not sure, and it makes you less confident in the interview.  My view is again, unless a job requirement don’t include it.  For example, if you were applying for a job as a Fitness Instructor, adding a section in your resume to indicate you are the treasurer for the ABC Religious Organization is not relevant.  This might be seen differently if you were applying for a job as a book keeper.  Anyway, this concludes today’s post on the “Hobbies and Interests” section in a resume.  Until our next post, we wish you much luck and success in your career.

For more information on resume writing check out the links below:

Need help with your resume? Get your resume written by HR professionals!

Would you prefer to do it yourself?Take our interactive online course for skills to last a career!

The following article – Make your resume sizzle, was written with the job seeker in mind during these tough economical times. What better advice can we start with to bring in the new year then resume writing. The article below provides valuable information for job seekers to sell themselves on paper from a human resources perspective.

For more information on resume writing and cv writing services:

Need help with your resume? Get your resume written by HR professionals!

Would you prefer to do it yourself?Take our interactive online course for skills to last a career!

Generic Resumes Don’t Work Well

As a resume writer and HR professional, not targeting your resume is one of the number one mistakes I see often made.  When I say targeting, I mean tailoring your resume to speak to the employers requirements.  A well-written resume is one that at a glance speaks to the job requirements, and the ideal candidate.  Despite this, I see many resumes that contain tons of information that has absolutely nothing to do with the job or what the employers looking for.

Tossing Your Name In the Hat

When a hiring manager comes across an resume that is not tailored, the impression is that the candidate is not serious about the opportunity.  A good resume writer creates the impression that the candidate is focused in their career.  Hiring managers can spot when the applicant took the old, “throw your name in the hat” approach.

It takes a lot more work to tailor and to customize your resume to the specific job requirements, but the effort can be well worth it.  It could mean the difference between landing your dream job for getting bypassed.  I know it’s a lot less effort to write a generic resume, and then far them out. But let me tell you something when you take this approach, it’s obvious that it does not impress.

Doesn’t Have to Be Pulling Teeth

While it looks labor-intensive to customize your resume for each job application, it doesn’t have to be.  Even small changes to customize can make a huge difference to your chances of getting a job interview.  And it doesn’t matter what level or what industry you’re in, resume tailoring can help.  We have worked with entry-level management to CFOs, and the concept still holds.  Even for those who are just entering the workforce need to customize their resume speak to the job requirements.  By doing so, you will be communicating to the employer that you are serious about the job application, and that you are the person that they need to call in for an interview.

To illustrate, let me give you an example that at even the lowest level tailoring makes a difference.  My niece, is looking for a summer job in retail.  She went malls and shopping centers, and completed job applications and handed to resume out.  A few weeks had gone by and she did not get any calls.  When I looked at her resume, it was a classic situation of a resume that was not tailored and did not sell all of her wonderful qualities.

I’m not just saying this because I’m a proud uncle, but she really is an outstanding young person.  She’s the oldest of three sisters entering grade 10 and she’s very bright.  She’s an honor roll student who achieved all A’s except for one B on her report card.  She’s on various sports teams and is pretty good at all of them.  Most importantly, she competes with wonderful sportsmanship (while I can take credit for her jump shot, unfortunately, I cannot take credit for the sportsmanship award).  She won an award for best school citizen in elementary school.  And when she is not studying at practice she volunteers with veterans and seniors.  Okay, my point is not to brag about her accomplishments (well, just a bit) but my point is to show you an excellent candidate who got bypassed because of a poor resume.  I see this all the time, whether or hiring for an Project manager, a programmer, or a customer service manager – people undersell themselves with a poor resume.

So how did our resume writer help this talented young job seeker, my niece, who was entering the workforce?  Her competition was other high school students students, her own age with no experience.  She also competed with older students, who perhaps has had their first job.  So in a labor pool that appears homogeneous, with an applicant that has no work experience, what could she do with her resume to help her stand out from the crowd?

In other words, how can I customize her resume to make it unique, to make it stand out from the crowd, and get her an interview?

Although covering the entire resume, let me demonstrate how making even a small change to tailor your resume to make a difference.  I inserted a resume summary or profile as the first paragraph on the first page and highlighted her achievements.  Here’s how it looked before and after:

Before:  The first half of the first page

EDUCATION

2006-2008    Willow Secondary School·

• Grade 9 Completion: June 2008·
• Straight A Student·
• Principal’s Honour Roll: 2007 and 2008·
• Work Habits Honour Roll: 2007 and 2008.

WORK EXPERIENCE

2007 – Current:             ABC Pizza, Kingsway, Burnaby BC·

• Cashier·
• Food preparation·
• Clean up·
• Provide outstanding customer service.

After:  The first half of the first page

Summary

Responsible and hardworking student with work experience in hospitality.  Experience includes cashier, food preparation and customer service.  Proven ability to learn quickly, take direction, work efficiently in a fast-paced environment.  Customer service focused, energetic, good communicator, flexible to work mall hours, enjoys working in team environment, neat and punctual.

“Her maturity, her enthusiasm to learn, her ability to get along well with others and work independently are all qualities that I expect from an older student.  Emily is clearly the type of student that in everything that she tries.”

Jane Smith, High School Teacher, Willow Secondary

Education and Achievements

• Willow Secondary School – Currently completing Grade 9.
• Girls Volleyball Team City Finalist (some team sport).
• Outstanding School Citizen Award 2003/2004 – Little River Elementary School.
• Achieved all A’s on report card.
• Principal’s Honour Roll and Work Habits Honor Roll: 2007 and 2008.

So what I did there was simply paint a picture of a young and talented student, who is hardworking and a high achiever.  Someone who does well at whatever she tries not for extrinsic reasons for is internally motivated.  But even making small changes like flexible to work mall hours, the resume now speaks to her target job of retail mall position.

What I showed you, the principles apply whether you are a CFO or looking for your first retail mall job.  Create a resume as unique as you and speak to the job and employer’s requirements and you will have success more times than not.

Until next post, we wish you much luck and success with your career.

Need help with your resume? Get your resume written by HR professionals!

Would you prefer to do it yourself?Take our interactive online course for skills to last a career!

Were you born between 1946-1964 and referred to as a Baby Boomer? If so, you may be feeling the noose tightening around your neck as your career and window of employment is looking bleak. Although you aren’t ready to retire and you have a lot to offer, employers may be thinking differently. So how do you attract recruiters and employers without being seen as being “over the hill”? A good start is with your resume and keeping your skills and experience current. Here is an article that lists simple ways you can update your resume to keep yourself current and looking attractive.

View Article

An effective resume is one that is written for BOTH the recruitment software AND the human screening device. Remember, that behind every recruitment software and computer is a human. And while your resume must get pass the “recruitsoft gatekeeper”, ultimately it must also evoke an emotional response from the hiring manager. An effective resume will create such an emotional response, and cause the reader to read on. This emotional response is what I like to call the “wow effect”. So when writing your resume, aim for this “wow” effect and remember to write for both the recruitsoft and the hiring manager.

For more see our online job interview and resume writing courses. So until our next post, we wish you much luck and success in your career search.

Need help with your resume? Get your resume written by HR professionals!

Would you prefer to do it yourself? Take our interactive online course for skills to last a career!

An employer usually takes about 60 seconds to screen a resume. With so many resume submissions, the task of going through each resume thoroughly one by one can become tedious and mundane. You want to gain an employer’s attention up front and retain their interest to make them want to exceed the 60 seconds. So how do you accomplish this task? Although a well formatted resume is important, it’s the content that makes the biggest difference.

Having screened thousands of resumes for employers, here are some helpful suggestions our team at HRinmotion want to share with you from human resources perspective:

• Describe your skills, experience and knowledge up front. You want to ensure that your descriptions are relevant to the job you are applying for.

• Italicize key words to stand out. Since an employer only takes 60 seconds to screen a resume, the italicized words represent importance and attract the reader. Again, these words should be relevant to the job posting

• Avoid gaps in employment. You want your employment history to flow from one position to another. If you have gaps (e.g. Maternity leave, extended vacation etc.) mention it in your resume.

• Explain reason for short stay. Nothing scares employers away then a resume showing short stays at various places of employment. If these are contract or temporary positions, make sure you mention this on your resume.

• Describe key accomplishments for each position listed. This is your chance to share how you positively impacted the employer. (e.g. Lead a group of 5 people to complete a 2 million dollar system upgrade within a specific time and within budget). The accomplishments should be something you accomplished that received recognition from your superior, department or organization and not something you achieved as a group member.

• Avoid copy and paste. Whatever you do, do not copy and paste information from the job posting to your resume. Be original and show how your skills, knowledge and experience align with the job posting. Also, avoid repetition from one job to the next on your resume (e.g. If you have done the same job over the past three years with three different companies, do not copy and past your job description from one to another).

The biggest question you need to ask yourself before submitting a resume is “does my resume sell me?” If you have to think before responding or unsure, then you should seek a professional resume writer. You need to feel confident with your resume before applying for job vacancies. Along with HRinmotion, there are many good resume writers available on the web. Don’t be fooled by price, cheaper or more expensive is not always better. Research a company by going to their website. If you require additional information, don’t hesitate to call or email them. A good writer will take the time to customize your resume to fit your needs and better your chances of retaining an employer’s attention longer then 60 seconds.

For more see our online job interview and resume writing courses. So until our next post, we wish you much luck and success in your career search.

Need help with your resume? Get your resume written by HR professionals!

Would you prefer to do it yourself? Take our interactive online course for skills to last a career!

Recently a customer contacted us with this request: To repair his resume and cover letter.

A bit of background, John is bright management professional with a Masters Degree and close to 10 years of experience in IT. He has spent the last handful of years establishing a promising career in information technology with a high profile IT company. His good work has earned him a solid reputation, several raises and promotions. Being the type of person who constantly seeks new challenges, he is now ready to make a career move. But John realizes that his old resume just won’t cut it, so he hires a professional resume writer.

Armed with a new resume, John hits the streets and to knock on doors. After a few weeks of job search, and less than promising results for jobs that he is well qualified for he seeks a second opinion. This is when he called us.

So why did someone so qualified get bypassed for jobs that they have experience in? The answer is simple, a bad resume. When I reviewed John’s resume, it was apparent that the previous resume writer loaded it with skills like “problem solving, interpersonal skills, communication, customer service and so on” in an attempt to make more it search able by the recruitment software (resume tracking software used by employers to manage resumes). This is a typical example of someone misapplying a resume writing technique. I really empathized with John’s frustration and confusion from hiring a professional resume writer and getting less than professional results. Anyway, below is an excerpt from his cover letter to illustrate my point.

“As a qualified, results-oriented individual who values initiative I forward my resume with pleasure to __________________, in application for a position as _____________________. Upon reviewing my resume, I believe a partnered relationship will enhance your organization via critical analysis, change management, key market analysis, business development, cost reduction, business growth and a proven track record of enhanced leadership skills.

I believe the following skills will be of value to _____________________:

• Progressive business acumen and insightful knowledge of organizational goals and requirements.
• Excellent customer service and communication skills with stakeholders, clients and customers, and key management/personnel within a paradigm of concrete performance and evaluation processes.
• Exemplary ability in project, people and program management addressing budgetary benchmarks and contractual obligations; optimizing cost/benefit performance.
• Effective team building skills, engendering a spirit of recognition, accountability, responsiveness, efficiency and competitiveness.
• Successful leadership in training and educating stakeholders, partners and customers.
• Process-oriented/results-driven……..”

While the resume and cover letter were loaded with these key search words, it read like a list or like documents that were thoughtlessly stuffed with key search words and management gibberish. A lot articles on resume writing found on the web will tell you that you need to insert key search words. However, what they fail to explain is how to work them in naturally, thoughtfully, and strategically. This is where the science of resume writing becomes a bit of an art. For John, we analyzed the employer’s requirements, the job’s core competencies, prioritized and spoke to them. Since we have previously hired for this job as HR professionals and have analyzed it to set compensation we applied this understanding to our advantage. (I feel it is important to let you in on a little secret: Those in staffing recognize the tactic of key word stuffing and hate it).

An effective resume is one that is written for BOTH the recruitment software AND the human screening device. Remember, that behind every recruitment software and computer is a human. And while your resume must get pass the “recruitsoft gatekeeper”, ultimately it must also evoke an emotional response from the hiring manager. An effective resume will create such an emotional response, and cause the reader to read on. This emotional response is what I like to call the “wow effect”. So when writing your resume, aim for this “wow” effect and remember to write for both the recruitsoft and the hiring manager.

For more see our online job interview and resume writing courses. So until our next post, we wish you much luck and success in your career search.

Need help with your resume? Get your resume written by HR professionals!

Would you prefer to do it yourself? Take our interactive online course for skills to last a career!