Recruiters and managers often undertake telephone screening before selecting candidates for interview. While the initial review of resumes is used to filter most applicants out, the impression made during telephone screening can be the deciding factor in being selected for interview.

The nature of the call may range from a brief chat about your background to a lengthy discussion similar to a face-to-face interview.

Be prepared for the following questions before the phone rings:

• Tell me more about your current role?
• Why are you looking to leave your current job?
• What appeals to you about the advertised role?
• What do you think your strengths are in relation to the role?
• What is your current salary package?
• What are your salary expectations?
• When will you be available if you’re successful?
• Are you free for an interview on [date/time]?
• Do you have any questions?

Keep the following tips in mind when applying for jobs:

• Keep a list of the jobs you’ve applied for so you are prepared when the phone rings. Asking, “Who?” and “What job was that about again?” sets a negative tone for the conversation that can be difficult to overcome. Have a copy of your resume at hand to help answer unexpected questions
• Most recruitment firms’ phone numbers are blocked so answer all calls professionally and identify yourself clearly. If you don’t live alone, warn other members of the household that you might be expecting calls on the home phone
• Avoid answering the phone while in the shower or toilet — your enthusiasm might be admirable but the person on the other end of the line will know where you are from the background echo
• Leave a professional message on your voicemail; if you have a ‘press the hash key to leave a phone number’ service then consider activating voicemail for the caller’s convenience
• Be upfront if you can’t talk at length and make a time to call back. If the recruiter isn’t available, leave a message with blocks of time you will be free to increase the likelihood of your call being returned
• Take notes during the phone call as similar questions may arise during the interview
• Thank the interviewer for his or her time. Before hanging up, remember to ask about timeframes for the rest of the process and when you will receive feedback
• Keep your diary nearby to schedule interviews or note when to follow up progress of the role

Be organised, practice your phone technique and have concise responses ready for expected questions. Above all, remember that telephone screening is an interview under a different guise and is an important part of the recruitment process.

Taking action

I woke in the silent hours one night and thought, “It’s all well and good to identify existing skills and set a direction for a career change, but how do you manage the most difficult phase of making it happen?”

This article will discuss:

• How you will feel – understanding and managing the ‘I could if I wanted’, ‘I should do that one day but now’s the wrong time’, and ‘I didn’t really want it anyway’ messages of resistance that can creep in
• How you can act – practical ways of taking action to create new job opportunities

How you will feel

Associated with any job search is the emotional rollercoaster of anticipation, fear, excitement, dejection, elation, anger, validation and frustration. Some doubts are real: after investing time and effort forging a new career opportunity, you might learn that your dream wasn’t what you imagined, or a modified version such as taking up the vocation as a hobby feeds your desire without full-time commitment. Other times, doubt is a symptom of resistance and your sense of objectivity can be clouded when discerning the difference.

Three qualities in particular will help you succeed during a career change:

• Courage – being brave enough to face the down sides and follow through when obstacles seem overwhelming
• Persistence – going to bed after a tough day and doing it again tomorrow when giving up seems easier
• Awareness –reflecting that many actions will not seem to yield results, and using judgement to know when to change your approach or try with more or different effort

It could be said that persistence is the most important quality of the three, but persistence is of little use if your approach is focused on unproductive activities. Courage is valuable when self-doubt clouds your vision or people around you question your choices, and awareness is the voice that understands and calms the feelings associated with rejection when opportunities seem elusive.

Many other personal qualities will come into play including a positive attitude, focus and gritty determination but harnessing courage, persistence and awareness help support and foster the others.

How you can act

A well-rounded job search will include directly approaching companies, looking for lateral opportunities to gain experience or develop contacts and the traditional method of applying for advertised positions. Sending your resume ‘cold’ to recruitment agencies is a safe but low-success action, and should be considered a supplementary activity unless agencies specialise in your field – you’re at least one link removed from the companies that have the power to employ and most agencies can’t forecast what jobs will be on the books in the future that might suit you.

The direct approach

After completing your transferable skill audit and determining the industry, work environment and role you’re seeking, it’s time to convert activity into action.

Direct approaches to companies carry with them a high level of effort and risk because there may be no vacancies today, next month or even next year, but the benefits of approaching the source are the possibilities of bypassing agencies and competing with possibly hundreds of other candidates if a job is advertised. A well-researched, intelligent approach to an organisation also demonstrates your personal qualities such as initiative and motivation.

Research the industry and list the companies that appear to align with your values and prepare a one-page letter of introduction to accompany your resume. The standard guidelines of job applications apply such as perfect spelling and grammar, making the effort to find and use contacts’ names and titles, and using good quality paper if e-mailed resumes or database registration are not the preferred methods of expressing interest.

The lateral approach

If you have little or no experience in your chosen vocation and the likehood of a direct approach yielding success is low, can you gain experience through:

• Undertaking formal qualifications or a course
• Volunteer work
• Being mentored
• Working in an unrelated job in the industry to gain industry experience
• Starting your own business

Can professional or person networks help? Can you open doors with:

• Online and other professional networks
• Industry associations
• Contacts in the industry or a related industry you wish to enter
• Attending career expos

Don’t discount any form of contact or assistance as you don’t know where an important lead will come from, however, be attentive to focusing most of your activities with the goal in mind. Sure, a few new writers have won book deals from their blogs and media personalities have been created from reality show contestants, but they are the minority. For the rest of us, a job search is about consistent, directed effort.

The passive approach

I am not by any means discounting the role of newspaper ads, online job boards and recruitment agencies, but you as a candidate swim in a pool with many other candidates all waiting to bite at the same hand that might feed them, with little or no knowledge of where and when a suitable opportunity will appear. Scanning the web and applying for advertised vacancies is an important daily component of a job search, but it is a ‘wait and see’ approach and should be bolstered with direct applications and networking. Also, I’ve recruited for jobs that have attracted more than 600 applicants; even perfectly-matched candidates have a challenging time of being seen after the first few hundred resumes are reviewed, and the likelihood of a career changer being invited for interview is unfortunately low.

Regardless of the methods you employ, keep a record of each approach and job application – there is little use creating a professional first impression and forgetting where you sent resumes when a phone call is received (the “Oh, did I apply for a job? Hang on while I have a look,” response occurs often).

Focus on undertaking a well-rounded search, evaluate your progress regularly and call upon your reserves of courage, persistence and awareness. And all the best with creating opportunities and bringing about this change in your life.

The first article in this series focused on identifying and extracting your transferable skills in preparation for a career transition.

Completing a stocktake of your background details what you have done throughout your career. The focus of this article is to step closer to answering the ‘What do I want to do next?’ question if you are unsure of your career or study direction.

The surveys below will be most useful if you are seeking to clarify your work values and motivators. If you already have your next career move planned, benefit can also be gained by completing the lists (especially the work satisfiers and work settings) when evaluating companies and opportunities.

To iterate the words of caution in the previous article, note that this series is intended as a guide only and more comprehensive advice can be gained from other sources including books, coaches, psychologists and professional networks. Those undergoing major change such as dealing with redundancy or considering leaving the workforce to commit to full-time study may benefit greatly from specialised one-on-one support.

What will I learn about myself?

Four areas relating to career and personal satisfaction will be examined:

• Preferred skills – the levels of competence and satisfaction using your skills
• Career values – aspects of a job that are important to you
• Work settings – preferred industries to work in
• Career action constraints – identifying potential barriers to career entry or change

To complete the surveys, either print the pages below or save a copy of the Word document I have prepared (the formatting is much nicer and you can copy and paste quickly). Unfortunately I can’t acknowledge the creators of the original index cards from which these surveys were developed as they have been handed down through a few generations of career consultants. I hope you gain benefit from them.

Preferred skills – the levels of competence and satisfaction using your skills

Using the left column of the list following this table, place each skill in the cell that matches with the level of competence column and how much you enjoy using the skill on the left side.

For example, using decision making skills has been evaluated as holding a high level of competence and a moderate level of satisfaction, while some skill and great interest have been determined for a job involving negotiation.

Career values – aspects of a job that are important to you  

Using the left column of the list following this table, place each value in the column that matches with the degree of importance in your work.

Work settings – preferred industries to work in

Using the list following this table, place each work setting in the column that matches your degree of interest.

Career action constraints – identifying potential barriers to career entry or change  

Using the left column of the list following this table, place each constraint in the column that matches your situation.

The fun part of taking the quizzes is over and now it’s time to review and interpret your results. What themes emerged? Any clues regarding your career direction? Clarify potential choices? Most importantly, did you learn something about yourself?

Use the understanding you’ve gained from this information as part of your personal tool kit when defining and pursuing opportunities. The next part of this series will discuss turning intent into action and overcoming motivational barriers during the process of change.

The Christmas period is a productive time to wind down and set personal and career goals for the year ahead, especially if you are considering a career change. An important part of planning change is to document your skills and personal values and this article will focus on the first stage of taking stock of your existing skill base. In the next article, I’ll discuss techniques and provide some tools for understanding your values and motivators.

Note that this series is intended as a guide only and more comprehensive support can be gained from other sources including books, coaches, psychologists and professional networks. Those undergoing major change such as dealing with redundancy or considering leaving the workforce to commit to full-time study may benefit greatly from specialised one-on-one support.

In the meantime, everyone will benefit from understanding their skills and experience in preparation for a career transition.

What are transferable skills?

A transferable skill is experience, a skill or qualification that is relevant when considering:

• A resume update
• Negotiating a promotion
• A transfer to a different division of a company
• A change of industry or position
• Entering the workforce
• Re-entering the workforce
• Moving from self employment to salaried employment
• Options and opportunities arising from redundancy
• General career stagnation and exploring new paths

Why are transferable skills valuable?

The primary benefits of detailing your transferable skills are to gain an in-depth understanding of what you can offer an organisation, together with helping set the direction of your next move. If you are unhappy in your current job, a stocktake can help pinpoint the reasons for your dissatisfaction and increase the likelihood of success in your search for a more suitable and satisfying opportunity.

Where do transferable skills come from?

Employment will provide most transferable skills, however, graduates, people returning to work or changing careers need to delve more broadly to identify skills gained outside their work history. For example, a self-employed builder might have excellent project management skills from co-ordinating multiple sites and work teams, while a personal assistant could have developed event management skills from organising trade shows, functions, budgets and suppliers.

Consider extracting transferable skills from:

• Employment
• Work experience placements
• School, university, vocational and other courses
• Volunteer work
• Committees and clubs
• Self employment and freelance work
• Tutoring
• Hobbies and sport

A simple method of identifying and documenting transferable skills

There are several ways to identify and document skills, including mind maps and highlighting sections of your (updated) resume, but the method you choose will involve identifying:

• What – what is the skill?
• How – how is the skill demonstrated, such as through work experience or training?
• Level – what is the level and depth of the skill?

An extended checklist also provides a simple approach. Rule a piece of paper into four sections (or create a document) to detail your skills under each heading. You may like to add other skill groups including ‘Creative’ and ‘Manual/Trade’ depending on your background and intentions.

The example below is for a relatively new entrant into the workforce who is seeking a full-time customer service position. She is drawing from employment, community involvement, sport and study to compile a list of transferable skills. After completing the audit, she will have a clearer idea of her easily-transferable skills, which to sell most strongly in her resume and where she may need to undertake further study to overcome major skill gaps.

The example used in this article focuses on someone who has a clear objective. The next step — if you know something needs to change but are unsure of your next career move — is to understand your values and motivators in more detail, which will be discussed in the next post.

When handled with skill, the final minutes of a job interview can consolidate the positive impression you worked to build throughout the meeting. An ill-prepared or awkward finale can undo much of the effort you made confirming your suitability for the position.

To prepare for a professional finish, ask yourself before the interview:

What information do I need to make a sound decision if offered this role?

Research the company’s performance, recent news and goals before the interview to minimise time spent discussing easily-gathered information and free more time for you to demonstrate your worth.

Listen actively to the interviewer during the conversation to ensure time isn’t wasted discussing information already provided. Asking a question that has been answered earlier – even because of nerves — will leave the impression that you are inattentive and have poor listening skills.

Determine the interviewer’s sincerity if you are invited to ask questions at the end of the interview and look for signs of impatience such as pen tapping to decide if you have been genuinely allocated time. If you are confident, have the most important two or three questions ready to make the most of the opportunity and avoid the potential trap of taking over the conversation.

What if I don’t have any questions?

If the interviewer appears keen to wind up the interview or your questions have already been addressed, an appropriate response is, “I don’t have any questions at this time as you have covered everything off extensively, but I’d like to thank you and confirm my interest. I believe I can contribute … [conclude with the most relevant points of your 30-second statement.]”

If the meeting was terminated early, you will be able to learn more about the role if you are called for a follow-up meeting or if a verbal offer is made. Many interviewers provide their business cards but consider post-interview contact the exception rather than the rule – there is often little use asking more questions about the role until you learn if you are proceeding to the next stage.

The essential questions

Basic information about the position should have been provided, but ensure you know the location, any direct reports, travel requirements and the normal working hours. ‘Occasional overtime’ means different things to different people – I once applied for a role and didn’t learn until the interview that, “There’s some night work involved,” meant 14 consecutive night shifts.

Ensure you leave the interview understanding the rest of the recruitment process and anticipated start date. Will you need to take half-days off your current job for medical examinations or psychological appraisals? Your prospective employer may want the soonest possible start date while your current employer might require the longest possible resignation period.

The useful questions

One of the most valuable questions is to ask the priorities for the first six or 12 months. The interviewer will define the most important tasks and you are able to respond briefly with your specific experience and skills that address the employer’s challenges.

I also like to ask, “What are the first priorities on commencement?” The question helps define the employer’s immediate priorities, especially if the position is new or vacant and the wish list has grown long. You will be given clues about which of your skills will be most valuable at the onset and can mention in response to the interviewer’s answer.

The interviewer’s opinion of company culture, values, management and decision making styles will be biased but are valuable questions that can develop a deeper understanding of how the organisation functions.

Questions to leave unasked

Avoid asking questions relating to salary and conditions until you’re the preferred candidate or the interviewer raises the subject. First interviews with a recruitment agency are often more frank in relation to salary — be prepared to discuss your current salary package and expectations.

Be wary of asking detailed questions about staff benefits and promotion – while your mission is to find out as much as you can about the company, role and prospects, you are still a candidate and need to emphasise what you can bring to the company.

A popular interview closing question is, “Do you have any concerns about my ability to do the job or anything else you’d like to know?” The interviewer’s job is to determine your suitability and if he or she needs to ask more questions. Avoid planting the seed of doubt as the interviewer will be doing enough of that already!

At the conclusion of the interview, thank the interviewer for his or her time, shake hands and reiterate your interest in the role. Remember to avoid phoning family and friends about the interview until well outside the building. Unlike a former candidate who questioned the personality traits of her potential peer group immediately after an interview, you should never forget who could be standing in the elevator lobby.  

Defining and putting to paper your career statement can create one of the most useful tools in your job search kit. A few lines of text that summarise your experience, strengths and personal qualities can provide the following benefits:

• A framework to comfortably and concisely answer the “Tell me about yourself” and “What are your strengths?” questions at interview
• Increased self awareness of the direction you want your career to take
• A career summary in your resume underneath your personal details helps the reader form a positive impression from the outset
• A guide to extract some of the key messages to include in your cover letter
• Greater ease and focus discussing your background and aspirations during social and networking events

Creating your career statement

• To generate themes and keywords, try dividing a page into columns with headings of qualifications, experience, achievements and personal qualities. A mind map is also a useful way to lay out the structure

  

• Compare your main themes that arise with your resume as a memory jogger, and show to someone trusted who may think of qualities that you might have forgotten, not been aware of or possibly undervalued
  
• Cross out anything you don’t want to mention or use in the future
• Prioritise the remaining words according to importance and relevance to your future
• Draft a generic statement written in the third person that brings together your qualifications, experience, achievements and personal qualities and re-work until you are satisfied
• Save the overarching statement that you can modify according to the positions you are interested in

Examples

Personal assistant:
Personal assistant with extensive experience providing support to senior executives in large organisations. Strong Microsoft Office skills, organised, diplomatic with exceptional presentation and a proven background organising corporate events and working with management at the most senior levels.

Marketing manager:
Experienced and degree-qualified marketing professional with strong results in building and developing client relationships and opening new markets globally. Successful background fostering business networks in a range of industries, providing sound and well-researched advice and assisting Australian companies compete successfully in the worldwide market.

Clothing shop manager:
A natural leader with extensive experience mentoring and managing teams of retail assistants. Successful record of exceeding sales targets, sound financial management, implementing visual merchandising campaigns and providing the highest level of customer service.

• - Inadequate company and interview question research
• - Lack of preparation for the interview day
• - Inability to acknowledge and manage sources of fear

Some nerves are useful as they reflect the desire to perform well, however, uncontrolled stress responses can cause a debilitating inability to think clearly and form coherent responses. The differences between candidates at interview stage are often minor and an attack of stage fright can tip the balance from receiving an offer to being sent a ‘no’ letter.

The interviewer’s job is to learn enough to decide if you’re the most suitable candidate for the position; your job is to the make the interviewer’s job as simple as possible. Managing your nerves with adequate research, preparation and management of your fear will make your job more effortless on the day.

Research

Being invited to an interview implies that you have already conducted enough research to attract interest but take the extra step. Undertake in-depth company research including local operations, latest news, restructures and events that impact on the employer’s industry. There is every likelihood you will be asked the, “Tell me what you know about our company,” question and a knowledgeable response indicates you are prepared and interested in the company and role.

Know yourself inside out. Have responses prepared to stock questions such as your greatest achievements, current salary package details, future salary expectations, resignation period required in your current job, areas your application and background are strong for the position and where you will need to call on transferable skills. Master a 30-second introductory statement (an article discussing this will be posted another time) that encapsulates your experience and is relevant to the role’s requirements.

Prepare for the standard questions you’ll most likely be asked. Know why you are interested in the company, why the company should be interested in you, your strengths, your weakness, the managerial style you perform best for, your five-year career aspirations, the reasons for leaving your current or previous employment and what your referees would say about you.

Predict the position-related questions you’ll be asked. Dissect the key words in the advertisement, clues from telephone screening and the company’s values on its web site and put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes: what questions would I ask to glean this information out of candidates?

By following this advice, you can usually predict more than 90 per cent of the questions you’ll face and can respond with the most suitable examples and polished delivery.

Preparation

When I worked for an executive recruitment firm specialising in positions paying $75,000 to $200,000 per annum, I was amazed at the number of candidates who arrived unprepared for an interview. Some were an hour early, many were half an hour late without a courtesy call, a few arrived at the right time on the wrong day, and others didn’t know which job they had applied for or had forgotten the name of the consultant they were meeting – in a company with more than 30 recruiters, the receptionists were kept busy teasing hints out of nervous and disorganised candidates.

Take the time the day before the interview to give yourself every chance to control the controllable.

Check public transport timetables and catch the train or other transport at least one service before you need to arrive. If you are driving, check car parking availability, pricing and length of time on parking meters – a one-hour parking meter may not be enough and your mind might wander 45 minutes into the interview worrying about a possible fine. Ensure you have enough change for fares or parking meters.

Is it possible to find out the interview structure, such as one-on-interview, a panel of several interviewers or a group assessment? Knowing the interview format can help you visualise the situation you’ll be entering.

Pack in your bag or briefcase a copy of the job advertisement, the contact details of the person you’re meeting, a copy of your cover letter and resume, a list of referees and other information that has been requested such as photo identification and originals of qualifications.

Check your interview outfit for cleanliness and suitability and pack a handkerchief or tissues, mints, pen and a shoe polishing cloth. Take a small umbrella if rain is predicted but practice packing the night before to ensure you aren’t lugging armloads of items to the interview – a positive first impression can be harmed if you need to scramble to shake hands.

Importantly, make a list of the questions you’d like answered by the end of the interview, such as the remainder of the recruitment process, decision timelines and the main objectives of the role for the first six or 12 months. You will be prepared to close the interview professionally when you are asked if you have any questions.

Fear

There are several kinds of interview-related fear which include:

• Fear you won’t be offered the job
• Fear you will be offered the job
• Fear you’ll be stuck in your current employment (or unemployment) if you don’t win this job
• Fear of the unknown

Fear of the unknown during the interview is one of the greatest factors affecting performance. Fortunately, this source of anxiety can be managed and reduced.

In addition to undertaking research and preparation, arrive quarter of an hour before the interview time and spend five minutes reviewing your application and recalling the name of the person you are meeting before presenting to the interview. You will have enough time to settle and relax but not too much unallocated time to start talking yourself into nervousness.

If stress is negatively affecting your performance during the interview, it’s all right to acknowledge some rustiness and brush off your nerves – once. As soon as you have identified the jitters, it’s time to say goodbye to them and focus on your performance; the interviewer’s sympathy can extend only so far and then it’s up to you to sell yourself confidently.

Be mindful of your breathing, repeat or paraphrase questions before answering as forgetting questions is a common interview stress response and be aware of your body language and pitch of voice. You may never be comfortable during a formal conversation but fostering positive body language can help lead you into a more relaxed and confident state. Remember to smile at appropriate moments and above all, remember at the interview stage the interviewer has a positive impression of you and wants you to do well.

I know, analysing your achievements and updating your resume ranks in the fun stakes alongside compiling a tax return and returning faulty Christmas gifts on Boxing Day.    

It’s important, though, because your resume and cover letter are often the first impression you’ll provide to a recruiter or human resources manager who doesn’t know you from the dozens (or hundreds) of other applicants for a position. The reader has limited time to assess your suitability for the next stage of the recruitment process and decide between calling you to organise an interview or to send a ‘no’ letter.

Based on the last thousand resumes I’ve read, a tenth are cleanly formatted, easy to read and provide a clear picture of the individual, a quarter are serviceable personal marketing documents, half fail their objective of showcasing the applicant’s background and rely on a patient reader to search for the relevant information, and the remainder can be described as sloppy.

Create a copy of your current resume as a master document and work through each step – the update may take longer than an hour depending on the current state of your resume, but I promise it won’t hurt too much.

Step one: the big picture

Step two: the detail

Step three: the nitty gritty

Now you will be looking at a rejuvenated resume that’s up to date, easy to read, grammatically correct and showcases your strengths, skills and level of experience. If not, perhaps it’s time to call for professional assistance.

The era of leaving a job with photocopies of a one-page-fits-all written reference to take to interviews ended long ago. Telephone reference checking enables recruiters and employers to customise questions and probe details that may require clarification after interview, but do you include your referees’ contact information on your resume?

For:

• A complete package of information is provided up-front and can help ensure a smoother recruitment process
• Applying for a position in the same industry sector might make your referees recognisable to the interviewer and give your application more clout. Known and respected referees make you partially reference checked before a call is made
• For contract and temporary work, speed is of the essence and delays in finalising reference checks could compromise a job offer
• Some employers conduct reference checks to filter the most suitable candidates before interview

Against:

• Referees could be called to discuss your suitability for a position before you are contacted. It happens more often than you might think — a contractor working for me applied for a full-time job and was sitting next to me when the agency called me to conduct a reference check. She had sought my permission to act as a referee and told me about the role she applied for, but had lost control of the process and I was caught with no preparation time to speak on her behalf in private
• If any sensitivities surround your current employment or you are looking at joining a competitor, your working life could be made uncomfortable if your employer is contacted unless absolutely necessary or you are unsure about accepting the new role
• Your referees’ details could end up scanned on recruitment firms’ databases for networking purposes. For instance, one of the easiest ways to assemble a short-list of sales managers for an unadvertised role through an agency was to search the database for newly-registered salespeople and call their managers listed as referees to see if they were interested in the opportunity

Exceptions:

• Most government departments and some corporate organisations request the contact details of at least two business referees at the start of the application process. Provide the details requested unless you have a compelling reason to withhold information as you may give the impression that you lack attention to detail

  

• Some companies include a ‘seek my permission before contacting my referees’ check box during the online application process. I’ve witnessed the box ticked twice and referees subsequently contacted twice without permission, which indicates a low success rate. Again, consider the implications of refusing to provide and release information

My opinion is unless specifically requested to provide referee details, state ‘available on request’ on your resume and maintain a separate document with up-to-date referee contact information.

Regardless of which way you decide, choose your referees with care and follow these standing guidelines:

• Include your current manager or immediate past manager if possible – the most recent referees are considered the most valuable

  

• Try to maintain at least three business referees; most companies check two and more will give you scope to cover unavailability

  

• Stay in touch with your referees about your career movements and job applications so they are prepared to take calls and discuss your background with knowledge of the job you are in line for. A surprised referee makes you look disorganised

  

• Check your referees’ contact details regularly – when I worked with an agency I spent many nights in the office chasing referees located in unfriendly timezones everywhere from the top of a mountain to the inside of a submarine while candidates thought their referees were keeping business hours in the office

In addition to giving a more dynamic and punchy feel to your resume, action words provide the reader with an accurate story of the level of your accomplishments: Did you lead, participate or support? Direct, guide or sustain? Create, advise or implement?

Choosing the right words to articulate your achievements makes your resume stand out and allows the reader to critically assess the extent of your experience.

Example:

“My duties included developing new business in the building sector” is passive and lacks context and leaves the reader with the unanswered question of, “How did you perform against your peer group in your last role and competitors for this vacancy?”

“Exceeded revenue target by 55 per cent by developing new accounts in the industrial property sector worth more than $15 million in 2009” demonstrates the depth of your experience and the benefits you can bring a new employer.

Check the wording of your resume for weak language and use action words to showcase your achievements.