Basics, fundamentals, first things first, square one, starting from scratch. Well, maybe we don’t need to go all the way back, but how do you start a job search when you are ready for the next step in your career, the one requiring a move to another organization? You’ve thought about your options and to continue to grow and be challenged you need to make a move. If this sounds like you, this is for you. Basic steps to get you to a good start in your job hunt. So where do you start?
- Can you find yourself?
Of course, you are working on your resume and LinkedIn page. As a logistics recruiter, I always advice active candidates to take a couple of days off from editing their LinkedIn profile and resume to then take a fresh read on their content. Would you be able to find yourself? Do you have the words that define your functional knowledge and your soft skills describing your experience and what you’ve done?
You need to make sure you have these words on your resume and your LinkedIn page. Recruiters do key word searches, so take a step back and make a list of the words that describe your background.
- Make a list of your strengths and skills. Determination, dedication, discipline are strong skills, for example. Identify which are the ones that define you as a professional. There are lists you can Google to help you. Differentiate these from the functional skills.
- Make a list of your functional skills. These are the ones that define what department you worked and what you did. Research & Development, Warehouse Management Systems, Inventory Management, Process Improvements, Freight Management, Customs Brokerage, etc. These are skills that identify your functional career path.
- Select a few to be on your summary, LinkedIn and resume. You can add a block of 7-9 words on your resume below your summary– don’t add too many to your resume that dilute the focus but select the ones that show the weight of your experience and indicate the direction you want to be in. On LinkedIn, you can add a few more because it is a looser format. The question I always get is does it matter where these words are on my LinkedIn page? No, but yes. The search results will pick them up on your LinkedIn page, but I like to have them on the top summary because it is easier to find to know who you are right away, helping me decide if I am going to read on and scroll down.
- Does your summary rock?
- Your summary should accurately describe you and help the reader define you. You may have several versions of your resume but be consistent and focused in each. The best summaries have your industry, major recognizable brand names if you have that and if relevant a product line you have most experience with. Example: “Logistics Professional with 15 years of experience in Transportation and Warehousing with UPS and XPO focused on startups and implementing Warehousing Management Systems, Transportation Management System and rebuilding teams to improve bottom line.”
- To go a step further, you can add one accomplishment that you are proud of to show the impact you made. Example: “Implemented warehouse automation resulting in annual cost savings of $x nationwide and improving customer satisfaction by x%”
These tips are simple yet effective. As a logistics recruiter, these are the first areas I scan while looking at resumes and LinkedIn profiles. Take the extra moment to fill out these areas to stand out from other candidates. For more guidance or help, reach out to a logistics recruiter to see how else to make your profile more searchable and resume more polished. The time put into creating these will pay off in the end when it lands you in your next big career move.
-Written by: Sylvia Moreira,Supply Chain and Logistics Recruiter, Practice Leader