1. Resume Preparation and Interviewing Skills
Andrea Hough, VP Talent Acquisition

2. Demystifying the Process
Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
Key word search – Often people are not looking at your resume
Volume of resumes – 440,000 received by ServiceMaster companies in 2013
Quality of candidates – Overqualified candidates
Lack of communication – Don’t take it personally

3. Your Resume
Is the first meeting between you and the recruiter/employer
Opts you in or out of the recruitment process
Is your personal calling card for a potential new role

4. General Resume Principles
Educates employer on desires, skills and abilities
Create a custom resume for every position applied for, file by company in a three ring binder. Carry with you at all times.
Don’t misrepresent or over exaggerate your background; Be able to support everything contained within your resume
Focus on strengths, accomplishments, and any cost saving efforts to the company
Cover letters are often not read. Only submit if requested.

5. Objective/Summary of Qualifications
Summary of your work background and/or job interest; Can also emphasize skills that you possess that aren’t obvious from your past work experiences
Sets the tone and helps confirm where you are and where you want to be
Can either be a short statement or bulleted list of your qualifications
Relate your existing skills to the job you are seeking

6. Objective/Summary of Qualifications
Avoid over-generalized statements
Avoid statements that focus on what the company can do for you only
Make the statement as specific as possible
“A position allowing me to utilize my previous skills and experience in a different environment.”
“A position where I can gain experience working on computer issues.”
“A position which allows me to apply my six year background in customer service to a high volume customer base with complex issues.”

7. Education
Listed at the end of your resume if you have been in the workforce for more than five years
List highest level of education first
High school can be omitted if you have other levels of education
Include: Degree, Major & Date of Graduation
Can include GPA for Master Level Degrees (at least 3.5 & higher)
Include pending graduation dates/ education without degrees obtained

8. Work Experience
Company Name, Company Summary, Job Title, Location, Dates of Employment
DO NOT write out the following on your resume: [Responsibilities include or Duties include]
Use Action words to describe your duties
Focus on Accomplishments & Achievements in each role

9. Work Experience Examples
Supervised a group of 8 Call Center Representatives for multiple company brands with a call volume of...
Receives over 100 calls from customers with a variety of issues and complaints regarding service and contract agreement provisions; Resolves and updates database within a 24 hour reporting period
Recognized as the Employee of the Month three times in a six month timeframe (accomplishment)

10. Adding Some Buzz Word “Flavor”
Use crisp action verbs, adjectives, and nouns to describe your past positions
Analyzed
Influenced
Managed
Negotiated
Success
Responsive
Consolidated
Customized
Facilitated
Launched
Revamped
Remedied
Spearheaded
Organized
Broadened
Implemented

11. Why Behavioral Interviewing?
Traditional Interviewing:
Traditional hypothetical questions elicit rehearsed answers
Traditional interview questions do not allow the interviewer to assess actual abilities
Inconsistent and lacks compliance
Behavior-Based Interviewing:
Past behavior is indicative of future performance
Involves real talents, skills, and knowledge of the candidates
Questions focus on the actual past behaviors of the candidate
Candidates give specific examples of past performance
Assures all candidates are asked the same questions

12. Examples of Behavioral-Based Models
The CAR model of interview preparation provides you with a systematic way to practice and become familiar with behavioral-based interviewing
C – Circumstance
A – Actions
R – Results

13. Examples of Behavioral-Based Models
C – Circumstance
The letter C in the CAR acronym refers to circumstance. Describe a situation so that the employer can place himself/herself in your shoes and understand the importance of the event you are relating.
For example: “As advertising manager for The Campus Digest, Tuskegee’s student newspaper, I was confronted with the fact that advertising revenue was significantly decreasing – many advertisers were not renewing contracts.”
A – Actions
The letter A in the CAR acronym refers to actions. After setting the stage by describing the circumstance, tell the interviewer the specific actions you took to resolve the problem.
For example: “I designed a promotional packet and compared the benefits of advertising in The Campus Digest with other advertising media in the area. I also set up a special training session for the account executives to discuss competitive selling strategies.”
R – Results
The letter R in the CAR acronym refers to results. PLEASE understand that your interview goal is to demonstrate a results-oriented background. Connect your accomplishments to the position you are seeking. Even if the results didn’t turn out as you planned, tell the interviewer what you learned from the experience and what you would do differently next time.
For example: “As a result of my efforts in designing a promotional packet and sales staff training, we signed contracts with twenty former advertisers for daily ads and five for special supplements. We increased new advertisers by twenty percent.”

14. How Can I Prepare for a Behavioral Interview?
Make a list of your greatest accomplishments – Start this list today
Align your accomplishments by skills and competencies
Analyze the type of positions for which you’re applying. Leverage the actual job description. What skills are required by employers?
Know your resume. A resume is often the basis for many questions.
Wherever possible, quantify your results. Numbers illustrate your level of authority and responsibility.

15. How Can I Prepare for a Behavioral Interview?
Be prepared to provide examples of when results didn’t turn out as you planned. What did you do then?
Before starting the interview process, identify 2 to 3 of your top selling points and determine how you will convey these points (with demonstrated CAR, PAR, STAR stories) during the interview.
Once employed, keep a personal achievement diary to help document demonstrated performance (CAR, PAR, STAR stories).

16. Behavioral Interview Questions
Relationships & Networks
“Please give me your best example of working cooperatively as a team member to accomplish an important goal.”
“Please describe a time when you built a professional relationship outside of your own team. How did you gain that person’s trust?”
“Please describe a time when you faced your most difficult challenge in working with someone else.”
“Please describe a time when you used effective listening skills and probed a customer or colleague to understand their real needs.”

17. Behavioral Interview Questions
Courage & Candor
“Please describe a time when you disagreed with a decision.”
Agility
“Please tell me about a time when you were forced to change your day-to-day activities in light of an organization change or unexpected event at work.”

18. Behavioral Interview Questions
Initiative & Foresight
“Please describe a time when you took the initiative to do something without being asked.”
“Please tell me about a time when you recognized a personal development need.”
Results Orientation
“Tell me about a time when you missed a business or project deadline.”

19. Questions? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?