College Students and Recent Grads: Include Complete Contact Info On Your Resume

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IP is over the quota

College students and recent grads: Is your resume working as hard for you as it could (and should)?

In this article let's take a look at essential contact information you need on every resume. Recently I've seen some that didn't include phone numbers, even though they did include email addresses.

Here three points of contact you should have -at minimum- on every resume, and why they're important.

1. Phone number

Your resume should always have a phone contact number. Your email isn't enough. Give a potential employer or recruiter every possible way to contact you possible. Be sure to include area code.

On your voicemail be sure to leave a professional message acknowledging the caller, and indicating a time frame by which you'll return the call. Do not leave the generic mobile phone service-provided voice mail. It doesn't confirm to the caller that they've reached the person they are looking for.

"Hi, this is Jeremy Smith. I'm not available to take your call right now, but please leave a brief message and a phone number where I can contact you. I'll return your call as quickly as possible."

Note if you are working on cross border job search:

If your number is a non-US number, be sure to include the specific country code dialing information.If you're in the US working with recruiters outside the country, be sure to include the (+1) country code in front of your US phone number.

2. Email address

Be sure to also include your professional email address. Using a school-provided email may lead employers to question how they'll get a hold of you once you leave school. Plus, as you launch your career you want to present your new professional identify with an equally professional email identity.

Get a Gmail, Yahoo, me.com or other ISP address that presents you in a professional light. Use a first name.lastname@provider.com so employers know exactly whom they're corresponding with.

Once you've got it set up, be sure to put a professional signature block that reflects your new young professional identity. Here's a suggested example for a college student in the job search. Customize for your needs.

Jackson Martin

Oregon Statue University, Class of 2012

Major in Accountancy, with Minor in Finance - 3.5 Core GPA

Voice (+1) 123-345-6789

www.linkedin.com/in/firstnamelastname

3. Your LinkedIn URL

When you build a LinkedIn profile, you can generate a URL link that allows you to tell people exactly how to find you on LinkedIn. You can see how it's clear who the profile owner is.

To create your own LinkedIn Profile URL:

Log in to your account.In the upper right hand corner to the left of your name, click the drop down arrow. Select "Settings."Under Helpful Links, click "Edit your public profile."Under Your public profile URL, click "Customize Your Public Profile URL". Select your URL name and LinkedIn will advise if it's available. If your intact name is not available, use some version of your first, middle and last name.

Once you've got your LinkedIn URL, use that as an additional contact point on your resume. Because LinkedIn allows potential employers to send you messages, it provides another option for them to do so.

If you have your email and phone clearly delineated in your LinkedIn profile as well (use a Google Voice number and forward it to your phone if you don't want to publish your personal number) you won't miss any potential connections.

Find the entire video series for college students and recent grads entitled "Should You Fire Your Resume?" You can find it on our YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/DegreesOfTransition. See you there!

Does Your Job Search Strategy Include a Headhunter?

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IP is over the quota

Is starting a job search a bit daunting?

It's no surprise given the current unemployment statistics that there is plenty of advice and opinions out there on how to conduct your job search. Fact is there are lots of quality candidates for whom the status 'unemployed' is unfamiliar territory. These candidates have enjoyed full-time employment for many years and can find the prospect of beginning a job search a bit daunting. It's a bit like getting divorced and dating again.

No short cuts a job search is a process.

Panic and pressure do not make good allies and you certainly don't want to be marching these guys into interviews with you. Reality is that the job market is tough and competition for jobs at record levels. But companies are hiring, not all jobs are advertised on job boards, quality candidates are get interviews and job offers. There are no short cuts, a job search is a process you start and doesn't necessarily end once you've secured that new job. Having a realistic plan and achievable goals will help you stay focused and land a job you want rather than one you need.

Extend your network to find the best opportunities.

The best opportunities are going to come from your own network; you are far more likely to get an interview if you have been referred to a hiring manager by an employee versus knocking on the front door with the rest of the competition. Research suggests only 40-60 percent of jobs are publicly advertised and the higher the position and salary the less likely the position will be advertised. Extending your network will enable you to access this 'closed job market' a find quality opportunities. Working with a headhunter is a good way to extend your search and get access to jobs that are not publicly advertised. They can add a lot of value to your network and extend your search to companies outside of your existing contacts. But be selective, do some research and choose a headhunter that specialises in your sector, check out their website for testimonials and look for content you can relate to as opposed to marketing blurb.

Two types of headhunters.

There are two types of headhunters; those who work exclusively on retained projects and those like VadarMoss who besides searching for candidates for retained and live opportunities also use their knowledge of the market and client networks to create opportunities for candidates. Being on the radar of one of these recruitment companies and developing a relationship with the headhunters will complement your current job search strategy and offer longer term benefits.

Headhunters are choosy about the candidates they work with; they don't have the bandwidth to represent every candidate that approaches them. A referral from an existing candidate or client will be better received than approaching them cold.

No guarantees.

There are many channels to finding a new job and none of them come with any guarantee. I've reviewed 1,000's of CV's and interviewed hundreds of candidates and in my experience it's the resources you utilise and the amount of effort you but in to your job search that's a big factor in determining the results.

What resources have you found useful in your job search? Have you worked with headhunters and was it successful? Visit our blog http://www.vadarmoss.com/blog/ or visit our website http://www.vadarmoss.com/

Gary is the Operations Director at VadarMoss and manages the tools, technology and resources to allow our recruitment consultants to search for the best candidates. As part of his responsibility to ensure the company runs efficiently on a day-to-day basis, Gary recently spearheaded the move of our IT systems into the cloud, significantly improving the performance of software applications and processes. Gary has over 15 years' experience in ICT and as a lover of technology and Social Media he keeps VadarMoss apace with the evolution of executive search in the 21st Century.