Four Tips on Having the Best Resume from These Caterpillar Recruiters
As Executive Recruiters, Leon Van Hook and Sasha Fernandez review the best of the best to join team Caterpillar. Their roles focus on filling senior leadership roles within the enterprise, and they use a detailed approach to match business needs to the right candidate.
Working with these types of candidates has provided them insight as to what it takes to make an individual successful within in an organization. Whether you’re mid-level, or just starting out, here are some resume tips from these recruiters:
Resume DO’s
1. Tell a Story
As a recruiter, Leon says it’s important to communicate the right information as clearly as possible by telling a story. He recommends using the STAR method of interviewing within your resume as well to let recruiters know why you are qualified and unique. Sasha says it shouldn’t read as transactional, it should be a well-rounded story.
2. Make an Impact
Sasha says to use measurable data to show how you made an impact in an organization. She says she looks for candidates that have shown career progression and those who make an impact on business processes, operations and have demonstrated entrepreneurship. She recommends bullet pointing out your information and providing as many detailed metrics as possible, while keeping it succinct.
3. Be Transparent
Both agree that transparency stands out. If you’ve had gaps in employment, it’s important to call out why that is. Leon also suggests only putting skills on your resume if they’re applicable to the role and can be fact checked by your recruiter.
4. Stand Out
Sasha says she looks for individuals with a well-rounded background. She also says a big teller of a successful candidate is what they’re doing outside their regular job duties in order to develop themselves and their organization. She suggests earning certifications, working on projects outside of your business unit and staying as knowledgeable as you can.
Resume DON’Ts
1. Filling your resume with “fluff”
“There’s too much valuable real estate on your resume to spend it on fluff,” says Leon. He says a resume should be no more than two pages depending on skill level. He recommends leaving off personal information and summaries that don’t include metrics in order to maximize your space.
2. Using the same resume for every application
Each resume should be tailored to the position you’re applying for. Sasha says each application should be tailored slightly to address the requirements of the role. Each bullet point should be directed towards what matters to the organization.
Advice
Leon: “Be current with the market, not what’s going on only in your company. Make sure you can articulate your value to the organization and are up to date with what’s going on in your industry. Regularly check on what skills are valuable in the market and be proactive in developing yourself. Be prepared for your interview before you have one scheduled. Remain competitive.”
Sasha: “It’s easy to keep changing jobs but you should focus on opportunities that allow you to grow and learn. This will add to your skill set and help elevate your abilities to add value and continue to grow within an organization. As long as you have the end in mind when writing your resume, you’ll start seeing how roles align to your career goals.”
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