Michael DeSafey | Executive Recruiter and HR Professional
Environmental Resume Writing: Highlighting Your Impact and Expertise
In the competitive field of environmental careers, a well-crafted resume is your ticket to securing the job of your dreams. Environmental professionals play a pivotal role in preserving our planet, and your resume should reflect your commitment, expertise, and impact in the field. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into the art of environmental resume writing, offering insights, tips, and strategies to help you stand out and land that coveted environmental job.
Begin with a Strong Summary
Your resume should start with a compelling summary or objective statement. This brief section should convey your passion for environmental work, your expertise, and your career goals. Use this space to grab the employer’s attention and make them eager to read on.
Tailor Your Resume to the Job
One of the most critical aspects of resume writing is customization. Tailor your resume to the specific job you’re applying for by highlighting relevant skills, experiences, and accomplishments. Use keywords from the job posting to align your resume with the employer’s needs.
Highlight Your Education
In the environmental field, education plays a crucial role. Clearly list your degrees, including the institutions attended, dates of graduation, and any relevant certifications or licenses. Include your GPA if it’s impressive, but it’s not always necessary.
Emphasize Relevant Experience
Your work experience is the heart of your resume. Showcase your environmental expertise by detailing your previous roles, responsibilities, and accomplishments. Focus on the experiences that directly relate to the job you’re applying for.
- Use bullet points to describe your accomplishments, highlighting the impact you made. For example, instead of saying, “Conducted water quality tests,” say, “Conducted water quality tests that led to a 20% reduction in contamination levels.”
- Quantify your achievements whenever possible. Numbers and percentages help employers understand the scale and significance of your contributions.
Include Volunteer Work and Internships
If you have volunteered for environmental organizations or completed internships, include them in your resume. Volunteer work and internships demonstrate your commitment to the field, even if they were unpaid experiences.
Showcase Technical Skills
Environmental professionals often require technical skills, such as data analysis, laboratory techniques, GIS (Geographic Information Systems), and environmental modeling. Highlight these skills in a dedicated section of your resume, especially if they align with the job requirements.
Highlight Soft Skills
In addition to technical skills, emphasize soft skills that are valuable in the environmental field. Skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership are highly sought after in the workplace.
Include Professional Affiliations
Mention any professional associations or memberships relevant to your field, such as the Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI), the National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP), or the American Society of Environmental Professionals (ASEP).
Share Your Environmental Impact
Environmental employers are interested in candidates who can demonstrate their impact. Use specific examples to illustrate how your work has contributed to environmental sustainability, conservation, or positive change. Showcase projects, initiatives, or research that made a measurable difference.
Demonstrate Adaptability
The environmental field is dynamic, with ever-evolving challenges and technologies. Show your adaptability by mentioning any continuing education, courses, or workshops you’ve completed to stay current in the field.
Customize Your Resume’s Format
The format of your resume matters. Consider using a chronological format if you have a strong work history, and use a functional format if you’re changing careers or have gaps in your employment history. Ensure that your resume is visually appealing, easy to read, and free from errors.
Include a Relevant Cover Letter
A well-crafted cover letter can complement your resume. Use it to explain why you’re passionate about the environmental field, why you’re interested in the specific job, and how your skills and experiences align with the job requirements.
Proofread and Edit
Attention to detail is crucial. Proofread your resume carefully, checking for spelling, grammar, and formatting errors. Consider asking a friend or mentor to review it as well. A polished resume reflects your professionalism.
Use Action Verbs
When describing your experiences and achievements, use strong action verbs to convey a sense of responsibility and accomplishment. Examples include “managed,” “implemented,” “designed,” and “oversaw.”
Quantify Achievements
As mentioned earlier, quantifying your achievements adds weight to your resume. Use numbers and percentages to illustrate the impact of your work. For example, “Reduced energy consumption by 15% through the implementation of sustainable practices.”
Be Honest and Transparent
Honesty is paramount in resume writing. Never exaggerate your accomplishments or qualifications. Be transparent about your experiences and skills.
Seek Professional Assistance
If you’re unsure about your resume or want to ensure it stands out, consider seeking assistance from professional resume writers or career counselors. They can provide valuable insights and help you tailor your resume to the job market.
Online Presence
In today’s digital age, employers may also review your online presence. Ensure that your LinkedIn profile and any professional social media accounts align with your resume and showcase your environmental expertise.
Be Prepared to Discuss Your Resume
During interviews, be ready to discuss the content of your resume in detail. Provide context and elaborate on your experiences, accomplishments, and how they relate to the job you’re applying for.
Keep It Concise
While it’s important to showcase your achievements, keep your resume concise and focused. Aim for a two-page resume unless you have extensive relevant experience. Be mindful of the employer’s time and attention.
Conclusion:
A well-crafted environmental resume is your key to unlocking rewarding career opportunities in the environmental sector. By showcasing your impact, expertise, and commitment to environmental causes, you’ll stand out to potential employers who are eager to hire professionals dedicated to preserving our planet. With attention to detail, customization, and a clear presentation of your qualifications, you’ll be on your way to landing your dream environmental job and making a positive impact on the world.
Webuild Staffing Agency is a leading executive search and staffing agency dedicated to the construction, engineering and environmental industries. To learn more please visit: www.webuildstaffing.com
How to Update Your Resume Without Rewriting the Whole Thing
How to Update Your Resume Without Rewriting the Whole Thing
Job hunting has changed dramatically over the past few decades. The days of “pounding the pavement” looking for work door-to-door are long gone. Today, most applications are initially gathered and processed online. And while not every job posting requires one, your chances of landing a good position are always better with a quality resume. Nowadays, even entry-level positions in blue-collar fields like construction, paving, and environmental jobs will require that you send a resume. If yours has been figuratively gathering dust, here are some time-efficient tips to update it.
First Things First: the One-Page Rule
No matter how extensive education and experience, keep your resume to a single page. Some sources claim a two-page resume is okay, but we disagree. With potentially dozens of applications to review each day, the hiring manager is unlikely to look at anything beyond page one. Keep it concise, don’t waste their time —and if you catch their eye, they will be the ones asking for details.
Write an Attention-Grabbing Objective and Update it as You Apply for Positions
Now that you’ve cut down to the most essential information, you want to make sure it will be read. The first portion of your resume that’s meaningful to your audience is the objective. Here, you’ll describe what you’re looking for in a workplace, but also nail down the industry.
Write your objective near the top of the page —underneath your name and contact information— so it’s always easy to find and edit. The idea is to tailor your objective to each job application. While keeping the rest of your resume the same, you might send this for one application:
- Objective: To find full-time, entry-level construction work in the X area, and further grow my carpentry skills.
And this to another company:
- Objective: To use my years of experience in carpentry in a construction job in X location.
On the other hand, avoid objectives that are too broad and unspecific:
- Objective: I’ve developed some carpentry skills over the years and I’d really like to work in construction and learn more.
You can always tweak that objective line to reflect the business you’re applying to. Never apply to a position using a one-size-fits-all resume that doesn’t reflect the industry!
Now that you’ve told potential employers what you want from them, it’s time to show what you can offer them.
Capture an Interview with Great Work Experience
Now, don’t misunderstand us —we’re not saying you should make it up. So, you may ask, what if I don’t have great work experience? Well, it’s all in the way you present it. Not everyone can boast having worked on life-changing projects, but valuable work experience doesn’t have to be glamorous. Some of the least prestigious jobs can still demonstrate that you are hard-working and dependable. Highlight how they have equipped you with valuable transferable skills for the workplace. Most interviewers are looking for reliability first, while training and expertise come later. Use your resume to highlight your reliability, and any actions you were involved in that brought value to the company. For instance:
- Janitor at ABC Restaurant — ABC depended on me to arrive at work at 6:00 am every day for ten years, to make sure the restaurant was ready for business. I also helped research and select new cleaning products and more affordable cleansers over the years.
Don’t think this type of work experience is irrelevant if you are no longer looking for a cleaning position. By pitching your daily dedication and your valuable opinions to ABC management, you’ve made yourself look valuable to prospective employers too!
In summary, every resume is different. But the best ones are a single page, include an objective that’s tailored to the industry, and showcase your value as an employee. If you’re still unsure or need help creating an impactful resume, visit www.webuildresumes.com to learn more.
Michael DeSafey is a leading executive recruiter for professionals in the construction, engineering and environmental industries. He is currently the President of Webuild Staffing www.webuildstaffing.com . To learn more about Michael or to follow his blog please visit www.michaeldesafey.com
10 Resume Tips for Professionals in the Construction Industry
10 Resume Tips for Professionals in the Construction Industry
Preparing a resume that is organized, succinct, and eye-catching is one of the best ways for construction professionals to launch a fruitful job search. Eye-catching resumes typically feature highly desired skill sets, relevant certifications, and impressive projects that were completed ahead of schedule and within budget. Below are ten simple resume writing tips that everyone in the construction industry should follow.
1) Tailor your resume to the type of position you are seeking. Employers are often searching for candidates with a specific set of skills. Review commonly required skills for the type of position that you are seeking and be sure to include references to your skills in those areas. Examples of specific skills that are frequently sought in the construction industry include:
- Expertise in construction law
- Incorporation of sustainable design strategies
- Equal Employment Opportunity Employment expertise
2) Include the number of people you managed. It is particularly important to mention work experience that involved supervision of multiple teams of people or a large number of workers. Hiring managers recognize that there is usually a big difference between a candidate who has managed a team of 15 laborers and a candidate who has overseen 150 laborers.
3) Highlight relevant certifications. Industry certifications set professionally trained candidates apart from the pack and often instill confidence in recruiters and hiring managers. Examples of key certifications to consider including are as follows:
- Certified Construction Manager (CCM)
- Construction Safety Certification
- OSHA Hazardous Waste Operations & Emergency Response (HAZWOPER)
- Any CPR or First Aid related certifications
4) Highlight three or four of your most notable projects. Be sure to reference the budgets associated with each project to provide hiring executives with an idea of the magnitude of the ventures that you have overseen. You can also showcase your flexibility and breadth of experience by including a diverse collection of projects within the public, commercial, and residential construction arenas.
5) Showcase successful projects that were completed ahead of time or under budget. Continued construction labor shortages are leading to an increase in project delays and overspending. Completing projects ahead of time or under budget is more impressive now than ever, so construction professionals should not be shy about highlighting their ability to exceed client expectations.
6) Reference familiarity with special tools or software. Remaining competitive in the construction industry requires a commitment to learning the latest cutting-edge
- Building Information Modeling (BIM) software
- Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software
- Familiarity with 3D visualization and architectural animation
7) Prepare an impressive portfolio of references. Include people who can provide feedback regarding your skills and aptitudes. Additionally, if a specific skill is required for a position you are actively pursuing, be sure to include references who can discuss your achievements in that area. For instance, if a position requires a candidate with a history of supervising 100+ workers, make sure that the references you include can speak about your ability to oversee multiple teams of workers.
8) Include your LinkedIn URL. A growing number of hiring managers and recruiters are looking at LinkedIn profiles to confirm candidates’ legitimacy and industry connections. Make sure that your profile is up to date and that there are not any consistencies between information on your LinkedIn profile and your resume.
9) Reference any awards or special recognition you have received. Awards that are relevant to the company or position for which you are applying are especially helpful. Examples of relevant awards include the following:
- Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc (ABC) awards for excellence in construction
- Construction Industry Safety Excellence (CISE) awards for safety improvements
- Any local or state awards received for outstanding achievements in the construction industry
10) Seek the input of an expert staffing professional. Enlisting the assistance of a leading executive staffing agency is one of the best ways to ensure that your resume is professional and complete. A dedicated agency representative can also provide assistance with career coaching and other job-related activities. Ideally, the agency you choose should have decades of experience providing guidance to professionals within the construction industry.
The role of a well-organized resume should not be understated. By following the tips above, construction professionals can enhance their chances of grabbing the attention of hiring managers.
Michael DeSafey is a leading executive recruiter for professionals in the construction, engineering and environmental industries. He is currently the President of Webuild Staffing www.webuildstaffing.com . To learn more about Michael or to follow his blog please visit www.michaeldesafey.com