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Showing posts with label resume skills. Show all posts
Showing posts with label resume skills. Show all posts
December 10, 2010
Ten Steps - Step 3 - What are your Accomplishments?
Posted by Ask The Recruiter on Friday, December 10, 2010
January 9, 2009
Resume Sample - Functional Format
Posted by Ask The Recruiter on Friday, January 09, 2009
In previous articles I discussed how to make your resume "recruiter friendly", using keywords to "optimize your resume", resume "blunders", and how to "reinvent" yourself by re-writing your resume. In addition, I discussed the variety of resume formats and when to use them.
Now, let's take a moment to review an example of a functional resume. If you are not familiar with this format read my article "Resumes and Format Overview. To set the scene the candidate is interested in applying for a customer service role in retail. The ad states that customer interfacing is required and loss prevention is desired. The position involves stocking, cashiering, and loss prevention. The candidate has customer service experience but there is a gap in employment. In this instance a functional resume is used.
(Name)
(Address)
(Best contact number)
Summary of Experience: Cashiering, retailing, customer service, housekeeping, stocking, data entry keyer, keyboarding.
Cashiering
Greet customers entering the store with enthusiasm and energy. Open and close store. Count money in cash drawer at the beginning of shift to ensure that amounts are correct and that there is adequate change. Issue receipts, refunds, credits, or change due to customers. Receive payment by cash, credit cards, vouchers, or automatic debits. Stock shelves, and mark prices on shelves and items. Maintain clean and orderly checkout and overall store area. Identify prices of goods and tabulate bills using cash register. Calculate total payments received during a time period, and reconcile this with total sales. Compute and record totals of transactions. At the end of shift, count drawers’ contents and compare the totals with sales data.
Customer Service
Interact with customers to provide information in response to inquires about products. Maintain solid customer relationships by handling their questions and concerns with speed and professionalism. Gather information either by phone or in person. Greet every customer with enthusiasm and energy. Make changes or updates to a customer’s profile or account information in computer. Use computers and telephone extensively. Frequently enter information into a computer while speaking to customers. Remain aware of the amount of time spent with each customer so that time is fairly distribute among those customers who require assistance.
Retail
Describe a product’s features, demonstrate its use, and showed various models and colors. Handle returns and exchanges of merchandise. Help stock shelves and racks. Recognize security risks and thefts and know how to handle or prevent such situations.
Work History
Customer Service Representative
ABC Clothing
09/07 - 01/09
Cashier
XYZ Company
01/07 - 04/07
Let's do a quick review:
1) There's no objective. It is replaced with a summary of experience so the recruiter or manager can read and assess this candidate's overall background in a matter of 3 seconds.
2) The resume brings this candidate's background and skill set up front.
3) The candidate's skill sets are called out using a paragraph format.
4) This candidate has a gap in employment so the decision to use a functional format was more appropriate.
Constructing a functional resume is really not that difficult. Write down all of the occupational skills (not job titles) that you have experience in and are required of the position. I listed a few of them.
1. Management
2. Administrative or clerical
3. Customer service
4. Sales
5. Transportation
6. Maintenance
7. Personal care and services
8. Healthcare
If you have or can get a copy of your previous job descriptions it may help you fill out your list. You can also reference the2008-2009 Edition of Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Then pick out and list those occupational skills that are pertinent to the position that you are applying for. Write a few sentences about your duties and responsibilities as I did in the sample. BE HONEST! You will have to talk through your resume during an interview.
[Was this article helpful? Take a moment to rate and comment about it.]
Now, let's take a moment to review an example of a functional resume. If you are not familiar with this format read my article "Resumes and Format Overview. To set the scene the candidate is interested in applying for a customer service role in retail. The ad states that customer interfacing is required and loss prevention is desired. The position involves stocking, cashiering, and loss prevention. The candidate has customer service experience but there is a gap in employment. In this instance a functional resume is used.
CONFIDENTIAL RESUME
(Name)
(Address)
(Best contact number)
Summary of Experience: Cashiering, retailing, customer service, housekeeping, stocking, data entry keyer, keyboarding.
Cashiering
Greet customers entering the store with enthusiasm and energy. Open and close store. Count money in cash drawer at the beginning of shift to ensure that amounts are correct and that there is adequate change. Issue receipts, refunds, credits, or change due to customers. Receive payment by cash, credit cards, vouchers, or automatic debits. Stock shelves, and mark prices on shelves and items. Maintain clean and orderly checkout and overall store area. Identify prices of goods and tabulate bills using cash register. Calculate total payments received during a time period, and reconcile this with total sales. Compute and record totals of transactions. At the end of shift, count drawers’ contents and compare the totals with sales data.
Customer Service
Interact with customers to provide information in response to inquires about products. Maintain solid customer relationships by handling their questions and concerns with speed and professionalism. Gather information either by phone or in person. Greet every customer with enthusiasm and energy. Make changes or updates to a customer’s profile or account information in computer. Use computers and telephone extensively. Frequently enter information into a computer while speaking to customers. Remain aware of the amount of time spent with each customer so that time is fairly distribute among those customers who require assistance.
Retail
Describe a product’s features, demonstrate its use, and showed various models and colors. Handle returns and exchanges of merchandise. Help stock shelves and racks. Recognize security risks and thefts and know how to handle or prevent such situations.
Work History
Customer Service Representative
ABC Clothing
09/07 - 01/09
Cashier
XYZ Company
01/07 - 04/07
Let's do a quick review:
1) There's no objective. It is replaced with a summary of experience so the recruiter or manager can read and assess this candidate's overall background in a matter of 3 seconds.
2) The resume brings this candidate's background and skill set up front.
3) The candidate's skill sets are called out using a paragraph format.
4) This candidate has a gap in employment so the decision to use a functional format was more appropriate.
Constructing a functional resume is really not that difficult. Write down all of the occupational skills (not job titles) that you have experience in and are required of the position. I listed a few of them.
1. Management
2. Administrative or clerical
3. Customer service
4. Sales
5. Transportation
6. Maintenance
7. Personal care and services
8. Healthcare
If you have or can get a copy of your previous job descriptions it may help you fill out your list. You can also reference the2008-2009 Edition of Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Then pick out and list those occupational skills that are pertinent to the position that you are applying for. Write a few sentences about your duties and responsibilities as I did in the sample. BE HONEST! You will have to talk through your resume during an interview.
[Was this article helpful? Take a moment to rate and comment about it.]
January 7, 2009
Resume Tips for Mortgage Industry Career Changers
Posted by Ask The Recruiter on Wednesday, January 07, 2009
The loss of a job ranks as one of the most stressful and devastating events in ones life. If you worked in the financial services sector as a loan officers, underwriter, loan processor, closer, appraiser, broker, or real estate agent you may be facing an additional challenges - how to reinvent yourself and re-write your resume. If you are a student of resume writing you know that a well written resume can get you an invite for an interview. So, how do you translate your mortgage experience and skill sets so you are competitive with others outside your industry?
I came across a well written article by Karen Hofferber. She provides helpful resume writing tips for people in the mortgage industry who are considering a career change. I do not think that I could have given any better advice. Here's the article:
"The U.S. housing crisis has led to a mass exodus of mortgage professionals from this industry. With foreclosures and defaults skyrocketing, lending guidelines tightening, and home values plummeting, opportunities for commissions are scarce and layoffs are increasing. It's tough to make a living originating mortgages when lenders and their loan products are dwindling and qualified borrowers are difficult to locate.
If you're a mortgage lending professional and considering a career change, here's some good news: armed with a powerfulcareer change resume, you can successfully break into a new industry. Here's how to make your resume shine:
1. State your goal. Remove guesswork for employers by clearly stating your career goal towards the beginning of your resume. There are several ways you can do this. My favorite is to create a resume title that spells it out succinctly -- such as "Career Goal: Medical/Pharmaceutical Sales." Another option is to write an objective (but make sure that your objective focuses on employers' needs and not just on what you want). A third choice (which I often use in conjunction with a resume title) is to incorporate your goal in a powerful opening profile summarizing your key strengths. (See #3, below.)
2. Emphasize your transferable skills. Loan officers bring a wealth of skills and knowledge to the workplace that are transferable to many industries. Examples include consultative selling, customer needs analysis, risk assessment, relationship building, presentation/communication skills, inside/outside sales, and computer proficiencies. But you have to spell out these transferable skills on your resume -- don't assume that these skills will be considered a "given" by employers outside the mortgage industry. You can incorporate your transferable skills into virtually all areas of the resume, including the qualifications summary, an "Expertise" (or "Key Skills") list, and the "Experience" section.
3. Profile your most marketable strengths. A qualifications summary is a must for career changers. Written as a brief paragraph or a few bulleted statements, it gives you the opportunity to tell employers why they should interview you. For example:
"Multimillion-dollar producer motivated to leverage six-year record of commended sales performance to transition into new product lines and industries. Fast learner of complex products; 'power user' of MS Office; and expert prospector, negotiator, presenter, and closer. Consistently deliver quota-surpassing results, and excel in building rapport and enduring relationships with key accounts."
4. Turn negatives into positives. The ability to survive during tough times is something to tout on your resume. If this is your story, consider adding a bulleted accomplishment or two highlighting this track record. For example:
"Generated steady referral business despite the severe collapse in the industry. Found creative ways to structure deals and meet client needs while adhering to lending guidelines and preserving company profitability."
5. Use comparisons, pipeline metrics, or previous production numbers if your current sales have declined. "What do I use for accomplishments when the mortgage industry has tanked?" is a question that was recently posed to me by a loan officer client. You have several options, and depending on the specifics of your situation, at least one of these should be relevant and applicable. Use comparisons to your peers if this presents you in a favorable light. For example, you may have only closed one deal last month, but if that tied for first place in your office then you can truthfully report that you achieved top ranking despite the industry's decline. Or maybe you've been successful in generating a healthy pipeline even though some of these deals may not survive underwriting. Again, highlight the positive. And even if you haven't received any sales awards this year, include previous honors. (Just remove references to the year that you received these, as in the last example, below.)
I've included a few sample bulleted accomplishment statements below. Not all of these may be applicable to you, but I hope it gives you a jumping-off point to create your own accomplishment statements:
I came across a well written article by Karen Hofferber. She provides helpful resume writing tips for people in the mortgage industry who are considering a career change. I do not think that I could have given any better advice. Here's the article:
"The U.S. housing crisis has led to a mass exodus of mortgage professionals from this industry. With foreclosures and defaults skyrocketing, lending guidelines tightening, and home values plummeting, opportunities for commissions are scarce and layoffs are increasing. It's tough to make a living originating mortgages when lenders and their loan products are dwindling and qualified borrowers are difficult to locate.
If you're a mortgage lending professional and considering a career change, here's some good news: armed with a powerfulcareer change resume, you can successfully break into a new industry. Here's how to make your resume shine:
1. State your goal. Remove guesswork for employers by clearly stating your career goal towards the beginning of your resume. There are several ways you can do this. My favorite is to create a resume title that spells it out succinctly -- such as "Career Goal: Medical/Pharmaceutical Sales." Another option is to write an objective (but make sure that your objective focuses on employers' needs and not just on what you want). A third choice (which I often use in conjunction with a resume title) is to incorporate your goal in a powerful opening profile summarizing your key strengths. (See #3, below.)
2. Emphasize your transferable skills. Loan officers bring a wealth of skills and knowledge to the workplace that are transferable to many industries. Examples include consultative selling, customer needs analysis, risk assessment, relationship building, presentation/communication skills, inside/outside sales, and computer proficiencies. But you have to spell out these transferable skills on your resume -- don't assume that these skills will be considered a "given" by employers outside the mortgage industry. You can incorporate your transferable skills into virtually all areas of the resume, including the qualifications summary, an "Expertise" (or "Key Skills") list, and the "Experience" section.
3. Profile your most marketable strengths. A qualifications summary is a must for career changers. Written as a brief paragraph or a few bulleted statements, it gives you the opportunity to tell employers why they should interview you. For example:
"Multimillion-dollar producer motivated to leverage six-year record of commended sales performance to transition into new product lines and industries. Fast learner of complex products; 'power user' of MS Office; and expert prospector, negotiator, presenter, and closer. Consistently deliver quota-surpassing results, and excel in building rapport and enduring relationships with key accounts."
4. Turn negatives into positives. The ability to survive during tough times is something to tout on your resume. If this is your story, consider adding a bulleted accomplishment or two highlighting this track record. For example:
"Generated steady referral business despite the severe collapse in the industry. Found creative ways to structure deals and meet client needs while adhering to lending guidelines and preserving company profitability."
5. Use comparisons, pipeline metrics, or previous production numbers if your current sales have declined. "What do I use for accomplishments when the mortgage industry has tanked?" is a question that was recently posed to me by a loan officer client. You have several options, and depending on the specifics of your situation, at least one of these should be relevant and applicable. Use comparisons to your peers if this presents you in a favorable light. For example, you may have only closed one deal last month, but if that tied for first place in your office then you can truthfully report that you achieved top ranking despite the industry's decline. Or maybe you've been successful in generating a healthy pipeline even though some of these deals may not survive underwriting. Again, highlight the positive. And even if you haven't received any sales awards this year, include previous honors. (Just remove references to the year that you received these, as in the last example, below.)
I've included a few sample bulleted accomplishment statements below. Not all of these may be applicable to you, but I hope it gives you a jumping-off point to create your own accomplishment statements:
- "Harnessed previously built relationships to continue bringing in deals and closing sales during period when few peers were able to achieve these results."
- "Consistently led the office in sales volume, earning top rankings for production during periods of high growth as well as market decline."
- "Maintained a strong pipeline (with over $4.5M in current pending deals) despite dwindling prospects and product availability."
- "Honored with numerous awards during five-year tenure, including repeated 'Top Sales' distinction for record-breaking production (six months in a row of $1M+ volume)."
December 25, 2008
Optimize Your Resume with Keywords
Posted by Ask The Recruiter on Thursday, December 25, 2008
Imagine if there was a way to encode your resume with magical words that would virtually ensure that recruiters and employers would be interested in interviewing you. There is a way. It's called Keyword. So, what are Keywords? Think of keywords as the jargon or "buzzwords" used in a profession or industry. It's how insiders describe themselves and others in their profession.Keywords are the nouns and noun phrases used by recruiters searching through resume databases and Web job sites for resumes meeting the requirements on job descriptions.
You can optimize your resume by including many of these keywords in your resume. But here's the catch. There's a different set of keywords for every job, and you do not know which ones are used.
Think of the education and experience you have had and the job you want, and brainstorm the nouns and noun phrases that would be used in the description of the requirements of that job. Look through the job postings you find for the skills, experience, professional certifications or organizaitons, etc. That will tell you what keywords will be used. Pay attention to certain words will reappear consistently. Those are your "key" words. Some sites that host the job posting list keywords pertaining to the position. You should also get a copy of the job description for the job you want, and pick out the noun and noun phrases used. As appropriate add those words and phrases to your resume when you apply for that job. Older job seekers should list "computer" or "IT" skills on their resumes if they have these skills, because some employers may make an assumption that older applicants are not as tech savvy as their younger counterparts.
Although many keywords are industry specific certain phrases are important to almost all companies. They include "communication skills," "problem-solving," "team work," "leadership," "resource optimization," "image and reputation management", "trouble shooting", "problem solving".
As important as keywords are for getting noticed, littering your resume with buzzwords that don't accurately reflect your experience may work against you. Don't go overboard!
For a list of action verbs and keywords click here. Be sure to check out Monster's comprehensive list called "The Top Keywords Recruiters Use to Find You".
December 18, 2008
How to Make Your Resume Discoverable on the Web
Posted by Ask The Recruiter on Thursday, December 18, 2008
This article is about “why” and “how” you should publish your resume on the Web. You do not have to be a computer geek to do this. If you know of someone who is well versed in this area I would tap into that person’s expertise.
First, that’s talk about the “why”. Putting your professional history on the Web provides an opportunity to make your experience and background come to life. Recruiters and managers want to review the most candidate data in the shortest period of time. Recruiters and hiring managers are pressed for time to identify potential employees. Because the Internet becomes an indispendable recruiting tool more Recruiters are defecting to search engines and other Internet communities to actively recruit job seekers.
There are many ways to post your resume on the Web. “How” you post it is up to you. There are job boards with a resume data base. The majority of the sites I am familiar with do not charge a job seeker with a service fee. And some sites allow Recruiters to review resumes for free.
There are a number of no cost resources on the Internet that offer tools that can help you publish your resume online. I listed a few below.
But before posting your resume read my tips on resume writing:"Is Your Resume Recruiter Friendly??? ", " Resume and Cover Letter Blunders " and " Resume Formats and Overview ".
First, that’s talk about the “why”. Putting your professional history on the Web provides an opportunity to make your experience and background come to life. Recruiters and managers want to review the most candidate data in the shortest period of time. Recruiters and hiring managers are pressed for time to identify potential employees. Because the Internet becomes an indispendable recruiting tool more Recruiters are defecting to search engines and other Internet communities to actively recruit job seekers.
There are many ways to post your resume on the Web. “How” you post it is up to you. There are job boards with a resume data base. The majority of the sites I am familiar with do not charge a job seeker with a service fee. And some sites allow Recruiters to review resumes for free.
There are a number of no cost resources on the Internet that offer tools that can help you publish your resume online. I listed a few below.
- Google Docs is a free Web-based word processor. It allows users to create and edit documents online while collaborating in real-time with other users.
- ThinkFree is a free office suite package and the interface is designed to look, feel, and behave like Microsoft Office, eliminating the learning curve.
- I have not used it but I foundZoho Writer very interesting. It has a whole host of productivity and collaboration applications. I may play around with some of the applications.
- Scribd is a way to easily put your resume online and publish it.
But before posting your resume read my tips on resume writing:"Is Your Resume Recruiter Friendly??? ", " Resume and Cover Letter Blunders " and " Resume Formats and Overview ".
December 15, 2008
Is Your Resume Recruiter Friendly???
Posted by Ask The Recruiter on Monday, December 15, 2008
Experts say that we are in a recession. People are not spending because they have no confidence in the economy. And companies are trimming their workforce payroll so they are in a better position in 2009. The unemployment rate rose to 6.7%, while the economy shed 533,000 jobs last month. You are probably wondering where I am going with this? Simply this. If you are in the job market (meaning you have put yourself out there for interviews) you need to make sure your resume is marketing your skills and reads friendly in the eyes of the recruiter and hiring manager. I use to tell my clients that your resume is your advertisement and if it is written well it will get you in the door for an interview.
The sheer volume of resumes recruiters receive against a particular open position is huge. It's not practical to respond in receipt of every resume. Since a recruiter's time is at a premium, they must know your career focus within seconds of opening your resume. If your career focus isn't clearly stated, you can't assume the reader will take the time to search through your resume for clues. Most recruiters consider "Career Objective" statements worthless if they contain no real information about the specific position you are looking for and the industry expertise you offer. The best objective statements are concise, to the point (see my articleResume and Cover Letter Blundersand job specific. I've read objectives that are no where near the industry they are applying for (ex., applying for a job in the Financial Services industry and the objective says, "Seeking a position in the medical field"). Or expressing a desire to work for a competitor.
Once a recruiter understands your focus, he/she will want to know if you have the required core competencies or transferable skillsto accomplish the job. A thorough research of employer job descriptions will help you identify the core competencies your resume must feature. You cannot expect the recruiter to read between the lines. Make it clear so it jumps off of the page
Once your resume has made it through the initial screening for focus and skills, the recruiter will want to know how you stack up against other candidates. Remember, with record high resume response to job openings, recruiters need good, solid reasons to recommend you for consideration over the mountain of other candidates. Clear, concisely stated accomplishments are the best way to distinguish yourself from your competition.
If your resume lacks any of these crucial elements, then you are probably not capturing the attention you deserve, and you are missing out on important interview opportunities.
In today's extremely competitive job market, employers rely heavily on recruiters to screen out all but the top few applicants. With a recruiter-friendly resume you'll beat out your competition as the employer's first choice to interview.
The sheer volume of resumes recruiters receive against a particular open position is huge. It's not practical to respond in receipt of every resume. Since a recruiter's time is at a premium, they must know your career focus within seconds of opening your resume. If your career focus isn't clearly stated, you can't assume the reader will take the time to search through your resume for clues. Most recruiters consider "Career Objective" statements worthless if they contain no real information about the specific position you are looking for and the industry expertise you offer. The best objective statements are concise, to the point (see my articleResume and Cover Letter Blundersand job specific. I've read objectives that are no where near the industry they are applying for (ex., applying for a job in the Financial Services industry and the objective says, "Seeking a position in the medical field"). Or expressing a desire to work for a competitor.
Once a recruiter understands your focus, he/she will want to know if you have the required core competencies or transferable skillsto accomplish the job. A thorough research of employer job descriptions will help you identify the core competencies your resume must feature. You cannot expect the recruiter to read between the lines. Make it clear so it jumps off of the page
Once your resume has made it through the initial screening for focus and skills, the recruiter will want to know how you stack up against other candidates. Remember, with record high resume response to job openings, recruiters need good, solid reasons to recommend you for consideration over the mountain of other candidates. Clear, concisely stated accomplishments are the best way to distinguish yourself from your competition.
If your resume lacks any of these crucial elements, then you are probably not capturing the attention you deserve, and you are missing out on important interview opportunities.
In today's extremely competitive job market, employers rely heavily on recruiters to screen out all but the top few applicants. With a recruiter-friendly resume you'll beat out your competition as the employer's first choice to interview.
December 14, 2008
Resume Formats and Overview
Posted by Ask The Recruiter on Sunday, December 14, 2008
A well-written resume acts like a good advertisement and entices the Recruiter to learn more about you through personal contact. It should include your selling points that are relevant to the Recruiter’s interests and needs of their business.
1. Chronological Resume - In the chronological resume, job history is organized chronologically with the most recent job listed first. Job titles and employers are emphasized and duties and accomplishments are described in detail. A chronological resume is easy to read, and can highlight career growth. It is suited to those whose career goals are clearly defined and whose job objectives are aligned with their work history.
A chronological resume has it's advantages when:
The key word is "experience," not "employment." So consider your full-time paid experiences, of course, but also remember to consider your part-time and unpaid experiences of all types, as well.
1. Chronological Resume - In the chronological resume, job history is organized chronologically with the most recent job listed first. Job titles and employers are emphasized and duties and accomplishments are described in detail. A chronological resume is easy to read, and can highlight career growth. It is suited to those whose career goals are clearly defined and whose job objectives are aligned with their work history.
A chronological resume has it's advantages when:
- Your recent employers and/or job titles are impressive
- You are staying in the same career field
- Your job history shows progress
- You are working in a field where traditional job search methods are utilized (e.g., education, government)
- You are changing career fields
- You have changed employers frequently
- You have been recently absent from the job market or have gaps in employment
- You want to emphasize skills not used in recent work experience
- You want to focus on skills and accomplishments
- You want to market skills and experience gained through coursework and/or volunteer experience
- You have a variety of unrelated work experiences
- You have little work experience or leadership experience
- You want to emphasize promotions and career growth
- You are working in highly traditional fields such as teaching, accounting, and politics, where employers should be highlighted
- Many students have part-time, seasonal or temporary work experience that is unrelated to future career goals.
- Don't pack your resume with irrelevant details. On the other hand, prospective employers value candidates who demonstrate dependability and a strong work ethic, even if the experience is in a different industry.
- Pull out the most important aspects of your work experience. Go into detail about projects you were involved in that show leadership, drive and determination. Extract the skills and achievements that are most relevant to employers' needs and leave out details that don't add value.
- Study job ads or internship announcements that interest you.
- If an ad states that communication skills are important, think about times when your communication skills came into play. If you worked in any customer service-related position, you definitely used communication skills. You can emphasize these skills on your resume.
- Look at your experience through your own eyes. What work did you enjoy? While these skills and experiences may not be directly relevant to the positions you're targeting, they're good indicators of areas where you're likely to excel in the future.
The key word is "experience," not "employment." So consider your full-time paid experiences, of course, but also remember to consider your part-time and unpaid experiences of all types, as well.
- Experience listings are usually listed in reverse chronological order, which means that your most recent experience will be listed first. List the city/state of employment and the month/year of employment.
- You may choose to divide your experience listing into parts, such as "Related Experience" and "Additional Experience," or "Professional Experience" and "Student Employment."
- Put the information in order of interest to your targeted reader. Anything that establishes that you have the knowledge, skills, abilities, or personality traits that an employer is seeking should be featured before other experiences.
- You can place headings down the left margin to alert the resume reader to what is important about the experience listed to the right. Highlights such as "leadership" or "sales" help a reader to notice these aspects of an experience listing.
- Write the resume in the first person, but omit first-person pronouns such as "I“, “my”, “me”, or "we."
- Start your sentences with action verbs
- Verb tenses should be accurate. If you are reporting something that you continue to do, use the present tense; if you are discussing an accomplishment or task that has been completed, use the past tense.
