Are you a new graduate drafting your professional resume for the first time? Are you about to return to the work force after a long absence? Maybe you’ve been actively employed for many years, and it’s been so long since the last time you looked at your resume that you may as well start a new one from the beginning. No matter your circumstances, these eight simple resume tips can help you get started. Continue reading »
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Write to the Hot Spots
A recent study by The Ladders.com tracked recruiters’ eyes as the scanned resumes over a period of ten weeks. The study was able to track their eye movements over resumes and produce heat maps of where their eyes spent the most time. The resulting maps looked like this (the darker spots indicate where their eyes rested longest.) The entire read time averaged six seconds. Continue reading »
Why Resumes are like Personal Ads
In the chapter about resumes, Laskoff starts out by comparing them to personal ads. Here is how he makes his case that “looking for love is a lot like looking for work.” Continue reading »
From Duties to Accomplishments
If you’re still sending resumes that simply re-hash your job duties, it’s going to be hard to stand out in this economy. Your resume pages (usually one or two at the most) should be considered valuable real estate. Any words or phrases that don’t pull their weight should be eliminated so you can fill the space with accomplishments. Continue reading »
Four Tips from Master Resume Writers
I recently attended a webinar delivered by Wendy Enelow and Louise Kursmark, two career coaches with impressive credentials. They delivered a class for other career coaches on the finer points of writing resumes. Even after more than 16 years of experience in writing resumes, I learned a lot. Here are some ideas I think every jobseeker should incorporate into a resume.
Fuzzy Resume Language
Employers are using scanning technology and key word internet searches to find the best candidates for their needs. Specific phrases with quantitative proofs will help you get found; think of it as SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for your career.
Pay Attention to Details
Most jobseekers know that an error on your resume will prevent you from becoming a serious candidate for a job. It’s pretty easy to make sure your resume is immaculate; it’s only one document. But for every resume you send out, you probably send dozens of email and other electronic correspondence. Continue reading »
LinkedIn’s Most Overused Resume Cliches
LinkedIn’s most overused resume terms include “team player,” “motivated” and “dynamic.”
Continue reading »
Chronological and Functional Resume Formats
The chronological resume is the gold standard of formats; it gives your job history in an easy to read format, and it’s the choice of recruiters everywhere. This recession has made many workers rethink their careers and retrain for new ones, and that means that they need a new format to market their skills. Enter the Functional Resume – a way to talk more about what you can do, and less about what you’ve done in the past.
Applying Yourself
Many jobseekers are impatient with the application process – especially established workers with a resume in hand. “Why even bother?” they’ll ask. “Can’t I just write in ‘See resume?’”?
The answer is no, for a couple of good reasons.
