Top 10 Resume Do's
By Christopher McDonough
Some companies and organizations can receive anywhere from hundreds to hundreds of thousands resumes every month, and unfortunately only a handful of those will make it past the elimination rounds. It's easy to create a resume, but the hard part is getting your resume to stick with the employer. So how can you ensure success? You can start by following these simple guidelines.
10. Know your style. You're one in a million, kid, so make sure that you recognize your writing style and stick with it. Just like doing a bad impression will get you heckled by your closest of pals, jumping back and forth between styles on your resume could make the hiring manager think you're unsure of yourself.
9. Use the spell and grammar check. I before E except after C, and all that jazz. Unlike Algebra*, you're definitely going to use the English language in your every day life so it's important to double check yourself when submitting anything written to someone who just might provide you with a paycheck.
8. Have a proofing committee. The hiring manager likely will not be the only person involved in the hiring process, and likewise, you shouldn't be the only one involved in the resume writing process. Have a few friends read over your resume. They'll probably catch something you didn't, or have some great advice on how to sell yourself better.
7. Take your words for a walk. No, not literally, but using action verbs like "demonstrated," "accelerated," "initiated," and my favorite, "innovated," will give your progress some movement. Not only do they sound sharp, but the hiring manager will recognize that you didn't just work at your previous job, you accomplished.
6. Have a goal. Your resume should be specific to the job you're applying for. Everyone wants to feel special, even hiring managers. But seriously, an objective that clearly states what you aim to do will help avoid any confusion and keep you in the hiring manager's line of sight. Try something like, "To secure a challenging position in a growing company where I can utilize my skills with the English language and never, ever use Algebra." That'll do it.
5. If you've got it, flaunt it. Just please don't send photos of yourself with your resume. However, do highlight your skills and experience. If you can speak fluent Gaelic, that's awesome. If you are able to balance plates on sticks, that's pretty cool, too, but it'd be more helpful if you provided the hiring manager with some of your technical or skilled trade certifications instead.
4. "Speak softly and carry a big stick." Not many people know that Theodore Roosevelt actually got that quote from a West African proverb, but it's so true. Be brief and concise on your resume. Use short, bulleted phrases that share your contributions to the company, not just your duties. (Though, I'd lay low on the aggressive "We might invade if you don't give me a job" verbage.)
3. Share your smarts. List your education in reverse chronological order, starting with college and/or technical school. It's not necessary to list your grade point average or your favorite professor.
2. Write a cover letter. The cover letter is kind of like one of those "You've been pre-approved for a 10 million dollar credit limit!" letters you get in the mail, but less annoying and more necessary. A short, concise and focused cover letter will help sell your resume, which in turn will land you the interview. It's a precursor to the real deal.
1. Always follow up. You may have noticed that this was number one on the Top 10 Resume Don'ts list, as well. (Cleverly disguised as a don't!) Following up is the final nail your hammer of a resume will drive into the employer's desk. It's not only polite to send a follow-up note, but it will also ensure the hiring manager knows just how interested you are.
If you follow these simple guidelines, your resume can take you that much closer to the end of your job search. Visit EmploymentGuide.com to get more tips on resumes. Also check out The Employment Guide®'s Career Services and Job Hunting Resources for more ways you can make your job search more effective.
Top 10 Resume Don'ts
By Christopher McDonough
Resumes seem to be a particularly difficult beast to tame. It's just a piece of paper, or electronic file, so often we want to put every ounce of our personality into it. Before the interview, especially if you're applying online, it might be the only bit of you the employer gets to know. So, you want it to scream "THIS IS ME!"... right? Well, not necessarily. The best resumes are kept succinct, clear to the point, and specific as possible. So to help you through your resume-prepping process, I've made a list of the top 10 things never, ever, ever to do on your resume. (It would be helpful if you envisioned a less funny, but slightly better dressed, version of Dave Letterman sitting in a cubicle reading these off cue cards.)
10. Never use brightly colored paper, or clip-art. Unless you're applying to write limericks for Hallmark greeting cards, it's probably best to avoid using stock images of flowers in vases and pastel pink printer paper.
9. Never skip using the spell and grammar check. Seriously. It's just a click, and it can save you from embarrassing moments like this one, from Resumes From Hell (available at Amazon.com).
Rachel,
I enjoyed the wonderful interview you mailed us this week and keep getting more and more enlightened by your tit bits!
Also let me know if position #SW02493 would work for me - I am very interested.
Thank you!
Mahendra
8. Don't spray perfume or cologne on your resume. You laugh, but it's happened! In fact, in office situations in general, it's best to go light on things like perfumes and colognes.
7. It's definitely not necessary to mention that you like base jumping in your free time. While your resume is a representation of you, this might be too much information. You don't want the hiring manager thinking you could be a liability.
6. Listing irrelevant information is... well, irrelevant. You might be Vice President of your local chapter of the NRA (National Rifle Association), but if you're applying to work as an X-ray tech through a job posting you found on HealthCareerWeb.com... Just don't do it.
5. Don't sell yourself short. A lot of people think honesty is the best policy, and it is. But there is a line clearly drawn between what helps and what hurts. For example, if you're applying for a developer's job, and you had to take a test to be certified where 73% is passing, and you scored 71%... it might be best to include something else that attests to your strengths as a developer and where you gained that knowledge/experience.
4. Avoid self-questionnaires. Keep your resume simple, without opening yourself up to redundancies or pigeon-holes.
3. Don't bore the hiring manager. This isn't your life story - it's a sales pitch. The best way to sell yourself is to provide the hiring manager with a short snippet that summarizes your skills and qualifications without giving away the whole farm. Use action verbs like "oversaw," "demonstrated," and "improved" to show progress and ability.
2. Don't talk about your former employers. Most applications include a section where you can explain why you're leaving or have already left your current position. However, it's not necessary on your resume, especially if you have nothing nice to say!
1. Don't forget to follow-up! It's not necessarily part of the resume, but one of the biggest mistakes a job seeker can make is not following up after they've submitted their resume. The resume is really just the first step in the interviewing process. You need to seal the deal so to speak by hammering home that you really are interested in the position by sending a note or picking up the phone.
As long as you don't make these mistakes, your resume should turn out beautifully. Visit EmploymentGuide.com for more ways you can craft the perfect resume.
WiserWorker.com: Where Retirement Is Not an Option
By Christopher McDonough
April 8th marked the addition of a new resource on the Web for job seekers: WiserWorker.com. The Web site, which "is dedicated to the largest growing demographic group in the country, the Baby Boomers," strives to provide the most up to date senior employment listings, resources and information to aid the older worker.
One of the featured articles that has appeared on the site so far details a few myths about mature workers, courtesy of Brad Taft*. Some of them are pretty interesting, so here's a few highlights:
Myth #3: Mature Workers are More Likely to Leave Employers
The opposite is true. In fact, according to the National Association of Working Women, women over 45 are 88% less likely to leave voluntarily than younger counterparts.
Myth #6: Mature Workers are Less Intelligent
Studies clearly indicate that perception, emotional stability, motivation and fund of knowledge are far more important to intellectual functioning than age. In fact, the ability to use an accumulated body of general information to make sound judgment and solve problems keeps rising with healthy people. (Harvard study.)
Myth #7: Older Workers are Inflexible and Set in Their Ways
When people control their hours, exercise autonomy and find opportunities to learn, the more likely they are to continue working and make a strong contribution to their organization, according to the Center on Aging at Boston College and the Families and Work Institute. There is ample evidence that well-balanced people who like their jobs are better contributors, are more productive and more flexible in their willingness to meet new challenges.
Myth #9: Older Workers are More Expensive to Employ
The hardest myth to debunk. For example, health insurance costs less for a 55 year old employee than for a 35 year old with 2 dependents. Healthcare costs are dependent on the individual. Regarding pay scales, it is time for employers to realize that the only way for compensation to go is not "up" but, in today's economy, compensation needs to be market-driven at any age. In the global economy of the 21st century, both organizations and individuals must break the link between pay and seniority.
Myth #10: Older Workers are Technology Challenged
This is true from the standpoint that younger employees have grown up in a technology driven society, but studies show that the fastest growing group of Internet users are 55 years of age and up. All that's needed is a little amount of focused education.
In addition to detailing job fairs in local cities, jobs in 18 categories, and specialized articles focused on the mature worker, the site also features an informative resume builder to help the Wiser Worker craft the perfect resume (or update their already stellar resumes). If you'd rather have a physical copy of the resume builder, you can download a copy of The Employment Guide®'s Job Seeker Survival Guide.
WiserWorker.com will undoubtedly prove to be an invaluable specialized resource for the mature worker. So what are you waiting for? Live Young and Work Wiser!
*Brad Taft, MBA, CMF, is president of Taft Resource Group in Scottsdale, Arizona and provides career transition consulting to individuals. He specializes in assisting mature workers in achieving continued career success with a strategic planning approach. He is co-author of Boom or Bust!: New Career Strategies in a New America (Cambridge Media, LLC, 2006), a Career Management Guide for Baby Boomers and older workers. Learn more about Brad at www.AgelessInAmerica.com and contact him at BradTaft@agelessinamerica.com.
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