Resume Advice

How Lengthy Should a Resume Be?

2011-08-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

With the competition on the job market getting increasingly competitive, an applicant must not compromise the presentation of his abilities just to save space. After all a résumé sells you as the product, so it must catch the attention and interest of the buyer. Most of the time, only applicants with very impressive résumés only get to the interview, so résumé length must not get in the way of landing the job you want.
Gone are the days when one-page résumé is a must. According to Grant Cooper, president of Strategic Resumes, “Brief resumes are simply no longer effective in today’s increasingly competitive job market. . . The advice that ‘They only want to see one-page resumes,’ is perhaps the single most outdated and incorrect statement job-seekers hear today.” Résumé length truly depends on the applicant’s experience and position he is applying for. Usually, though not always, new graduates and entry-level job-seekers often write one-page résumé while most executives at the highest levels need résumé that exceeds two pages. The thing is, if an applicant does not have enough experience to include onto a second page, one page is enough. If a single page is not enough, however, to sufficiently communicate the depth of their experience and skills, it is safe to go for two pages.
Remember to put only the most vital and helpful information about yourself in your résumé. Never submit a document that looks more like an autobiography than a résumé. Stick to objectives, relevant job experiences, years of experience, industry, title/position, educational and special trainings and accomplishments.
Needless of length, an applicant must remember only to include relevant information for the position one is applying for. Word conservation must be practiced and the formatting must be crisp and clean. One must not cram all the information to follow the one-page résumé rule. Some even resort to using 8- or 9-point type to “cram” everything in a page. Experts say that many companies are perfectly fine with well-written, concise and well-formatted two-page résumé that is easy to read and includes all the information they need. Also, it is very important to remember that a resume must capture attention on the first page. The use of powerful objective (headline) and strong summary of qualifications (executive summary) will make your résumé impressive at first glance whatever the length is.

Resume Writing Styles: Old Practices That Need to Be Left Behind

2011-08-25T07:33:00.000-07:00


How have job search strategies evolved from traditional to contemporary resumes?

The term “old school” is often viewed in high regard—whether in sports, music or fashion. It mostly allows the older generation to reminisce in fond admiration of the old days, and the younger ones to marvel at the past. This, however, does not work too well in resume writing.

For one, old school resume writing involves buying the best quality paper you can find, and using your Smith Corona typewriter—okay, electronic typewriter—to create your resume. Good luck finding one nowadays. Still, letters typed over whiteout is not the only way your resume would look outdated.

1. Resume writing tips from the 90s allow for the word “Resume” in the beginning, and “References Available Upon Request” in the end. It cannot be stressed enough that people should NOT do that anymore. Everyone knows it’s a resume. Everyone knows your references are available upon request.

2. As late as 2004, some professional resume writers advised job hunters to include street address and fax number as essential to resumes. This is no longer the case. With the current emphasis on privacy, your city and state would suffice. On the other hand, fax machines are so outdated that you might as well just send your resume via pigeons.

3. Further, unless you want hiring managers to envision you as wearing a suit of armor, make sure you include your email address. These days, it’s almost as essential as your name.

4. Contrary to traditional resume rules, abbreviations are okay. Just make sure your audience knows what you’re talking about. To be sure, spell it out the first time you introduce it, then, use abbreviations thereafter. If, for example, you keep on writing “Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer,” it not only wastes space, you would also sound like a toddler who just learned a new word.
There’s nothing wrong with being traditional, but you’d want to stand out from the rest of the applicants in a more flattering manner than to appear like you’re from ancient history.

Writing a Résumé for Jobs in the Healthcare Industry

2011-08-25T07:25:00.000-07:00

Reliable job-watch and career websites seem to agree that the Healthcare Industry will prove to be an industry of most number of and best employment opportunities in the year 2011. According to AOL Jobs, the top 10 most secure jobs in 2011 are:

(1) nurse
(2) physical therapist
(3) pharmacist
(4) physician and surgeon
(5) computer systems analyst and administrator
(6) computer software engineer
(7) biomedical and environmental engineer
(8) accountant, auditor and financial advisor
(9) veterinarian, and ...
(10) lawyer, paralegal and legal assistant.

Ranked top are healthcare related jobs. The U.S. News Money Career says that “Healthcare continues to offer excellent opportunities for job seekers, and not only positions that require a medical degree. Occupations that call for fewer years of study and offer more moderate salaries are also in demand”— what could these news mean? Healthcare jobs are in demand this year.

To land a healthcare job requires a résumé that is formatted towards the healthcare industry. Generic résumés will NOT be of much help. It is highly important for an applicant to identify which healthcare job he or she is applying for. Knowing the specific position to apply for is like the guiding line on how to construct the résumé. A doctor’s résumé should not sound like a résumé of a nurse.

Make sure to highlight pertinent professional skills that are required in the healthcare professional. These professional skills and strengths should also be termed in the jargon highly accepted and used within the healthcare industry. Examples of strengths that must be highlighted are: Knowledge of medical terminologies; Nursing Aptitude— Neonatal, Medical Surgical, OR and ER. Use jargons according to relevance. Present background and work experiences that are relevant to positioned being applied for.

For those who are applying for entry-level positions, they should supply educational information first, especially if there are healthcare related, before presenting non-industry related work experience. Entry-level applicants and career changers/shifters may find it very challenging to identify their strengths and experiences that would allow good transition towards the healthcare industry. Professional help is always a good option.

Choosing the Right Paper and the Proper Font in Resume Writing

2011-08-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

However, have you thought about what font to use, what not to use and what paper to print on?

You have already identified what position you want to apply for. You’ve discovered that resumes written using non-industry specific templates will guarantee your resume will be shredded in pieces. The job posting you’ve seen suits your qualifications and professional skills perfectly. You’ve managed to compose strong words on your resume which you feel will market and sell your professional self effectively. Your resume now is more dynamic and professional content wise. The resume you imagined in your brain looks perfect and you think you’ve figured out everything that would set your resume above from all other resumes. So which one is the right print-size? What kind of paper is most appropriate to use?

In editing and doing the layout of your resume, always set your goals on making your resume look ‘professional.’ What does this mean? Begin with choosing the appropriate fonts. Although some serif fonts, which are fonts with edges, are used for professional purposes, serif fonts are less readable. San serif fonts are cleaner and more reader-friendly. Avoid using Times New Roman because that is the font used by most MS Word users. You need to use a font that presents your resume as something fresh. However, this doesn’t mean using the highly artistic fonts. Again, think professional looking’ resume. Arial and Arial Narrow are good fonts. Professional resume writers prefer font size around 10.5 to 12. Do not use more than two font styles in a resume.
It is a major ‘no-no’ to use colored, scented papers. Resumes are not invitation letters to your wedding or your child’s birthday party. As a matter of fact, choose a plain white paper with the correct thickness— not too thin (those that show ink print on the back) and not too thick (those papers that are hard to fold). It is advisable to use plain white paper that is 20-pound weight. The paper should not be extremely smooth to avoid ink smudging. Also, the standard size of the paper is 8.5” x 11”.
Always aspire to give your resume a ‘professional look’— that’s the only way to do it.

Formulating a Competitive Value Proposition

2011-08-25T07:13:00.000-07:00

Even marketing professionals fail in drafting an effective resume. “Its all about selling and marketing yourself,” says a professional resumé writer from a leading online résumé service provider. “It is all about creating an effective, competitive value proposition,” he added. So, in marketing oneself, one has to think about a good value proposition for them. In business organizations, including online businesses, effective competitive value proposition is a must. What value proposition exactly?
In a business or marketing setting, value proposition answers or summarizes why a consumer should choose to buy a product or avail of a service. In other words, value proposition is a statement that aims to convince potential customer that one particular product or service will add more value or will provide better solution to a problem than other similar offerings. Companies use value proposition to target customers who will benefit most from using their products. There are many considerations that must be thought of when creating or formulating value proposition. Below are some tips in formulating a competitive value proposition.

Know your company’s or business’ strengths. Get everyone involved in the company and do brainstorming. Ask everyone from customer service to top management and all departments ‘what the company or business does best?’ Identifying strengths is the first key in knowing what to offer.
Identify the market. Just as there was brainstorming with ‘what the company or business does best?’ there should also be brainstorming in identifying the market and segment it targets. ‘What is the target market?” Example, which particular segment of online users is the target for the product or service?
Learn from the customers. Ask the customers through surveys. Learn what the customers want through other forms of research.
Know the competition. Learning the competition’s value proposition can help you improve your value proposition. How to do this? Well, buy from the competitor and subscribe to their newsletters. This will be very beneficial to your company.
Value proposition can make or break a company. It is a must for any businesses to draft a highly effective and competitive value proposition in order for customers to patronize the company’s products and/or services.

Resume Writing: Targeted vs. General Resumes

2011-08-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

ob applications can be likened to marketing. As an applicant, you try to sell your skills to potential customers – the employers. But, before you get the chance to “sales talk” with these customers, you first need to present a product catalogue – your resume. Resume writing has evolved dramatically over the years. Gone are the days when applicants tend to have those same generic-looking resume that overly state their past experiences. Employers now prefer simpler resumes that speak about the specific qualities and competencies of applicants. These resumes are regarded as “targeted”.
A targeted resume has numerous advantages as compared to generic ones. First, it highlights those competencies that are highly relevant to the job specification. In this time of specialized job responsibilities, highlighting these competencies increase an applicant’s chance of getting a feedback from an employer for the reason that they help hiring managers to easily sort out qualified candidates from those who are not. On the other hand, a general resume can be cluttered with too much and at times irrelevant information, there is a tendency for hiring managers to miss out the information they need. Moreover, a targeted resume can speak about an applicant’s seriousness towards the job he or she is applying for since it shows the effort of tailor fitting the resume just for that specific position. A generic resume, on the other hand, might give an impression that the applicant might just be trying out his or her luck about that certain job opening.
Just like in marketing in which a product needs to be in focus, a targeted resume helps an applicant to position himself for the job and showcases his unique selling points to prospective employers.

When to Hire a Professional Resume Writer

2011-08-25T06:54:00.000-07:00

In a vast online world where do-it-yourself instructions and how-to information abound, one would easily be able to look for step-by-step explanations on how to do certain things—perhaps, even everything—from playing the acoustic guitar to using a Microsoft Zune portable media player. You need to change the batteries on your iPhone? A quick Google search will yield numerous video demonstrations. Your pecan pie not coming out the way you want it to? Yahoo! Answers will have a host of suggestions for you.
It is therefore not surprising that people often decide to write something as simple as a resume without asking for help from professionals. Besides, you might not even think you need help in writing a resume, and should you require any assistance, there is always the internet.
However, what people fail to realize is the value of professional assistance. You could study all the steps about rewiring the lights in your home—and you could even end up doing a good enough job—but will you take the chance? If you have any doubt in your skill in electrical installation, the best thing to do is to ask for help from a professional. An electrician rewires homes for a living. It is what he does. You can trust him with your lights.
It is the same for resumes. A professional resume writer creates resumes for a living. If your current resume is not getting you the interviews you think you deserve, then it is time to seek professional advice. A professional resume writer can make your resume play to your strengths. He knows what employers want and will get you that interview.
In the end, you can go ahead and incorporate the advice that you got from the web and create your own resume. You could even end up creating a good enough resume, and you might get a call from your potential employer. But will you take the chance? If you have any doubt in your skill in resume writing, the best thing to do is to ask for help from a professional resume writer. After all, it is what he does. You can trust him with your resume.

How to Make an Honest Resume

2011-08-25T06:33:00.000-07:00

What Parts Should You Retain and Leave Out to Make an Honest Resume?

Writing a resume simply entails the philosophy – “less is more.”

The usual idea in writing a resume for some is presenting and squeezing all personal and background information available in order to acquire the impression of candor. But this is not a proper practice. You may be able to compose an honest resume by leaving out some points in which employers could avoid the chance of discrimination with regards to age, gender, religion, and ethnicity, thus, the lesser information you divulge in your resume, the more likely you make the cut.
In writing your resume, you may not put personal information such as your marital status, your family members and your religious affiliation. These information are not allowed to be collected, so you don’t have to give it out to them. Also, hobbies and political views that may link you with controversial issues need to be eliminated. Everyone is entitled his own opinion, thus you don’t want to be judged due to your stands, right? You may not include the year of your graduation. You can only include your degree and your major as well as the institution you graduated from. Not putting the year of the graduation decreases the likelihood of age discrimination. You don’t want the reviewers to be doing the math calculating your age. Do away with irrelevant experiences. You don’t want to be putting all unnecessary experiences not at all related to the job you are applying for. It will not make you look “experienced”, but will only increase the chance for the reviewers of thinking that you may not be the one suitable for the job.
Resumes are designed to present the professional side of you, thus focus on your job description and place information that will only support your pursuit for the job.

Resume vs. CV

2011-08-25T04:23:00.000-07:00

While most people use resume and CV synonymously in the workplace, this two are different. Knowing their differences is important especially in making sure what to use and when to use what.

A curriculum vitae is more thorough than a resume. Resumes are ideally made up of one to two pages only, as employers do not usually have the time to study lengthy documents. Only the information applicable to the job one is applying for should be included in the resume – contact information, relevant education and job experience. In short, a resume is a summary of all your skills and experience needed for the job.

On the other hand, a curriculum vitae (CV) is a much more detailed document. As what its name suggests, the CV highlights your educational and academic experiences. It contains not only your past jobs but the special trainings you have undergone, your awards and merits, your affiliations, organizational memberships and scholarly publications you have written, if there are any. You can also put some of your views about your past jobs in your CV, how they have contributed to your personal and professional development.

Employers would just usually ask for a resume but naturally a CV is needed if the work you are applying is more academically or research-inclined. In some countries a CV is needed when applying for academic or research positions or in applying for scholarship grants. The bottom line is, needless of what your potential employer may ask from you, you should write your resume or your CV well to ensure you of getting the job you want.

Five Things You Should Never Include In Your Resume

2011-08-25T04:19:00.000-07:00

Writing a resume would seem pretty straightforward: Who you are, what school you went to, what you’ve done. Still, there are certain details that would seem like a bed in the living room if they appeared in your resume. Here is a quick list to distinguish the clothes cabinets from the couches.

1. Your resume is your marketing tool, and just like any other tool, it can function without the word “Tool” inscribed on it. Your potential employers know that it is a resume. You don’t have to put the word “Resume” on top. Would you want your F-150 with “This is a truck” painted on its doors? I thought so.

2. Avoid including information that is too personal. Details such as your date of birth, marital status, religious or political affiliation, race or ethnic group, and number of children are better left out. Putting your Social Security number is also a bad idea, while your vital statistics–including your height, weight, and health information–are not too vital when applying for that management job. The bottom line is, whether or not discrimination still exists, those just don’t belong in your resume. Further, unless you’re applying for a modeling, movie or TV gig, your resume should not include your picture. In fact, even in those cases, it would be better to put your photos in a separate portfolio.

3. While it might be interesting to know that you’ve once caught a White Sturgeon while on vacation or that you can play Flight of the Bumblebee in your spare time, don’t let your hobbies occupy the precious real estate that your resume is. They’re better suited for small talk during the interview

4. Salary information is another thing that is best discussed during or after the job interview. This includes your previous and preferred salary. Instead of placing salary information on your resume, you can talk about it in person, where you can use it as a bargaining chip. By the way, detailing in your resume why you quit your previous jobs is also a no-no.

5. It is no longer required to insert the address and phone numbers of your references in your resume. However, neither is there a need to put “References available upon request” at the bottom. It’s taken for granted that you will provide your references if and when the hiring manager asks for them. You may, however, want to print your references on a separate sheet of paper, so that you can easily hand it out when asked.

In the end, the clincher in determining what to put in resumes can be summed up in one word: relevance.

How to Optimize Your Resume’s Scanability

2011-08-25T04:02:00.000-07:00

Stick to the essentials! Maintain a professional and tight presentation and do away with unnecessary elements, usually included for aesthetic reasons both when it comes to formatting the resume and in deciding for its content.

A "scannable" resume will require the same content as an ordinary resume: objective, qualifications, work experience, education, brief personal information, and contact details. You still have the freedom to customize the arrangement of these elements according to your particular employment context, but you must make sure to place your name at the very top of the first page of your resume

Use standard terms that are used in the particular industry you intend to be part of – from your academic background to your personal qualities, or your professional skills. You will also benefit from including a section that concentrates on your professional skills. The more key words and phrases you use, the better the computer scanning system will recognize you as a potential employee.

Formatting is equally, if not more important, a consideration.

The font must be in standard series
Sans serif fonts between 10 to 14 points
Text body should be in left or justified format
Keep from underlining, italicizing, or bolding words and phrases, use capitalization instead for headings and emphasis
Lines, graphics, signs, shading, bullets, over-manipulated spacing and similar decorative elements is also discouraged.
The paper must be of standard size, ideally 8 ½ by 11 inches and in plain white
When sending your resume, be sure that it is an original and high quality print, on an 8 ½ by 11 inches plain white paper with no folds, staples, or other markings

How to Overcome Challenges in Resume Writing

2011-08-25T03:34:00.000-07:00

It has been said – and proven – time and again that a resume can make or break a job seeker’s fate. While there are numerous websites and books on how to write a resume, these can only do so much as guide the job seeker. Most don’t capture the reality that many have to work around with such as lack of work experience, employment gaps, or lack of consistency in industry.

The good thing is that it is now widely accepted how no one resume template will work for everyone. Customizing a resume is thus recommended. So if you lack work experience, you can skip that section altogether and instead feature your educational accomplishments, your on-the-job training, or seminars and skills training you have attended. And if you have gaps in your employment history, it will be best for you to skip chronology and instead order your work experience either by job description or skills. Similarly, if you have worked for different industries, you can also simply group your jobs by job description or skills. In all cases, you must not hide these facts from your prospective employer and in fact provide an explanation for them through your cover letter.
If you are clear about what you would like to do with your resume, however – switch careers, switch industries, land a first job, or seek promotion within the same field – there are a number of resume templates that you can explore. For instance, switching careers will be best achieved with a functional resume, which highlights your skills while seeking promotion will be best facilitated with a performance resume, which gives emphasis on your duties and accomplishments.

Don’t forget: challenges in resume writing are only as strong as your purpose and resourcefulness are weak. When faced with them, it is best to explore different kinds of resume templates as well as customize these in ways that emphasizes your employability.

The Cover Letter, Follow-up Letter, and Thank You Letter

2011-08-25T02:07:00.000-07:00

Creating a cover letter, thank you letter, and follow up letter is as important as tailoring your resume. A deserving applicant must be able to introduce his credentials, express his gratitude for an interview, and follow up and show his strong interest for a position. He may also seek for a professional resume writer’s assistance to ensure that his sincerity to get employed is conveyed in the best professional manner on paper.

A cover letter serves as your employer’s motivation to consider your application – it is your introduction. It reflects whether you have read the job ad carefully and your resulting interest for the position. Hence it should be optimistic, to the point, and concise. An ideal cover letter has three to four paragraphs with an introduction, body, and closing. It should not be a repeat of the information already present on your resume. Most importantly, every cover letter must be personalized in that it should be tailored exclusive to a specific position. Never submit the same cover letter for all your job applications.

Thank You letters must be sent to interviewers shortly after an applicant completes a job interview – preferably within 24 hours. Just like the cover letter, thank you letters must be personalized to the point that you can actually opt to have them handwritten rather than typed. Assess the personality of a company by reflecting on your interview then decide the writing that will suit your thank you letter best. Aside from your expression of gratitude, thank you letters also strengthen your interest for the position and leave the interviewer with a good impression of you.

Follow up letters may be sent when job seekers do not hear back within two weeks concerning their application. Remember: never send a follow up letter when the job post specifically stated that applicants should not do so. Things that may be incorporated in a follow up letter are inquiries such as whether all applicants will be notified of passing or of not passing the recruitment process. You may also ask if there are other steps in the hiring procedures that you must fulfill to continue your application, or if there are other requirements that need to be submitted.

How to Write a Competitive Entry-Level Resume

2011-08-25T00:02:00.000-07:00

There is always a competitive resume for a determined entry-level job seeker. If you find it really challenging to market yourself for a particular position, a professional resume writer can easily help you recognize your strengths and search for pointers that can compensate for weaknesses in your career profile.

1. Do not underestimate your experiences
To create a compelling entry level resume requires that you do not underestimate your experiences that may take the place of formal previous employment. Internships, trainings and seminars, part-time work, and similar activities are best laid out on your resume highlighting the skills you have acquired during such experiences. Involvement with non-profit work may even show a potential employer a glimpse of your character. These factors are key and will potentially set you apart from the pack.

2. Choose your resume format wisely.
Since chronological resumes focus on work history, it is best to employ the skills format – which will emphasize your skills and abilities learned from various work and non-work experiences. The skills format is also employed by non-entry-level job seekers who have great skill qualifications but who may not be as attractively presented to an employer via the traditional resume format.

3. Highlight your educational achievements.
An entry-level job seeker may choose to list down his educational history on top of his resume to emphasize qualifications obtained from school. If you have a GPA of 3.0 or higher, this must be indicated along with other achievements and recognitions that you received. Courses, projects, and extracurricular relevant to the position applied for must also be described.

4. Be Simple and Professional
Some resumes go as far as using flashy colors and designs for uniqueness – this turns off employers. The last thing you would want to do as an entry-level job seeker is to show your inexperience through a bizarre resume style. Use a professional email address and choose a legible font style and size. Black is the best font color while light shades of pastel are best for a resume paper, with the right size.

What Makes a Resume Stand Out?

2011-08-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

Resume writing is your way of marketing and selling yourself on paper. You would want your qualifications to primarily catch the attention of employers and then show them later in greater detail how well-suited you are to the requirements. Though very promising as you may be, the way you present your credentials largely determines your chances of getting hired. Hence, it is a must that you become well-aware of the dos and don’ts in resume writing.
Dos:

Write the resume according to the requirements of your desired position. You must show your employers how exactly fit and right you are for the job. While you may recycle your resume for other positions, make sure to employ the necessary adjustments with each different application.
Be informative but concise. On an average, employers spend only 22 seconds scanning and digesting pieces of your resume information which they find interesting. Use bullets instead of complete sentences. Choose your words wisely, indicate numbers for achievements, and incorporate keywords that create impact.
Proofread your resume more than once, and have others proofread it too. All information in a resume must always be accurate and correctly presented. Find out from other people if your manner of presenting facts is simple and clear enough even to someone with a different background from yours.

Don’ts:

Do not ever lie in your resume. Although you may remove some information which are irrelevant to the position you’re applying for, exaggerated facts will surely rob your chances of being hired; or if not, haunt you later when you suddenly cannot meet expectations built on false credentials.
Do not employ your own version of a resume format. Although variations in styles exist, there are established basics and standards that must be adhered to in all forms of resume writing. A resume must capture the employers’ attention but never confuse them or lead them to doubt your ability of writing a good resume.
Do not take your resume for granted. Do not rush. Do not use a quirky email address like cute_guy@yahoo.com or sexy_girl@gmail.com lest you want to be misinterpreted as someone not serious about your job application.

Above are only some of the major points that must be noted in resume writing. There are countless other reminders that will ensure building a good resume and which are well-known by professional resume writers. Nevertheless, a job applicant must always be aware of how to present his worth in a resume, which will all be recalled after his resume is selected – during the job interview.