Posts tagged 'resumes'
I have reviewed thousands of resumes as a hiring executive (and another couple of hundred as a professional resume writer and career consultant) and worse than the occasional type-o or overly-flowerly language or some of the other resume sins I could mention (and there are many), it really all comes down to one thing:
Please don’t bore me with your resume.
That’s the least I should be able to expect. And I have known perfectly lovely and even fascinating people in my career and I have freakin’ come thisclose to dozing off while reading their resumes.
If you are even considering sending your resume out to score a new job in the next few months, please give it a critical read. If you are bored with it, it will definitely bore the poor recruiter or hiring executive you are sending it to.
Forget about all the talk about computer scanners looking for industry buzzwords on resumes being submitted for jobs. There are people reading your resume, actual human beings deciding whether you should be contacted for an interview. If they start thinking about what they are going to have for lunch while trying to get through your resume, you are in serious trouble.
You are an interesting person. Your career has had some interesting highlights. Make sure that comes across on paper.
Photo by b_heyer.
January 8th, 2010
Just a brief bit of resume advice. If you take away nothing else in terms of guidance in this area, take this: Don’t be boring- or undersell yourself- in your resume.
This is your place to really express who you are in your career. Yes, you can (should) use colorful words (if you are a colorful person). Be bold on paper if you are bold in real life. There is even room for a little gentle humor (if that is who you are). Be creative. Be proud.
In short: Let yourself shine.
October 28th, 2008
Being a professional resume writer, I’m all for people hiring professional resume writers to do this chore for them. Hire one, compliment the finished product, and then pay them promptly. 1 – 2 – 3 – DONE!
But sometimes you need to try to do it yourself first. I get that. So here is my best practical advice for the actual process of writing the resume.
1. Take advantage of the free consultation. I mean it. It’s free. As a veteran hiring professional, I have spent many years of my life looking at the bad (or just not as good as they could be) resumes of job candidates and not being able to give feedback because of the situation. I am happy to be able to now. Email me your current resume and then we’ll have a short conversation wherein you will most likely get either three to five usable tidbits or high praise for an already-perfect resume (it could happen).
2. Get samples off the web. Google “marketing resumes” or whatever your field is. Hopefully, you’ll get some good examples of resumes for people at your level in your field which you can use for formatting guidance.
3. Pretend you are writing about someone else. If you have a hard time confidently conveying your own talents and accomplishments, try to remove yourself from the process. Otherwise, you are likely to undersell yourself or disregard information that should be included.
4. Use an actual job desciption for a position you would want. Your target job is out there and your resume should be geared toward getting you that job. Go on the web again and find an example of a job you would want and write your resume as an ad for you in that specific job.
5. Break it down. If the idea of actually writing the whole resume is too daunting, take it, as Anne Lamott would say, Bird by Bird. Commit yourself to writing the description of your current job, for instance, or setting up the format. Hopefully, that will trick you into starting the process and you will find yourself feeling more at ease once you have begun.
6. See Resume Rules #1, #2, and #3. Read the resume advice I have provided on this blog, keep it in mind when writing, and then reread it when you are done and make necessary revisions.
7. Show and tell. When you have finished writing your resume, send it to your five smartest, most career-savvy friends along with an explanation of what job you’re looking for. Ask them, “Would you call me in for an interview?” If the answer from more than one of them is anything other than a confident, “YES,” get detailed feedback and do a rewrite.
And then, of course, when all else fails, there is surrender…
8. Know when to get help. Lots of perfectly lovely, talented, and intelligent people lack either the aptitude or the inclination to write a really good resume. If what is keeping you from getting a more satisfying new job is the lack of a good resume, admit it and reach out. A half-written resume or a resume that gets you no replies when submitted for jobs you know you are qualified is not going to get you where you want to go.
Hopefully, you find all of this advice helpful. Regardless of how you get it, an expertly-written resume is the key to getting you that job you’d wake up in the morning happy to go to. Even in this wobbly economy, good jobs are out there. Give yourself the best chance to get one.
October 10th, 2008
The free resume is going to a single mom with three kids who lives on the east coast. She was nominated by someone on 29 gifts and she is also a participant. If she is okay with it, I’ll give you more details of her story later and let you know where this fabulous new resume leads her.
Thanks to all of those who nominated others and who threw their own hats in the ring. I am always willing to do a free consultation so email me your resume if you want some solid feedback.
October 5th, 2008
As part of my 29 Gifts participation, I want to write or rewrite/upgrade/revamp/turbocharge a resume for someone for free. This is a service worth up to $260 depending upon the professional level of the person and whether I’m writing it from scratch or rewriting an existing version.
Problem is, how do I find the person to write it for?
That’s where you come in. Please circulate this offer to anyone who you know who either hates their job or has no job and really needs one. Tell them to send their story to me (what makes their job so heinous, for instance?) at movemeforward@yahoo.com, putting “free resume” in the subject line. On Saturday morning, I will choose the winner. I will announce why their story won, but not their name (confidentiality is often key in my biz). You can also submit your own story, of course, or the story of someone you feel is worthy. Just make sure they really want a new & better job because my resumes get results.
Thanks for your help!
October 3rd, 2008
This is the difference between ending up in the YES (contact them now for an interview) or MAYBE (read later) pile. We don’t worry about the NO pile. If you followed Rule #1 and Rule #2, you should be able to stay out of the NO pile for any job for which you are reasonably qualified. The MAYBE pile is a killer at this point.
The MAYBE pile is for resumes that are comprised of huge blocks of text, that have over five bullet points for each job, that use the same nine words over and over again, that have no headlines at the top briefly describing key qualifications so the reader knows something about the candidate as they skim through the professional experience section.
“I’ll read that later,” the hiring professional will say when faced with having to decode a resume with these characteristics. Too much time, too much work. But here’s the thing…
Most hiring professionals NEVER get to the MAYBE pile.
September 29th, 2008
This is where I lose more people, even those who thought they “got” me on the marketing tool point.
Let me explain. When someone is reading your resume, they are telling themselves a story about who you are. “This is a woman who gets bored easily and bounces around a lot,” they will think when they see a page with six different jobs on it that all last about 18 months. That might not be the truth, but unless something on the page (or at least in the attached cover letter) says otherwise, that’s the conclusion. Maybe three of those jobs were in the same company, just different divisions. Maybe one exit was a due to a non-profit shuttering it’s doors. You’d better make sure these parts of the story are conveyed in your resume.
What story does your resume tell about you?
September 14th, 2008
When I say this, it resonates with some people, gives a eureka moment to some, and confuses others.
Don’t tell me everything, just tell me the things I need to know that will convince me that you are the right person for the position you are seeking. And I’m not talking just about the words- although of course they are key. There is also font, the layout, how the jobs are positioned, what is bold and what is not… everything adds up. If you are looking for a creative position, don’t use a resume that looks like you are seeking a job in a bank. Everything counts.
As far as your career history, highlight the skills and the most valuable experience you have for the job you want. You take out or push to the background anything that isn’t relevant. It can be done. I do it all the time for people wanting to redirect their careers or even just jump to the next level.
I have turned a graphic designer resume into an event planner resume for someone who used it to make a complete career change. I have made different versions of a resume for a school director with a big-time business background who wasn’t sure which path he wanted to follow next. I have taken several administrative or junior executive resumes to the next level, positioning them for a move up the ladder.
Everything on that page will either rule you in or rule you out as a candidate for the job. Give yourself the best advantage with a resume that sells you properly.
September 12th, 2008
