For: HELPFUL HINTS FOR THE JOB SEEKER
Peter Newfield - President, Career-Resumes.com®
By Peter Newfield – President
, Career-Resumes.com®
You’re sitting at your desk, the coffee is cold, and you
decide that your boss has annoyed you for the last time. You’re
going to look for another job and get the hell out of this place.
You turn to the blank computer screen in front of you and start
writing your resume.
How hard can it be to write your own resume? Apparently, it’s
a task not to be undertaken lightly. Most of the resumes circulating
out in cyberspace and snail mail-ville are terrible and actually
do more harm than good for the prospective job seeker. How can you
avoid the top ten resume mistakes? Let’s go back to our fictional
co-worker and show you where the mistakes are lurking!
UNDERGRAD FORMAT - If the guy
in the next cubby is writing his resume in the same style that he’s
used since college graduation -- forget about it! The old c.v. or
block style format with the Objective and Education listed on top
are not appropriate for anyone with more than three years of professional
work experience.
DATES ARE M.I.A. - Our friend
has jumped around a lot and does not want prospective employers
to think he’s a flake. So he has decided to list the companies
but eliminate the dates for each position. Wrong! Leaving the dates
off your resume will surely cause eyebrows to raise and wonder if
you have been killing time in a federally-funded facility or living
in a tent in your parents’ backyard.
FACTS BUT NO PIZZAZZ - Mr. Job
Seeker has listed his responsibilities under each job title. Yeah,
so what separates him from the crowd? A great resume has got to
include accomplishments and achievements that you have been instrumental
in making happen. Increased widget sales by 65% in six months! Brought
in 15 new clients with total billings in excess of $100,000! Don’t
be afraid to brag a little, just be honest.
HITHER AND YON - Our co-worker
has changed fields more than models change outfits at a fashion
show. His resume just looks like a jumble of job listings. If you
have experience in more than one field and it needs to be included
on the resume, consider grouping the types of jobs together under
specific headings such as “Instructional/Training” or
“Customer Service/Sales”.
GRUDGE FACTOR - This isn’t
the first boss our co-worker has contemplated throwing out the 10th
floor window. Don’t include reasons for leaving your job on
your resume. Do not mention “sexual harassment”, “lawsuit”,
“workers compensation claim” or “fired me for
no good reason” on your resume.
PERSONAL INFO - Sorry to say,
but no one cares if you are single, married, play the trombone or
enjoy league bowling! Personal information does not belong on a
resume. Do not include your age, race, gender, or blue ribbons for
gardening.
BE BRIEF - Only your relatives
may have the patience to read through every job you’ve held
since stocking groceries in high school. Prospective employers want
to know what relevant experience you’ve had in the past 10-12
years. Highlight the most recent jobs and consolidate the past into
a strong one or two page resume.
LOOKS COUNT - Our friend is in
such a hurry to find a new job that he thinks printing the resume
out on green or orange paper will get him noticed fast. He’ll
get noticed and then dropped in the circular file! There is a coffee
ring stain on the hand-written envelope which also happens to have
the return address of his current employer in the corner -- No,
no, no!
APPROPRIATE TARGET - Just because
our co-worker is fed up today and wants to find a new job A.S.A.P.,
doesn’t mean that he should send a resume to every ad that
appeared in the Sunday newspaper! Take the time to target the jobs
that you really have a chance in being interviewed for. Does your
level of experience match the requirements listed?
WHY ARE YOU SENDING THIS RESUME?
- Once you have carefully checked over your professionally written
resume to ensure that the salient points mentioned above have been
addressed, don’t forget one of the most important adjuncts
to a good resume -- the cover letter. In the cover letter, you have
the chance to state why you are sending your resume to this company
and for what specific position. Don’t make people guess as
to why you have sent them your resume -- make it clear right up
front and good luck!
For a free critique/price quote, email Career Resumes® at Peter@career-resumes.com.
Peter Newfield is President of Career-Resumes.com®,
one of the premier resume writing services in the United States.
He is The Resume Expert for BlueSteps.com, ExecutiveRegistry.com,
NETSHARE.com, DirectEmployer.com and the former Resume Expert for
Monster.com, Spencer Stuart Talent Network and the Career Center on AOL. View samples at: www.career-resumes.com
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