Resume writing tips
Your Resume has to be different.
Break the rules and boldy go where no other person has gone!
Resume writing suggestions are only relevant when they produce call-backs.
"It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things."
- Sean O'Donnell
When the resume gets the phone to ring, then you know you have a great resume.
Don't do something just because it is popular.
Do it because it works!
By Fred Omid
Senior career coach at Best Jobs Magazine
Sometimes we follow steps that are popular even though they do not work. We do them because everyone else is doing them. Of course some things we just do instinctively.
My 15-month-old daughter Delina does certain things that I just recently realized all other babies do, too. Being attached to a blanket, or craving her pacifier before sleeping, throwing food on the floor, knowing when to crawl and when to walk are universal actions babies follow at about the same time and in the same fashion. I mean, how does that happen? Do babies all have secret walkie-talkies where they somehow communicate when the grown-ups are asleep? They seem to know exactly when to follow actions all other babies across the world are doing. That is the difference between children and adults in that we can think, reason, use our common sense, and follow steps that we recognize as good decisions for us. Despite this we manage to occasionally conform, following others without really asking if those steps are working for us.
I have always worn my watch on my left hand. You probably do, too. One day a friend asked me: "Fred, why are you wearing your watch on your left hand?" I casually responded with: "I don't know. You do too. So I don't understand your question." I said it proudly, as though I'd caught him asking a totally irrelevant question. He then said: "Right, I am wearing my watch on my left hand because I am right-handed. What about you? You are left-handed." I still did not get it and asked, "What do you mean?" He said: "Being right-handed I am constantly moving my arm. Wearing your watch on your dominant hand will risk scratching the watch. But you are left-handed." I looked at my watch and it dawned on me. That is why my watches are always scratched.
It also taught me a lesson. I have been wearing my watch on the left hand because everyone else does. I didn't ask myself once if that works for me. What are some things you are doing right now that do not work for YOU but you are still following them because everyone else does? Have you wondered if the steps you are taking right now when writing your resume or while searching for employment may be the very steps prolonging the securing of your next career?
For instance, are you condensing your resume to one or two pages?
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The steps that you are not taking will make all the difference
Condensing your resume to one or two pages may not always be the right step in every situation for YOU because scanners do not count pages, they scan content. I am not suggesting your resume should be longer than one or two pages.
I am suggesting that when you become so concerned about condensing your resume, you may end up losing focus on creating the right content.
What is more important today than the number of pages is communicating your message in a manner that distinguishes you from all other applicants and identifies you as a match. Focusing too much on the old adage that "the resume should be confined to one or two pages" may consequently force you to leave out important information employers need to classify you as a match.
What are some other things you are doing right now that do not work for YOU but you are still following them because everyone else does?
For instance, do you have a profile on linkedIn? How many interviews did it generate for you last week?
Think about it.
Does your resume still have an objective?
Most companies today care more about their objective, not yours. They think: "among the thousands of resumes we received, how do this applicant's skills translate to activities that would then help our company achieve ITS OBJECTIVES?" Learn more about this by reading about objectives on a resume.
As companies are learning to do more with less, and as the Internet has afforded companies a global reach to access the talent they need, the dynamics of the employment market have changed. Technology has changed the way employers view submitted resumes. Most employers have resorted to optical scanners, talent management software, and computerized scanning devices.
These systems allow employers and agencies to identify matches without having to read stacks of resumes. Yet, no computer on the planet can identify a person's character traits, such as team spirit, enthusiasm, and aptitude for success, by relying on the resume alone.
This is good news for those looking for employment. As many job seekers' resumes are getting lost among thousands of others, one can quickly stand out by following some basic resume-writing principles.
The first step is to stop playing the blame game and take full responsibility for your resume. Next, distinguish your "in-person resume" from your "online electronic" version. The online version is composed specifically to produce a call-back and not win an interview or a job.
If you feel partnering with a career coach can help your progress, follow these steps to get assigned to a Best Jobs Magazine career coach. .
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