How to Write a Better Resume

Jason at the JibberJobber blog is doing an experiment. He has asked some experts in the field to weigh-in with comments about a certain resume. Follow and join the conversation, starting here: JibberJobber Blog >> Blog Archive >> The Resume Experiment: Day 1 of 5

Related posts: Get That Job!: resumes

Related tags: getthatjob get+that+job job+hunt job+search career+advice networking resume jibberjobber

How To Write A Resume Cover Letter

From the One Minute How-To podcast, hosted by George Smyth, Patrick Fogarty explains how you can maximize the chances of getting that interview with a properly written cover letter.

Related tags: cover+letter job+search advice patrick+fogarty george+smyth one+minute+how-to odeo

Job-hunting success story - right out of college

I am very proud of how I landed my first job out of college. It was 1994, and I had spent lots of time at the library, researching the hidden job market and looking for leads. I had posted a resume at the University of Cincinnati's Career Development and Placement office, and I guess they made a database available to recruiters.

My sister had recommended a book entitled 300 New Ways to Get a Better Job by Eleanor Baldwin. Nevertheless, I found that very useful and would recommend it to any graduate or especially students in an online degree program, since they don't have access to a career center.

So one summer day that year, Mark, the Environmental, Health, and Safety Manager for a company that manufactured decorative items for homes, called me. What was meant as an initial screening call turned into a full-fledged telephone interview. When I hung up, I had made an appointment for an in-person interview. Not having a car of my own, I was able to borrow a friend's. I spent the next days before the interview at the library, researching all I could on the company.

At the interview my enthusiasm for the position as an Environmental Engineer was strengthened, especially as I convinced Mark to take me on a quick tour of the plant. I made sure to share some of the information I had found from my own research, which seemed to impress Mark and Jim, the HR Manager who also attended the interview. At the end of the interview, I asked what more I could do to qualify for the job, conveying my strong interest.

Immediately when I returned home, I typed up a thank you note to both Mark and the HR Manager who also interviewed me. Then I both faxed and mailed it.

Within a week Mark called me to offer me the job. I accepted it and wound up moving an hour north to Dayton, Ohio, where I lived for ten years.

The Internet has certainly changed the way we can look for jobs and how employers can find us. This worked for me back in 1994.

Do you have a job-hunting success story you'd like to share? Please send it to me at daniel [at] getthatjobonline [dot] com.

Related tags: getthatjob get+that+job job+hunt job+search success+stories daniel+johnson+jr

Note: I've updated this post to include some additional links to affiliates and others that I recommend you check out.

Would You Apply for Jobs Beyond Your Expertise?

Question for you all out there...

Would you send in a resume to apply for a job, even though you know you're not a good match for it, just to get in the door?

I was just browsing a job that requires skills that I don't have, and I considered sending a resume in anyway. I'm presently thinking that's not the best way to have my resume seen by someone.

Related tags:

getthatjob get+that+job job+hunt job+search career+advice networking professional+development dan+johnson job+posting

Blog Carnival - Networking After Sudden Job Loss

Jason of the JibberJobber Blog, the current "host" of a blog carnival, asks:

Yikes! You just lost your job! You’ve been so busy at *work* that you don’t feel your network is as strong as you would like it to be! What are you going to do with (and to) your network in the next 6 weeks as you begin an aggresive job search campaign? And, outside of your network, what job search tactics will you employ? Or your best networking tips related to job searches.

I was placed in this situation at the end of August this year. I immediately went to my LinkedIn profile, updated it, and started sending emails to my contacts. Unfortunately, I have not been proactive in being my own career manager, and I haven't kept in touch that well with the contacts in my network. So I mostly sent out "touching base" types of emails, mentioning the recent change in my circumstances where I could, and depending on the relationship with the contact.

I've began looking for other people to add to my network, based on the new relationships I'd formed since I'd last updated my network. I think I'm having to continue to explore different ways to find jobs. I hate having to post a resume blindly online and apply for specific job postings blindly. I much rather enjoy the interactivity from social networking. At the same time, I'm finding that I shouldn't limit myself by not going about the traditional methods of networking.

The other thing I've found from recently finding myself back in the job market is that my skills are not as current as I'd like them to be. So I'm looking at ways to hone them.

I guess that's all I have to say right now.

Related tags:

getthatjob get+that+job job+hunt job+search career+advice networking professional+development dan+johnson blog+carnival jibberjobber

I Hate Cover Letters

Seriously. I do. All the effort taken to write one just for the slight chance that it might get into a hiring manager's hands and convince him or her to read the resume just doesn't seem worth it.

I'd rather just do what I just did. I sent my resume via email with something along the lines of the following (after the jump):

I've attached my resume for the _________ position, confident that I can help fill the need you have.

Please contact me at __________ so we can discuss further how I might be a match.

THANKS!

Dan Johnson

Resumes and cover letters only tell one side of the story, and I can understand that they have their purpose from a hiring perspective. I hate just blindly sending something into an unknown individual. It feels like I'm flushing it down the toilet.

Am I being too cynical?

Resume Tips for Teleworkers - Resume Writing Services & Free Resume Advice from Monster.com

I've been "teleworking" for over a year now, and I suppose it's easy to take it for granted. This article from Monster reminds me that I might want to mention certain things in my resume or during the interview with respect to my success at "teleworking".

Resume Tips for Teleworkers - Resume Writing Services & Free Resume Advice from Monster.com

Mind Change in the Job Search

Hi there. A little bit of personal sharing on this post.

I think it's easy for me to have the paralysis of analysis when it comes to my job search. I think there's something wrong with my train of thought here, and maybe you can help me out with it or share your experiences.

I think it has something to do with feeling like a drop in the ocean of job seekers for a particular job. My resume that I send in response to a job posting is just one of several. That phone call or email I send to a contact is the first impression he or she is going to get from me.

I think I can get myself caught up in the pressure of the situation, immediately thinking of how I'm going to blow it, or that there's no way this person is going to be interested in me, my skills, or my experience.

Having typed all of this so far, I can see the fallacy of my thinking. I suppose it has to do with attitude and mindset. Perspective, too.

What if instead I see things from an abundance perspective? That there are so many jobs out there for me? How about instead feeling confident that I'm the one for the job, that the company should be selling themselves to me just as much as I'm trying to sell myself to them? Something like that.

Simply emailed my resume - nothing much else

I just sent my resume to a recruiter with the following text:

I am forwarding you my resume because I saw the job fo rhte position posted on your website, and it looks like my skills and experience might provide a match. I'm interested in what you think.

As I look back on that, I can see the typo, but I'm not that concerned. I provided the specific position title and the link to the post, along with the job ID number. I didn't really feel that all the extra verbiage was needed; i.e., the specific ways I'm qualified for it. We'll see. I really hate sending resumes blindly to people I don't already know where there wasn't already an introduction made.

Wanted - Your Thoughts on Posting Your Resume Online

Hey folks! Just a few thoughts here. I understand that all the cool kids are posting their resumes to Monster.com these days. I'm just wondering what your experience is, specifically, with regard to the posting methods.

For those that may not be familiar, Monster lets you post your resume to their site in a number of ways:

• Build a Monster resume
• Copy and paste text
• Upload an existing resume

I suppose the easiest thing to do, if you already have one available, is to upload an existing resume. I'm just wondering what others' experiences are with the other methods.

I suppose that each method could be as effective as any other method. I always feel like I'm pigeonholing myself whenever I do something like this, and I believe that this is the first time I've done this in awhile.

What are your thoughts?

The Lies on Your Resume Will Find You Out

I heard this on the Mr. Nice Guy podcast (http://mrniceguy.org/ - Show number 267) recently and saw it reported on CNet.com and elsewhere: David Edmondson resigned as CEO of Radio Shack recently amid questions about his resume.

At my company, someone was recently let go for the same reason.

Know this to be true: with more companies doing background checks, the lies on your resume will find you out. Therefore, make sure not to overstate your accomplishments and qualifications.

Three Things Every Recruiter Looks For In A Resume

There are three things every recruiter looks for in a resume:

- Focus
- Core competencies or transferable skills
- Accomplishments

If your resume lacks any of these crucial elements, then you are probably not capturing the attention you deserve, and you are missing out on important interview opportunities.


read more

[crossposted to Jobfiler.com]

Every Job Seeker Has a Story

Liz Ryan from Business Week Online shares an interesting perspective on making sure your resume tells your story.

"The human need for stories should be a vital clue to job-hunters, whose resumes often have as much dramatic punch as the back of a cereal box. Your resume is your marketing brochure, folks. It has to tell your story."

Read more from her article: Multi-Story Resume, Higher Profile

Items To Include In A Portfolio

I attended a job search seminar last year, and one of the topics we discussed was having a portfolio. I’m not going to go into the reasons for developing a portfolio; rather, I’m just going to list the items you would typically include:

• copies of your resume
• Letters of recommendation
• copy of high school/college diploma
• copies of other certificates
• high school/college transcript
• examples of work, which for me might include
  • documentation
  • printouts of GUI (graphical user interface)
  • web pages
  • ”best posts” from my blogs

Looking for a better job? Add Access to your resume!

I just happened to see this in Microsoft Access 2003's Help Contents. I thought it might help to at least bookmark this page for later.

Six Tricks to a Clutter-Free Resume

from CareerBuilder.com

In the world of job searching, bigger, flashier, more colorful and louder isn't always better. While some people feel the need to use elaborate fonts, bright paper, or graphics and animation in hopes of getting attention, it is often wiser to take a minimalist approach to your resume.

One of the biggest reasons why simple is often safer in today's job market is technology. Applicant tracking systems help HR managers sift through the numerous resumes they receive. This means that the first person who reads your resume may not be a person, but rather a computer, and that your paper resume will be scanned in and turned into an electronic file that is viewed by a computer system. Because it is sent through a scanner, your resume needs to be clear, concise and free from distracting characteristics. Plus, more and more companies are using online applications and requesting candidates to paste in resumes on company Web sites, or use online job sites to find candidates.

Having a simple resume is not just about scanning systems and electronic submissions. It also means carefully selecting which information to keep and which to cut. If you want to make sure your resume is clean, to the point and highlights your most important qualities in the most effective way, consider the following tips:

1. Forget the fancy fonts. Yes, it is certainly fun to write your annual family letter in a quirky lettering. But when it comes to your resume, a boring font is always better. Stick to the classics, like Times New Roman or Arial. These fonts are typically read well by electronic scanners and most e-mail systems, as well as human eyes.
2. Don't overdo the underlining, bolding and italics. Some people feel like everything on their resume needs to be highlighted in one way or another. But electronic scanners get easily tripped up by underlined words and italics. It might not be possible to have your resume be completely italic free, but too much of a good thing can be distracting to any kind of reader.
3. Include old information sparingly. Have you been out of college for more than 10 years? If so, you can probably get rid of the section on your resume that highlights your G.P.A. Are you still including all of your past jobs, which make your resume three pages long? Did you start your professional life in a completely different career, one that is now irrelevant to your current job? If so, it's time to cut information that no longer belongs.
   
   When you first start out, there is a reason you include all of your work experience. But the more experience you gain, the more selective you can be on what to include. No, you do not need to tell potential employers that you were a bartender in college. Some jobs just don't apply!
4. Leave out personal information. Unless your hobbies are directly relevant to your job, they should be taken out of your resume. The same goes for travel experience, marital status or the fact that you sing in the church choir. When you write your resume, try to think like the employer and include only the information that is going to matter to the company or the position you are seeking.
5. Write in sound bites, not paragraphs. A resume is not supposed to read like a novel. Your information should be presented in brief, concise
   statements that include strong action words. A resume should never be written in complete sentences or have statements that begin with "I." A reader needs to be able to glance at your resume quickly and know what your strengths and experiences are. Don't make him or her muddle through a lot of extraneous words to get to the good stuff.
6. Keep the look professional. These days, printed resumes are usually needed only for an interview. Like the fun fonts, fluorescent, patterned or textured paper is better suited to invitations and personal letters than resumes. Choose professional, plain paper and black ink. Leave graphics and shading out, too. Make sure the hiring manager knows what he or she is receiving. You don't want your resume to be thrown out because someone thought it was junk mail!

Your resume has an important job to do. It must convince an employer that you are worth talking to, that you are better than the rest and that you can do the job – all in about 15 seconds. Make those 15 seconds really count with a resume that sends the right message right away!

Copyright 2005 CareerBuilder.com. All rights reserved.

Reapplying for a Job After Rejection: Persistence Can Pay Off

Reapplying for a Job After Rejection: Persistence Can Pay Off

by Caroline Levchuck

Did you interview with more than one person? Were you referred to the company through a friend or a member of your network? Contact anyone you know or with whom you had a rapport and pick their brains about the company, additional opportunities and what you could have done to improve your performance or skills.

Work to incorporate these folks into your network by finding ways to help them with their careers and professional development. Pass along a pertinent article or business contact. Invite them to lunch or another social-yet-professional event on occasion. Keep in contact with each on a consistent yet not-too-frequent basis. Make sure they're all aware of your abilities and aspirations. If they're not, ask them to review your resume. This will ensure that they'll think of you when they hear of appropriate openings at the company.

Source: MyYahoo! Daily Tip from HotJobs, republished here because no permalink exists.

Creative Resume

I can't remember if we pointed to this earlier. I just spotted the link to this young man in France who wanted his resume to stand out. It uses Flash, so get ready and have your speakers/headphones plugged in.

Reminded of this by Paul, aka the Steeler Dirt Freak

Market yourself to a new job

Resume and interviewing tips for job seekers. It helps to view your resume and marketing literature for yourself.

Create a Job Search Timeline

The following My Yahoo! Daily Tip is being posted in its entirety for lack of a permanent link to the material. -DAJ

New Year's Resolutions for Your Job Search: I Will Create a Job Search Timeline
by Caroline Levchuck

You wake up in the morning, watch some TV, write a few emails, watch more TV ... suddenly it's 3:00 p.m. and you haven't even begun working on your resume! Where'd the time go?

Your first New Year's resolution should be to create and stick to a job search timeline, a schedule that can help you get more done in less time.

Here are two ideas for creating a timeline:

1. Focus on the short term: For example, lay out your goals for the day. It might look like this:

   8:30 a.m. -- Write thank-you notes
   9:00 a.m. -- Search Yahoo! HotJobs for jobs
   10:00 a.m. -- Write cover letters

   Having a daily regimen will help you stay on top of the latest job postings and keep you from slipping into job-search laziness.
   
   
2. Focus on the long term: A long-term schedule helps you see the big picture. For example:

   Goals for January 2-8:
   Send resumes answering specific job postings.
   Contact five friends asking for job leads.
   
   Goals for January 9-15:
   Follow up on last week's resumes by emailing recruiters.
   Schedule two informational interviews.

You can use either timeline or, better yet, use both. The important thing is to set concrete goals, to provide dates and to meet those goals.