Posted by Natalie Joan on Tuesday, June 22, 2010,
In :
Resumé Tips
Guest post by Jessica Holbrook Hernandez of Great Resumes Fast.
Have you ever heard someone suggest that the only way to get a job today is to lie on your resume? I’ve heard several people say this over the last few years. That said, consider this: I’ve also heard just about every recruiter and hiring manager I know complain that they are tired of reading resumes that dramatically overstate a candidate’s qualifications for a job.
Little white lies: Who’s going to know?
Some job seekers... Continue reading ...
Posted by Natalie Joan on Friday, May 21, 2010,
In :
Resumé Tips
Guest post by: Jessica Holbrook of Great Resumes Fast
Recently, we’ve been discussing resume aesthetics. What looks pleasing, what doesn’t, what makes a great first impression, and well … what doesn’t. In the last article, I talked about bullets and paragraphs. In this brief article, I’m going to elaborate on margins.
I am sure there could be debates on many sides as to what margin sizes to use and why. But as a former hiring manager for fortune 500 companies turned executive res... Continue reading ...
Posted by Natalie Joan on Sunday, January 10, 2010,
In :
Resumé Tips
In my last post I discussed what experience to include in your resumé, and stressed not to leave jobs out, as you don't want to leave gaps in your work history. What is the issue with gaps in a resumé, and what do you do if you have gaps in your work history?
The real issue is a potential employer has no way of knowing why there is a three and a half year gap in your experience (for example), and is left to their own assumptions which may not be positive. Perhaps you deleted a job where you... Continue reading ...
Posted by Natalie Joan on Thursday, January 7, 2010,
In :
Resumé Tips
Your professional experience is the core data on your resumé. It’s what everyone wants to know. What have you done, for whom, when and for how long? Oh and tell us this in 2 pages or less, please. It’s a somewhat daunting task.
To get started, list all of your previous experience, in chronological order, starting with your latest job on a piece of paper. List the dates of employment, your job title, the full company name and the location of your employment.
These days it is quite common f... Continue reading ...
Posted by Natalie Joan on Monday, August 31, 2009,
In :
Resumé Tips
Guest post by Lorraine Russo
Have you ever had this happen? After you've written something, you go back and look at it, say, a week or so later, and wince over the "obvious" errors you made: typos, grammatical errors, and so on.The same thing may be true for your resume.
While I have no doubt you've put a lot of thought and effort into its preparation, it’s always worth a second or third look, especially if you or an objective outsider have not critically examined it in a while--or a... Continue reading ...
Posted by Natalie Joan on Thursday, April 16, 2009,
In :
Resumé Tips
Many people list their full name at the top of a resumé, for example: John Paul Smith. While not required, there is certainly no problem with this. It looks professional. It makes your Mom proud. (My mom loves seeing my full name written out on important documents.)
But, what if you go by your middle name? If Mr. Smith actually goes by the name of Paul, presenting his name this way gives the impression he is a John. This is how he will be addressed on the telephone, in an email, and how he w... Continue reading ...
Posted by Natalie Joan on Sunday, February 15, 2009,
In :
Resumé Tips
So, when are you too old to include your high school
accomplishments on a resumé? This is a question I have been asked many times, but as I
just finished a resumé workshop with a group of 17-21 year olds, it is back in
my mind. No, there was no one in my group who was too old to have high school
listed, but what got me was the amount of other experience a 20 year old can
have, whereas I still see resumés from people 30 or more years old listing high
school credentials.
One of my first ed... Continue reading ...
Posted by Natalie Joan on Thursday, January 22, 2009,
In :
Resumé Tips
Glenn Kelmen, President and CEO of RedFin, blogs about what he likes, and dislikes, in a resumé.
I was a little scared to read this, in case I discovered I was doing things wrong. Turns out, I am being generous with my "2 pages max" rule of thumb. He only gives the under 30 set one page.
Any resumé readers out there? What do you look for?
Continue reading ...
Posted by Natalie Joan on Wednesday, January 21, 2009,
In :
Resumé Tips
This is a question I hear over and over. I’m not sure if
there’s a right answer. Google “resumé objective” and you will see a range of
opinions from various professionals telling you either that it is absolutely
essential, or that it is passé and should not be included.
As someone who had evaluated hundreds
of resumés, I have only ever seen a handful of resumé objectives that
provided any useful information.
Don’t use an objective to say you are “looking for
meaningful emp... Continue reading ...
Posted by Natalie Joan on Monday, January 19, 2009,
In :
Resumé Tips
z
Aside from spelling and grammar errors, the most common and annoying mistake people make in preparing a resumé has got to be length.
While it is understandable that you want to tell a potential employer any possible detail that might make them want to hire you, you also need to be realistic about how much an individual is willing to read.
I have received more than 100 resumés to fill short term, low paying jobs. Jobs with permanence and higher salaries attract even more interest. Fair or ... Continue reading ...
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About Me
I am a writer, editor and adult education professional living in Halifax NS. I write and edit resumés, and offer workshops on resumé writing, job hunting, and interviewing. This blog is a place for me to post my favourite resumé tips, answer common questions, and occasionally rant about my pet peeves.
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