This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Anonymous writes: If I am 40 years old. Should I leave my high school off my resume and just keep the college and special education? Or should I keep the name of the high school and just leave the year graduated off? Thanks.
I have a former student — a college graduate — who was valedictorian of her high school. Quite an accomplishment — years ago — but no one cares about it anymore, yet she still clings to it on her resume (partly because her college career was less than stellar). Even in her case, I recommended removing the high school stuff as soon as she was a college student.
So, here’s the rule. If you made it into college, one can assume that you completed your high-school education in some fashion, so drop it off your resume. Why should you waste precious space on your resume on an accomplishment that is inconsequential to most employers. Note to non-U.S. job-seekers: The norm for curriculum vitaes in many countries outside the U.S. is to list your high school education, but if you’re applying for a job in the U.S., leave it off.
Why are you clinging to that high school degree? Take it off your resume!
But, you also raise an interesting question for all older job-seekers — we baby boomers and older job-seekers. At some point — probably in your 40s — I would remove dates from college degrees as a preemptive strike against the possibility of age discrimination. (Be careful, though, as some employers, and especially recruiters want to see all dates from college on.) While you’re a little young to be worrying about age discrimination, others might be interested in our growing section of Job and Career Resources for Mature and Older Workers.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Michael writes:
How much of an effect does the number of schools a student attends have on prospective employers. I transferred from my first college after my freshman year because it didn’t offer the major I was interested in. I am currently majoring in electrical engineering at Bradley in Peoria, Il. Due to financial problems, I might have to change schools again, but I’m really worried that won’t be very attractive to prospective employers. Another reason I am thinking of transferring is that the usual class schedule was changed while I was away on an internship, so I missed some important prerequisites and would have to stay in school an extra year at least. Do I have reason to worry about transferring again?
I would not worry at all about the number of colleges you end up attending. The key is the degree, and as long as you are satisfied that the final college you may be attending is a solid and legitimate college, then transfer if you need to do so.
And the only way a potential employer might know you attended several colleges is if you volunteered that information for some reason or they requested a copy of your transcripts. There is no reason to put all the colleges you attended on your resume — the only one that matters is the one that grants you a degree.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Shawn writes:
I have worked for Wal-Mart for the past three years. Last year I was promoted to
department manager. Around that time I also started college studying software programming.
About nine months after I started the department-manager position, I voluntarily stepped down
to concentrate more on my school work. The thing is, I have a job interview coming up in my
desired field that I have been going to school for. What I was wondering was, if they ask
why I stepped down, what should I say? I don’t want it to seem as if I am not willing to “go
up the corporate ladder” within the company. I am willing to do so, it just wasn’t in my
career path to be a manager in a retail company.
The Career Doctor responds:
It’s funny, because I don’t see it as much of a problem for the interview as I do on your resume. If you already have at least one interview lined up, then I assume you’ve handled it properly on your resume.
In normal situations, a step backward could easily be perceived by prospective employers as being a major red flag. Many might see your situation and assume you are either lacking the skills or the drive to be successful.
However, you can totally spin your situation into a win-win. Here’s what you have going for you: First, you highlight your time-management skills by showcasing how you managed to work full-time and attend college. Second, you can showcase your loyalty to the company by voluntarily stepping down from the manager position for their best interest — since you knew you could not do the job justice and attend college. Third, you can discuss how retail was simply a tool to help pay for college (while also gaining valuable experience) and that what you are studying in college is preparing you for your future career.
Just don’t go negative. Don’t trash retail or the company. Instead, talk about some of your key accomplishments, as well as the transferable skills you have developed while working there. Show how the combination of your experience and education make you the ideal candidate for the position.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Anonymous writes: If I am 40 years old. Should I leave my high school off my resume and just keep the college and special education? Or should I keep the name of the high school and just leave the year graduated off? Thanks.
I have a former student — a college graduate — who was valedictorian of her high school. Quite an accomplishment — years ago — but no one cares about it anymore, yet she still clings to it on her resume (partly because her college career was less than stellar). Even in her case, I recommended removing the high school stuff as soon as she was a college student.
So, here’s the rule. If you made it into college, one can assume that you completed your high-school education in some fashion, so drop it off your resume. Why should you waste precious space on your resume on an accomplishment that is inconsequential to most employers. Note to non-U.S. job-seekers: The norm for curriculum vitaes in many countries outside the U.S. is to list your high school education, but if you’re applying for a job in the U.S., leave it off.
Why are you clinging to that high school degree? Take it off your resume!
But, you also raise an interesting question for all older job-seekers — we baby boomers and older job-seekers. At some point — probably in your 40s — I would remove dates from college degrees as a preemptive strike against the possibility of age discrimination. (Be careful, though, as some employers, and especially recruiters want to see all dates from college on.) While you’re a little young to be worrying about age discrimination, others might be interested in our growing section of Job and Career Resources for Mature and Older Workers.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Michael writes:
How much of an effect does the number of schools a student attends have on prospective employers. I transferred from my first college after my freshman year because it didn’t offer the major I was interested in. I am currently majoring in electrical engineering at Bradley in Peoria, Il. Due to financial problems, I might have to change schools again, but I’m really worried that won’t be very attractive to prospective employers. Another reason I am thinking of transferring is that the usual class schedule was changed while I was away on an internship, so I missed some important prerequisites and would have to stay in school an extra year at least. Do I have reason to worry about transferring again?
I would not worry at all about the number of colleges you end up attending. The key is the degree, and as long as you are satisfied that the final college you may be attending is a solid and legitimate college, then transfer if you need to do so.
And the only way a potential employer might know you attended several colleges is if you volunteered that information for some reason or they requested a copy of your transcripts. There is no reason to put all the colleges you attended on your resume — the only one that matters is the one that grants you a degree.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
When crafting your resume, what if you have no college degree, no four-year college degree, or did not attend college? If you have at least some college, list it. List an associate’s degree or incomplete studies toward a bachelor’s degree. For the incomplete degree, list the college, major, location, span of dates you attended, and, ideally, number of credit-hours completed. Your listing of an associate’s degree, incomplete bachelor’s degree, or no college at all should be beefed up with any training, professional-development, and certificate programs. In the unlikely event that you have absolutely none of these, leave off the Education section. Some employers (and most recruiters) will screen you out, but if you have succeeded in the past without educational credentials, your professional accomplishments will likely be enough to propel you to an interview. Read more in our Frequently Asked Questions About Resumes: The Complete Resume FAQ.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
To sharpen your resume’s focus, you can add a section called something like “Summary of Qualifications,” “Profile,” or the like. Such a section, in a reader-friendly bulleted format can contribute to powerful resume opener that draws the reader in; it can be part of the top third of resume that showcases your best selling points, catches the prospective employer’s attention, and immediately demonstrates your value as a candidate.
A synthesis of the ideas of two leading resume experts, Susan Britton Whitcomb, author of Resume Magic, one of the best books on the market for resumes, and Deb Wile Dib of Advantage Resumes, reveals that a Summary/Profile section can contain:
- Title/functional area/level of your current position and/or position you seek.
- Number of years of experience (which, for age-discrimination reasons, should not exceed 15-20; “15+” is a good guideline for mature workers)
- Industry you’re in or seeking to be in.
- Core competencies/areas of expertise/strengths/specialization for that field.
- Highlights of representative accomplishments, especially used to demonstrate skills and competencies you’ve used throughout your career.
- Top business, leadership, craft-related skills, both “hard skills” and “soft skills” (such as communication, interpersonal, teamwork); however, be aware that many hiring decision-makers believe soft skills can be substantiated only in person or by references, so be sure to provide strong substantiation of these skills in your resume.
- “Value-added” information: Skills/accomplishments/experience that
- add to your value because they are not necessarily expected of someone with your background (e.g., operations manager with deep knowledge of IT).
- Any advanced degrees, certifications, or licenses that are integral to the type of job you seek.
- Language and international business skills, if relevant.
- Technical/computer skills, instead of burying them at the bottom of your resume (Exception: IT professionals, who should place IT skills in a separate section).
- Personality /management style: Open a little window into your personality with your Summary/Profile (e.g., mention sense of humor)
- Possibly affiliations if integral to the job, otherwise in a separate section.
- Any extremely prestigious colleges, employers, or clients.
- Quantification whenever possible, using numbers for, e.g., revenue generated, size of accounts, typical budgets, money saved, etc.
- Positive quotes, testimonials from supervisors, clients, taken from memos, letters, performance evaluations.
- Awards you’ve earned, such as Employee of the Month and President’s Club, can also be listed in the Summary/Profile section to give them more up-front attention than if they were listed in their own section.
- Keywords/buzzwords from ads or job postings you’re responding to.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
Have health goals in 2010, but no time to exercise and eat right?
Propose a flexible work arrangement and you'll have the margin of time to prepare healthier meals, work out more often and lose weight as a result. Learn more.
|
Job Search: |
Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, a subsidiary of
EmpoweringSites.com -- DeLand, FL 32720
Home Page: http://www.quintcareers.com/
Email: randall@quintcareers.com
Copyright © Quintessential Careers. All Rights Reserved
Serviced by Movable Type Solutions Company