This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Allison writes:
I thought I’d take a chance and see if I could have a question
answered that I didn’t find addressed on your Quintessential Careers Website. (Excellent site, by the way).
I am required to turn in a resume for a school district with whom
I am applying. I have been in the same type of position for 9 years,
doing relatively the same type of work (counseling). Since each of
the jobs I have held have virtually the same description, how do I
address that under the work experience?
I wondered if I should do a functional resume and bullet all the skills
I have acquired through the years and then just list the schools (or
districts) in which I have worked under the work experience.
The Career Doctor responds:
Kudos first for planning in advance — and for doing the research — with regard to
your resume. Resumes are extremely important documents, and I am always
amazed at how many bad resumes I see — poor focus, too wordy, ugly/boring
appearance, with typos and misspellings. Resumes are one of the main tools
with which prospective employers judge you — and help them decide whether
to call you for an interview.
The key element of resumes you are missing is that a resume is not some
statement of job duties or descriptions. A resume is about showing how you
took a job and made it your own — and helped the employer in the process. A
resume highlights your key accomplishments in every job. And even when
you have held similar jobs over a long period, you should still have quantifiable accomplishments in every position.
So, you certainly could make a chrono-functional resume, where the job-seeker chooses about three broad functional skills areas, but what would you list under the
functional categories? Not job duties. But I think a standard chronological resume
would work fine for you as long as you take the time to sit back and examine
your accomplishments in each job.
Here are some Quintessential Careers resume resources that you may find useful:
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document?
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- accomplishments,
- Accomplishments Worksheet,
- chronological resume,
- functional resume,
- interview,
- job duties,
- job-seeker,
- prospective employers,
- quantifiable accomplishments,
- Quintessential Careers,
- Quintessential Careers resume resources,
- resume,
- Resume Critique,
- resume resources,
- typos and misspellings,
- work experience
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Mike writes:
I would appreciate your help with a couple of questions. Is gray granite paper
acceptable for a resume and cover letter? As well, is it necessary to send the
resume in a large envelope so the resume doesn’t need to be folded? I have heard
conflicting opinions on whether or not to print a cover letter on personal letterhead.
What is your professional opinion on this?
The Career Doctor responds:
Resumes are one of the fundamental tools of job-hunting, and while most of your time
and effort should be focused on the content, it’s also important to discuss format issues.
Remember that the entire goal of a resume is to generate enough interest from the
employer to grant you a job interview.
But before I get to the format issues, let’s just hit the highlights of resume content.
- Resumes should be specifically focused to the job you are seeking; there is
no such thing as a “general purpose” resume.
- Resumes need to focus on your key accomplishments, not on duties and
responsibilities; employers want to see that you can produce results.
- Resumes must have zero errors; one typo or misspelling can easily be the difference between getting an interview and having the resume tossed in the trash.
- Resumes are statements of fact; do not lie or stretch the truth when writing your resume.
Back to your question about resume format. Here are some general resume rules:
- Paper: plain white is perfectly acceptable. If you want to go with a color, choose
muted colors, such as gray, beige, slate, etc.
- Printing: ideal is still a laser printer, but ink jets are fine — as long as you let the
ink dry so that the ink does not smear.
- Mailing: sending your resume in a standard size business envelope is fine, though
more and more job-seekers are using larger envelopes so that the resume does not
need to be folded.
- Style: your resume and cover letter should match — in letterhead, in type style (font),
and in paper color. And never, ever send a cover letter on company letterhead.
One final comment about resumes: Whenever possible, it’s always best to see if the employer
has a preferred resume style. Some elements of resume design are very subjective. Many
employers now list these requirements on the corporate career Websites. I have a client who
has an amazing functional resume (organized around skills clusters), but a recent prospective
employer asked her to totally rewrite and reformat her resume into a standard chronological resume because that format was preferred.
Looking for more resume help? Quintessential Careers has
resume quizzes
and an article on creating
Web-ready resumes. Go to: Quintessential Careers.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document?
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Laura writes:
Since moving to Daytona Beach 5 years ago, I have worked for 10 employers and also tried
self-employment. (Four of the jobs were temporary.) Only one of those employers was a good
match for me, but unfortunately, they went out of business nine months after I started working
for them. I am a highly qualified accountant/bookkeeper, but it seems this town is unwilling to
pay a decent salary to someone with my skills and more than 25 years of experience. My age (over 50)
may also have something to do with my inability to get a good job offer. I have been on several
interviews, but I seem to come in second or third choice.
The Career Doctor responds:
I think now is the time to reinforce the whole concept of a job search as a marketing
campaign. Your cover letter and resume are the key marketing promotion documents
and the job interview is the critical sales call. If you then look at yourself as a product,
it puts job-hunting in a much different light.
You have a number of issues/problems/concerns that need to be addressed. First, I let
me preface the rest of this answer with the depressing news that the Central Florida job
market is one of the weakest and low-paying that I have ever researched. So, as you’ve
discovered, job-seekers need to keep their expectations tempered.
Your resume. There are a number of issues you need to deal with here. First, you need
to remove older job experience and take older dates off your experience and education
so that employers can’t easily guess your age. Next, you need to do something with all
the jobs; 10 jobs in five years is a huge red flag. I would consider lumping all your temporary
work into one grouping in a traditional resume — or consider experimenting with some sort of chrono-functional resume, in which skills are emphasized and employment history is secondary. Next, are you
current with your training/technology skills — and if so, does it come across on your resume?
So much of accounting and bookkeeping practices have changed, even in the last 10 years,
that employers may assume older job-seekers still do it the “old” way and may be resistant
to change. Your task is to not let them assume that!
In the interview. Your resume can only do so much for you — which is basically get you to the
interview. Now you need to sell yourself to the employer. Don’t go into interviews, as some
older workers do, with anything but a positive attitude — focused on how you can make an
immediate contribution to the company (rather than relying on all your years of solid experience).
Attitude, especially with older workers, is critical.
I strongly recommend that you read some of the articles and other resources in this section of
Quintessential Careers: Job
Resources for Mature and Older Jobseekers.
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- resume,
- self-employment,
- skills,
- technology skills,
- temeporary work,
- training
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Galen writes:
I have been searching for a job for about 2 and 1/2 months. Every one I show my resume to, or e-mail/fax/snail mail to says that they really like my resume, or WOW, or this is a really strong resume.
Problem is no interviews, no follow-up calls from headhunters on-line or otherwise for jobs which I submitted my resume. Many of these jobs I am definitely qualified for, some over qualified, some under. Most, 80% fall into the definitely qualified for.
- What am I doing wrong?
- How do I get the headhunters to respond?
- etc.
The Career Doctor responds:
A key part of any job-search is follow-up. It’s not good enough just to be pounding the pavement, sending out cover letters and resumes, expanding your network of contacts, responding to job ads and postings, and contacting headhunters and recruiters. All those activities are important, but they’ll all be for naught unless you take the time to follow-up every single job lead.
No interviews is a bad sign to me. It means that there is something wrong with your job search…and probably not just your lack of follow-up.
I strongly urge you have a career professional — a resume service, a former boss or colleague, or a headhunter — carefully review your resume and cover letter. In fact, you should have him or her evaluate your entire job search plan.
I also strongly suggest you read our article, Ten Questions to Ask Yourself if You Still Haven’t Found a Job, published on Quintessential Careers. The article discusses some of the common roadblocks to a successful job-search — and how to get through them.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document?
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- career professional,
- colleague,
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- follow-up,
- headhunters,
- interview,
- job ads,
- job postings,
- job search,
- network,
- Quintessential Careers,
- resume,
- resume service,
- roadblocks
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Orlando writes:
I have recently moved to New York City. I have 4 solid years of web development/programming and design experience. I have also worked 2 years, out of the 4 years, as a web-development consultant. On top of my experiences and skills, I am still pursuing my first bachelor’s degree in computer information systems.
For some reason, I am experiencing difficulties in finding a job in New York. I have been
sending resumes for more than a month now and generated only one interview, but another candidate was selected. I was wondering if this is because I don’t have my degree yet or is it my resume? How long does it usually take, on average, for someone to hear from companies?
Please help me. I would really appreciate any suggestions you can give me on how to get interviews with companies.
The Career Doctor responds:
Job-hunting is all about marketing and selling — and being more aggressive in hunting down job opportunities than other job-seekers. One of your biggest problems is a common one among job-seekers — applying for jobs and then sitting back waiting for the phone to ring. And as you have discovered, job-hunting just does not work that way. You need to get on the phone (or via email if you applied for jobs using email) and call every company you have not heard from and see what the status of your application is — and ask for interviews where appropriate.
I don’t know what method you are using to find job leads, but if you are relying only on job ads — either job postings on Web sites or in help wanted ads in New York area newspapers — you need to move your job search up quite a few gears. Have you joined any professional or social organizations since you moved to New York? Do you have friends or family in New York? I ask because networking is the best method to find strong job leads.
Learn more about networking by going to Quintessential Careers: The Art of Networking.
Don’t get discouraged, but don’t sit at home waiting for a phone call. Pound the pavement. Make your own opportunities.
Finally, one other great source for understanding the importance of marketing in job-hunting is my article: Using Key Marketing Tools to Position Yourself on the Job Market.
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- bachelor's degree,
- experience,
- interview,
- job leads,
- job-seeker,
- marketing,
- networking,
- New York City,
- programming,
- resume,
- skills,
- web development
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Anonymous writes:
How is a short job stay (5 months) addressed, or do you address this aspect of a job history? I recently separated from the military to start a civilian career after 13 years and obtaining my degree. I was enticed by a job based on money and benefits offered. The company could not come through with the benefits, so I resigned. I feel like I am being overlooked by employers because of this short stay. What do I do?
The Career Doctor responds:
Without knowing enough about your background, my best advice is to bury the job in your resume by taking advantage of a chrono-functional resume format, where you stress your key skill sets, putting your employment history at the end of your resume. You can read more about constructing chrono-functional resumes by reading this article: Should
You Consider a Functional Resume?
Do I think some employers might be wary? Yes. Not necessarily because of the short stint at your last job, but because of that stint in combination with a long stint in the military. There may be a concern that you are having a hard time handling the transition from military management and culture to civilian management and culture. Once you start going on interviews, you should be prepared to address the issue.
What job-hunting techniques are you using? I recommend taking a spin through our Job Search 101 tutorial. The tutorial is really designed for new college grads, but because you have been out of the job market for so long, it might be a great refresher for you in developing and executing a job search plan that will lead you to the job and career you seek.
Finally, you can find some good resources and job sites especially for transitioning service people at: Job Transitioning for Vets & Former Military.
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Anonymous writes:
How do I explain to a potential employer that I was let go from my job after committing an honest mistake that I did not realize there was a policy on?
The Career Doctor responds:
Let me begin by stressing the importance of not raising this issue — ever — but especially not in your cover letter or resume. (And yes, we often come across these odd admissions.) Even in the interview, let the employer ask you why you left your last job.
Once the issue has been raised, the best answer is always the truth. Admit that you made a mistake — and, more importantly, show how you have learned from that mistake.
Read my article, Getting
Fired: An Opportunity for Change and Growth.
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
J.R. writes:
I have a 2-year employment gap on my resume. I took some personal time off for mental recuperation, but I know I can’t say this in an interview. How can I fill this gap or make it look somewhat better?
The Career Doctor responds:
I would suggest a two-pronged approach — one for your resume and one for your interviews.
On your resume: I would suggest that you consider converting your chronological resume to a chrono-functional format. Chrono-functional resumes focus on your accomplishments in key skills areas; your employment history is summarized at the end of your resume — and gaps become less apparent. You can read more about functional resumes in Should You
Consider a Functional Resume?
In the interview: It’s best to position this employment gap as time well-spent on improving or challenging yourself. If you took some educational courses (or even just read a lot), you should focus on the attainment of new skills and knowledge; if you volunteered your services, you should focus on your accomplishments; and if you did some consulting, you should focus on the gap as a time to spread your wings and try to make it on your own.
As you can tell from these examples, you need to position the gap as having some redeeming value — besides improving your mental health.
Finally, remember that while you are self-conscious about the gap, some interviewers may never even notice it … so don’t volunteer potentially negative information; wait for the employer to raise the issue before offering an explanation.
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- accomplishments,
- chrono-functional resume,
- consulting,
- courses,
- employment gap,
- interview,
- knowledge,
- mental health,
- negative information,
- resume,
- skills
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Erika writes:
I have had 3 different jobs in 3 years. My job-hopping has been done to extenuating circumstances that have been out of my control. Job # 1 declared bankruptcy and went out of business after I had been there only 7 months I left job #2 to move to Virginia to take care of my grandmother who was terminally ill. That one lasted 7 months as well.
Currently I am in job #3 and am planning to move in the next couple of months because I am getting married.
I am concerned that this moving around will affect my chances in finding my next job. People have said that since I am young and in the telecommunications industry that this moving around is expected. But I have also heard that employers frown upon this because my erratic job history looks on paper like I can’t stick to one thing. What can I do to offset this liability and change it into an asset?
The Career Doctor responds:
There is a lot of truth to what people have been telling you. Because of the massive downsizing and rightsizing that began in the 1980s and continues today employers are less likely to use job-hopping (or what appears as job-hopping) as a reason not to interview someone. It also helps that you are in an industry where demand for employees is still strong.
On the other hand, you always need to keep in the back of your mind that the purpose of your resume is to get you an interview — and you want to remove as many roadblocks as possible. Thus, even if all three of the jobs you’ve had have been similar, I would probably recommend that you experiment with a chrono-functional resume. Chrono-functional resumes focus on your key skill sets and accomplishments, listing your actual employment history at the end of your resume. You can read more in our article, Should You Consider a Functional Resume?. Be prepared to revert to a chronological resume if the chrono-functional version isn’t working for you as many employers disdain any kind of functional resume.
Also be prepared to explain the short job stints in your interviews — and how you are now in a position to settle down and make a long-term commitment to your next job.
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Anonymous writes:
I have applied several times to a particular company and just discovered,
much to my horror, that I had been spelling the city’s name wrong (at least
three applications so far). It’s a two-word name and I made it one word.
Worse, it’s a company I do business with regularly and that’s one of my “ins”
into the company, my “knowledge” of them, and yet I didn’t know such a
small thing. How embarrassing, but worse, how damaging to my credibility.
I just applied for THE position I had been waiting for and it was after I mailed
that letter that I realized the mistake I had been making. I was hoping so
much to finally get an interview with this company and now this. Is there any
way to recover from this error? Should I follow-up with an “at least I’m
consistent” light-hearted, letter or hope they didn’t notice as it was going to
a different department?
The Career Doctor responds:
If the job you are applying for is that of an editor or proofreader, then perhaps
it’s a major blunder, but otherwise I think you can just let this error be. In the
great scheme of cover letters, it is MUCH more important to get the name of
the hiring manager and name of the company spelled correctly — and I am
assuming you did that.
Look at DeLand, where I am based. Most of the mailed correspondence I get
spells it as Deland, and don’t even get me started about how people pronounce
it. Regardless, while I would of course recommend all job-seekers have perfect
spelling and grammar in your cover letters, I would not make a big deal of your
oversight.
I might be concerned, however, about someone who has applied for three
different positions within the company. Are the positions similar? Do you
have any sense why you were not interviewed for the previous positions? If you
do have a few contacts within the company, I would ask them whether there is
any “word” on your reputation from the people within the departments you are
applying to.
And speaking of cover letters, wanted to share this comment from a job-seeker
who had asked me how to make a bigger impact with his cover letter for an
internship — and I told him to deliver it to the manager personally, but when
doing so to be prepared for an on-the-spot interview, which is just what happened:
“Just writing to thank you again for your advice with my cover letter for an
internship and how to deliver it. I found the manager’s name, and went to
deliver my letter to her today. She was so impressed with my initiative of
actually delivering the letter by hand, that she interviewed me on the spot,
and wants to set up a more formal interview in the near future. Thanks so
much, your edits and advice about actually hand-delivering the letter were
invaluable, and I really appreciate your time.”
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Karen writes:
I am a “non-traditional” recent college graduate. My work experience does not coincide with my degree at all. I have followed all the cover-letter and resume tips and guidelines from multiple sources and sent out close to 100 resumes. I can’t even get an interview! I know I have a lot to offer these companies but they don’t even give me a chance. Can you help????
The Career Doctor responds:
Karen, what you need to do is build a resume around your recent degree and the transferable skills you have from your previous experiences (work and school).
I assume you want to enter the field that relates to your degree. If this assumption is correct, then you need to examine the skills that employers in that field are looking for in job candidates and see if you used many of those skills in your previous jobs —regardless of the field. You can read more about how to do this analysis by going to
Strategic Portrayal of Transferable Skills is a Vital Job-search Technique. Then you need to rebuild your resume around those skills, possibly experimenting with a chrono-functional
resume. You can find the best sources of information at Quintessential Careers: Resume Resources.
Now onto a possible second problem with your situation: Are you doing anything besides sending out resumes? Are you calling these companies where you sent your resumes and asking for an interview? You cannot wait by the phone expecting these employers to call you — you need to be proactive and call them! Are you taking advantage of your network of friends, colleagues, and family by trying to get job leads from them? Are you using the career services office of your college? The alumni network of your college? Are you looking online for jobs?
I think if you redo your resume to focus on your transferable skills, become more proactive in your job search, and take advantage of networking opportunities, you should find your job searching much more productive.
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Michelle writes:
I recently was let go from my position at my office due to financial reasons.
How do I start off a cover letter letting the employer know this information in
a positive manner? I just need some advice on how to construct the first part
of the cover letter and I did not see that on the website. Hope you can help
and thank you for your time.
The Career Doctor responds:
Repeat after me — again and again — never ever put any kind of negative information
in your cover letter, resume, or any other job-search materials. The time to address
any of these negative issues — such as being fired — is in the job interview ONLY
after the employer raises the issue.
Your cover letter is the job-search tool that sets the tone for you as a job-seeker and
provides the critical first impression for the employer. How positive an impression is the
prospective employer going to have if your opening paragraph states, “although I was
recently let go from my previous job because the company was having financial difficulties… ”
The employer is going to stop reading before he/she even gets to the end of your sentence.
But you are not alone. In the thousands of cover letters I have seen over the years, it
is absolutely amazing the kind of negative information job-seekers put in their cover letters.
Perhaps they mistakenly think that full disclosure is necessary. Or perhaps because
professionals stress being truthful, they think this means they need to fess up to all prior
mistakes.
Please remember a cover letter is a marketing document. Its sole purpose is to entice the
hiring manager just enough to review your resume. It’s then the resume’s job to verify that
you are worthy of getting an interview for the open position.
If your cover letter is not focused, if it provides negative information, if it has typos or spelling
errors, or if it has too little or too much detail, your resume will simply not get a look
and your job prospects for the position are officially over.
Finally, let me once again stress that I am not saying to lie. I am simply saying do NOT
disclose negative information (or even too much information) until the employer asks you
about it. And at that point you need to put a positive spin on the negative information —
but only then.
I believe you need to review two key resources. First, read my article about moving beyond after
getting laid off: Getting Fired: An
Opportunity for Change and Growth.
Second, take advantage of the all the tools and resources we offer in this section of Quintessential Careers: Cover Letter Resources for Job-Seekers.
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Eugene writes:
I am a student studying law, and I recently decided to apply for a position as a
paralegal with some law firms. I spent some time looking at your Quintessential
Careers website. Now, I do not doubt for a minute that much research is able to
substantiate the information that you have presented, but I find it difficult to
imagine that some of the techniques you mention do work. What immediately
springs to mind is the section on closing paragraphs: “I will call your office in
the next week to schedule an appointment.”
To me, that sounds quite unorthodox, and perhaps even pushy and rude. I
actually incorporated a line to the same effect in my cover letters after
reading your website, but now I am wondering whether it was the best thing
to do. Could you please explain to me why this works?
The Career Doctor responds:
In any job market, but especially in this job market, job-seekers need to know
how to best market themselves to prospective employers. This self-marketing strategy has several components when writing cover letters.
First, rather than saying something like “I hope you’ll find my qualifications a good
match with what you’re looking for,” you need to show — and tell — the employer that
you are a good match for the position. Describe how your accomplishments, skills, and training are a perfect match for the employer’s needs.
Second, you do need to end your letter with an aggressive stance. If you do not want
to be so aggressive as to say you will call for an interview, you can simply say you
will call to discuss the job. Employers want go-getters, not passive employees.
Third, as I have stated numerous other times, you MUST follow-up all your cover
letters and job applications. Saying you are going to call is the easy part; the hard
part is actually making the phone call. And in the phone call, you need to still be
aggressive in not taking no for an answer — just remember to stay professional
at all times — while showcasing why you are the perfect person for the job.
Find lots more helpful information and resources in the
cover letter resources
section of Quintessential Careers.
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- accomplishments,
- cover letter,
- go-getter,
- interview,
- job applications,
- job market,
- job-seeker,
- prospective employers,
- qualifications,
- Quintessential Careers,
- self-marketing strategy,
- skills,
- training
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Kris writes:
Should I have a cover letter to accompany my resume when I go for an interview on Tuesday?
If you can assist me in any way I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you for your time.
The Career Doctor responds:
The main purpose of a cover letter is to entice a prospective employer to review your
resume in consideration for a job interview, and since you have cut through the process
and already have an interview, a cover letter seems unnecessary at this point.
Do make sure your resume is sharp in appearance and directed specifically at the job
you are seeking. Just as you would write a different cover letter for each position, so
too should you tweak your resume for each position.
Instead of the cover letter, if you have a portfolio of samples of your work experience,
bring it along to the interview. And be sure to bring multiple copies of your resume.
And before the interview, be sure to brush up on the types of questions you are expecting
in the interview. You don’t want to memorize your answers, but you do want to have a
basic story prepared so that you will showcase your experience and fit.
Let me just add a final comment about cover letters. First, when you are applying for
any position — unless the employer specifically requests you not send one — you should
always send a cover letter and resume as part of your job-search package. Your cover
letter should be brief and specifically address why you are the perfect candidate for the
position. Cover letters should be no longer than 3-5 short paragraphs — and never
longer than one page.
You can read more about special
cover letter formats that grab employers’ attention, as well as find lots more articles and
tools in the cover letter section of Quintessential Careers.
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Rajan writes:
I have a resume that has large employment gaps. This may be OK for females, but for males, it is a no-no. I have tried different types of resume styles. Nothing.
I don’t get interviews. Is there any way to increase the number of interviews?
How should I explain my resume? At one time I stopped looking for work for about 1.5 years, the biggest gap to explain.
Then I did telemarketing and took a course in it. Telemarketing is not for me. I have stopped again for about 10 months. I don’t want to sit around. Right now I am looking for work as a network administrator. I have a background in hardware and software development, but I can’t move. In this area there is not much call for tech work.
The Career Doctor responds:
The first rule of job-hunting is never expose a weakness to the employer — and never do it before you’ve had a chance to have an interview and build a case for yourself. Yes, employers do worry about employment gaps — for both genders — but you can do some things to make the gaps less obvious and to project yourself in a better light.
First, I would recommend you experiment with a chrono-functional resume that focuses
on your technical achievements and skills. If you already have one, then I suggest you ask a professional colleague, mentor, or resume professional to evaluate and critique it for you. My guess is that you are so focused on these gaps that this weakness comes through on your resume.
Second, plan a strategy for explaining these gaps. Were you doing volunteer work? Were you taking classes? Were you working part-time or as a consultant? You will need to fill these gaps with something so that it doesn’t seem as though you were just sitting
home all that time (even if you were).
Third, are your technical skills current? If not, you might want to take a course or two to make you more marketable.
Fourth, once you have a professional resume and feel more confident about yourself, you need to go back into the job market. And don’t worry so much about location, as there are definitely high-tech jobs where people work from home at least some of the time. Use all the tools available to you to find a job — your network, the Internet, etc.
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Delia writes:
I am planning to move back to California from Utah to be closer to my family. How do I address that relocation in the cover letter without it seeming as though there are professional problems?
The Career Doctor responds:
Why do you need to say anything? In your cover letter — or in the interview — you simply need to say you are relocating for personal reasons. But with people on the move all the time, changing geographic locations should not be an issue.
Now, get focused on the more important issue: your strategy for finding a new job before you relocate. Start contacting those in your network — especially back in California — and let them know you are relocating and looking for a new job back in California. Then, get on the Web and do some research on the types of jobs, companies, industries where you want to work.
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Jim writes:
I was wondering if you could advise me on how best to prepare a resume when you have gaps in employment so as not to magnify the gaps and disadvantage yourself.
The Career Doctor responds:
Let me start by saying you are wise to think about this issue. A resume is basically a marketing tool whose purpose is to help get you an interview. Thus, given this focus as a marketing tool, your goal in writing a resume is to make it a positive and informative selling tool.
There are two basic formats for resumes: chronological and functional.
The typical resume is a chronological one, which shows your employment history starting with the most current and working backward. This type of resume works best when you have a specific career path and each of your jobs shows progression along that career path.
The functional resume is often used when you have employment gaps or when you are trying to make a change from one field to another and you want to emphasize your transferable skills, not your old career path.
Consider trying a functional resume, or better yet, a chrono-functional resume organized around skills clusters but including a bare-bones job history. Sit down and
analyze the key skills you have developed and honed from your previous employment and use these skills sets for the bulk of your resume. Toward the end of your resume show an employment history, but you can do it in such a way as to de-emphasize the gaps. Note that even chrono-functional resumes carry some risk as many employers and recruiters don’t like them and suspect the job-seeker is hiding something. It’s best to experiment with a chrono-functional version, but be prepared to return to the chronological format if the chrono-functional doesn’t seem to be working for you.
And please be prepared to answer the question at the interview. Employers will want to know why there were gaps.
Finally, to get more information, links, and books about resumes, please visit Quintessential Careers:
Resume Resources.
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Bill writes:
I’ve sent out 175 resumes. Some I’ve received an email acknowledgments and others I received snail mail acknowledgments, but the rest I’ve received neither. How should I handle the no replies? Should I send another resume — or email or phone them?
The Career Doctor responds:
Bill, okay … I am assuming you sent out cover letters with your resumes, and I am further assuming you followed the proper cover letter techniques — specifically, writing to a named individual, requesting an interview, and promising action — I would strongly suggest that you put all those recipients into a spreadsheet and start contacting them right away. You should never expect employers to respond to your inquiries, and as you have discovered, very few do so.
Not knowing how much time has elapsed, you may need to send out another cover letter and resume once you’ve spoken with the people. If that’s the case, then send those people your resume and cover letter and follow-up about a week to 10 days later with a phone call.
If you did not write a cover letter, or you did not follow the cover-letter rules — and the biggest no-no is not addressing each letter to a named individual — then you might as well start all over again because the likelihood that your cover letter and resume are still somewhere in the employers’ offices is pretty darn slim.
You can read more about cover letters and job-hunting at Quintessential Careers:
Cover Letter Resources, which includes a link to the cover letter tutorial.
Follow-up is crucial in all aspects of job-hunting.
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.
In response to a question about common mistakes in cover letters, Phyllis Korkki said, “A cover letter with typos, misspellings and poor sentence structure may take you out of the running for a job. If you cannot afford to pay someone to review your cover letter and résumé, enlist a friend or a family member with good language skills to do it instead.
Korkki continues:
Another misguided thing people do is to make the cover letter all about them: “I did this, I’m looking for, I want to … I, I, I.” Structure your letter so that it stresses the company and what you can do to help it reach its goals, [experts] said.
Korkki cites well-known career-management expert Wendy Enelow for the advice to avoid including too much information — for example, very specific salary or geographic requirements. Enelow also told Korkki that it is also unwise to point out that you do not meet all the criteria in the job description. You can deal with that later, if you get an interview. Hiring managers are looking for ways to exclude you as they narrow down their applications. Do not give them that ammunition.
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Give hiring managers exactly what they want in your cover letter, advises Heather Eagar of www.ResumeLines.com.
“Being a hiring manager is not an easy job,” Eagar writes. “They have to sift through many resume packages from job-seekers who don’t meet the specified requirements and have no skills they need to fill the open position. It’s a frustrating job and it can get them a little on edge. Knowing that, just give them what they want! Don’t beat around the bush or wait until the interview (that you think is coming) to enlighten them about how perfect you are for the job; now is the time to do it.”
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Bill Belknap and Helene Seiler, in the excellent book For Executives Only, describe a case study in which a client wrote a targeted letter to a hiring decision-maker after already having sent one in response to a job posting for the same job. The authors write:
She tracked down who the hiring manager was and wrote him directly. The hiring manager was impressed enough to ask HR to pull her resume out of the stack, and she was interviewed within a few days.
The candidate began her targeted letter by noting that she had applied for the position through the employer’s Web site. Her next paragraph expressed her understanding of the key requirement of the position. Then, she included a bulleted section recapping significant, relevant career accomplishments. She concluded with a proactive paragraph asking for an interview and noting that she would call the recipient’s assistant to schedule an appointment.
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Heather Eagar of www.ResumeLines.com cautions job-seekers to ensure that employers know how to contact you. Eagar asks: “Have you ever left off your contact information from your cover letter? Job-seekers believe that if they include it on their resumes, they’re set. Sadly, they’re mistaken.”
She explains one of the reasons to include contact information:
When there is a job opening, all kinds of paperwork is flying around the office. A cover letter and resume can get separated from one another and sometimes get lost all together. It’s always best to have all your contact information on both your resume and cover letter so that no matter which document the employer has, you’re covered.
One way to ensure contact information is on your cover letter is to use the same “letterhead” for both resume and cover letter, a technique that also creates a consistent, branded look for your documents. It doesn’t hurt to also repeat your phone number and e-mail address in your final paragraph.
Eagar concludes with these words about cover letters:
Cover letters can be tricky; even what you deem as insignificant can have a major impact on your ability to get interviews. What may seem as unimportant to you may end up making the difference between waiting for an interview and actually getting one.
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Heather Eagar of www.ResumeLines.com advises using your cover letter to point out the highlights of your resume. Says Eagar: “Sometimes employers get so bogged down with resumes that they resort to weeding them out rather quickly. The first thing they read about you comes from your cover letter. Be sure to look at the job description for which you are applying and make a point to highlight them in your cover letter.”
She continues with a technique for making this information easy to read:
One of the most effective ways to do this is by using bullets. The reader might only spend 20 seconds on your resume package before deciding whether or not to read the entire document. You don’t want to go through all that work only to have him or her believe you’re not qualified (when you really are). By making your cover letter easy for the reader to skim over while picking up on all the important information, you’ve just made the hiring manager quite pleased. And if your qualifications are indeed a good fit, then you have a great chance of being moved into the ‘interview’ pile.
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Stephanie writes:
I am currently employed, full-time, with a sales agency. I have been employed
with this company for five years. Recently, I obtained a part-time position with
a reputable salon and day spa in the area, while my husband finishes his
degree. I am putting my resume together to pursue other avenues and am
wondering if I should include my part-time position on my resume. AND in
what order I should place my experience. I do not want to seem overworked;
however, I know that the salon and day spa will give me an excellent referral.Â
If you could offer any advice, I would certainly appreciate it. Thank you.
                  Â
The Career Doctor responds:
You might be surprised to learn that there are a large number of folks
doing the same thing you are doing — working one job and moonlighting at another.
People have all sorts of reasons for taking a second job. Some do it as the
beginning of a career-change move, gaining experience in a new career field
before making the full switch. Others work multiple jobs to simply meet living
expenses. Still others do it (usually on a temporary basis) to earn extra money.
Finally, others do it because they simply enjoy the second job.
What’s your reason for moonlighting? Your answer will affect whether you should
bother putting the salon on your resume.
For example, if you are attempting to move out of sales into customer service, then
the salon job could showcase your customer-service skills.
But if you worked at the salon simply because you needed extra money or
something to fill your day/week, then I would probably leave it off your resume.
Even though more and more job-seekers are moonlighting, there are also more
employers who are implementing or considering implementing guidelines for
when (and where) employees can work second jobs - and as a job-seeker, you
don’t want to hurt your chances of getting an interview based on a
unimportant job listed on your resume.
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Jimmy Sweeney, president of CareerJimmy and author of the www.Amazing-Cover-Letters.com, advises “If you have not been called for an interview, about 10 days after you mail your cover letter, pick up the phone and call the hiring manager directly.” Says Sweeney:
Ask for an in-person interview in a friendly, straightforward manner. Your enthusiasm will encourage the employer to consider your request seriously.
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Tasha writes:
I have a question. I was fired last summer, but I don’t use my last employer on
my resume so there’s a huge gap of employment and I don’t know what
to put on applications for “reason for leaving” when really I was fired for a
misunderstanding without opening a can of worms with an interviewer.
Example of gap: 11-2006 thru 12-07 is my last employment history on my
resume. I worked 12-07 thru 06-08, but I was fired and don’t use this
employer on my resume.
Can you give me a suggestion — please?
The Career Doctor responds:
Yours is an interesting situation. Before I even get to the issue of the job
you were fired from, let’s start with what you’ve been doing in the year-plus
since you were fired. Have you worked at all during this time? Have you
volunteered your services? Have you received additional education or training?
You must find something to fill this gap — other than job-hunting or sitting
home feeling sorry for yourself over being fired for some sort of misunderstanding.
If you have not done anything — start doing something NOW.
While a resume is a statement of facts, it is also a sales document — it needs
to convince the prospective employer that you are worthy of an interview.
And in my opinion, a short stint is much better than having a much longer
gap on your resume. Regardless of the month, hiring managers will see 2007
and think that you have been out of work for two years and there must be
something wrong with you. It’s just too long of a gap. You could consider
using a chrono-functional or hybrid resume centered around skills clusters, but many
employers favor the traditional chronological resume because it’s easier to
find the information they need.
As for job applications, simply put “left company” as the reason. You certainly
do not need to go into any detail on the application. Again, the application is
designed to weed out applicants, so it too is a sales document for you. Once
in the interview, you may need to address the issue — so be prepared with a
short statement about how you were fired over a misunderstanding, being very
certain to address the lesson you learned from the experience so that you
show a positive attitude and growth. Do not blame your previous employer
or manager; accept your responsibility in the issue, but do not dwell on it.
And don’t worry too much what this past employer will say about you. The
one benefit of living in such a litigious society is that most employers are
very unwilling to say anything too negative about current or former employers
for fear of being sued.
Finally, it sounds as though you are having a hard time rebounding from
being fired. If so, consider getting some sort of career counseling to deal
with these feelings. You might also benefit from my article,
Getting Fired:
An Opportunity for Change and Growth, published on Quintessential Careers.
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Bill writes:
I’ve sent out 175 resumes. Some I’ve received an email acknowledgments and others I received snail mail acknowledgments, but the rest I’ve received neither. How should I handle the no replies? Should I send another resume — or email or phone them?
The Career Doctor responds:
Bill, okay … I am assuming you sent out cover letters with your resumes, and I am further assuming you followed the proper cover letter techniques — specifically, writing to a named individual, requesting an interview, and promising action — I would strongly suggest that you put all those recipients into a spreadsheet and start contacting them right away. You should never expect employers to respond to your inquiries, and as you have discovered, very few do so.
Not knowing how much time has elapsed, you may need to send out another cover letter and resume once you’ve spoken with the people. If that’s the case, then send those people your resume and cover letter and follow-up about a week to 10 days later with a phone call.
If you did not write a cover letter, or you did not follow the cover-letter rules — and the biggest no-no is not addressing each letter to a named individual — then you might as well start all over again because the likelihood that your cover letter and resume are still somewhere in the employers’ offices is pretty darn slim.
You can read more about cover letters and job-hunting at Quintessential Careers:
Cover Letter Resources, which includes a link to the cover letter tutorial.
Follow-up is crucial in all aspects of job-hunting.
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:
Allison writes:
I thought I’d take a chance and see if I could have a question
answered that I didn’t find addressed on your Quintessential Careers Website. (Excellent site, by the way).
I am required to turn in a resume for a school district with whom
I am applying. I have been in the same type of position for 9 years,
doing relatively the same type of work (counseling). Since each of
the jobs I have held have virtually the same description, how do I
address that under the work experience?
I wondered if I should do a functional resume and bullet all the skills
I have acquired through the years and then just list the schools (or
districts) in which I have worked under the work experience.
The Career Doctor responds:
Kudos first for planning in advance — and for doing the research — with regard to
your resume. Resumes are extremely important documents, and I am always
amazed at how many bad resumes I see — poor focus, too wordy, ugly/boring
appearance, with typos and misspellings. Resumes are one of the main tools
with which prospective employers judge you — and help them decide whether
to call you for an interview.
The key element of resumes you are missing is that a resume is not some
statement of job duties or descriptions. A resume is about showing how you
took a job and made it your own — and helped the employer in the process. A
resume highlights your key accomplishments in every job. And even when
you have held similar jobs over a long period, you should still have quantifiable accomplishments in every position.
So, you certainly could make a chrono-functional resume, where the job-seeker chooses about three broad functional skills areas, but what would you list under the
functional categories? Not job duties. But I think a standard chronological resume
would work fine for you as long as you take the time to sit back and examine
your accomplishments in each job.
Here are some Quintessential Careers resume resources that you may find useful:
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Mike writes:
I would appreciate your help with a couple of questions. Is gray granite paper
acceptable for a resume and cover letter? As well, is it necessary to send the
resume in a large envelope so the resume doesn’t need to be folded? I have heard
conflicting opinions on whether or not to print a cover letter on personal letterhead.
What is your professional opinion on this?
The Career Doctor responds:
Resumes are one of the fundamental tools of job-hunting, and while most of your time
and effort should be focused on the content, it’s also important to discuss format issues.
Remember that the entire goal of a resume is to generate enough interest from the
employer to grant you a job interview.
But before I get to the format issues, let’s just hit the highlights of resume content.
- Resumes should be specifically focused to the job you are seeking; there is
no such thing as a “general purpose” resume.
- Resumes need to focus on your key accomplishments, not on duties and
responsibilities; employers want to see that you can produce results.
- Resumes must have zero errors; one typo or misspelling can easily be the difference between getting an interview and having the resume tossed in the trash.
- Resumes are statements of fact; do not lie or stretch the truth when writing your resume.
Back to your question about resume format. Here are some general rules for “print” resumes — those you use for networking, interviews, and the rare occasions when you still send a resume and cover letter via postal mail:
- Paper: plain white is perfectly acceptable. If you want to go with a color, choose
muted colors, such as gray, beige, slate, etc.
- Printing: ideal is still a laser printer, but ink jets are fine — as long as you let the
ink dry so that the ink does not smear.
- Mailing: sending your resume in a standard size business envelope is fine, though
more and more job-seekers are using larger envelopes so that the resume does not
need to be folded.
- Style: your resume and cover letter should match — in letterhead, in type style (font),
and in paper color. And never, ever send a cover letter on company letterhead.
One final comment about resumes: Whenever possible, it’s always best to see if the employer
has a preferred resume style. Some elements of resume design are very subjective. Many
employers now list these requirements on the corporate career Websites. I have a client who
has an amazing functional resume (organized around skills clusters), but a recent prospective
employer asked her to totally rewrite and reformat her resume into a standard chronological resume because that format was preferred.
Looking for more resume help? Quintessential Careers has
resume quizzes
and an article on creating
Web-ready resumes. Go to: Quintessential Careers.
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Laura writes:
Since moving to Daytona Beach 5 years ago, I have worked for 10 employers and also tried
self-employment. (Four of the jobs were temporary.) Only one of those employers was a good
match for me, but unfortunately, they went out of business nine months after I started working
for them. I am a highly qualified accountant/bookkeeper, but it seems this town is unwilling to
pay a decent salary to someone with my skills and more than 25 years of experience. My age (over 50)
may also have something to do with my inability to get a good job offer. I have been on several
interviews, but I seem to come in second or third choice.
The Career Doctor responds:
I think now is the time to reinforce the whole concept of a job search as a marketing
campaign. Your cover letter and resume are the key marketing promotion documents
and the job interview is the critical sales call. If you then look at yourself as a product,
it puts job-hunting in a much different light.
You have a number of issues/problems/concerns that need to be addressed. First, I let
me preface the rest of this answer with the depressing news that the Central Florida job
market is one of the weakest and low-paying that I have ever researched. So, as you’ve
discovered, job-seekers need to keep their expectations tempered.
Your resume. There are a number of issues you need to deal with here. First, you need
to remove older job experience and take older dates off your experience and education
so that employers can’t easily guess your age. Next, you need to do something with all
the jobs; 10 jobs in five years is a huge red flag. I would consider lumping all your temporary
work into one grouping in a traditional resume — or consider experimenting with some sort of chrono-functional resume, in which skills are emphasized and employment history is secondary. Next, are you
current with your training/technology skills — and if so, does it come across on your resume?
So much of accounting and bookkeeping practices have changed, even in the last 10 years,
that employers may assume older job-seekers still do it the “old” way and may be resistant
to change. Your task is to not let them assume that!
In the interview. Your resume can only do so much for you — which is basically get you to the
interview. Now you need to sell yourself to the employer. Don’t go into interviews, as some
older workers do, with anything but a positive attitude — focused on how you can make an
immediate contribution to the company (rather than relying on all your years of solid experience).
Attitude, especially with older workers, is critical.
I strongly recommend that you read some of the articles and other resources in this section of
Quintessential Careers: Job
Resources for Mature and Older Jobseekers.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document?
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Galen writes:
I have been searching for a job for about 2 and 1/2 months. Every one I show my resume to, or e-mail/fax/snail mail to says that they really like my resume, or WOW, or this is a really strong resume.
Problem is no interviews, no follow-up calls from headhunters on-line or otherwise for jobs which I submitted my resume. Many of these jobs I am definitely qualified for, some over qualified, some under. Most, 80% fall into the definitely qualified for.
- What am I doing wrong?
- How do I get the headhunters to respond?
- etc.
The Career Doctor responds:
A key part of any job-search is follow-up. It’s not good enough just to be pounding the pavement, sending out cover letters and resumes, expanding your network of contacts, responding to job ads and postings, and contacting headhunters and recruiters. All those activities are important, but they’ll all be for naught unless you take the time to follow-up every single job lead.
No interviews is a bad sign to me. It means that there is something wrong with your job search…and probably not just your lack of follow-up.
I strongly urge you have a career professional — a resume service, a former boss or colleague, or a headhunter — carefully review your resume and cover letter. In fact, you should have him or her evaluate your entire job search plan.
I also strongly suggest you read our article, Ten Questions to Ask Yourself if You Still Haven’t Found a Job, published on Quintessential Careers. The article discusses some of the common roadblocks to a successful job-search — and how to get through them.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document?
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- roadblocks
In the final paragraph of your cover letter, suggest a meeting time, advises Jimmy Sweeney, president of CareerJimmy and author of www.Amazing-Cover-Letters.com:
Are you available to schedule an interview within the next 10 days? I’m free any afternoon between 1 pm and 4pm. Expect me to arrive prepared and eager to listen to your expectations, as well as to answer any questions you may have.
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Orlando writes:
I have recently moved to New York City. I have 4 solid years of web development/programming and design experience. I have also worked 2 years, out of the 4 years, as a web-development consultant. On top of my experiences and skills, I am still pursuing my first bachelor’s degree in computer information systems.
For some reason, I am experiencing difficulties in finding a job in New York. I have been
sending resumes for more than a month now and generated only one interview, but another candidate was selected. I was wondering if this is because I don’t have my degree yet or is it my resume? How long does it usually take, on average, for someone to hear from companies?
Please help me. I would really appreciate any suggestions you can give me on how to get interviews with companies.
The Career Doctor responds:
Job-hunting is all about marketing and selling — and being more aggressive in hunting down job opportunities than other job-seekers. One of your biggest problems is a common one among job-seekers — applying for jobs and then sitting back waiting for the phone to ring. And as you have discovered, job-hunting just does not work that way. You need to get on the phone (or via email if you applied for jobs using email) and call every company you have not heard from and see what the status of your application is — and ask for interviews where appropriate.
I don’t know what method you are using to find job leads, but if you are relying only on job ads — either job postings on Web sites or in help wanted ads in New York area newspapers — you need to move your job search up quite a few gears. Have you joined any professional or social organizations since you moved to New York? Do you have friends or family in New York? I ask because networking is the best method to find strong job leads.
Learn more about networking by going to Quintessential Careers: The Art of Networking.
Don’t get discouraged, but don’t sit at home waiting for a phone call. Pound the pavement. Make your own opportunities.
Finally, one other great source for understanding the importance of marketing in job-hunting is my article: Using Key Marketing Tools to Position Yourself on the Job Market.
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- bachelor's degree,
- experience,
- interview,
- job leads,
- job-seeker,
- marketing,
- networking,
- New York City,
- programming,
- resume,
- skills,
- web development
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Anonymous writes:
How is a short job stay (5 months) addressed, or do you address this aspect of a job history? I recently separated from the military to start a civilian career after 13 years and obtaining my degree. I was enticed by a job based on money and benefits offered. The company could not come through with the benefits, so I resigned. I feel like I am being overlooked by employers because of this short stay. What do I do?
The Career Doctor responds:
Without knowing enough about your background, my best advice is to bury the job in your resume by taking advantage of a chrono-functional resume format, where you stress your key skill sets, putting your employment history at the end of your resume. You can read more about constructing chrono-functional resumes by reading this article: Should
You Consider a Functional Resume?
Do I think some employers might be wary? Yes. Not necessarily because of the short stint at your last job, but because of that stint in combination with a long stint in the military. There may be a concern that you are having a hard time handling the transition from military management and culture to civilian management and culture. Once you start going on interviews, you should be prepared to address the issue.
What job-hunting techniques are you using? I recommend taking a spin through our Job Search 101 tutorial. The tutorial is really designed for new college grads, but because you have been out of the job market for so long, it might be a great refresher for you in developing and executing a job search plan that will lead you to the job and career you seek.
Finally, you can find some good resources and job sites especially for transitioning service people at: Job Transitioning for Vets & Former Military.
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Jimmy Sweeney, president of CareerJimmy and author of the Amazing Cover Letter Creator, asserts that a post-interview cover letter (also known as a thank-you or followup letter) moves job-seekers to the top of the “must consider” list.
Sweeney notes that few job-seekers take time to express their gratitude in writing, so those who do are bound to stand out.
“A simple ‘thank you,’ ‘I appreciated our meeting today,’ or ‘I’m grateful we had a
chance to get together,’ can draw the line between getting hired and being ignored,” Sweeney says.
Sweeney points out that “your follow-up letter will also reveal the kind of person an employer would like to hire — someone who is thoughtful, other-centered, and caring.
You have only one chance to make a great first impression—and a lasting one!
He notes that mail addressed to a specific person in the sender’s handwriting
will be opened first.
Here is an example of Sweeney’s suggested clear and precise post-interview cover letter that hits the mark:
Dear [specific name of ] Hiring Manager:
I really enjoyed meeting you today. Thank you so much for making time for me. I appreciated the tour of your facility, meeting some of your colleagues, and having a chance to see the department where the new candidate will work. It was very kind of you to invite me to explain why I feel I am the best-qualified person to fill the job opening. Your humor and good eye contact put me at ease. I know I’d like working for your company very much. I felt right at home. Please call if you’d like me to return for a second visit. Give me a date and time that work for you and I’ll be there. Again, thank you for meeting with me this afternoon.
Sincerely yours,
Fiona (or Foster) Follow-Up
Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of the Amazing Cover Letter Creator. Jimmy is also the author of several career related books and writes a monthly article titled, “Job Search Secrets.”
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Anonymous writes:
How do I explain to a potential employer that I was let go from my job after committing an honest mistake that I did not realize there was a policy on?
The Career Doctor responds:
Let me begin by stressing the importance of not raising this issue — ever — but especially not in your cover letter or resume. (And yes, we often come across these odd admissions.) Even in the interview, let the employer ask you why you left your last job.
Once the issue has been raised, the best answer is always the truth. Admit that you made a mistake — and, more importantly, show how you have learned from that mistake.
Read my article, Getting
Fired: An Opportunity for Change and Growth.
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"Your goal as a job-hunter is to land an interview, not bury the employer in a vocabulary
landfill," notes Jimmy Sweeney, president of CareerJimmy and author of the Amazing Cover Letter Creator. "Keep in mind, these men and women are just like you and me. They sleep and eat, go to work, play with their kids on the weekends, and catch a movie or read a book in their free time. And they want to keep their job by filling job slots in their company!"
Sweeney advises job-seekers to communicate clearly, concisely, and courteously. Employers "will not only appreciate you but will want to meet you in person because you are such a rarity," he says.
Sweeney recommends that cover-letter writers, "let your personality shine. Speak to the employer as you would a good friend. In short, be yourself."
Here's the kind of language Sweeney advises:
After reading the description of the job you want to fill, I felt as though it was meant for me. Everything you want in an employee rings true for me. I have experience and expertise as a restaurant manager and special culinary skills that will allow me to oversee the chefs as well as the restaurant workers. I would love the opportunity to meet in person for an interview. I am available for the next two weeks. The best phone number to reach me at is 555-555-1212.
Thanks in advance, I look forward to it.
Here's the kind of language he disdains:
Pursuant to attached resume, you will see my qualifications to turn around your ailing business. Chief among my outstanding characteristics is my ability to codify and quantify the statistics that have lowered your overall performance during said year. Should you decide to meet with me in person, and I trust you will, given my expertise, you will quickly discern that I have a penchant for disseminating information that is not recognized by the common employee and therefore. . .
"Can't you just hear the paper shredder warming up in the background?" Sweeney asks.
Sweeney suggests that you read your cover letter aloud. "Look at it. Search out those weedy words and grab them with the pruning shears. Rewrite until the words and sentences make you smile. If you want that job, ask for it clearly and politely -- with a dash of your unique personality. You increase the odds you will be rewarded with an interview as well as the job you're fighting for.
Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of the Amazing Cover Letter Creator. Jimmy is also the author of several career related books and writes a monthly article titled, "Job Search Secrets."
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
J.R. writes:
I have a 2-year employment gap on my resume. I took some personal time off for mental recuperation, but I know I can’t say this in an interview. How can I fill this gap or make it look somewhat better?
The Career Doctor responds:
I would suggest a two-pronged approach — one for your resume and one for your interviews.
On your resume: I would suggest that you consider converting your chronological resume to a chrono-functional format. Chrono-functional resumes focus on your accomplishments in key skills areas; your employment history is summarized at the end of your resume — and gaps become less apparent. You can read more about functional resumes in Should You
Consider a Functional Resume?
In the interview: It’s best to position this employment gap as time well-spent on improving or challenging yourself. If you took some educational courses (or even just read a lot), you should focus on the attainment of new skills and knowledge; if you volunteered your services, you should focus on your accomplishments; and if you did some consulting, you should focus on the gap as a time to spread your wings and try to make it on your own.
As you can tell from these examples, you need to position the gap as having some redeeming value — besides improving your mental health.
Finally, remember that while you are self-conscious about the gap, some interviewers may never even notice it … so don’t volunteer potentially negative information; wait for the employer to raise the issue before offering an explanation.
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- accomplishments,
- chrono-functional resume,
- consulting,
- courses,
- employment gap,
- interview,
- knowledge,
- mental health,
- negative information,
- resume,
- skills
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Erika writes:
I have had 3 different jobs in 3 years. My job-hopping has been done to extenuating circumstances that have been out of my control. Job # 1 declared bankruptcy and went out of business after I had been there only 7 months I left job #2 to move to Virginia to take care of my grandmother who was terminally ill. That one lasted 7 months as well.
Currently I am in job #3 and am planning to move in the next couple of months because I am getting married.
I am concerned that this moving around will affect my chances in finding my next job. People have said that since I am young and in the telecommunications industry that this moving around is expected. But I have also heard that employers frown upon this because my erratic job history looks on paper like I can’t stick to one thing. What can I do to offset this liability and change it into an asset?
The Career Doctor responds:
There is a lot of truth to what people have been telling you. Because of the massive downsizing and rightsizing that began in the 1980s and continues today employers are less likely to use job-hopping (or what appears as job-hopping) as a reason not to interview someone. It also helps that you are in an industry where demand for employees is still strong.
On the other hand, you always need to keep in the back of your mind that the purpose of your resume is to get you an interview — and you want to remove as many roadblocks as possible. Thus, even if all three of the jobs you’ve had have been similar, I would probably recommend that you experiment with a chrono-functional resume. Chrono-functional resumes focus on your key skill sets and accomplishments, listing your actual employment history at the end of your resume. You can read more in our article, Should You Consider a Functional Resume?. Be prepared to revert to a chronological resume if the chrono-functional version isn’t working for you as many employers disdain any kind of functional resume.
Also be prepared to explain the short job stints in your interviews — and how you are now in a position to settle down and make a long-term commitment to your next job.
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Anonymous writes:
I have applied several times to a particular company and just discovered,
much to my horror, that I had been spelling the city’s name wrong (at least
three applications so far). It’s a two-word name and I made it one word.
Worse, it’s a company I do business with regularly and that’s one of my “ins”
into the company, my “knowledge” of them, and yet I didn’t know such a
small thing. How embarrassing, but worse, how damaging to my credibility.
I just applied for THE position I had been waiting for and it was after I mailed
that letter that I realized the mistake I had been making. I was hoping so
much to finally get an interview with this company and now this. Is there any
way to recover from this error? Should I follow-up with an “at least I’m
consistent” light-hearted, letter or hope they didn’t notice as it was going to
a different department?
The Career Doctor responds:
If the job you are applying for is that of an editor or proofreader, then perhaps
it’s a major blunder, but otherwise I think you can just let this error be. In the
great scheme of cover letters, it is MUCH more important to get the name of
the hiring manager and name of the company spelled correctly — and I am
assuming you did that.
Look at DeLand, where I am based. Most of the mailed correspondence I get
spells it as Deland, and don’t even get me started about how people pronounce
it. Regardless, while I would of course recommend all job-seekers have perfect
spelling and grammar in your cover letters, I would not make a big deal of your
oversight.
I might be concerned, however, about someone who has applied for three
different positions within the company. Are the positions similar? Do you
have any sense why you were not interviewed for the previous positions? If you
do have a few contacts within the company, I would ask them whether there is
any “word” on your reputation from the people within the departments you are
applying to.
And speaking of cover letters, wanted to share this comment from a job-seeker
who had asked me how to make a bigger impact with his cover letter for an
internship — and I told him to deliver it to the manager personally, but when
doing so to be prepared for an on-the-spot interview, which is just what happened:
“Just writing to thank you again for your advice with my cover letter for an
internship and how to deliver it. I found the manager’s name, and went to
deliver my letter to her today. She was so impressed with my initiative of
actually delivering the letter by hand, that she interviewed me on the spot,
and wants to set up a more formal interview in the near future. Thanks so
much, your edits and advice about actually hand-delivering the letter were
invaluable, and I really appreciate your time.”
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Kris writes:
Should I have a cover letter to accompany my resume when I go for an interview on Tuesday?
If you can assist me in any way I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you for your time.
The Career Doctor responds:
The main purpose of a cover letter is to entice a prospective employer to review your
resume in consideration for a job interview, and since you have cut through the process
and already have an interview, a cover letter seems unnecessary at this point.
Do make sure your resume is sharp in appearance and directed specifically at the job
you are seeking. Just as you would write a different cover letter for each position, so
too should you tweak your resume for each position.
Instead of the cover letter, if you have a portfolio of samples of your work experience,
bring it along to the interview. And be sure to bring multiple copies of your resume.
And before the interview, be sure to brush up on the types of questions you are expecting
in the interview. You don’t want to memorize your answers, but you do want to have a
basic story prepared so that you will showcase your experience and fit.
Let me just add a final comment about cover letters. First, when you are applying for
any position — unless the employer specifically requests you not send one — you should
always send a cover letter and resume as part of your job-search package. Your cover
letter should be brief and specifically address why you are the perfect candidate for the
position. Cover letters should be no longer than 3-5 short paragraphs — and never
longer than one page.
You can read more about special
cover letter formats that grab employers’ attention, as well as find lots more articles and
tools in the cover letter section of Quintessential Careers.
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Karen writes:
I am a “non-traditional” recent college graduate. My work experience does not coincide with my degree at all. I have followed all the cover-letter and resume tips and guidelines from multiple sources and sent out close to 100 resumes. I can’t even get an interview! I know I have a lot to offer these companies but they don’t even give me a chance. Can you help????
The Career Doctor responds:
Karen, what you need to do is build a resume around your recent degree and the transferable skills you have from your previous experiences (work and school).
I assume you want to enter the field that relates to your degree. If this assumption is correct, then you need to examine the skills that employers in that field are looking for in job candidates and see if you used many of those skills in your previous jobs —regardless of the field. You can read more about how to do this analysis by going to
Strategic Portrayal of Transferable Skills is a Vital Job-search Technique. Then you need to rebuild your resume around those skills, possibly experimenting with a chrono-functional
resume. You can find the best sources of information at Quintessential Careers: Resume Resources.
Now onto a possible second problem with your situation: Are you doing anything besides sending out resumes? Are you calling these companies where you sent your resumes and asking for an interview? You cannot wait by the phone expecting these employers to call you — you need to be proactive and call them! Are you taking advantage of your network of friends, colleagues, and family by trying to get job leads from them? Are you using the career services office of your college? The alumni network of your college? Are you looking online for jobs?
I think if you redo your resume to focus on your transferable skills, become more proactive in your job search, and take advantage of networking opportunities, you should find your job searching much more productive.
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Michelle writes:
I recently was let go from my position at my office due to financial reasons.
How do I start off a cover letter letting the employer know this information in
a positive manner? I just need some advice on how to construct the first part
of the cover letter and I did not see that on the website. Hope you can help
and thank you for your time.
The Career Doctor responds:
Repeat after me — again and again — never ever put any kind of negative information
in your cover letter, resume, or any other job-search materials. The time to address
any of these negative issues — such as being fired — is in the job interview ONLY
after the employer raises the issue.
Your cover letter is the job-search tool that sets the tone for you as a job-seeker and
provides the critical first impression for the employer. How positive an impression is the
prospective employer going to have if your opening paragraph states, “although I was
recently let go from my previous job because the company was having financial difficulties… ”
The employer is going to stop reading before he/she even gets to the end of your sentence.
But you are not alone. In the thousands of cover letters I have seen over the years, it
is absolutely amazing the kind of negative information job-seekers put in their cover letters.
Perhaps they mistakenly think that full disclosure is necessary. Or perhaps because
professionals stress being truthful, they think this means they need to fess up to all prior
mistakes.
Please remember a cover letter is a marketing document. Its sole purpose is to entice the
hiring manager just enough to review your resume. It’s then the resume’s job to verify that
you are worthy of getting an interview for the open position.
If your cover letter is not focused, if it provides negative information, if it has typos or spelling
errors, or if it has too little or too much detail, your resume will simply not get a look
and your job prospects for the position are officially over.
Finally, let me once again stress that I am not saying to lie. I am simply saying do NOT
disclose negative information (or even too much information) until the employer asks you
about it. And at that point you need to put a positive spin on the negative information —
but only then.
I believe you need to review two key resources. First, read my article about moving beyond after
getting laid off: Getting Fired: An
Opportunity for Change and Growth.
Second, take advantage of the all the tools and resources we offer in this section of Quintessential Careers: Cover Letter Resources for Job-Seekers.
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Eugene writes:
I am a student studying law, and I recently decided to apply for a position as a
paralegal with some law firms. I spent some time looking at your Quintessential
Careers website. Now, I do not doubt for a minute that much research is able to
substantiate the information that you have presented, but I find it difficult to
imagine that some of the techniques you mention do work. What immediately
springs to mind is the section on closing paragraphs: “I will call your office in
the next week to schedule an appointment.”
To me, that sounds quite unorthodox, and perhaps even pushy and rude. I
actually incorporated a line to the same effect in my cover letters after
reading your website, but now I am wondering whether it was the best thing
to do. Could you please explain to me why this works?
The Career Doctor responds:
In any job market, but especially in this job market, job-seekers need to know
how to best market themselves to prospective employers. This self-marketing strategy has several components when writing cover letters.
First, rather than saying something like “I hope you’ll find my qualifications a good
match with what you’re looking for,” you need to show — and tell — the employer that
you are a good match for the position. Describe how your accomplishments, skills, and training are a perfect match for the employer’s needs.
Second, you do need to end your letter with an aggressive stance. If you do not want
to be so aggressive as to say you will call for an interview, you can simply say you
will call to discuss the job. Employers want go-getters, not passive employees.
Third, as I have stated numerous other times, you MUST follow-up all your cover
letters and job applications. Saying you are going to call is the easy part; the hard
part is actually making the phone call. And in the phone call, you need to still be
aggressive in not taking no for an answer — just remember to stay professional
at all times — while showcasing why you are the perfect person for the job.
Find lots more helpful information and resources in the
cover letter resources
section of Quintessential Careers.
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- accomplishments,
- cover letter,
- go-getter,
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- job applications,
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- prospective employers,
- qualifications,
- Quintessential Careers,
- self-marketing strategy,
- skills,
- training
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Rajan writes:
I have a resume that has large employment gaps. This may be OK for females, but for males, it is a no-no. I have tried different types of resume styles. Nothing.
I don’t get interviews. Is there any way to increase the number of interviews?
How should I explain my resume? At one time I stopped looking for work for about 1.5 years, the biggest gap to explain.
Then I did telemarketing and took a course in it. Telemarketing is not for me. I have stopped again for about 10 months. I don’t want to sit around. Right now I am looking for work as a network administrator. I have a background in hardware and software development, but I can’t move. In this area there is not much call for tech work.
The Career Doctor responds:
The first rule of job-hunting is never expose a weakness to the employer — and never do it before you’ve had a chance to have an interview and build a case for yourself. Yes, employers do worry about employment gaps — for both genders — but you can do some things to make the gaps less obvious and to project yourself in a better light.
First, I would recommend you experiment with a chrono-functional resume that focuses
on your technical achievements and skills. If you already have one, then I suggest you ask a professional colleague, mentor, or resume professional to evaluate and critique it for you. My guess is that you are so focused on these gaps that this weakness comes through on your resume.
Second, plan a strategy for explaining these gaps. Were you doing volunteer work? Were you taking classes? Were you working part-time or as a consultant? You will need to fill these gaps with something so that it doesn’t seem as though you were just sitting
home all that time (even if you were).
Third, are your technical skills current? If not, you might want to take a course or two to make you more marketable.
Fourth, once you have a professional resume and feel more confident about yourself, you need to go back into the job market. And don’t worry so much about location, as there are definitely high-tech jobs where people work from home at least some of the time. Use all the tools available to you to find a job — your network, the Internet, etc.
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Jim writes:
I was wondering if you could advise me on how best to prepare a resume when you have gaps in employment so as not to magnify the gaps and disadvantage yourself.
The Career Doctor responds:
Let me start by saying you are wise to think about this issue. A resume is basically a marketing tool whose purpose is to help get you an interview. Thus, given this focus as a marketing tool, your goal in writing a resume is to make it a positive and informative selling tool.
There are two basic formats for resumes: chronological and functional.
The typical resume is a chronological one, which shows your employment history starting with the most current and working backward. This type of resume works best when you have a specific career path and each of your jobs shows progression along that career path.
The functional resume is often used when you have employment gaps or when you are trying to make a change from one field to another and you want to emphasize your transferable skills, not your old career path.
Consider trying a functional resume, or better yet, a chrono-functional resume organized around skills clusters but including a bare-bones job history. Sit down and
analyze the key skills you have developed and honed from your previous employment and use these skills sets for the bulk of your resume. Toward the end of your resume show an employment history, but you can do it in such a way as to de-emphasize the gaps. Note that even chrono-functional resumes carry some risk as many employers and recruiters don’t like them and suspect the job-seeker is hiding something. It’s best to experiment with a chrono-functional version, but be prepared to return to the chronological format if the chrono-functional doesn’t seem to be working for you.
And please be prepared to answer the question at the interview. Employers will want to know why there were gaps.
Finally, to get more information, links, and books about resumes, please visit Quintessential Careers:
Resume Resources.
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Delia writes:
I am planning to move back to California from Utah to be closer to my family. How do I address that relocation in the cover letter without it seeming as though there are professional problems?
The Career Doctor responds:
Why do you need to say anything? In your cover letter — or in the interview — you simply need to say you are relocating for personal reasons. But with people on the move all the time, changing geographic locations should not be an issue.
Now, get focused on the more important issue: your strategy for finding a new job before you relocate. Start contacting those in your network — especially back in California — and let them know you are relocating and looking for a new job back in California. Then, get on the Web and do some research on the types of jobs, companies, industries where you want to work.
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Bill writes:
I’ve sent out 175 resumes. Some I’ve received an email acknowledgments and others I received snail mail acknowledgments, but the rest I’ve received neither. How should I handle the no replies? Should I send another resume — or email or phone them?
The Career Doctor responds:
Bill, okay … I am assuming you sent out cover letters with your resumes, and I am further assuming you followed the proper cover letter techniques — specifically, writing to a named individual, requesting an interview, and promising action — I would strongly suggest that you put all those recipients into a spreadsheet and start contacting them right away. You should never expect employers to respond to your inquiries, and as you have discovered, very few do so.
Not knowing how much time has elapsed, you may need to send out another cover letter and resume once you’ve spoken with the people. If that’s the case, then send those people your resume and cover letter and follow-up about a week to 10 days later with a phone call.
If you did not write a cover letter, or you did not follow the cover-letter rules — and the biggest no-no is not addressing each letter to a named individual — then you might as well start all over again because the likelihood that your cover letter and resume are still somewhere in the employers’ offices is pretty darn slim.
You can read more about cover letters and job-hunting at Quintessential Careers:
Cover Letter Resources, which includes a link to the cover letter tutorial.
Follow-up is crucial in all aspects of job-hunting.
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Aldon writes:
I read your website with great interest and was thinking you could help me in my situation.
I’ve resigned my job of 2.5 years looking for a better opportunities and prospects. I
found a new job about 2 months ago. However, I feel that the way the management
manages the company is very unprofessional, and I was never paid for my very first
month. (Basically, this company has cash-flow problem, so I can forget about my
bonus!) I have decided to resign during my probation period. I need to look for a new
job, however, I don’t know how I should indicate this job of 2 months on my resume.
(I like this job scope but I do not see my long term growth and prospects in this
company.)
If I do include the job, how should I do it such a way that I do not reduce my chances
of securing an interview? And, during interview, how should I explain to prospective
employer of my plight?
The Career Doctor responds:
Remember when developing your resume that the resume is not a depositary
of all your experiences and accomplishments — just the ones that will help you
attain your next position. Note: I am not advocating adding material that is not
true to your resume, but rather editing it to contain only the most important and
relevant information to the position you seek.
That said, in most cases, I would be tempted to not include the most recent job.
Your time there is too short and it sounds like you only have negative things to say
about the company — and you never want to say those things when you are trying to
explain why you only stayed with the company for 2 months.
In today’s job market, many people go much longer than 2 months between jobs, so
keep it off your resume. If you do decide not to include it, you may need a story about
what you have been doing since you resigned your previous job.
Your situation is also a good lesson for other job-seekers to understand: when job-hunting
you must learn as much as you can about the companies where you interview — including
the corporate culture, management style, financial stability, and growth prospects.
It’s also important that the company you work for respects your values. For help identifying
some of these values, go to this Quintessential Careers assessment:
Workplace Values
Assessment: Do You Know the Work Values You Most Want in a Job and an Employer —
and Does Your Current Employment Reflect Those Values?
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- accomplishments,
- and growth prospects,
- corporate culture,
- experiences,
- financial stability,
- interview,
- job market,
- job-hunting,
- job-seekers,
- management style,
- probation period,
- prospective employer,
- Quintessential Careers,
- resume
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Bonnie writes:
I just read Getting Fired: An
Opportunity for Change and Growth. You say that If you are fired in a job within 3 months
you should not list that on your resume. Can you tell me why I should not list that employer?
The Career Doctor responds:
A resume is a critical marketing document that you construct to convince a prospective
employer to invite you for an interview and then, ideally, offer you a job. It is not meant
to be an all-inclusive document of your entire life, nor your entire work history.
A resume should ONLY contain the relevant information that is going to get your foot in the door.
If you were fired from your last job after only three months, but you had some amazing
accomplishments and the work you performed is extremely relevant to the job you are
seeking, then you can certainly consider including it on your resume.
That said, anytime an employer sees a short tenure on a resume it begs the question —
why is this person looking for a new job after only such a short time on the job? And that
means if you actually get the interview, you’ll need to be prepared to explain why you
were fired.
Thus, unless the job is extremely relevant to the position you are seeking, it’s better to
have an employment gap on your resume than have to explain why you were fired.
Get lots more resume tips, tools, and samples in the
Resume Resources
section of Quintessential Careers.
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Anna writes:
I just wanted to say a big thank you for creating such a brilliant website. I don’t
know what I would do without it — it’s my source.
I’ve been sending out cover letters which (at the time) I thought were very good, but I then
came across a job ad where they said they are expecting high volumes of responses. It was a job
where I didn’t have the exact experience they required so I thought I would change tactics and try out your
2-column dynamic cover
letter and see whether I would get offered an interview.
Well, I DID and as soon as I sat for the interview, the first thing he said was that he was very
impressed by my cover letter and that all the information was in front of him easy to read.
Quick question for you. I just had the interview yesterday… how soon should I follow-up?
The Career Doctor responds:
Our mission in everything we do at Quintessential Careers — including
this blog — is to empower job-seekers like you and help you succeed, and I am so
happy that you were able to use the information on our site to help obtain the interview.
So many job-seekers seem to think that most of the work is done once they get the interview —
and I guess I see the logic of that because so much focus is put on obtaining the interview —
but really the interview is just an interim step because your goal should be the job offer.
Did you send a thank-you note? A short note thanking the interviewer and reminding him/her
of your key selling point is your first line of follow-up, and should be completed as soon as
possible after the interview.
Your next follow-up partly depends on the information you received at the interview. If the company
is close to making a final decision, then I would follow-up sooner than later. Typically, job-seekers
should follow-up once a week by politely contacting the hiring manager and expressing your
continued interest in the position and the company.
Read more about following-up after job interviews in this article published on Quintessential Careers:
The Art of the Follow-Up After Job Interviews.
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Gwen Martin, managing partner for NumberWorks, a Minneapolis firm specializing in placing accounting and finance consultants, has seen hundreds of resumes and offers guest tips for today, Job Action Day. The idea behind the day is to encourage workers and job-seekers to take at least one proactive step toward shoring up and improving their jobs or careers. Implementing Martin’s tips represents one of the steps you can take on this day:
- Always have an updated resume. So often, people tend to modernize their resume only when they are seeking employment. In reality, you should always be adding any professional accomplishments as they happen to ensures that you won’t forget about the thousands of dollars you may have saved the company, or any processes you improved — saving the company time and money.
- Use spell check. It is amazing how many resumes come across my desk that will have a misspelled word.
- Make your resume easy to read. Hiring managers look at resumes like drivers going past a billboard. They don’t “read” it. They look them over at a high-speed glance. Use bullet points and leave white space so it is easy on the eyes to read. You can always elaborate on your accomplishments in your interview.
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 Hiring decision-makers surveyed for the book,
Top Notch
Executive Resumes identified this as one of their Top 30 Executive Resume Pet Peeves:
Resume contains long lists of awards, trainings, and similar items. These are the items that
often add unnecessary length and wordiness to a resume. Here’s an opportunity to ask yourself the
“so what?” question. For every item you are considering listing, ask if it really adds any value to
the resume. It’s not incumbent upon you to include everything you’ve ever accomplished, earned, or learned.
Prioritize. Choose the items that will best make your case as the best qualified candidate for the job you seek.
Consider also creating supplemental documents with awards, trainings, publications, presentations, media
mentions, and similar items. That way, you’ll have them available if they’re requested, and you might also
have an opportunity to discuss them in the interview stage.
See all 30 peeves: executive resume peeves
1-10 in Part 1, executive resume peeves 11-20 in Part 2 and
executive resume peeves 21-30 in Part 3.
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A chrono-functional resume is one way to deemphasize employment gaps, but these formats are
unpopular with employers and especially recruiters. Another approach, if you can legitimately do so,
is to frame periods of unemployment as stints of self-employment, consulting, or project work.
Some job-seekers quit their jobs to pursue advanced education or training; you can account
for a period of unemployment by listing yourself as a Graduate Student during that period.
One recruiter we tallked to called gaps “a huge red flag,” so they should be explained
in your resume if you can gracefully do so. Other options include explaining them
in your cover letter or being prepared to do so in an interview (however, gaps
may preclude you from getting the interview). See our article,
How to Handle
a Gap in Your Job History.
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- advanced education,
- chrono-functional resume,
- consulting,
- cover letter,
- employers,
- employment gaps,
- Graduate Student,
- interview,
- job-seekers,
- project work,
- recruiters,
- self-employment,
- training,
- unemployment
Hiring decision-makers are split on the issue of far back in your job history
you should go on your resume, which is affected by the growing practice
of conducting background checks. While job-seekers are concerned about being exposed
to age discrimination, many hiring decision-makers, especially recruiters, are adamant about seeing every
job listed from your college graduation to the present. They argue that background checks —
or even just seeing you in person at an interview — will reveal your age anyway, so why hide
it? Others recommend going back 15-20 years, with the idea that jobs beyond that point are
likely not relevant to your next career move. If you have the opportunity to contact the
decision-maker before sending your resume, you can always ask his or her preference. Another
option is to include your jobs that are more than 15 years old, but list them in bare-bones
fashion (title, employer, location) with or without dates of employment. You may want to title
this section Previous Professional Experience. Even if you opt to leave off the dates, the
recipient will at least know that you have provided full disclosure by listing all jobs. A
similar option is to insert a disclaimer statement to the effect that “additional employment
history is available upon request.” See also our article, Resume,
Cover Letter, and Interview Strategies for Older Workers.
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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.
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- associate's degree,
- bachelor's degree,
- certificate,
- college,
- college degree,
- educational credentials,
- employers,
- interview,
- major,
- most recruiters,
- professional accomplishments,
- professional development,
- resume,
- training
Hiring decision-makers surveyed for the book,
Top Notch
Executive Resumes identified this as one of their Top 30 Executive Resume Pet Peeves:
Content focuses on soft skills and neglects hard data. Seeing soft skills listed on a
resume is a rock-bottom priority for hiring decision-makers, who prefer to explore soft skills
in the interview stage (and by talking to your references) because it is difficult to
substantiate them on paper. “If you have to tell me you have these skills, you probably don’t have them,” said
Kristina Creed, a senior manager at a for-profit education provider. Limit use of soft skills — such as communication, teamwork, and leadership — to those that are germane to the position you’re targeting. Portrayal of soft skills
will be more credible if you substantiate them with solid examples of how you’ve demonstrated them. If
hard skills are required, be sure to include them, too, and be very specific about them — types of projects, technical skills, and expertise.
Soft skills are also helpful if you are in a profession in which hard skills predominate, and soft skills are unexpected
but desirable. “If you’re a software engineering manager who has a real talent with people and is technically
excellent — highlight it,” suggested Veronica Richmond a human resources in professional Oakville, Ontario,
Canada. “You’re a rarity, so have great stories ready to back it up.”
See all 30 peeves: executive resume peeves
1-10 in Part 1, executive resume peeves 11-20 in Part 2 and
executive resume peeves 21-30 in Part 3.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document?
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- communication,
- expertise,
- Hiring decision-makers,
- interview,
- Kristina Creed,
- leadership,
- projects,
- soft skills,
- teamwork,
- technical skills,
- Top Notch Executive Resumes,
- Veronica Richmond
Has this ever happened to you? You’ve been instructed to list your career accomplishments, and you can’t think of
any. Or you’re asked in a job interview, “What accomplishments are you most proud of?” — and you freeze up. You
know you have had accomplishments, but you just can’t dredge them up. The inability to come up with accomplishments
happens to lots of job-seekers. We know because we ask our resume and cover-letter clients to list accomplishments
as part of the process of preparing their job-search documents. Although we stress that accomplishments are far
more important than duties and responsibilities, a surprising number of clients are unable to articulate beyond
the day-to-day tasks they performed in their jobs. Accomplishments are the points that really help sell you
to an employer — much more so than everyday job duties, and you can leverage your accomplishments for job-search
success at all stages of the process: resume, cover letter, interview, and more. Find out more about why and
how to use your accomplishments in our article,
For Job-Hunting Success: Track and Leverage Your Accomplishments.
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Has this ever happened to you? You’ve been instructed to list your career accomplishments, and you can’t think of
any. Or you’re asked in a job interview, “What accomplishments are you most proud of?” — and you freeze up. You
know you have had accomplishments, but you just can’t dredge them up. The inability to come up with accomplishments
happens to lots of job-seekers. We know because we’ve asked our resume and cover-letter clients to list accomplishments
as part of the process of preparing their job-search materials. Although we stress that accomplishments are far
more important than duties and responsibilities, a surprising number of clients are unable to articulate beyond
the day-to-day tasks they performed in their jobs. Accomplishments are the points that really help sell you
to an employer — much more so than everyday job duties, and you can leverage your accomplishments for job-search
success at all stages of the process: resume, cover letter, interview, and more. Find out more about why and
how to use your accomplishments in our article,
For Job-Hunting Success: Track and Leverage Your Accomplishments.
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.
If your name is hard to pronounce or it fails to clarify your gender,
you may want to address the issue in your resume. Even if you’re well qualified, an employer
may hesitate to phone you for an interview if he or she can’t pronounce your name
or even doesn’t know whether to expect a male or female. For the difficult-to-pronounce name,
include a phonetic pronunciation of your name in small type in the “letterhead” portion of
your resume. Example: “Sally Hsieh (pronounced ‘Shay’)”For a unisex name, such as Lee or Dale,
consider adding a courtesy title to your letterhead, as in “Ms. Lee Anderson” or “Mr. Dale Burns.”
Especially consider adding a courtesy title if your name is almost always thought of as
belonging to the opposite gender or if it is a non-English name, and English-speakers
would not know whether to expect a man or a woman: “Ms. Michael Crane” “Mr. Jocelyn Smith.”
You could also include a middle name that reveals your gender. Of course, you may consider
your ambiguously gendered name an advantage and prefer not to reveal your gender (even
though your gender will become obvious if you’re called for an interview). Read more in our
Frequently Asked Questions About Resumes: The Complete Resume FAQ.
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- and English-speakers,
- difficult-to-pronounce name,
- employer,
- gender,
- interview,
- middle name,
- name,
- non-English name,
- phonetic pronunciation,
- resume,
- Resume FAQ,
- unisex name
End your cover letter with enthusiastic and telling verbiage, such as,
“I look forward to being interviewed at your earliest convenience. Thank you so
much for this opportunity. Sincerely, Jane Jobseeker,” suggests Jimmy Sweeney
in his article for Quint Careers,
the 7 Elements of a Highly Effective Cover Letter.
(Notice how Jane assumes she’ll land the interview? This approach is clever, smart, and it works like a charm).
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Request one action you want the employer to take, advises Jimmy Sweeney
in his article for Quint Careers,
the 7 Elements of a Highly Effective Cover Letter.
For example: “I would really like the opportunity for a personal interview this week.” (You never know until you ASK)!
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Here’s what John Logan, human resources manager with ZS Associates, had to say
about the importance of cover letters in our Q&A interview with him:
Cover letters are the sole way our firm understands why an applicant seeks a position in
our firm and what skills they will add; they are an important component of our application.
The most effective cover letters announce the position the candidate seeks, and highlight up
to three skills from the position listing that the candidate possesses — augmenting what is
written in the resume. Because resumes are structured in bullet format, the cover letter is
the only avenue for a candidate to provide additional details about skills prior to an interview.
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A cover letter sent to a company that may not have publicly advertised positions
is called a cold-contact letter, explains
Teena Rose in her article for Quint Careers,
Optimizing Your Cold-Contact Cover Letter.
You’re contacting the employer to introduce yourself
with the hope that it may spark an interest and result in a warm lead (also known
as an interview). For obvious reasons, a cold-contact letter will generate the
fewest leads, so paying special attention to the content and adding a couple
unique elements will increase your return rate. [To see an explanation
of cold-contact letters and two other types of
cover letter, see The
Basics of a Dynamic Cover Letter.]
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A cover letter sent to a company that may not have publicly advertised positions
is called a cold-contact letter, explains
Teena Rose in her article for Quint Careers,
Optimizing Your Cold-Contact Cover Letter.
You’re contacting the employer to introduce yourself
with the hope that it may spark an interest and result in a warm lead (also known
as an interview). For obvious reasons, a cold-contact letter will generate the
fewest leads, so paying special attention to the content and adding a couple
unique elements will increase your return rate. [To see an explanation
of cold-contact letters and two other types of
cover letter, see The
Basics of a Dynamic Cover Letter.]
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.
Remember — less is MORE, cautions Jimmy Sweeney
in his article for Quint Careers, the 7 Elements of a Highly Effective Cover Letter.
The best cover letters have plenty of white space. Clear, focused, short and sweet gets the interview every time.
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“A great interview-generating executive resume is all about differentiating yourself from others competing for the same jobs,” writes executive resume and branding expert Meg Guiseppi in her article for Quint Careers, Five Top Trends for Executive Resumes. “With constantly changing trends in strategic resume writing, new ways to accomplish this differentiation are always coming forward. If you take advantage of the latest trends before they mainstream, you are much more likely to stand out, make a positive connection, and stimulate the attention you deserve.” Read the trends here.
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If you have stated a skill in the summary portion of your resume, you need to support it through an example of your related accomplishment in the experience portion of your resume, whether you are using a functional or chronological resume format, writes Sherri Edwards in her article for Quint Careers,Ten Resume Tips.
Describing a specific incident, event, work experience, or project will show evidence or “prove” you have a specific skill. Fancy language may appear engaging, but for the discerning decision maker, it does not take the place of facts. Facts sell. Using concrete examples in your resume will also prepare you for your interview. Using vague statements may get you in the door, but at some point, you will have to come up with specifics to make it real. Better to do it now than assume you will be able to produce supporting details on cue during and interview without preparation.
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One of the “Top 5 Reasons Why Job Hunters Fail” is “not writing a cover letter,” Robin Ryan notes in an article in her monthly newsletter.
“Human-resources managers state that cover-letter writing is becoming a lost art,” Ryan writes, “since job hunters think they can skip this step when they apply electronically.”
“A well-written cover letter has great power with employers and should always precede any resume sent. Open the letter with a powerful first paragraph that sums up the background, key strengths, skills and accomplishments you have to offer. Human-resource managers say that a good cover letter demonstrates your communication skills and can capture the interview,” Ryan advises. For an overall refresher on cover letters, see our Cover Letter Tutorial.
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- accomplishments,
- communication skills,
- cover letter,
- Cover Letter Tutorial,
- cover-letter writing,
- employer,
- human-resources manager,
- interview,
- Robin Ryan,
- skills,
- strengths
In a Wall Street Journal article, writer Joann S. Lublin reported that, according to career coaches, an estimated 85 percent of cover letters are so flawed that senders never land an interview. Interviewing an entrepreneur who had reviewed several hundred thousand cover letters since founding her business in 1983, Lublin discovered that the business owner found not even 1 percent of those letters acceptable. In response to a recent vacancy at the 150-employee firm, about 100 of the 150 job-seekers sent letters.
“Two-thirds contained mistakes (including a misspelled current job title),” Lublin reported. “Fifteen applicants addressed the female CEO as ‘Dear Sir.’” Only six cover letters specifically addressed qualifications listed in the ad, and the CEO found only three letters interesting enough to inspire her to read the senders’ resumes.
For an overall refresher on cover letters, see our Cover Letter Tutorial.
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One of the greater purposes of a well-crafted resume is more for the benefit of the candidate, rather than the employer, writes Sherri Edwards in her article for Quint Careers, Dispelling the Myth About Resumes.
A candidate who has selected language that is used by the employer, and included specific examples of accomplishments that are relevant to the employer’s needs has a far greater chance of using this information to his or her advantage during an interview. The candidate who has thoughtfully considered each piece of information included in the resume, and qualified and quantified his or her examples has most certainly done the hardest part of the preparation required to succeed in the interview. Without completing the connections between experiences and the employer’s needs long in
advance of the interview, a job-seeker’s ability to present that information in a meaningful way and effectively lead the employer directly to those same conclusions during an interview is vastly limited. By using only relevant examples of experience, being very clear about why these examples have been selected for inclusion in the resume, a candidate has built the framework for the impending conversation. The candidate, not the employer, in essence, can control the conversation. The resume is used as the “agenda” or a “cheat sheet’ for the candidate.
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It has been said that a crafty, eye-catching resume is all that is needed to get your foot in
the door for an interview. That may be so, writes Sherri Edwards in her article for
Quint Careers, Dispelling the Myth About Resumes.
Then what? How many times have you heard of a person having interview after interview, but never receives any offers? There is likely to be a good reason for that, and there is a good chance it can be tracked all the way back to his or her resume.
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An article on resumes recently hit my inbox, writes Sherri Edwards in her article for
Quint Careers, Dispelling the Myth About Resumes. It started with “The purpose of a resume is to land an interview. Nothing more, nothing less.” I couldn’t disagree more. Resumes serve a greater purpose than “getting your foot in the door.” A carefully composed resume will not only nail each requirement stated in the job announcement, it will encompass the unpublished information learned through networking or conducting informational interviews. The process of researching and collecting the appropriate data for your resume does more than catch someone’s eye. It is one of the most important steps in preparing you for an interview. After all, getting in the door is not your final goal. Getting the offer is.
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What is a resume? It’s a document that tells prospective employers all about you — and why you would make a great employee — so you want to focus it on your strengths and accomplishments, as well as your education and work experiences. It is designed to help get your foot in the door, to help you get the job interview. Teen job-seekers do not need to have a resume when job-hunting, but if you want to stand out from the crowd, then developing your resume will do so. Think you know how to write a great resume? Take our quiz and find out!
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Don’t close your cover letter by leaving the ball in the employer’s court. Too many cover letters end with a line like this: “I look forward to hearing from you.” Proactive cover letters, in which the job-seeker requests an interview and promises to follow up with a phone call, are far more effective. Don’t be vague about your desire to be interviewed. Come right out and ask for an interview. Then, take your specific action a step farther and tell the recipient that you will contact him or her in a specified period of time to arrange an interview appointment. Obviously, if you say you will follow up, you have to do so.
If you take this proactive approach and follow up, you will be much more likely to get interviews than if you did not follow up. This follow-up aspect is another good reason to obtain the specific name of the hiring manager. Here’s a sample closing paragraph
requesting specific action and describing the writer’s planned follow-up:
I would like to be considered for a sales position in which someone of my background could make a contribution. I will contact you soon to arrange for an interview. Should you require any additional information, I can be contacted at the
phone numbers listed above.
For an overall refresher on cover letters, see our Cover Letter Tutorial.
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