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.
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:
- To get some help and guidance in identifying your accomplishments, check
out this Job-Seeker
Accomplishments Worksheet.
- Evaluate your current resume with this
Resume Critique Worksheet.
- For some general tips on improving your resume, read this article: Ten Easy Ways to Improve Your Resume.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Anonymous writes: Quick question: How do you handle and resume that is now 2 pages… no way around the second page…have to turn in Friday and I am stumped!!
There is nothing wrong with established job-seekers having a two-page resume. Even some exceptional recent college grads may need two pages to showcase all their accomplishments, skills, education/training, and talents and abilities.
In fact, it’s much better to have a two-page resume with normal margins and font size than to try and condense all your information onto one page using narrow margins and tiny type, virtually guaranteeing that no employer is going to even bother trying to read it.
Here are some rules about writing a two-page resume. First, if you need to go to a second page, do so. Just be sure that the second page is at least half full; anything less, and you should find a way to cut/condense to make the information fit on one page. Second, be careful not to divide elements from page one to page two; in other words, do not start a section on page one that carries over to page two. Third, be sure to include a header at the top of the second page identifying it as page two of your resume. Fourth, do not even consider going to a third page.
Some other general rules of resume-writing: focus (and quantify whenever possible) on accomplishments rather than job duties or responsibilities; showcase transferable skills when your work experience has been outside the traditional path; consider a functional style over a (traditional) chronological format when changing careers; consider leaving dates off college degrees to avoid age discrimination.
Find lots more information, articles, tutorials, and resources in the Resume and CV Resources section of Quintessential Careers.
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.
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:
- To get some help and guidance in identifying your accomplishments, check
out this Job-Seeker
Accomplishments Worksheet.
- Evaluate your current resume with this
Resume Critique Worksheet.
- For some general tips on improving your resume, read this article: Ten Easy Ways to Improve Your Resume.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Anonymous writes: Quick question: How do you handle and resume that is now 2 pages… no way around the second page…have to turn in Friday and I am stumped!!
There is nothing wrong with established job-seekers having a two-page resume. Even some exceptional recent college grads may need two pages to showcase all their accomplishments, skills, education/training, and talents and abilities.
In fact, it’s much better to have a two-page resume with normal margins and font size than to try and condense all your information onto one page using narrow margins and tiny type, virtually guaranteeing that no employer is going to even bother trying to read it.
Here are some rules about writing a two-page resume. First, if you need to go to a second page, do so. Just be sure that the second page is at least half full; anything less, and you should find a way to cut/condense to make the information fit on one page. Second, be careful not to divide elements from page one to page two; in other words, do not start a section on page one that carries over to page two. Third, be sure to include a header at the top of the second page identifying it as page two of your resume. Fourth, do not even consider going to a third page.
Some other general rules of resume-writing: focus (and quantify whenever possible) on accomplishments rather than job duties or responsibilities; showcase transferable skills when your work experience has been outside the traditional path; consider a functional style over a (traditional) chronological format when changing careers; consider leaving dates off college degrees to avoid age discrimination.
Find lots more information, articles, tutorials, and resources in the Resume and CV Resources section of Quintessential Careers.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
Have health goals in 2010, but no time to exercise and eat right?
Propose a flexible work arrangement and you'll have the margin of time to prepare healthier meals, work out more often and lose weight as a result. Learn more.
|
Job Search: |
Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, a subsidiary of
EmpoweringSites.com -- DeLand, FL 32720
Home Page: http://www.quintcareers.com/
Email: randall@quintcareers.com
Copyright © Quintessential Careers. All Rights Reserved
Serviced by Movable Type Solutions Company