This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Dan writes:
I am an architect in my late 50s who is finding it exceedingly difficult even with an exceptional work history to get any response to resumes sent to executive-search firms. This even when (1) it would seem my background would match perfectly with senior management position requirements advertised, (2) I state my salary is negotiable, and (3) when asked, I respond that I am open to relocating if necessary. In a youth-oriented profession such as architecture, is there a certain approach that should be following in submitting in seeking a position or in the job-hunting process in general?
As baby boomers continue to get older, I think we will see many changes in how older job-seekers are viewed — and we’re already seeing some of those changes — but perceptions are slow to change (and vary by industry and profession).
Are you focusing all your energies on executive recruiters? And if so, why? Recruiters can be one source of job leads — but should only be one source. Remember that headhunters work for the employers — and not job-seekers — so you need to be just as aggressive in following-up with these recruiters as you would employers.
Have you been networking? I know long-time readers of my blog are probably tired of me constantly beating the networking drum, but all studies point to the importance and power of networking when job-hunting. And many professional organizations also often have career and job postings on their Websites and at conferences. Investigate all the possibilities.
One of the other things I’ve discovered about older job-seekers, especially those who have been out of job-hunting for many years, is that they are often weak on job-search techniques and tools. What does your resume look like? Have you taken dates off your degrees and limited your list of experience to no more than 20 years of work? Is your resume centered around accomplishments and achievements?
Finally, what about the resources of your alma mater? Contact the college where you received your architecture degree and see how the career services and alumni offices can help you with your job search.
Get more help with your resume by reading numerous articles and reviewing samples in the Resume 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:
LaShun writes:
It seems every piece of advice about cover letters says to call the company you want to work for to get a SPECIFIC NAME of the person who has the authority to call you for an interview. But what if the company refuses to give that information? Most of the companies I call say just send a resume to the HR department at an email address or fax number but won’t give a name. And when I do get a specific name, I’m sure I’m not the only one who called. What else can I do?
I empathize with all the job-seekers who are finding it harder and harder to get the name of the hiring manager — which is what all job experts recommend you do. Unfortunately, companies seem to be making it harder and harder for job-seekers to identify and follow-up with the hiring manager.
You have several options for getting the name (and correct spelling) of the hiring manager. You could call the human resources office, but remember that office’s role is one of screening. So, I would avoid HR altogether and simply call the main switchboard and ask the receptionist for the name of the department manager for the position you are seeking. Receptionists are wonderful sources of information — so cultivate them! You could also default to writing to the division or company president and hope your application trickles down to the hiring manager, but more often than not, if it does trickle down, it goes to HR. The final possibility is another important use of your network; contact all the people in your network and see if anyone works or knows someone who works for the company — and then ask that person to use internal channels to get you the name of the hiring manager.
One final comment about the many employers who state in job ads: “no phone calls.” This comment refers to applying by phone — but should not stop any job-seeker who has submitted an application from following-up to check on the status of his/her application.
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:
Will writes:
I have a whole lot of experience, but not a tremendous amount of in any one area. How could I narrow down my choices so I know what kind of job to pursue? Also, what would be the best way to lay out my resume?
There’s good news and bad news here. As employers continue to downsize and have employees multitask by combining job functions, there is certainly a need for job-seekers who have multiple talents and abilities. On the other hand, job-seekers without a specific focus will rarely ever get a second look from employers.
So, as you mention, your task is to find a way to parlay your years of varied job experiences into some cohesive strategy that plays itself out on your resume. You don’t want to be seen as someone who does not know what you want to do, or one who gets easily bored.
What is it you want to do next? If you truly have no clue, take the time to conduct some self-assessment. First, spend some time reviewing all your experiences (work, hobby, etc.) and make two lists — one with activities you enjoy and one with activities you never want to do again. You could also consider taking one or more assessment tests, many of which you can find online.
Once you have a better picture of your likes and interests, the next step is researching careers that closely match your profile. Take the time to do this important career exploration. There are a lot of online and print resources that can help you in this process. My favorite is the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Once you’ve identified a career path (or paths), the next step is finding employers in that field — and developing a strategy for breaking into it. In any job market, but especially in this job market, your key to success is building a new network for your new career. Find and join professional organizations in your new career field, use alumni networks to find people in your new career field.
Use the Career Exploration Resources section of Quintessential Careers to help you.
And learn more about networking in the The Art of Networking section of Quintessential Careers.
And all sorts of great resume-writing tools can be found in the Resume 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:
Jacqueline writes:
I have a question regarding the closing, “Take Care,” at the end of business cover letters. Is that considered “less” professional than all the traditional closings?
The Career Doctor responds:
I consider “take care” as a bit too informal for traditional cover letters. I have seen it in email cover letters, and I find it a bit more acceptable there. When writing conventional cover letters, I would stick with the traditional closings: sincerely and cordially.
In the grand scheme of cover-letter writing, though, I think how you close the letter is of little consequence compared to the much bigger issues that I list below.
Key cover letter strategies:
- Addressing the letter to a named individual. Job-seekers must address the letter to a person — the hiring manager. And if you make the effort to get the name, make sure you spell it correctly. Do not write to the Human Resources department.
- The first paragraph must engage the reader and entice him/her to read more of your letter. Do not waste this opening paragraph with the typical boring one that many job-seekers use.
- The second and third paragraphs must show how well you fit the position you are seeking — as well as highlight key accomplishments. Focus on what you can do for the company rather than what the company can do for you.
- The last paragraph must state how you plan to follow-up the letter (usually with a phone call). Be sure to give a timeframe — and then be sure to do what you say you are going to do.
Finally, be sure also to avoid:
- Long (read boring) sentences and paragraphs;
- Letters longer than one page;
- Typos, misspellings, and grammatical errors;
- Simply rehashing/highlighting your resume
And remember to follow-up all cover letters with a phone call — showing your continued interest in the position and the employer.
Read more in this article published on Quintessential Careers: Don’t Make These 10 Cover Letter Mistakes.
And to find just about everything you ever wanted to know about cover letters, including numerous samples, go to the Cover Letter 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:
Adrianne writes:
I am in the preliminary stages of a job search and I found your article on researching a company to be very useful.
I also understand that cover letters should be specific. But to avoid writing “dear sir/madam,” I wonder what one can do if the company’s human resources department does not want to divulge the name of who is assessing the applicants?
The Career Doctor responds:
The bad news is that technology trends make it even harder for job-seekers to track down the names of hiring managers. The good news is that when you do, you will certainly have an edge over other job-seekers.
One of the biggest complaints I hear from job-seekers is the ever-increasing difficulty in reaching or following-up with a hiring manager.
So, what’s the best way around HR folks, screening assistants, voicemail, or vague email addresses? Having someone inside the company who can get you the information — this is the real power of networking.
A lot of job-seekers have a misconception that networking is all about asking people for jobs — and it’s not. Networking is about sharing information — about people, companies, and, yes, job leads. A strong network will provide you with plenty of information and resources to help your job search. And having this information will give you the inside edge in the job hunt.
Another misconception about networking is that you are using people, but the whole idea behind networking is one of reciprocation; someone helps you now and you’ll help that person in the future. So, get your network out there helping you!
And if you must use a salutation, I prefer “Dear hiring manager,” or “Dear hiring manager for [fill-in-the-blank] position.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Mike writes:
No too long ago, I used one of your samples for resume and cover letter writing. I must say, they really helped me.
The Career Doctor responds:
OK. So technically there is no question here, but I wanted to address this issue because I had been recently interviewed on the subject of job-seekers borrowing too heavily from samples found on job-search Websites and books. And by the way, I am not saying that Mike did anything wrong; I am assuming he used the samples correctly.
Why do career professionals provide samples? I know I do so as a learning tool. I want you to be able to see what a good resume, cover letter, thank-you letter, etc., looks like. I have seen so much poorly written job-seeker correspondence, that I thought it important for you to see good examples.
But I do not expect job-seekers to copy phrases or sentences word-for-word
in academic circles, we call that plagiarism, and if I were a hiring manager, I
would call it a reason not to interview or hire you. Borrowing someone else s
work brings into question your ethics — and work ethic.
So, please use the samples you find as guidelines for what your resume or cover letter should look like and sound like, but do not lift whole chunks and use them as your own. And be sure to read the accompanying articles that describe in detail how to develop your job-search documents.
One final point. Someone raised the question of the difference between borrowing a sample resume versus hiring a professional to write the resume for you. The difference is one is stealing someone else’ s work (that may not even apply to you) and the other is paying a professional to develop a document specifically for you.
For those interested in samples, check out the many sample job-search materials we have in this section of Quintessential Careers: Job-Hunting Samples and Examples.
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:
I don’t think its smart to have my resume for all to review, how I can I post my resume and keep it confidential?
There certainly is validity to wanting to be discrete about job-hunting when you are currently employed — you wouldn’t want your current employer to do a search for a position and get your resume from one of these job sites.
The good news is that many job boards now offer you a confidentiality option — thus your resume is still out there getting viewed, but you control who actually knows it is your resume. There are a few other job sites that even allow you to block your resume from going to certain companies, thus allowing no chance that your current employer will see your resume. You can search through a list of The Top 10 Job Web Sites.
And one final warning. Please remember that job-hunting on the Net should only comprise a small portion of your overall job-hunt — a little larger for people in technical and computer fields. You’ll do much better taking advantage of networking and other more traditional job-search techniques, but I also understand the value of the Web in a passive job search — putting your resume online and seeing what kind of responses you get, even when you are fairly happy with your current position.
confidentiality, employer, job board, job-hunting, resume, Top 10 Job Web Sites
Use Resume and Cover-Letter Samples Carefully
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Mike writes:
No too long ago, I used one of your samples for resume and cover letter writing. I must say, they really helped me.
The Career Doctor responds:
OK. So technically there is no question here, but I wanted to address this issue because I had been recently interviewed on the subject of job-seekers borrowing too heavily from samples found on job-search Websites and books. And by the way, I am not saying that Mike did anything wrong; I am assuming he used the samples correctly.
Why do career professionals provide samples? I know I do so as a learning tool. I want you to be able to see what a good resume, cover letter, thank-you letter, etc., looks like. I have seen so much poorly written job-seeker correspondence, that I thought it important for you to see good examples.
But I do not expect job-seekers to copy phrases or sentences word-for-word
in academic circles, we call that plagiarism, and if I were a hiring manager, I
would call it a reason not to interview or hire you. Borrowing someone else s
work brings into question your ethics — and work ethic.
So, please use the samples you find as guidelines for what your resume or cover letter should look like and sound like, but do not lift whole chunks and use them as your own. And be sure to read the accompanying articles that describe in detail how to develop your job-search documents.
One final point. Someone raised the question of the difference between borrowing a sample resume versus hiring a professional to write the resume for you. The difference is one is stealing someone else’ s work (that may not even apply to you) and the other is paying a professional to develop a document specifically for you.
For those interested in samples, check out the many sample job-search materials we have in this section of Quintessential Careers: Job-Hunting Samples and Examples.
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:
Glenis writes:
I read your blog regularly, but recently it has become of more interest to me because my son is job-hunting. He has been a financial-aid counselor at two universities, having moved to take the position at the last one because it was a career advancement. Unfortunately his position was eliminated due to budget cuts.
After being unemployed for a 6 months, he decided to take whatever
employment he could get just to help pay the bills, which happened to be
at minimal pay. He has not included this employment history on his resume
because he feels it would not look good. He has interviewed with 2-3
universities but so far no offer of employment.
Do you think the lack of employment information for the last year is affecting his chances of being hired?
The Career Doctor responds:
I hope by the time you are reading this column that your son has a new job in his career field, but if not, let me make a few observations.
I think there is a possibility of three things happening here that your son needs to address.
First, the stigma of being fired. We can call it something prettier — his job was eliminated — but the bottom line is that he was forced to leave his place of employment. He needs to focus on this issue and make sure he is totally over the trauma of the experience — especially since he was let go through no fault of his own. He obviously has valuable skills since he was able to move forward in his career.
Second, he needs to deal with his resume — and the reality he is living. A lot of displaced job-seekers in this current economy have been forced to take survival jobs so that they don t end up homeless and bankrupt. Most prospective employers would rather see an applicant that has been doing something productive — even if outside his or her field — than a large gap on the resume. Of course, if he has been doing any kind of consulting or volunteer work in his field, he should put that on his resume.
Third, perfect interviewing skills. If he has gotten a few interviews, then at least some of the colleges are not bothered by the gap on his resume enough to not interview him, so if he is not having success in the interview, then he is either not interviewing well or not following-up his interviews. He may want to conduct a mock interview with a career professional to judge the quality of his interviewing skills.
I suggest he read, Getting Fired: An Opportunity for Change and Growth, published on Quintessential Careers.
He may also want to read this article on Quintessential Careers: The Pros and Cons of Taking a Survival Job. What Should You Do?
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:
Reena writes:
I got my PhD degree in microbiology a year ago. Since I am an international scholar, I had to wait for my immigration papers to get processed for my permanent-resident status (that I got through marriage to an American citizen) for a year. I was not legally allowed to work (earn any money) for a year. Now that I have got my permanent-resident status I have started sending out job applications, and I keep getting asked what work I did for a year since I got my PhD. I did do some volunteer work off and on during my year off, and I also did a lot of traveling. Do I need to explain my year off in the applications that I send out? How do I explain it? I am just afraid that potential employers will not understand this explanation since none of them had to go through this themselves (some of them are really rude when they demand an explanation).
The Career Doctor responds:
While yours is a very specific question, I include it in the blog because there are some lessons here that all job-seekers should learn.
Employers want to hire productive employees, and so any unexplained gaps on a resume or vitae send out a large caution flag to hiring managers. As a job-seeker, your goal is to show that you were productive during any and all gaps — pursing further education or credentials, volunteering or freelancing, in some way staying active in your career field.
In your situation, newly minted PhDs are supposed to be at one of their most productive peaks, so appearing to take a year off of research would be very worrisome to prospective employers who want to hire a research workhorse. And those that don’t go to work right after the degree often to some post-doctoral work.
I would avoid the whole immigration issue — mainly because employers never want to hear complications… they simply want workers who will show and work.
So, I think you do need to show that you were somehow working during that year… perhaps through the volunteering, perhaps through some pending research or publications.
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:
Randle writes:
My question for you is how heavily do prospective employers consider the fact that you have been fired? I have asked others whether I should I remove this place of employment from my resume, and most have said no because it will leave an unexplainable gap in my employment. I was only employed there for 6 months and was terminated because I didn’t fit in. I was told there was no room there for me anymore and they were going to hire someone else.
The Career Doctor responds:
Your letter just goes to show how callous some employers can be. So sorry, we don’t really like you and you don’t fit, so see you later. Of course, in some ways, that employer did you a favor because it’s certainly better to find out sooner rather than later.
My opinion is that as long as this was not a dead-end job, that you should include it on your resume.
There are several ways to judge whether you should put this job on your resume. You need to decide how important it is to your career advancement. If this was your first job in your field, then you need to use it to show you have experience… If you gained valuable skills from this job, you need to include it. And if you have solid accomplishments, you need to include the job.
On the other hand, if you were taking classes or volunteering at the same time as this job — and you have something to fill the gap, then you might consider omitting it.
Most importantly, do not call attention to it. Don’t say you were fired. Simply list it as you do any other employment on your resume. Remember: no negative information on your resume.
Once you get to the next level of your job search — the job interview — you will need to have an explanation about the short stint. And what employers are looking for is not any kind of excuse; what employers want to hear is what you learned from it, so always look for a positive lesson.
Being fired can certainly be traumatic, and job-seekers sometimes feel as though they have been branded with a big “F” on their foreheads, but you need to clear your head and move on, otherwise your lack of confidence will come through in your job search.
Read more in my article, Getting Fired: An Opportunity for Change and Growth, published on 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.
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.
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:
Ashley writes:
Dr. Hansen, I have gotten several different opinions on my resume, with some saying it’s good, and others saying I should have a functional resume. I have been to my college’s career services and other professors. So I am not really sure which is best for me. Should a new college grad have a functional resume? Should my resume be limited to one page? Please let me know what you think.
The Career Doctor responds:
Several things jump at me when I look at your resume. All job-seekers should remember that a resume is a strategic marketing document that must have two key elements: design and content.
First, let’s discuss design. Every design aspect must be consistent on your resume — same style of headings, same margins… a coherent and appealing look. One of my pet peeves deals with margins… I hate unusually narrow margins. There’s a rule of “thumb” with resumes — margins must be big enough for my (big) thumbs to hold on to it and not cover any content.
Resumes must also be designed with some flair, and job-seekers often accomplish this style through varying typography, font size, and font selection. Your name and major headings should be larger, perhaps in a different font. And be sure to include as much contact information as possible.
Second, let’s talk content. I would recommend you — and all job-seekers — use one of the “hotter” elements in resume writing — the “Qualifications Summary,” also sometimes referred to as “Professional Profile.” This section is what I like to refer to as the executive summary of your resume — it may change depending on what type of job you are seeking — but it should be the key 3-5 accomplishments that make you better than anyone else for the job you are seeking.
And as you write about your experience, remember to focus on accomplishments, keywords, and action verbs. Whenever possible, quantify your accomplishments.
As for resume length, the current rule is a resume is as long as it needs to be based on your experience, and college grads with lots of experience can have two-page resumes.
Get more information on resumes and resume-writing in this section of Quintessential Careers: Resume and CV Resources for Job-Seekers.
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:
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. If you could offer any advice, I would certainly appreciate it. Thank you.
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.
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:
Cathy writes:
For the first time in 23 years, I am conducting a job search that includes the Internet. I understand the importance of having a resume in text format to submit where requested.
I am also hearing that most recruiters, employers, etc. prefer resumes now be submitted electronically. Is this true? Maybe it’s the old-fashioned marketer in me, but my tendency is to search the web for jobs and then send my resume the traditional way by mail so I can differentiate by different fonts, paper style, appearance-related factors. Could this be working against me?
If so, even when I am asked to attach my resume as a Word document, I fear that various PCs will alter formats, fonts and spacing — so it’s back to the plain Jane text, or is it?
The Career Doctor responds:
While I totally agree with you about the power of print resumes, I have to sadly state that their influence in job-hunting is definitely on the decline. Job-seekers will still need these documents for job fairs, interviews, and a direct-mail campaign, but because the Internet has so dramatically changed how we search and apply for jobs, you know need to focus on having a text resume.
Employers want text resumes — especially electronic versions (submitted online or via email) — because they can easily deposit every resume into a massive database and then use keywords to search and find the resumes that most match their needs.
Text resumes are almost completely void of any style — and when printed, they look pretty ugly.
So, not only are resume formats changing, but so is the content. As you work on your electronic resume, you must be focused on keyword and keyword phrases for your occupation and industry. Where we often avoided industry jargon in the past, now we embrace it. Of course, accomplishments are still extremely important, but you must now also try to phrase them the way you think a hiring manager might conduct a resume database search.
One final thought, though. I always recommend — when possible — to follow-up an emailed resume with a formatted resume sent through the mail. I think job-seekers who use this combination approach have an edge over those who do not.
Read more about electronic resumes in this article on Quintessential Careers: The Top 10 Things You Need to Know about E-Resumes and Posting Your Resume Online. And for a quick review of resume-writing, you might want to review this article: Avoid These 10 Resume Mistakes.
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:
Dan writes:
I am an architect in my late 50s who is finding it exceedingly difficult even with an exceptional work history to get any response to resumes sent to executive-search firms. This even when (1) it would seem my background would match perfectly with senior management position requirements advertised, (2) I state my salary is negotiable, and (3) when asked, I respond that I am open to relocating if necessary. In a youth-oriented profession such as architecture, is there a certain approach that should be following in submitting in seeking a position or in the job-hunting process in general?
As baby boomers continue to get older, I think we will see many changes in how older job-seekers are viewed — and we’re already seeing some of those changes — but perceptions are slow to change (and vary by industry and profession).
Are you focusing all your energies on executive recruiters? And if so, why? Recruiters can be one source of job leads — but should only be one source. Remember that headhunters work for the employers — and not job-seekers — so you need to be just as aggressive in following-up with these recruiters as you would employers.
Have you been networking? I know long-time readers of my blog are probably tired of me constantly beating the networking drum, but all studies point to the importance and power of networking when job-hunting. And many professional organizations also often have career and job postings on their Websites and at conferences. Investigate all the possibilities.
One of the other things I’ve discovered about older job-seekers, especially those who have been out of job-hunting for many years, is that they are often weak on job-search techniques and tools. What does your resume look like? Have you taken dates off your degrees and limited your list of experience to no more than 20 years of work? Is your resume centered around accomplishments and achievements?
Finally, what about the resources of your alma mater? Contact the college where you received your architecture degree and see how the career services and alumni offices can help you with your job search.
Get more help with your resume by reading numerous articles and reviewing samples in the Resume 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:
LaShun writes:
It seems every piece of advice about cover letters says to call the company you want to work for to get a SPECIFIC NAME of the person who has the authority to call you for an interview. But what if the company refuses to give that information? Most of the companies I call say just send a resume to the HR department at an email address or fax number but won’t give a name. And when I do get a specific name, I’m sure I’m not the only one who called. What else can I do?
I empathize with all the job-seekers who are finding it harder and harder to get the name of the hiring manager — which is what all job experts recommend you do. Unfortunately, companies seem to be making it harder and harder for job-seekers to identify and follow-up with the hiring manager.
You have several options for getting the name (and correct spelling) of the hiring manager. You could call the human resources office, but remember that office’s role is one of screening. So, I would avoid HR altogether and simply call the main switchboard and ask the receptionist for the name of the department manager for the position you are seeking. Receptionists are wonderful sources of information — so cultivate them! You could also default to writing to the division or company president and hope your application trickles down to the hiring manager, but more often than not, if it does trickle down, it goes to HR. The final possibility is another important use of your network; contact all the people in your network and see if anyone works or knows someone who works for the company — and then ask that person to use internal channels to get you the name of the hiring manager.
One final comment about the many employers who state in job ads: “no phone calls.” This comment refers to applying by phone — but should not stop any job-seeker who has submitted an application from following-up to check on the status of his/her application.
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:
Will writes:
I have a whole lot of experience, but not a tremendous amount of in any one area. How could I narrow down my choices so I know what kind of job to pursue? Also, what would be the best way to lay out my resume?
There’s good news and bad news here. As employers continue to downsize and have employees multitask by combining job functions, there is certainly a need for job-seekers who have multiple talents and abilities. On the other hand, job-seekers without a specific focus will rarely ever get a second look from employers.
So, as you mention, your task is to find a way to parlay your years of varied job experiences into some cohesive strategy that plays itself out on your resume. You don’t want to be seen as someone who does not know what you want to do, or one who gets easily bored.
What is it you want to do next? If you truly have no clue, take the time to conduct some self-assessment. First, spend some time reviewing all your experiences (work, hobby, etc.) and make two lists — one with activities you enjoy and one with activities you never want to do again. You could also consider taking one or more assessment tests, many of which you can find online.
Once you have a better picture of your likes and interests, the next step is researching careers that closely match your profile. Take the time to do this important career exploration. There are a lot of online and print resources that can help you in this process. My favorite is the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Once you’ve identified a career path (or paths), the next step is finding employers in that field — and developing a strategy for breaking into it. In any job market, but especially in this job market, your key to success is building a new network for your new career. Find and join professional organizations in your new career field, use alumni networks to find people in your new career field.
Use the Career Exploration Resources section of Quintessential Careers to help you.
And learn more about networking in the The Art of Networking section of Quintessential Careers.
And all sorts of great resume-writing tools can be found in the Resume 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:
Jacqueline writes:
I have a question regarding the closing, “Take Care,” at the end of business cover letters. Is that considered “less” professional than all the traditional closings?
The Career Doctor responds:
I consider “take care” as a bit too informal for traditional cover letters. I have seen it in email cover letters, and I find it a bit more acceptable there. When writing conventional cover letters, I would stick with the traditional closings: sincerely and cordially.
In the grand scheme of cover-letter writing, though, I think how you close the letter is of little consequence compared to the much bigger issues that I list below.
Key cover letter strategies:
- Addressing the letter to a named individual. Job-seekers must address the letter to a person — the hiring manager. And if you make the effort to get the name, make sure you spell it correctly. Do not write to the Human Resources department.
- The first paragraph must engage the reader and entice him/her to read more of your letter. Do not waste this opening paragraph with the typical boring one that many job-seekers use.
- The second and third paragraphs must show how well you fit the position you are seeking — as well as highlight key accomplishments. Focus on what you can do for the company rather than what the company can do for you.
- The last paragraph must state how you plan to follow-up the letter (usually with a phone call). Be sure to give a timeframe — and then be sure to do what you say you are going to do.
Finally, be sure also to avoid:
- Long (read boring) sentences and paragraphs;
- Letters longer than one page;
- Typos, misspellings, and grammatical errors;
- Simply rehashing/highlighting your resume
And remember to follow-up all cover letters with a phone call — showing your continued interest in the position and the employer.
Read more in this article published on Quintessential Careers: Don’t Make These 10 Cover Letter Mistakes.
And to find just about everything you ever wanted to know about cover letters, including numerous samples, go to the Cover Letter 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:
Adrianne writes:
I am in the preliminary stages of a job search and I found your article on researching a company to be very useful.
I also understand that cover letters should be specific. But to avoid writing “dear sir/madam,” I wonder what one can do if the company’s human resources department does not want to divulge the name of who is assessing the applicants?
The Career Doctor responds:
The bad news is that technology trends make it even harder for job-seekers to track down the names of hiring managers. The good news is that when you do, you will certainly have an edge over other job-seekers.
One of the biggest complaints I hear from job-seekers is the ever-increasing difficulty in reaching or following-up with a hiring manager.
So, what’s the best way around HR folks, screening assistants, voicemail, or vague email addresses? Having someone inside the company who can get you the information — this is the real power of networking.
A lot of job-seekers have a misconception that networking is all about asking people for jobs — and it’s not. Networking is about sharing information — about people, companies, and, yes, job leads. A strong network will provide you with plenty of information and resources to help your job search. And having this information will give you the inside edge in the job hunt.
Another misconception about networking is that you are using people, but the whole idea behind networking is one of reciprocation; someone helps you now and you’ll help that person in the future. So, get your network out there helping you!
And if you must use a salutation, I prefer “Dear hiring manager,” or “Dear hiring manager for [fill-in-the-blank] position.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
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?
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:
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.
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.
Among the resume “rules” you may have heard is the one in which resumes should be limited to one page. While it’s true that most entry-level job-seekers should try to limit their resumes to a single page, this length is rarely appropriate for those at senior and executive levels. Top-level job-seekers will find it virtually impossible to capture the breadth of their experience and accomplishments in a single page, and some employers expect longer resumes from those candidates, sometimes up to five pages. In a 2007 survey by Accountemps, a specialized staffing service, only 7 percent of senior executives from human resources, finance and marketing departments favored one-page resumes for executives, while 61 percent favored two pages. Respondents were receptive to three-page resumes for executive roles, with nearly a third (31 percent) citing this as the ideal length.
One-page resumes can be useful for candidates in certain situations, such as networking, in which the job-seeker wants to give potential network contacts a thumbnail glance at his or her career.
A summary of guidelines on resume length:
- One page is usually preferred for college students and new grads, but those with rich campus backgrounds and work/internship experience may need two pages.
- Two-page resumes are suitable for many job-seekers.
- Three or more pages may be required at the senior level.
- Job-seekers should never sacrifice readability (tiny type, narrow margins) just to squeeze a resume into a certain number of pages.
- When a resume spills onto an additional page, it should fill up at least half of that page. If not, try to condense.
See our article, The Scoop on Resume Length: How Many Pages Should Your Resume Be? for a variety of opinions and guidelines on resume length.
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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 file name is “Resume.doc” or “Resume.pdf.” Resume-writers know
that an astonishing number of job-seekers give their resumes the file name “Resume.doc.”
Can you imagine how many of these identically named files a hiring decision-maker
receives? They don’t distinguish the candidate, and the recipient must always rename the files to keep them
organized. Add your name to the file name and perhaps the month and year you are submitting it:
KHansenResumeDec08.doc, for example.
Also be sure that your resume is in a file format that the recipient can open. The only file format that is virtually foolproof is one with a .doc extension (not .docx as produced by Word 2007), but if you have any doubt, do a test run of your attachment by sending it to a friend to ensure the recipient can open it. You can also ask the employer if your file format can be opened on the company’s computers.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
To ensure that your resume will be kept confidential, request as much in your cover letter. It also doesn’t hurt to display the word “Confidential” boldly at the top of your resume. Some job-seekers who don’t want current employer to know they’re in the hunt go so far as to list that employer by describing the organization rather than actually giving its name. Read more in our Frequently Asked Questions About Resumes: The Complete Resume FAQ.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from The Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen
Mauro writes:
I read an article of yours — Resume Critique Worksheet for Job-Seekers — and found it very interesting. I have been applying for quite a few jobs recently and have not had much luck getting interviews, and I think this has a lot to do with my resume. I know it can be improved a lot and was wondering if you could provide me with some critique given your knowledge and experience. I sincerely appreciate any help you can provide.
The Career Doctor responds:
I’m sorry for your lack of job-searching success, but pleased that you have taken the time to analyze your situation and recognize that your resume is probably the problem. Anytime you are not getting job interviews, the problem generally lies with your resume or cover letter. (It could also be that you are applying for positions for which you are not qualified — or overqualified, but let’s assume that is not the case.)
I was kind of stunned recently when the results of a recent online poll revealed that almost 50 percent of business professionals thought their resume needed improvement. I can only imagine how high that percentage would be for all job-seekers.
Your resume is one of the most — if not the most — crucial career-marketing tool a job-seeker uses, and yet, as evidenced from the thousands and thousands of resumes I have seen over my career, many job-seekers just do not get either the importance of the resume or simply do not put the time in that is necessary to produce a resume that results in employer interest.
Sometimes, all it takes is some tweaking and minor adjustments, but other times, it is best to start from scratch. How do you decide? Get your resume professionally critiqued. If you are a college student or alum, go to your college’s career services office. Or, hire a professional resume writer (many will critique your resume at no cost). Or, even just ask some of the people in your network to critique for you.
Here are some suggested links for mastering the resume-preparation skills you need:
- Ten Easy Ways to Improve Your Resume
- Resume and CV Resources for Job-Seekers
- Resume Tutorials for all Job-Seekers
- Why
Hire a Professional Resume Writer?
A career change gives you the opportunity to sharpen the focus of your resume toward the new career or industry. Study ads and job postings in your desired new field, and frame your resume bullet points so that your skills and accomplishments in your current career can be seen as directly applicable to your new career. Use copious keywords that relate to your new career, and tailor your profile, headline, branding statement, or objective statement to your aspiration. Read more in our Frequently Asked Questions About Resumes: The Complete Resume FAQ.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
Hobbies and Interests on a resume are usually considered superfluous and trivial. Some job-seekers consider these items conversation-starters, while some employers feel the information humanizes the candidate and presents a fuller picture. Many recruiters and employers feel hobby and interest information can expose the candidate to discrimination. A workaholic hiring manager “could perceive the candidate as frivolous with too many outside interests,” observes Alison, a corporate recruiter for a specialized information provider. As with most information on your resume, the option to list hobby and interest information is a personal choice, but it’s usually more risky to list it than to leave it off. Ask yourself: Does this information add value to my resume? Space constraints may also guide your decision. Read more in our Frequently Asked Questions About Resumes: The Complete Resume FAQ.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
Today’s posting is a guest entry from the “Career Doctor,” Randall S. Hansen, PhD
Jeff writes:
Recently I was terminated from a sales position after two months. I am considering whether or not to include the employment on my resume. My employment gap will only be two months if I exclude the position.
Would it be better to list the position and use the term downsized? Or should I use terminated?
Any advice or tips will be greatly appreciated.
The Career Doctor responds:
Let me reiterate a critical point about resumes that all job-seekers should tuck into the back of your heads: A resume is not an all-inclusive job history. Your resume is a marketing document. You tailor the facts in your resume to fit each job with each employer. Notice I did say facts. I am not advocating lying on a resume; I am advocating making your resume a unique document for each opportunity you seek.
And here is a second point about resumes. Never provide unnecessary information. You do not need to make any mention on your resume why you left a particular job — simply put the start and end dates. You should also NOT put your supervisor’s name, your salary information, or phone numbers. For each job you have held that you wish to include, you should list your job title, the organization’s name and location (city, state), dates of employment, and your key accomplishments.
You don’t say why you were terminated so quickly, but two months is such a short stint that I would never recommend including it on your resume. And you’re right, two months is not much of a gap, especially in the current job market.
Regardless of how you handle this job on your resume, however, you will need to have some sort of story to tell in the job interview — either about why you only lasted two months on the job or why you have a two-month gap on your resume. In terms of lingo, downsized usually results from budget cuts and does not reflect on the quality of your work while terminated says your work was no longer needed (or was bad, ineffective, etc.).
If you are working on your resume, visit this section of Quintessential Careers for much more resume advice, tips, and samples: Resume and CV Resources for Job-Seekers.
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.
Today’s posting is a guest entry from the “Career Doctor,” Randall S. Hansen, PhD
Tanya writes:
I saw your web site while searching for advice on cover letters. Someone told me that cover letters are really obsolete, yet I find a lot of stuff written about them. So, what’s your advice? Should job-seekers like me really still be concerned with writing cover letters?
The Career Doctor responds:
I wonder where some of these ideas come from, but I can tell you as directly as I can that cover letters play a vital role in the job-search process when done correctly. Cover letters should entice the reader, draw him/her into your story — enough so to turn the page and review your resume.
Is that all, you may ask? Yes, that’s the function of a cover letter — to get your resume reviewed a little more carefully than without it, which in turn, ideally, leads to an invitation to a job interview.
A cover letter specifically addresses the job you are seeking and how your unique attributes make you the ideal candidate — the perfect fit — for the job and the organization.
Here’s a quick rundown of what your cover letter should entail.
First, the length. Always err on the side of being brief, so no more than one page, and really about four paragraphs total. If it’s an email cover letter, it should be even shorter.
Second, the content. The first paragraph must engage the reader. Make it dynamic. Make it weave the reader into the rest of the letter. Don’t waste it with some boring formulaic sentence. The second and third paragraphs give specific details that highlight your qualifications and your fit with the position and the organization; if possible, use some of the employers own words here. Your last paragraph should thank the reader and request an interview. You should also say you plan to follow-up the letter at a later date — you must be proactive.
Third, the follow-up. Sending out the cover letter and resume is an extremely important step, but only the first of many. Job-seekers must follow-up by contacting the employer shortly after they expect the letter to arrive — to show your interest and enthusiasm for the job and organization.
For more cover letter tips, please visit this section of Quintessential Careers: Cover Letter Resources for Job-Seekers.
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.
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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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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Many job-seekers ask, “What goes first on my resume
— education or experience? The answer:
- It depends on whether your degree or your experience is your best selling point. Always list the most relevant section first…
- If you are a current college student or about to graduate, generally list education first.
- If you are currently working, generally list experience first. A good cutoff point for moving your Experience section to the forefront of your resume is a year to 18 months after graduation.
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Inundated by resumes from job-seekers, employers have increasingly relied on digitizing resumes, placing those resumes in keyword-searchable databases, and using software to search those databases for specific keywords that relate to job vacancies. Most Fortune 1000 companies, in fact, and many smaller companies now use these technologies. In addition, many employers search the databases of third-party job-posting and resume-posting boards on the Internet. Based on figures from the early 2000s, it is safe to estimate that well over 80 percent of resumes are searched for job-specific keywords.
The bottom line is that if you apply for a job with a company that searches databases for keywords, and your resume doesn’t have the keywords the company seeks for the person who fills that job, you are pretty much dead in the water.
To some extent, job-seekers have no way of knowing what the words are that employers are looking for when they search resume databases. But job-seekers have information and a number of tools at their disposal that can help them make educated guesses as to which keywords the employer is looking for. See a detailed discussion of resume keywords and how to identify them in our article, Tapping the Power of Keywords to Enhance Your Resume’s Effectiveness and use our Keywords Worksheet to help identify keywords for use in your resume.
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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 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.
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.
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.
Although studies have shown that employers rarely try reaching job-seekers using any number but land-line home phone numbers, include on your resume and cover letter your cell-phone number and any other option for reaching you, such as fax number and office phone number (if you can discreetly receive employer calls at your office). Also include your mailing address and, of course, your e-mail address(es). Make sure your email address is professional, not one such as SexyBabe2301@aol.com. If you have a personal web site or web portfolio, include the URL for it. If you are in serious job-hunting mode and employers who call your phone are likely to get voicemail, make sure your voicemail greeting is professional. Read more in our Frequently Asked Questions About Resumes: The Complete Resume FAQ.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
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