This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Tamala writes:
I’m e-mailing you to find out if going to a professional resume writer is worth the time and money. Right now I really don’t have the funds, but I am desperate to find a job that I will be happy doing and making at least $35-40K a year.
You need to look at your job-search as an investment in your future. You can do a haphazard job-search and maybe find another job, or you can really put a lot of effort into it and find a great job and great career move.
The same holds with each tool of your job-search, and your resume is an extremely important job-search tool. You need to make the decision to invest a lot of time and energy to make it the best resume for you — or — you need to hire an expert to do it for you. Either way, it’s an investment of time or money; but either way, the payoffs should be big.
If you have the time and inclination, I suggest you read up on resume writing. You can find some good resources online and in your local library. Most job-seekers should have the ability to write a solid resume.
You have one other option besides hiring someone to write your resume. You can also get your resume critiqued by a professional resume writer — usually free or for a very modest fee. You can then make the changes yourself or hire the expert to do it for you.
You can also find quite a lot of resume-writing advice and strategies 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:
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:
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:
Amy writes:
I am writing my first resume and I am using your web site for information in
doing so. I have 7 years of experience and 3 employers on this resume.
I was at my first job 5 years and had 3 positions while I was there.
I know my whole date of employment with that employer, but I don’t know the exact dates that I went from 1 position to another. I only have estimated dates. How do I put estimated dates on a resume? I have been looking at sample resumes, and I haven’t seen any with my situation. All of this will make my resume about 1.5 pages. Is that too long? I tried to cram it on 1 page, but the only way was to crowd it and put the type as small as 9 pt., and it was hard too read at 9 pt. Please give me your feedback.
The Career Doctor responds:
First, kudos for thinking ahead and perfecting your resume before you jump back into the job market. A resume of more than one page is fine for someone with seven years of experience. A one-page resume that uses non-existent page margins or tiny type will just not get read.
As for content… First, remember that it’s perfectly fine to develop a generalized resume, but once you identify prospective jobs and employers, you’ll want to customize your resume using the employer’s words and highlighting the experience they seek.
In terms of describing your experience with your first you have two choices. In the first approach, you list all three positions within the same company, using the company as an umbrella. In the second approach, which is favored by my partner Katharine Hansen, you list each job separately, which gives more weight to each position. I also tend to favor the second approach. And if you are unsure of your dates or exactly how to list them, contact the human resources department of the company, thus the dates on your resume will match their records in case a prospective employer calls to check.
Finally, some general resume rules to remember:
- Customize your resume to each position and employer.
- Focus on accomplishments, not duties.
- Design an attractive resume using normal fonts, sizes, and page margins.
- Provide as much contact information (phone, cell, e-mail) as possible.
- Avoid all errors, especially misspellings and typos.
- Keep your resume factual.
- Never include salary information, supervisor’s names, or references on your resume.
For more tips on resume-writing, including samples, go to 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:
Tamala writes:
I’m e-mailing you to find out if going to a professional resume writer is worth the time and money. Right now I really don’t have the funds, but I am desperate to find a job that I will be happy doing and making at least $35-40K a year.
You need to look at your job-search as an investment in your future. You can do a haphazard job-search and maybe find another job, or you can really put a lot of effort into it and find a great job and great career move.
The same holds with each tool of your job-search, and your resume is an extremely important job-search tool. You need to make the decision to invest a lot of time and energy to make it the best resume for you — or — you need to hire an expert to do it for you. Either way, it’s an investment of time or money; but either way, the payoffs should be big.
If you have the time and inclination, I suggest you read up on resume writing. You can find some good resources online and in your local library. Most job-seekers should have the ability to write a solid resume.
You have one other option besides hiring someone to write your resume. You can also get your resume critiqued by a professional resume writer — usually free or for a very modest fee. You can then make the changes yourself or hire the expert to do it for you.
You can also find quite a lot of resume-writing advice and strategies 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:
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:
Marcey writes:
I’ve heard that writing a summary of qualifications or summary of skills section on the resume is important, but I can find almost no in-depth, informative information on why this is so or how to do it. The sources I have been able to find seem to have contradictory information — bullets vs. paragraph, etc. Can you provide some information and some clarification?
The Career Doctor responds:
First, remember that there are very few agreed-upon rules of resume writing. Just about everyone has a pet thing they love or hate related to resumes. Thus, your best bet is to follow the generally agreed-upon rules of resume development — and these are the rules I talk about in this column and on my Website.
The qualifications summary — sometimes also referred to as your professional profile or summary of accomplishments — has become a pretty widely accepted element for resumes. I love them because it sharpens the focus of the resume and gives the reader a quick overview of your most important qualities. I think of the qualifications summary as the executive summary of your resume. And when employers only have 10 seconds (or less) to make a decision about your resume, a well-written qualifications summary can be your edge.
The qualifications summary should include the three or four attributes that make you unique and best qualified for the job you seek- your key selling points.
I personally prefer a bulleted list in the qualifications summary because the bullets make it much easier (and faster) to read. However, it is not wrong to have it as a short and concise paragraph.
Finally, you can use a job objective and qualifications summary together to give your resume an even sharper focus.
Read more of my suggestions for resumes in key elements and rules of resumes, 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.
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