The Problem with Templates…

If you are surfing the web and looking for a good resume sample or template to use as a guideline for your own resume, make sure the sample you settle on is appropriate considering your background, the industry you’re in, and your career intentions.

Because when it comes right [...]

Value-Added Throughout the Hiring Process…

The hiring process is just that: a process. You start with initial contact in the form of a cover letter and resume. I call this the Paper Phase. If these “papers” are well written and enticing enough for a hiring manager to consider you, then they’ll likely proceed to [...]

What to do…

I truly hope you weren’t looking for one universal formatting methodology because, in truth, there is no cookie-cutter way of writing a resume. What works best for one person may not be best for another. Some people will benefit from a Chronological resume whereas that format may be detrimental to someone [...]

Which One is Right for You?

The different types of resumes serve different purposes and it’s really up to you to choose which one is best for you, however I typically recommend a Chronological format for the average job seeker. A Chronological resume lists your work history, including the years, with your most recent position [...]

Straight to Your Experiences…

I can’t tell you how many resumes I’ve seen over the years where I had to read a page and a half of nonsense before I got to the “meat” of it. This goes along with my theory that you don’t want to give a hiring manager a [...]

A One-Page Resume is No Longer the Standard…

A common misconception is that a professional resume should only be one page. However, that’s not really the case these days. I while back, before the miracles of technology, I would have agreed. But now that most resumes are being read on a computer screen versus on [...]

Professional and intelligible…that should be your goal

Now, this should go without saying, but you’d be surprised how many people send out resumes which look like they were written by a 4th grader.

In my humble opinion, it’s of the utmost importance to be eloquent within the context of your resume and to make [...]

K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple, Stupid)

More often than not, simple is elegant. For instance, unless you’re applying for a job as a programmer, you don’t really need to include all the computer programs, systems, and applications you are familiar with. You just need to say that you are indeed computer savvy and familiar with [...]

Vital questions that need answers..

Generally, hiring managers only spend around 15 seconds perusing over a resume and they are really only looking for a couple of things. They want to know:

1) Who have you worked for?

2) Have you had steady employment?

3) What notable achievements and recognitions have you [...]

Bullet Points are a Must!

I can’t stress this enough…do NOT write a novel and call it a resume! Don’t write a long, verbose narrative and expect a hiring manager to be excited about the arduous task of reading it. Just don’t do it, please. And no paragraphs!

When it comes time [...]

If you don’t need it, get rid of it!

If it’s not important, don’t add it to your resume. If you were a cook 10 years ago but now you’re looking for a job in retail management, don’t clutter up your resume with irrelevancy.

There’s a fine line between what is relevant [...]

I repeat: Do NOT write a novel and call it a resume!

Too many people make this mistake. They want to write this wordy, drawn-out thesis outlining their life story and their career aspirations. They have all these skills and accomplishments and they want to include them all in there somewhere. The problem is, [...]

“Core Competencies”…what a crock!

It doesn’t matter if you’re a waitress, an administrative assistant, a nurse, a teacher, a sales executive, or a district manager – anyone can say they are “Self-Motivated”. Anyone can say they are “Goal Oriented” as well. In fact, most people do. Especially if they include a Core Competencies [...]

You need an Objective Statement!

There are a lot of people out there who say you don’t need to include an Objective Statement on a resume. They say it’s not important. That it’s outdated. Well, I disagree.

A strong, concise Objective Statement can go a long way. First off, it immediately tells the [...]