In today’s case, we are only showing a portion to conceal the identity of the candidate.  He contacted us for a critique and this section of his résumé screamed out for help, just like the woman on accessory overload.   In Jeremy’s case, he had a comprehensive 15-year career as a financial advisor.  He has accomplishments to showcase from his career.  However, as we get to the end of the résumé, we see this extra section, “Other Experience and Accomplishments.”   Here are his extra bangles and a big red rose clip!  

One big “no-no” is to show that he enabled his parents to have a nice retirement, including a Mercedes.  What a great son! However, it is out of place on the résumé.  Instead, he should focus on results he delivered for his clients during his tenure as a financial advisor.  If he does show this accomplishment, it needs to be more concrete and he should not mention that those are his parents.  He lists some basic functional skills that come across as, “Oh yes, I also can do this and that.”  Lastly, he shows a position not mentioned on his résumé.  This may cause the reader to wonder just how far back his career history goes and if the candidate is obscuring the dates of the position for a reason.

Jeremy would be better off strengthening the résumé by omitting those additional bits of information.  If you are struggling with what to include on your résumé, contact us.  Many times you need an objective professional to help you make the right impression. 

To see additional résumé suggestions that will help you as you create your own résumé, please click on the image below.

If you would like a résumé critique, please contact Debra Wheatman at debra@careersdonewrite.com or visit us at http://careersdonewrite.com. The Résumé Help blog appears weekly on Mondays.

Dear Deb,

I have a terrible cough…the kind that once it starts, it does not stop for a couple of minutes.  I also am so congested that I feel and look disgusting.  I have an interview for the perfect job tomorrow afternoon.  Should I cancel?  Will they think I am a wimp?  I really want the job, but I know I will make a horrible impression and may get the interviewer sick. I need to call them ASAP, if I am cancelling.

Thanks, Deb!

Brendan  L.

Dear Brendan:

By all means, call the person with whom you have the interview to postpone the appointment.  Tell him or her that you have a bad virus and you are concerned that you will bring your germs to their office; you want to interview when you are at your best.  Make arrangements for the interview, giving yourself enough time to recover.  You don’t want to cancel twice.  Next, get yourself to your doctor so you can get this cough and cold under control. 

Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

Deb

If you have a question for Deb, please email debra@careersdonewrite.com. The Ask Deb column appears every Friday on our blog at the Careers Done Write website.  

Losing a job, like any major life event, can involve a lot of anxiety. Not only does it mean a shift in one's day-to-day life that is probably unexpected, it can be a hit to the ego as well. To make matters worse, the stress of leaving behind a workplace can be dejecting while preparing for fresh interviews. Among these concerns is whether your resume fully represents your skill set, whether employers value potential employees who’ve attended online college programs, or just questions about your previous job. If you've ever sat in front of a desk while HR reps challenge you rigorous behavioral and technical questions, you know exactly how difficult it can be to explain why you were let go by your previous employer.

Here are some tips to jump over the hurdle of losing your job and to land a better job than the one you’ve been recently fired from:

Negative Connotations of Being Fired

First, the term “fired” is loaded with many negative connotations. Being fired from a position implies that you failed your responsibilities at your last job, which is a terrible way to start a job interview. Although you shouldn’t lie about your previous mishaps, it’s important to be able to learn from your mistakes and move on. Acknowledge what went wrong and suggest ways that you could have better handled the situation. Not only does doing so give more insight to your prospective employer of why you were let go, but it is a good way of displaying honesty and integrity, as well as and ability to learn from past situations.

Let Go of Your Ego

Let's say you weren't let go by your former employer, but you quit. Your ego might be in better shape; but either way, you need to get a new job, and you'll be asked why you're no longer working for your previous employer. The key here is to remain collected and non-egotistical. Perhaps your previous position wasn’t challenging enough (it happens all the time). Or, maybe you didn’t think that you were going to experience growth in the role (it was a dead end). This is a good opportunity to let your motivated personality shine through.

Accentuate the Differences Between Employers

Every company has a set of cultures or goals to which they adhere. Do your research before the interview and understand what each prospective employer looks for in its employees. Highlight these values. How does your personality align with the corporate goals of the company? This will give you a competitive edge over your less prepared competition.

Be Pragmatic

It’s important to keep in mind that regardless of how you left your old job, the time you spent there taught you many valuable skills that you will transfer to a new position. Be sure to illuminate your strengths and acknowledge your failures, but remain sincere during the entire hiring process. By doing so, you’ll have the best shot of landing the new position despite your previous employment history.

Dear Deb,

I am applying for a position as a cashier at a sporting goods store.  All the workers wear khakis and a logo golf shirt.  Should I wear khakis and a golf shirt to the interview?  I would feel out of place in a suit.  Plus, I would have to buy or borrow at suit.  This is just a part-time job and I am only 16.

Thanks, Dan

Dear Dan:

There is a saying that you should always dress for your bosses’ job and not the job to which you are applying.  Also, you will not be disregarded for dressing up too much, but could be disregarded for dressing too casually.   With that said, I would recommend that you wear a long-sleeved, nicely-pressed dress shirt, a tie, and pair of dress slacks.  Khaki business-style slacks would be fine if they are in excellent condition and you wear them with a belt.  Wear proper shoes to match the outfit. Sneakers are not alright.   

Good luck in the interview!

Deb

In most situations, your résumé will be read on a screen. It could be a 17-inch screen and it could be a 2-inch screen. Hiring managers and recruiters will make instantaneous decisions about which résumé they would like to save for consideration and which to delete. The time allocated to make that decision is significantly reduced in today’s world owing to the nature of how we behave when going through emails or documents online. They could be viewing your résumé from a smart phone while waiting for a train.  They are trying to “get through” as many résumés as possible in a small window of time. You need to pique the interest of that potential employer quickly. Here are some tips to get your résumé up to speed.

1.) Initial judgments are made based on the headline and profile of the résumé.  To be sure that you make it past the first two seconds, write a concise headline that communicates your unique selling proposition (USP) in less than six words. Follow with a tightly written profile that includes your top skills, knowledge, and characteristics. Leave out the fluff so the reader focuses on your major selling points. A brief profile should deliver a quick and sustained impact.

2.) If you are an experienced professional with five or more years of experience, consider writing a “highlights of accomplishments” section. List as many as five of your top career achievements in a bulleted format.  Keep it brief. Each bullet should be no more than two or three lines in length and should include measured results whenever possible.  The goal is to give enough information in this quick scan, so the reader is convinced that you are worthy of a closer look.

3.) If you are light on experience, you could include your academic credentials following your profile to boost your credibility. This would be in lieu of an accomplishments section.

4.) When creating the “professional experience” section, discriminate about the information you choose to include.  This section should be concise and compelling.  Omit any functional tasks that are routine or presumed.  Use this valuable space to showcase the scope of your responsibility and your accomplishments.  If you listed an accomplishment in the “highlights of accomplishments” section, you do not need to repeat it here. Numbers make the achievements more powerful. Try your best to quantify the results of your achievements.

With these simple tips, your résumé will be up to speed.  The faster the read, the better the chance it will be read.  If you would like more tips on crafting an exceptional résumé, click here to read our blog.  Each week we review a résumé and provide helpful tips.  We also share advice and news for the serious careerist.

After we have gathered the new information, we separated his top accomplishments from his routine job functions.  We placed the job functions in an opening paragraph beneath the employer information and job title.  Below that we listed the accomplishments in a bulleted list format. At a glance the reader can see the candidate’s strongest selling points. 

If we had not probed deeper in this particular case, we would have missed several golden nuggets that will help separate the candidate from the hundreds of others applying for similar opportunities.  For more information on enhancing your résumé, check out these blog entries.

One Part Achievement, One Part Creativity, and Stir

Résumé Help: Vice President of Counsel

Résumé Help:  From Never Read to Get Ahead 

If you would like a résumé critique, please contact Debra Wheatman at debra@careersdonewrite.com or visit us at http://careersdonewrite.com. The Résumé Help blog appears weekly on Mondays.

Dear Deb:

I went to work as a secretary for an insurance company right out of high school in 1978 and was with that same company for 20 years.  I quit in 1998, when my husband and I could afford for me to stay home.  I did not work, but spent time on my church choir and in a twice-weekly bowling league. I am a very young 53-year-old and want to get back to work.  I am great at surfing the Internet and I can create documents in MS Word.  Also, I don’t think the insurance industry has changed much in the last 14 years. Whatever I don’t know, I can learn quickly. However, I am getting zero response to my résumé. What should I do? ~ Anita B.

Dear Anita:

Many companies would love to hire a hard-working, adaptable, and dedicated person.  You need to define your job goal, gain the skills required, and then market yourself for those types of opportunities. First, there are self-guided online courses you can take to build up your computer skill so you are well-versed in the basics for administrative jobs (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and possibly Access). Research the industry because there probably have been some changes in how insurance companies operate since you left in 1998.  It is also possible that as you consider your career goal, you may decide to target a job outside the insurance industry. 

Without seeing your résumé, it is tough to advice you on how to change it. However, if you are getting zero response, my guess is we can make some improvements to the résumé.  A good writer or career advisor can help you uncover recent accomplishments, even if they are outside a professional setting. Also, a writer may help you determine how to display your early history. Most likely there are strategies a writer can recommend you showcase for your target position.

Thanks,

Deb

If you have a question for Deb, please email debra@careersdonewrite.com. The Ask Deb column appears every Friday on our blog at the Careers Done Write website.  

For example, look at this line from Natalie’s résumé:

• Developed training programs to increase productivity and positive work relationships

If we dig deeper to define the productivity gain and lead with the power punch, it is a stronger statement: 

• Boosted productivity 18% and enhanced employee morale by developing training programs.

Take a look at your résumé.  Are you burying the lead?  If so, take a few minutes and add that power punch to your résumé.  If you would like Deb to review your résumé, click here.

Would you like to read more on this subject?  If so, check out these blogs:

Résumé Help: Business Development Quota Acheiver                                                                           

Where Can I Put Non Work Related Acheievements on Résumé

If you would like a résumé critique, please contact Debra Wheatman at debra@careersdonewrite.com or visit us at http://careersdonewrite.com. The Résumé Help blog appears weekly on Mondays.

Hi Deb,

I received a job offer. However, I had a few questions before starting.  I have written three times with various questions. Each time I write it takes the director of the department more than a week to reply. Now I am not sure I want to work for a company that takes so long to reply to me.  Also, unless my questions are answered, I am not going to start on the date we previously set.  Do you agree with me?  How should I handle this situation?

Penelope Q. 

Dear Penelope:

If you have this many questions, perhaps this is revealing doubts that you have about working for this company.  Secondly, the amount of questions tells me that you are definitely more concerned with how this company is going to serve you rather than how you will help this company prosper.  (The primary goal of a business is to fill a need and make money, not to fulfill Penelope’s needs.)  Furthermore, if you are writing to a department head with a list of questions, a week is a reasonable amount of time to reply.  My advice is that you should relax and adjust your perspective.

Deb