Resume Help: Catching up with the Times
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Today’s resume example illustrates a common issue. The candidate is using a very outdated resume strategy. The problem is twofold. It brands the candidate as “behind the times.” Secondly, by using an old-fashioned resume format, the candidate is missing valuable chances to market herself. We’ll focus on just the top section of the resume. Let’s tackle the major issues in the top section.
Objective: Objectives have not been used on resumes in years. One reason is that objectives focus on the needs of the candidate, rather than the needs of the employer that the candidate can fill. Also, often (as in this case), objectives are very vague statements that do little to differentiate the candidate from anyone else. Instead of an objective statement, start your resume with a compelling profile (or summary of qualification) section.
Weak Profile: The profile section is at the very top of the resume. A profile can “make or break” your resume. If well-written, the reader will be drawn to read the rest of the resume. In this case, the resume does not share any particular value. The profile should answer the question: Why is this candidate uniquely suited to excel in ABC position? In this example the profile is loaded with descriptors, some of which are baseline skills expected of any candidate.
Well-Written: This resume was riddled with grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. This is not appropriate at any time. However, it is worth mentioning that these mistakes alone could remove the candidate from consideration.
If you need help creating a new resume, contact me. I would love to help you create a fresh new resume. For more articles on this subject, click on these links:
Resume Help: Creating a Compelling Profile