Résumé Help: Hope for the Hopeless
I have to admit that when I first saw this document, I thought, “This one is hopeless!” Delfina is talented and I wanted to help her. My initial reaction was “I hope she allows us to re-write it.” That would be easier than trying to give tips. Hey wait…the purpose of this blog is to give tips and in some cases my job is to give hope to those who feel hopeless. Let’s focus on the contact information and her current job. Here are my tips for Delfina.
Contact Information
- Use standard formats. Left to right it should read: street address, city, state, postal code, phone number with area code, email address, and if applicable the URL for her LinkedIn page.
- Proper spacing to give the eyes a break. In between the physical address, phone number, and email, there should be a spacer bullet. It separates the information for easy reading.
- Use proper capitalization and punctuation. Those parentheses around the email are out of place.
Current Job
- Formatting is important so the reader can easily find the information they need to evaluate you. The first two lines should include company name and location (city and state only), job title, and dates of employment.
- Summarizing major responsibilities gives the reader an overview. This section is not bulleted and should be no longer than seven lines. Five lines are ideal. Include things such as budget and number of staff.
- Show accomplishments in a bulleted format, each line starting with a strong verb. When possible show measured results for the accomplishments. For the current job, show up to seven bullets.
- Be specific. Many of Delfina’s statements are vague. I look forward to talking with her to uncover major accomplishments that are concrete and quantified.
When you break it down, it does not seem hopeless. If you are feeling hopeless, contact us. We can help you with a résumé critique or help you write a new résumé. For more tips, follow these links:
Résumé Help: Uncovering Achievements
Résumé Help: Basic Grammar Skills Are a Must
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.
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