Blog
Debra Wheatman, President of Careers Done Write, provides expert insight to the job search process that puts your career in gear with tips for interviewing, networking, job search strategies and how to create a winning resume and cover letter.
Modernize Your Resume for the New Year
There is no shortage of resume advice out there and certainly no shortage of self-proclaimed resume experts and career coaches. This can make it challenging to know what should and should not be on your resume to make you stand out in today’s market. To answer the question I know is on the tip of your tongue: yes, you still need a resume. Even if you have a LinkedIn profile, a website, and a digital portfolio, a resume is still standard practice across industries. I’ve been at this for a long time and have worked with thousands of clients; I will share my top tips for ensuring that your resume is aligned with what hiring managers and recruiters seek….
Top 10 things you must include on your résumé
You’re a self-directed learner who can hit the ground running. You work well both independently and in groups. You are responsible for a variety of tasks. Yawn. Who isn’t? Your résumé is not a point-by-point recapitulation of everything you’ve ever done. It’s a marketing tool that promotes you and your professional accomplishments. Using precious real…
Whatever you do, don’t use a functional resume.
If you are changing careers or fields, or if you have a significant gap in your work history, you might hear the advice to use a functional resume, rather than one that lays out your career experience in a chronological format. If you get this advice, you have my permission to ignore it. In fact,…
Yes, you really do need to customize your resume.
In simpler times, back before everyone had a home computer, and before the emergence of the Internet, people used to use typewriters, paper, and postal mail. When you wanted to search for a job, you sat down at your typewriter and typed up your resume. If you were engaged in an aggressive job search, you…
Three Unforgivable Resume Errors
Many job interview mistakes can be overlooked or corrected. However, when it comes to your resume, it must be flawless. Your resume is a marketing document for your most important product: YOU! If you’ve been sending out your resume, but haven’t been gaining any traction, it is time to review your resume with a critical…
Formatting a Resume
Dear Debra: Is it necessary to create a “clean” page break on a two-page resume? Most resumes are read online, so why do I need to break at the end of a line or a job description as I would if it were on paper? My roommate and I disagree on this. Thank you for…
Resume Help: Catching up with the Times
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…
What is a Professional Résumé?
What is a professional résumé? There are several critical fundamentals to a professional résumé. If a candidate misses the mark on any of the fundamentals, it can diminish the results of the candidate’s job search campaign. The fundamentals are résumé structure, content, effective language, sophisticated style, and accuracy. Résumé Structure The backbone of your résumé includes…
Résumé Help: No Margin for Error
Today we are looking at margins and white space. Although a page margin of .25” is safe for most printers, it is difficult to read a dense document that is printed that close to the edges. I would recommend keeping a .7” or .8” margin. The lowest ever to go is .55” for readability and…