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.
Do I still need a resume? Spoiler alert: Yes, you do!
“Why do I need a resume when I have a LinkedIn profile, a website, and multiple publications on my research into the moss that grows exclusively on rolling stones?” I field questions like this one All The Time. Some job seekers think that resumes are passé, outdated, outmoded, archaic, or have jumped the shark.…
Your resume is a turn-off and here's why
Is your resume a turn-off to employers? Chances are that it is. 75% of HR professionals say that they routinely receive resumes that are not on point. That is significant. Are you committing any of these Crimes Against Employability with your resume? You don’t tailor your resume for the job opening. Seven seconds. That’s how…
Top Resume Turn-offs
I talk with lots of job seekers. I speak with lots of hiring managers. And I see lots of resumes. And I see lots of major turn-offs. Your resume, if it is being read by an actual human, is likely to be scanned for a mere six seconds. That means that you have very little…
Photos on Resumes
Dear Deb: My career counselor told me that it is not appropriate to put a photo on my resume. I am applying to jobs as a business systems analyst. I saw a report on the news that attractive people earn higher salaries. Wouldn’t it make sense to leverage that asset on a resume? What do…
The Goldilocks Principle & Resumes for Candidates over Age 45
Remember Goldilocks? She is the ever-curious child known for breaking and entering into the three bears’ home. She tested the bears’ beds and porridge in search of accommodations and dinner that was “just right.” She did not want a bed that was too soft or porridge that was too hot. A resume must follow the…
Music Experience on Accountant’s Résumé?
Dear Deb: I was a concert pianist in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I had to start a career in accounting to make ends meet. My husband said that I should omit my musical experience from my résumé. I had ten years in my adult life during which I played in regional concerts with…
Résumé Help: Is It Alright to Include All of Your History?
This candidate takes us all the way back to 1972. Remember 1972? The big news in 1971 was Watergate. It is also the year of the first hand-held calculator, which weighed almost as much as a modern tennis racquet and cost nearly $400! With that image in mind, does it make sense for a candidate to…
What is the best way to present my education?
Dear Deb: I need your help regarding my recently-updated resume. I earned a Bachelor of Arts from a small obscure college, name withheld, that is now closed. I received my MBA from a well-known university. My neighbor said I should not show my undergrad degree on my resume because of the school being closed now.…
Résumé Help: Asking Questions to Uncover Accomplishments
Clara’s résumé has great potential. The best way to improve her resume is to add a few strong achievements. Clara shared many of her job functions. However, Clara has had a difficult time going beyond her daily functions. This is very common. If you feel like your résumé does not have the punch you feel…
Résumé Help What Not to Do: Part 2 of 2
In our last Résumé Help blog entry, we introduced this two-part series, “What Not to Do.” I suggested that we need to see and discuss the truly disastrous résumés to learn what not to do! We thought things were bad in the first half. In the second half, we see more mistakes, mostly of a…