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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.
Résumé Help: Style Points
There are several ways we can improve Clara’s résumé. In the mark-up of Clara’s original résumé, I have shared a few comments. If we corrected all of those items, Clara would have a good résumé. Would it be a great résumé? Would it stand up to the scores of résumés from fellow engineering students? Possibly,…
Résumé Help - Profile Polish…No Pronouns Please!
The first several lines of Ben’s résumé could be putting his job search on hold. If Ben made changes using basic résumé guidelines, he could overcome this problem. Résumé guidelines are not arbitrary. They are based on an understanding how the human brain receives written communication and how recruiters and employers select candidates for an…
Résumé Help - Basic Grammar Skills are a Must!
If you are the best in your field, but your résumé reflects poor grammar, you may not get many interview requests. Good communication skills are expected and in most cases the résumé is the first indication of those skills. If you read through today’s example, you will make assumptions about the candidate’s abilities based on…
Résumé Help: Structure Is the First Step
When you read this candidate’s résumé, it’s frustrating to follow. Many readers would stop after the first glance. The document has three different fonts and multiple font sizes. It’s also full of inconsistent spacing, both vertically and horizontally. The biggest issue to address is the structure. In this candidate’s case, the order should be: Name…
Résumé Help: Clichés to Avoid…Please!
If a recruiter or hiring manager has read it once, they’ve read it one thousand times, “To obtain a challenging position in a fast paced environment that will allow for personal growth and career advancement.” Think about it, what exactly is that statement telling the reader that is not obvious for any job seeker? Nothing! …
Résumé Help: Position Overview Polish
So many candidates are very close to having an excellent résumé, but they miss the mark in a few categories and as a result the candidate misses great job opportunities. So is the case with Mason. We recognize immediately that the appearance could be better. The greenish color is not the best choice. Objectives are…
Résumé Help: How to Handle the Lack of a College Degree
Clara’s résumé has many areas we could improve. Overall, Clara’s presentation is very vague. She covers many of her general duties and provides a confusing an overview of how she has gained basic knowledge. This document needs to be restructured and rewritten with the benefit of new details about her accomplishments. Today, we will take…
Résumé Help: Project Account Management Professional
Setting the tone of a résumé is critical to a candidate’s success. Before someone reads a résumé, they form an impression based on the overall appearance. Plenty of white space, an attractive design, an easy-to-read font, and a strong headline help create a positive first impression. Unfortunately, this example résumé is weak or remiss in…
Résumé Help: Formatting the Professional Experience Section
The reader of our featured résumé may be frustrated by the poor formatting, grammatical errors, and inconsistency of punctuation and verb tense. The good news is those are all things we can easily correct. Below is a “before” and “after” of a portion the résumé. The font is very small and difficult to read. On…
Résumé Help: Formatting the Education & Professional Credentials Section
This highly-qualified finance professional has listed her education and professional designations together in one category. It’s presented in a very dense manner, which means it will take the reader longer to sort through the information. Some readers may be frustrated and stop reading or miss an important qualification. In the worst scenario, this candidate could…