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.
Résumé Help: Just Doing Your Job Is Not Enough
Ted is a Midwest regional sales director who produces annual sales revenue of $189 million. His employer owns 13 national brands, claims 61% of market share, and the Midwest region is the largest in company. Since he took the job Ted has driven sales up 312%. He’s a winner, right? Well, if you read his…
Résumé Help: 90% Fluff, 10% Substance
If a résumé profile contains a lot of fluff, it will distract the reader from the candidate’s real message. In the case of today’s résumé, if we delete the fluff, we have very little left. The first step in repairing this résumé is to cut the clichés, unnecessary adjectives, and under-valued information. “Proven track record…
Résumé Help: What Value Do You Bring?
The hiring manager has one major question. What value do you bring? You have but a few seconds to deliver that answer via examples on your résumé. The hiring manager is not interested in a long list of general tasks. This résumé is a list of very vague, and in some cases, incomprehensible bullet points. None…
Résumé Help: Skip the Rudimentary Skills
Today’s candidate, Madison, is a manager with more than 15 years of experience directing teams and leading national initiatives. Before I got to know Madison personally, I read her résumé. It does not depict her accomplishments or the special skills she offers her target employer. Because her issue is so common, we’re reviewing part of…
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…
Résumé Help: Uncovering Your Unique Accomplishments!
Today we see a portion of an executive’s résumé. This example is from Gladys. Gladys describes a leadership position that she held for nine years, yet we do not see any measured results. In fact, we do not see anything particular to the candidate. We see a series of very general functions that almost…
Résumé Help: Sell Yourself through Examples of Achievements
In today’s example we see the résumé for David, an insurance executive on the rise. Based on this résumé, the hiring company would never know David’s true potential. The reason is a lack of details of the scope of his responsibility. Also, his achievements are missing. Achievements are the best way to sell a…
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…
Résumé Help: The Case of the Prickly Profile
Today we explore the case of the prickly profile. What is a prickly profile? It is a profile that detracts readers. Just as the thorns of a prickly cactus prevent animals from taking a bite, a prickly profile can prevent prospective employers from reading the remainder of a résumé. In other words – no interview!…
Résumé Help: Gaps in Employment
Today’s candidate has gaps between each of her four jobs spanning six years. That can be a problem. It shows that her jobs are ending not by her choice; she is either terminated or laid off 100% of the time. That can be an interview-blocker. The best way to handle this is to show the…