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: Choose Your Words Carefully
Luis has had an impressive career spanning 25 years. He has controlled large budgets and high-profile operations in an international setting. However, his profile is so busy and cluttered that it discourages reading. After drudging through the words, I found much repetition and overlap. Streamlining the summary language would be a great first step to…
Can my employer ask me to take my résumé off a career website?
Dear Deb: My boss just called me in her office and asked me if I am searching for a new job. She said that she saw my résumé on a local career site. I told her that I posted it 18 months earlier when I was considering a change, but I am not searching now. …
Fifty Shades of Résumé
Many careerists believe there is one résumé template that fits everyone. It is not uncommon for job seekers to borrow a résumé from a friend or copy a template found online when creating their résumé. It is a great idea to look the résumé of a successful professional to get inspiration. However, when it comes…
Résumé Help: Proper Way to Submit Education on Résumé
For many of us, our college degrees are some of our most significant achievements. If that is true, why do some people rush over this section when preparing our résumé. When properly formatted and placed appropriately on the résumé, it can be the anchor to the résumé. It can be quite annoying for an HR…
Should I include an educational section on résumé if it's unrelated to the field I am pursuing?
Dear Deb, I moved here from China more than 20 years ago. In my native country, I earned a medical type degree. However, the degree is only the equivalent of an Associate’s degree in the USA. I would need to start at a USA medical school from the beginning. So, I have been working as…
Tracking Changes in the Job Market
If you knew when connections in your LinkedIn network changed jobs, how would you use that information? A service called Job Change Notifier provides you with notifications when one of your LinkedIn contacts changes jobs. You can even identify “persons of interest” and track changes in their career. This information can give you a leg…
Is it phony to include boastful statements on a résumé?
Dear Deb: My company offered me résumé writing services after I was laid off in March. I am uncomfortable with what the writer did. I think it is so phony to create a designer résumé with a summary paragraph all kinds of boastful statements. That’s just not me. I would rather just list my jobs…
Order on the Résumé!
Order of the résumé is important for two reasons. First, when you follow a standard résumé order, you are delivering what the reader expects. When you depart from the standard, you might be perceived as uninformed. Second, when data is properly organized your most compelling selling points will shine. Within the résumé -writing realm, there…
Résumé Help: Editing for Content, Flow, & Accuracy
Eva wrote to me because she has not had a response to her résumé. After reviewing Eva’s history, it is clear that she is an accomplished leader. However, most recruiters and hiring employers will not forgive her for her many errors. Eva’s résumé appears to be a good rough draft. If you click on the…
What can I do in my job search to find a company that is a match for me?
Dear Deb: I am gay and it is really important for me to work for a company that accepts me. I have no intention of hiding who I am. At company parties, I want to be able to bring my husband without whispers. Having benefits for my husband is important too. At the same time,…