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.
How many pages should my résumé be?
Dear Deb, How many pages should my résumé be? I am a data processor for an insurance company with 18 years of experience. My current résumé is two pages. Is that OK? Thanks, Cliff K. Dear Cliff, The length will vary for each candidate. A résumé should be as long as it takes to share…
Creative industries: What to wear for the interview?
**This is a guest post. The views of the writer do not necessarily reflect the views of Careers Done Write.** As the digital revolution takes hold, the emergence of ‘Generation Y’ led digital and creative hubs have sprouted up across the world. From Silicon Valley in California (Apple, Google) to Silicon Roundabout (Last.fm, TweetDeck) in…
You Suspect That Your Co-Worker is Abusing Drugs…
According to the 2012 report based on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, drug abuse among adults continues to rise. With millions of American abusing various forms of drugs, the chances are that you have encountered a co-worker who is afflicted with an…
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…