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.
6 Ways to Strengthen your Resume for the Holiday Season
It’s hard to believe that we are already at the end of October and year-end is drawing ever closer with each passing minute, hour, and day. With the New Year comes fresh opportunity, especially for those of you potentially seeking a career switch or advancement with your current employer. Here are six ways to strengthen your…
Resume Help: Key Words Are Great, But You Better Back Them Up!
Today’s candidate wrote me asking if I could help him identify more key words to put in his resume. Kendell was concerned that his resume did not contain the right key words and that’s why he was not getting invited to interviews. He shared a few postings representative of his target job. Honestly, he had…
Reference Letter vs. Letter of Recommendation
Dear Deb: What is the difference between a reference letter and a letter of recommendation? I want to be sure I use the correct term when asking my former manager to write a letter on my behalf. Does it have to do with the type of job you hold? I am an customer service representative.…
3 Questions to Ask During an Informational Interview
Informational interviews are risk-free opportunities to learn about and network with a company of interest. If made available to you an informational interview is a great way to learn about a company and begin to develop a relationship that could lead to something later. During the informational interview here are three questions we highly recommend…
Resume Help: Three Steps to a Better Profile
Ben is a real estate construction executive who has led numerous high-profile projects, many valued more than $340 million, and includes shopping centers and resorts in California and Hawaii. Unfortunately, the beginning of his resume does not adequately present his value and the prestige of his accomplishments. Ben needs a resume profile makeover. Ben decided…
Numbers on a Résumé
Dear Deb: On my résumé, I want to show that I have 24 years of experience in event marketing. Do I write “24” or “twenty-four?” Thanks! Margo Dear Margo, Great question! On a résumé, we use the numbers. So, it would be “5” instead of “five” and “14” instead of “fourteen.” That is because résumés…
3 Popular Resume Writing Clichés to Avoid
Selecting the appropriate adjectives to describe your best self in your resume can be a daunting challenge. For the professional resume writers and career coaches on our team, doing this task on behalf of our clients can be even tougher. Below are 4 of the most common resume writing clichés we see, and our suggestions…
Resume Help: How to Make a Good First Impression
You have probably have heard that your resume is read very quickly. If you don’t make a positive impression in a few seconds, you are eliminated. That’s the cold reality. When Brenda presented her resume to me, I knew why she was not getting interview invitations. At a glance, the reader can see that her…
Spiritual Healing on Your Résumé?
Dear Deb: I am an insurance claims manager for a national property and casualty company. That’s been my day job for 15 years. My passion is spiritual healing. I discovered that I had the gift during my college years. I also practice massage therapy. Recently I wrote a book about my journey as a healer.…
4 Key Cover Letter Strategies to Get you Noticed
The cover letter remains a critical component of a successful job search despite what you may hear anecdotally. It may be true, however, that a great cover letter will not win you an interview or be the defining factor in getting you the job you want, but it is certainly true that a terribly written…