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.
Brand Names Add Credibility and Weight to Your Resume
A common component of the critiques I provide often include discussion around highlighting ‘brand’ names that are sometimes buried or otherwise obscured by poor formatting and / or composition. I recently reviewed a document submitted by a mid-career professional who attended Columbia University’s Teacher’s College; she failed to mention this anywhere on her first page…
Resume Help: Formatting Your Professional Experience
Today we are reviewing the professional experience section of a resume for a financial manager, Andrew. Andrew’s resume is very similar to many resumes. He provided a list of his routine job functions. In some cases he simply listed two-word phrases to describe a function. He also has a few formatting issues to clean-up to…
Ask Deb: Looking for a Job Out of Town
Dear Deb: How can I go about finding a job in a different state when I don't have the money to frequently travel for interviews & I financially support a family Looking to Relocate Dear Looking: Thanks for writing. You should try to set up a number of interviews so you maximize your travel time.…
Looking for a New Job This Year? Three Things You Should Do Today
Happy New Year! We hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season and are rested, re-charged, and ready to start 2014 off right. If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to finally find your next great job, here are three things you have to do today to put yourself in a great position…
Resume Help: Is It Resume-Worthy?
Do you ever wonder which of your affiliations and community service activities should be included on your resume? Today’s candidate, Sophia, struggled with the same issue. Her philosophy was, “When in doubt just add it.” There are reasons why that is not a wise decision. Some affiliations and service activities are considered inappropriate for the…
Victim of a company downsize
Dear Deb: I was terminated in May as part of a large-scale company downsizing. My severance pay is through December. What do I use as my ending date on my resume? Thank you, Duane Dear Duane: Ask the Human Resources Manager at your former employer to clarify which ending date you should use on your…
Update Your Resume with 2013 Achievements
As the holidays wind down over the next few days, consider updating your resume with all of the achievements you accomplished this past year. Doing so will allow you to get ahead of a potential job search in January and February. So what kinds of achievements should you include? Here are three tips. Promotions. This…
Cover Letter Help: Defining the Next Step
Let’s put an end to the tired cover letter cliché: “I hope to hear from you soon.” It sounds so sad and desperate. Picture the candidate anxiously checking his phone and email on the chance that he will hear from the hiring company. Waiting for news creates a sense of anxiety. While waiting we feel…
Showing Some College Experience on Resume
Dear Deb: I did not complete my college degree. It’s been nine years since I stopped and I have about half of the hours complete. At this point, I doubt I will complete the degree. I notice that a lot of customer service manager positions will state, “Some college experience” in the job requirements. How…
Resume Help: How to Craft an Accomplishment Statement
The lack of powerful accomplishment statements is the most common resume shortcoming. If a candidate does not include relevant and compelling accomplishments on his resume, his chances of earning interviews are diminished. A hiring employer may receive hundreds of resumes. The resumes lacking accomplishments will be cast aside. In most cases, the resume is the…