Well, late summer is definitely here. Temperatures in the 90′s, humidity over the moon, and everything moving more slowly…..including my brain. So here are some “quick hits” from an expert to gear us up for fall’s boom of job openings.
Kate Lorenz, Careerbuilder.com’s Article and Advice Editor, provides excellent hints in her online article “Seven Signs It’s Time to Toss Your Resume”:
I. Without a career summary/introductory statement, hiring managers have to conduct search missions to figure out if they should hire you. Put it up front in clear, concise language and don’t make them work too hard.
2. Don’t overlook key words and phrases. Check job postings and position descriptions, and refer to books with keywords for your industry.
3. Listing jobs and functions is good, but tell readers what problems you addressed, actions you took, skills you used and results you achieved.
4. Make each word count. Take out unneeded personal pronouns/articles like “the”, “a”, “an”, and give perception of objectivity by deleting “I”,”me,” and “my”.
5. Delete irrelevant information, including personal data, unless it’s relevant to the position functions. When in doubt, cut it out. Ask an objective friend to critique.
6. Use the format that best suits your work experience and number of positions.
7. Check for spelling and grammar; then check it again. Don’t trust your computer’s auto-check to catch everything. Read it several times. Then have a good proofreader check it as well.
You only have one chance to get your foot in the door. Make it count.
Thanks to Kate Lorenz and the writing staff at Careerbuilder.com. While many of these quick hits echo earlier columns, these seven were paraphrased from the article noted
Guest Article By: Bettie Biehn is President and Founder of Career Change Central, LLC, an excellent source for customized, well-written and attractive resumes and cover letters that focus on the client’s skills, experience, knowledge and background and also pay attention to what the prospective employer needs and wants. Bettie also provides career coaching to her clients.
Bettie’s background includes many years as a senior HR professional, nonprofit director, trainer, hiring manage, in-house recruiter and writer. She is a published author, for three years contributing a monthly column to a nationally distributed, award-winning trade journal.
Bettie has recently taken her business to a full-time venture and invites you to visit her website, Facebook page, and Google+ page. She is also active on Twitter. Bettie’s URL for her website is www.careerchangecentralllc.com, and you can reach her at 202.550.0999 and bettie@careerchangecentralllc.com
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