The ABC's of Resume Writing | "S" is for SEEK

S: Seek Professional Help

Most of you probably agree that writing your resume is not one of your favorite tasks to complete. In fact, most of you probably do not even think about your resume until it is time to look for a new job. If it has been some years since your last career transistion, you may not realize that the “rules” of resume writing have changed. For instance, you no longer list personal information on your resume; you do not necessarily list every job you have had; and you no longer include the phrase “References Available Upon Request.” With these and so many other changes as well as the fact that there is so much more competition in this job market, it may be worth it to seek professional help and engage the services of a professional.

The ABC's of Resume Writing | "R" is for REVIEW

R: REVIEW the job description for clues on tweaking your resume. 

Whenever I am giving a resume writing seminar, I make it a point to mention these two facts: one, that resume writing is an art, not a science and two, a one-size resume does not fit all. What I mean by the latter is that it is very important to revise your resume to fit the position you are applying for. Blindly applying to jobs with a single resume is not a good career search strategy. Employers are looking to hire employees to solve specific problems. They need to fit a round peg into a round hole and in this economy there are plenty of round pegs to choose from. To give your resume a chance at getting past the gate keepers, review the job description for insights into how to revise your resume.

The ABC's of Resume Writing | "Q" is for QUESTION

Q: The one QUESTION your resume must answer.

Your resume should communicate to potential employers three main things: your skills, your education, and your experience as it relates to the position that you are applying for. Your goal? To get interviews that lead to job offers. Sounds simple, but just how do you go about writing your resume to communicate this information effectively? Sure, there are different resume formats to choose from, with chronological, functional, and hybrid being the most popular and there are general rules of thumb, such as omitting personal information, not using personal pronouns, and targeting the resume to the position. However, once you understand all of this what is next? To generate interviews, your resume must answer one central question.

What not to include on your resume: Advice from a professional resume writer | CharlotteObserver.com & The Charlotte Observer Newspaper

What not to include on your resume: Advice from a professional resume writer

By Bobby Sisk

Posted: Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011

Certified professional resume writer Nathan Adams is moving right along in the alphabet. On his blog, he's outlining the ABC's of resume writing.

He's up to "N," but "I" got my attention based on recent questions from readers. I'm often asked what to include and, more importantly, not include in a resume. Some of Adams' advice may come as common sense to you, but we can all use a refresher. And I found what he says about references particularly interesting.

The ABC's of Resume Writing | "P" is for PRIOR

P: Bring PRIOR experience back to life.

One of the strategies in resume writing today is to highlight only your last 15 to 20 years of work experience. Experience older than 20 years is typically outdated or irrelevant to your current career path. Besides, going back farther than 20 years and listing dates of employment will definitely single you out as a “seasoned” professional and let’s face it in this competitive economy, this could be a definite disadvantage for your job search.

The ABC's of Resume Writing | "O" is for OBJECTIVE

O: The best OBJECTIVE is not to have one.

Are you still using an objective statement on your resume? Do you still have a flip phone? Are you still paying your bills by mail? Are you still buying music on CD? If you are doing any of these things, then you need to come out from under that rock that you have been living under for the last 5 years and get up to speed. Most music is now purchased online, one song at a time. Bills can be paid online and most banks offer this service free, which is why the post office is losing so much money in lost stamp revenue. And if you do not have a smart phone by now, you are definitely not in the know, but I am sure that there is an “App” for that. So, when writing your resume, be advised that some things have changed here as well, one of them being the replacement of the age-old objective statement.