Debbie Shalom, founder of Amazing Résumés and Coaching Services
Practice makes perfect
Winning résumés and victorious athletes share several features; they both rely on extensive preparation and hard work.
As you begin to create your résumé, you need to invest time researching the subject. Visit a local library or bookstore and review professionally written résumés that focus on your job title, area or industry. Concentrate on content, format and style. Will you need a section for professional experience, education, technological skills and affiliations? What type and size font should you use? Should your writing style be formal or casual? Once you decide on and are comfortable with your resume's appearance, style and content then you are ready to take the next step.
Job advertisements and official position descriptions are a treasure chest for resume writers. Not only do they include required skills and experience, they also contain industry buzzwords or keywords. Employers use keywords as part of their selection criteria and incorporate them into their scanning software. Determine which keywords and phrases emphasize skills, strengths, and achievements, then weave them into your content.
Leverage your strengths
How will your résumé differentiate you from the competition? In order to have a competitive advantage, your résumé needs to identify factors that define your unique value proposition. What information can you include that will impress prospective employers and convince them of your value?
Including a profile or qualifications summary in the beginning of your resume is an opportunity to form a positive image in the employer's mind. Take time to develop and write your profile. Ask friends, colleagues and family to describe your personal and professional strengths and attributes. Find similarities between your personal and professional attributes and the competencies listed in the job announcement. Incorporate positive endorsements and testimonials into your profile. Remember your goal: You need to prove you are the best candidate for the open position.
Celebrate your successes
Research reveals that hiring managers review résumés for no more than 10 to 15 seconds; therefore, your writing needs to contain a "hook" that will immediately engage the reader. Although résumé writing is not an exact science, there are a few formatting guidelines you can follow.
- Limit the resume's length to one or two pages.
- Try to present work experience in reverse chronological order.
- Do not include employment more than 15 years old.
- Focus on achievements, not tasks.
Employers are not interested in reading about your daily routine. They want to see accomplishments! What are you most proud of? How did you add value to your position or company? Did you increase profitability, reduce expenses, improve efficiency or boost productivity? Can you quantify your achievements? These are some questions your résumé needs to answer.
A proven method of identifying achievements is to ask, "What problems did I encounter?" "What actions did I take to solve them?" and "What were the results?" In her book "Job Search Magic," Susan Britton Whitcomb states this "creates a consistent, balanced visual impact and gives the appearance of a strong, long-term history for taking on challenges and delivering results."
Next: Embellish Your Resume Without Lying >>
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Search by Company | Search by IndustryDebbie Shalom specializes in writing executive resumes that showcase candidates' unique strength, skills and value. She can be reached at (410) 653-7679.
Copyright 2008 Debbie Shalom
Oct 1st 2009 @ 7:25AM Dennis D. Borges
I have been unemployed since March of this year. It seems like no matter what you put in a resume, or how you write it nothing works. I am over 50 yrs old and have never been unemployed for very long. I am not a very enthused person when it comes to an older worker. Why do you have to spend so much money for a service that usually doesn't work?
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Oct 1st 2009 @ 9:36AM George
Dennis,
Don't let yourself down. Yes, it is tough out there and yes there is "age" discrimination even though nobody admits to it. Like you I am 49 and without the type of job I am used to having. I have been looking for a job for over 12 months now.
Sending a resume is not good enough. You have to do a lot of research and try to find out who the hiring manager is. Send him/her your resume and try to follow up with a phone call. While I send resumes, I also make a small power point presentation, print it in color and mail it along with my resume. It helps, at least I get a call back with a “no thank you” but it puts me in the spotlight.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money, just be creative and keep a positive attitude. We are all going through the same.
Good luck,
George
Oct 1st 2009 @ 10:27AM Carol
My husband is over 50, and yes, there is dicrimination on that age group. Companies harp on ecucation, but experience is the best. College kids that he trains, knows numbers, but always lack being personable when it comes to clients. Many out of college kids don't feel inspired to work manual labor at the pay they offer, and just want that promotiom the company offers college students after a year, guaranteed. He was hired for his job, with a promise of promotions. Not. They changed that after he has worked there for several years, now no promotion. He feels that discrimination. Yes he can go, and is smart enough to go to college, how, with no money, and at his age, no way to pay off a college loan.
Oct 1st 2009 @ 10:46AM O Wooten
Dennis
I find myself in the same situation with the same results. I even went back to school to earn a graduate degree and pass a certification examination in my field. My resume has been reviewed and rewritten by no less than 5 professional resume writers. I am starting to feel there is a subtle bias against 50+ candidates
Oct 1st 2009 @ 12:29PM gd
Dennis; keep the faith. I'm 53 & no work since 2/7/09. Just keep at it. Keep hittin licks and one, the last one, will work. Can you take your skill set and be a contractor instead of an employee? The main thing is keep your head up, a positive attitude, believe in yourself and don't get discouraged. All easier said than done but I do know how you feel. Best of luck, maybe today is the day.
Oct 1st 2009 @ 12:49PM Teresa
Hey Dennis, first, I never reply to comments, but, yours stuck out to me. When I was laid off from a very good job back in the 90's one thing the company did, (they were consolidating and moving the company out of state), was send us all to a resume building workshop. I can now build a mean resume. lol I cannot tell you if it is your resume that is not getting you a job, but in the dog eat dog world today, something must stick out and grab your tentative employer. If your finances allow, take a resume workshop. If not, go to your local library and get books on resume building. I am sorry for your plight and I wish you well.
Oct 6th 2009 @ 1:21PM tyler durden
What he said ^^^^
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Oct 1st 2009 @ 10:20AM Dennis D. Borges
George. I agree with you. I am a little older than you, but I have been convinced that I need to go back to school. I have been a welder for over 30 years. I'm going back to get re-certified, and then go into inspection. It's hard when this is all you know. I guess I'll have to keep up.
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Oct 1st 2009 @ 10:37AM Anonymous510
Good morning,
This is a great article, but I'm having so much difficulty finding someone to truly give me constructive criticism about my resume. I've seen a lot of resumes online to try and compare to, but I feel that none of them really come close to mirroring my situation.
I've been out of college for 5 years looking for a marketing job. I have a good amount of marketing experience throughout and after college, but I only got into the sports marketing industry last year (the industry I have realized I want to have a career in).
What should my focus be- my college experience or my work experience? What can I do to make it look exciting rather than generic?
I would greatly appreciate any insight!!
Regards,
Anonymous510
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Oct 22nd 2009 @ 1:03PM Fed Up
I never respond to these commnets either but like the rest of you I have been negatively treated by my profession as well. I am a registered nurse with a Masters degree in Nursing Education, AND I am a year away from my doctoral degree in healthcare administration and I am unemployed. HOW CAN THIS BE? I can not answer this question, but with the monopoly that is here in Ft. Myers I have no other hospitals to apply for work. I am 47 years old, I have a vast amount of experience and yet I wrote to the Chief Nursing Officer, I have spoken with the HR Director and NOTHING! I am 47 years old and all I can see is a global nursing shortage, and a pandemic of H1N1 and an experienced nurse is unemployed. I know they are profiling, it is illegal yet there is no way to prove it. I am going to be forced to nmove and leave my daughter and grand-daughter over this. NO company should have that much power, NOT EVER!
Oct 1st 2009 @ 10:47AM Dennis D. Borges
I agree with you Carol. Older workers have to teach younger ones, but when it comes to a lay-off, the younger ones usually get chosen over the older ones. Which I think is a bunch of crap. Experience is suppose to pay, but does it? I have been unemployed since March. I don't really have much of a choice because of my age, and the economy, and where I live. I live in predominitely a farming community in north central Florida. I don't know what else to do with my time. I hate the situation that I am in.
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Oct 1st 2009 @ 10:58AM Dennis D. Borges
The only thing that I can tell you is that you need to show what you have accomplished in your work experience. I think if you stress that more than your college it will help. Experience makes a difference at your age. Who you worked for what you did and your accomplishments. I hoped this helps you.
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Oct 1st 2009 @ 11:36AM Jenny
Hello, Specially to the ones that are 50+
I want to tell all that age is just a number, it's your experiences that gets you hired. I am only 31 years old and I have done it all. From retail to accounting, you name it. As a young and being a mother of fours kids I haven't being able to get a high level of education but it's been all my past experiences that gets me employed. Don't give up and follow up when you submit your resume.... Good Luck to all.
Oct 1st 2009 @ 11:09AM Darrell Robinson
Everything you all are saying is too true. I am a tad older but have had resturant experience out the ying yang. Server , bartender, dining room supervisor, manager, area manager of 6 returants, co-author of traing manual for front of house employess. Yet when I take resume to returants I dont know if it is age (which I look good for , if I must say so myself) or am I over qualified for the position I am asking for which is just a part time job in the fornt of the house. I know I could work circles arond all these youngsters that don't care about public service and the standards the resturant they work for are looking for.
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Oct 1st 2009 @ 11:07AM Dennis D. Borges
I wrote a comment to you. You can read it on this site. Your experience helps alot. Use bullets to emphesize your accomplishments. Your degree is helpful but, sometimes your experience helps more.
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Oct 1st 2009 @ 11:12AM Darrell
PLEASE FORGIVE SPELLING MISTAKES
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Oct 1st 2009 @ 11:49AM Carol
Jenny, YOU ARE SOOOOO WRONG! Let us know when you are over 50. And you will know the meaning, of discrimination!
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Oct 1st 2009 @ 12:02PM Jim
My name is Jim. I live in the Los Angeles area. I have been out of work since January and I too have "tasted" the age bias. I am almost 60 and worked for my company for 30 years. After the lay off in December 2008, I began that tedious job of looking for one. Well, as I said here, every time I speak to a recruiter or interviewer, they always say, "What a great resume and you have done so much in you 30 years at XXX company. We really would like to have you join our team, but you are over qualified." It says really that you are too old. So, what are we to do? Flip burgers, sell coffee or just exist. I really want to work and provide for my life as I did before December 2008. My bills are still coming, the mortgage needs to be paid. What is the solution? I sure hope someone can help. Thanks for reading and listening.
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Oct 1st 2009 @ 1:04PM Hope
I just turned 60. I've been out of work for almost a year. I've submitted my résumé to more than 60 companies. I customize my résumé for each application. I have had a few telephone interviews and a couple of in-person interviews. An analysis of all of my former jobs revealed that I landed good employment in a corporation (permanent, health benefits, 401k matching funds, etc.) when someone inside the company already knew me. And, all of the teaching jobs I landed have been on the strength of my interview. I didn't know anyone inside the educational institution. I feel the discrimination for my age. I also feel like my résumé could be in Lorem Ipsum (Latin placeholder text) and it wouldn't matter. My résumé gets my name into their database, but the people on the inside who know me are the ones who get me the job.
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Oct 1st 2009 @ 2:06PM Meaghan
I am 32 and I just graduated from school in August. I have applied to about 500 companies and I have heard NOTHING. The only people I have heard anything from is through networking. A friend of mine sent out my resume to 900 of her contacts. It's all about people you know these days. And yes, it sucks.
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