In my line of work, I see hundreds of resumes, and I often
see the same patterns over and over again. I frequently
observe resume tendencies that are not necessarily mistakes,
yet the jobseekers behind these resumes could have much nicer,
cleaner, more
readable resumes if they just tweaked a few things.
And none of these tweaks are hard to accomplish. Even if your
resume has other problems, you'll see significant improvements
if you make these 10 easy fixes.
Special Announcement: Quintessential Speechwriting
A year after launching Quintessential Resumes and
Cover Letters, we now offer writing services
for those who have been asked to give a speech and
need assistance in researching and writing their
remarks.
Donald Asher is a nationally known writer and
speaker on careers and career-development issues,
as well as author of several career books.
Ellen Bourhis Nolan is director of career
development at Mount St Mary College in Newburgh, NY.
For our resume issue, we offer a special bonus Q&A with TWO career experts. In our Q&A with them,
Asher and Nolan talk about
resume trends and functional
resumes, as well as keeping skills current, preparing for
economic downturn, future job-hunting trends, job-hunting
secrets, and avoiding common job-hunting mistakes.
The title of this nice little gem of a book is
slightly misleading. Fox doesn't say don't EVER
send a resume; he just has an unorthodox suggestion
for the timing of sending a resume. He says to send
it AFTER the job interview, so it is targeted to the
prospective employer's needs.
10Minute Resume provides free Web tools that help users
write their resumes. Job seekers can receive expert advice,
request a free Web page, learn how to create a polished
print version of their resume, or prep for a job interview
with practical career articles.
In the site's Tips and Expert Advice section, jobseekers
can get suggestions and useful tips and phrases for each
resume section.
The site's system chooses a resume layout for the jobseeker's
current situation and occupation.
The Resume Print section enables the jobseeker to develop a
professionally designed print resume from several professional resume
designs.
10Minute Resume is the only Web-based resume-builder we know
of that enables you to view your resume on the Web, and
build your own resume Web page with the click of a button.
Additional tools include the ability to email (free) and fax your
resume (requires a small fee) right from the 10Minute Resume site.
A Resume Spell Checker is coming soon.
10Minute Resume also provides a Tracking Center that
enables you to log every communication you make in your
job search and retrieve by date, document name, and contact
information, including company name, email address, and fax number.
Our experience with any kind of resume templates is that they
require considerable polishing to get them looking really good,
but sites like 10Minute Resume are a great way to get started
if you've never created a resume before. Registration required.
ArtHire
-- where artists and creative professionals (visual artists, musicians, and writers)
can create your portfolio. Employers then browse the portfolios and
contact artists that match their needs. Job-seekers can also search for jobs. Free to job-seekers.
Legalstaff.com
-- where legal professionals can browse attorney and support staff positions from top firms and legal
departments across the U.S., post your confidential resume, research employers, and access relocation
tools and salary research. Free to job-seekers.
SocialService.com
-- a great place for social workers and other social service professionals to start looking for a social
service or social work job, whether in mental health, substance abuse, children and youth, medical social work,
criminal justice, domestic violence, counseling, community organizing and outreach, homelessness or a
variety of other areas. Browse job openings by state and post your resume (coming soon). Free to job-seekers.
Teaching Jobs
-- a comprehensive directory of teaching job sites for educators seeking employment in the U.S. and abroad.
For K-12 teachers and educators seeking jobs in higher education. Job listings include both public and private
sector jobs, and intermediaries that specialize in job-placement of educators.. Free to job-seekers.
Find even more additions to Quintessential Careers by visiting our
Latest
Additions section.
Kenneth writes: "I have read numerous instructions on how
to prepare a resume, use key words, proper fonts and
paper, list education, etc., etc. I'm looking for a way
to tell a prospective employer about my knowledge. I know a
resume lists my schools, degrees jobs, job titles, etc.,
but I want a way to describe my knowledge gained in these
studies and experiences. Preferably, I'd like to have it
in database format so that a prospective employer can search
it to see if I have the knowledge they want. After all we
are in a knowledge age. Do you know if there is a tool
or a way I can do this?"
Orly writes: "I was wondering if you could give me
the names of some books that you recommend for putting
together a functional resume. I am changing careers and believe that my chronological
Sharnjit writes: "I need to apply for a position as a
staff accountant, but many firms are looking for applicants
with prior experience. I have very little experience.
About 6 months is max. Also, what is the best way to write
a general cover letter?"
Anonymous wants to know how to explain to a potential employer
about being let go from a job after committing an honest mistake
that he/she did not realize was covered by a company policy.
Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips
Do Dad a favor and DO give him a tie for Father's Day.
MR Magazine found that men wearing ties made 42 percent
higher salaries then men who didn't.
The Career Planning & Placement Center at Northern
Illinois University, DeKalb IL, offer its students a small
selection of Resume Templates in both Word and .pdf formats.
As with any resume resource, we don't agree with every
aspect of the way these resumes are set up, but NIU's
Career Planning & Placement Center based the templates
on feedback from its constituents, so they're solidly grounded
in research. Templates can also be a great way to get started
for anyone who's never done a resume before.
Resumes are subjective documents to be sure. Even if you follow
the best advice from career experts, your resume is subject to
the individual tastes of employers -- which may differ from
the experts' advice. What's the best way to tailor a resume
to a hiring manager's preferences? Call up and ask how he or she
likes resumes. The advice career expert Dale Dauten offered some
years back remains valid today. He tells the story of calling a
human resources office to ask what kind of resume the person
who screens resumes likes to see. "Really short. No baloney.
Crisp," is what the HR person told him. Anyone making such a call
will be armed with the perfect information for targeting that
particular employer. If you're not comfortable talking to the
hiring manager, ask an assistant or secretary -- who will likely
have a good handle on the boss's preferences.
"Increasingly, almost all transactions related to the
early stages of the hiring process have now migrated to the Web,"
says Gerry Crispen, co-author of Career XRoads: The 2001 Directory
to Job, Resume and Career Management Sites on the Web.
As reported by Reuters, Crispen advises any
applicant to apply online, largely because of the time factor.
By the time you send your hard-copy resume through the mail,
an employer is likely to have already processed hundreds of
electronic resumes zapped into cyberspace in response to the
same opening. To ensure your resume is is up to snuff for
electronic submission, see our article, Scannable Resume
Fundamentals.
Would you like to make a credited
contribution to our special Aug. 13 Back to Campus
issue of QuintZine, featuring articles and sidebars
on the value and importance of college career services
offices? Deadline: Aug. 1. Write us for details at
kathy@quintcareers.com.
QuintZine: Topics in Upcoming Issues
WATCH FOR feature articles on these topics in upcoming
issues of QuintZine:
* Case-based interviews
* Phone etiquette in the job hunt
* Guide to the company visit
* Researching your next job
* Letters of recommendation and references
* Career Portfolios
* How to handle a request for a salary history
* How to land an internship
* How to get a promotion
* Should you get an MBA?
* Leverage your accomplishments
* Older workers and age discrimination
* The value of a college education
* Networking timetable for college students
* The vital role of the college career services office
* Using key marketing tools to positions yourself in the job market
* Quintessential Career Profiles of YOU, our readers
* Q&As with well-known career experts
* Book reviews
. . . and much, much more!
RESUMES * JOB SEARCH CORRESPONDENCE FROM TRUSTED EXPERTS * COVER LETTERS
We create resumes,
cover letters, curriculum vitae, thank-you and
follow-up letters, and list-formatted documents,
such as salary histories and reference lists.
We also can provide critiques and makeovers of
your resume or cover letter. Credit cards accepted.
Check out Quintessential Resumes
and Cover Letters!
QuintZine
A publication of
Quintessential Careers
Publisher: Dr. Randall S. Hansen
Editor: Katharine Hansen
ISSN: 1528-9443
