Super
Job Search Tips
IS YOUR RESUME READY?
If you are thinking about updating your resume and you haven't
updated it in a number of years, get ready because you are
about to discover that the world has changed when it comes
to resume writing and resume management.
The major factor that changed the way resumes are written,
submitted, and read is the widespread acceptance and use
of the Internet. Nowadays, your resume needs to look great
and command attention in electronic format as well as
on paper.
A full discussion of current resume writing and management
would take an entire book to cover, but here are a few
pointers to get you started and help ensure your resume
will be effective:
Research Before Writing or Posting Your Resume
Online or Seek Professional Assistance
I'm a big fan of doing-it-yourself, but if you do not
have the time to fully research and understand how resumes
should be written and managed, especially in electronic
format, enlist the services of a professional resume writer.
The goal of your resume is to stand out and get attention
so the reader contacts you for an interview. If you don't
feel confident in creating a highly effective document,
find a resume writer who understands how to write a winning
resume and who understands online resume management practices.
The money invested will help protect your career.
Create a Good-Looking Electronic Version of Your
Resume.
An electronic resume is one that is stripped of all formatting
and special characters. It will take a little bit of effort
to get your resume looking good as a plain text (ASCII)
document but it is essential. As a rule of thumb, once
you have created your resume document, save it as a "Plain
Text with Line Breaks" file and leave a three-inch margin
on the right side of the page to accommodate a variety
of computer screens and monitors. There is nothing more
bothersome than having to scroll from left to right to
read any document on a computer. Make your resume as easy
to read and as clean as possible. Once you've created
this text file, open it and modify it to make it look
impressive.
Don't Wait Until You Start Your Next Job Search
to Write Your Resume. Do It Now.
Developing a great resume and learning what makes it effective
online will take some time. It will be much easier to
get your resume written now, develop it, and then add
new skills and accomplishments as your career progresses.
I also suggest you post it online at a few reputable resume-posting
sites when you think it is ready (more on this below).
This will provide you some feedback and allow you to make
modifications to your resume to increase the responses
you get from it. Besides, you never know when an opportunity
might find you that you just can't refuse.
Keep Privacy Concerns in Mind.
Once you post your resume Online, the world has access
to everything on it. Consider whether or not you want
the world to have access to your telephone number, address,
and any other sensitive information contained on your
resume. If in doubt keep it off your resume and make sure
you have at least one way, usually your e-mail address,
for somebody to contact you for more information.
Only Post Your Resume on Reputable Resume Posting
Sites.
Many resume-posting sites offer privacy features that
you should take advantage of. These security features
include blocking your name and address information until
your resume is requested by a specific company at which
point you can choose to release it, and blocking specific
companies from viewing your resume (this is especially
useful to help keep your current employer from seeing
it). Familiarize yourself with each site's privacy features
before you post your resume. If you are not satisfied
with the options offered, don't post your resume at that
site.
Retain Control Over Your Resume as Much as Possible.
Never submit your resume to blind ads or addresses (companies
that don't tell you who they are). Also, don't post your
resume on newsgroups because once they are posted they
can remain available for years and you have absolutely
no control over who sees your resume and how they use
it. Post your resume on sites where it remains private
and you have the option to go back and delete or modify
it at any time. Also, avoid using your current company's
e-mail system because often your messages are subject
to being monitored.
Put a Date on Your Resume.
Electronic documents of all types have indefinite lifetimes
and can resurface years later. Placing a date on your
resume will let readers know how current it is. Since
your resume is a "snapshot in time", placing a date on
it will tell readers what point in time they are viewing
your knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Incorporate Many Nouns in Your Resume.
In the old days (more than 5 years ago), every resume
writer I know suggested using as many action verbs as
possible. Forget about it. Today resumes are searched
by keywords and most of those key words are nouns. Computer
systems and software packages you've used, your skills,
and your past and current job functions are best described
using nouns. Make sure you incorporate them into your
resume. The more key words that are found in your resume
the higher your résumé's ranking will be when search results
are returned to the searcher or employer.
