As a professional and accredited resume writer, I often speak before groups of other resume writers and give advice to many job hunters. I always caution people not to exaggerate on your resume. RELATED: What To Do If You’ve Lied On Your Resume I stand up for truthful resumes because I am a truthful person, but also because:
If you’ve been out of work for a while, you may decide what you need is a career change. The success of that approach depends on your answers to five important questions. Related: Resume Tips For A Career Change First, are you considering a change because you do not like your current work situation? It may make more sense to look for another work situation than to leave your career.
Good references are important to any job search - but you need to know when and how to offer them. Related: Why Your References Should Be Ready Before Starting Your Job Search In the United States, references don't belong on a resume. First, you want to protect the privacy of your references; resumes go out to the world. Second, you want time to alert your references to the call or e-mail they may receive. If your references are listed on your resume, you lose control. Employers assume you can give them references if they ask. So, your resume should not include the phrase, “References available upon request.” It's not necessary and it takes up valuable space on a resume better used to show your accomplishments. That said, as part of your preparation, create a list of references to have ready when needed. The list should include each reference’s name, title, company name, address, phone number(s), and e-mail. In addition to professional references, you may need a few personal references. Contact all your references to make sure they are willing to speak well of you and to alert them to your job search. Your references need to know they will be receiving a legitimate request for information by a company you’re interested in. You can ask a company not to contact your most recent employer. Companies realize you may want to keep your job search confidential until you have a definite offer. Besides, current employers are often limited in the information they are allowed to share. Make sure you have some references who will gladly speak well of you! One of the most damaging references you can get is, “I’d rather not say.” This post was originally published on an earlier date.
When people have been searching for a job for a long time, they are willing to try anything to make their resume stand out: red ink, unusual fonts, purple paper, clip art. Don’t do it. There are only a few things that will impress recruiters on a resume. Related: The Worst Resume Mistake You Can Make Recruiters and Human Resources departments are impressed with only three things:
When you're writing your resume, several questions may enter your mind. Is exaggerating a little bit on my resume considered lying? Should I put my full address on here? Do I have to have social media to get a job? Related: Top 10 Resume Trends For 2014 This post offers answers to common resume questions job seekers recently asked online:
As a certified career coach, I can recommend many job search strategies that will complement your resume and increase your chances for finding that perfect job. Related: #1 Job Search Mistake (You Could Be Making It Right Now!) But the following strategies won’t work: 1. Re-sending the same resume over and over to the same company, expecting different results. What to Do Instead: You can reapply to the same company. But it would pay to have a professional review your resume and cover letter to make sure you are clearly stating why you are a great fit for that company. 2. Using resume creation software. What to Do Instead: Send out a professionally written resume that reflects you, your achievements, skills, and attitudes and that is targeted for the job you want. 3. Staying at home and working the computer. What to Do Instead: Get yourself out among people, spreading the word about your job hunt and letting them see what a great employee you would make. Talk to family, friends and former colleagues; attend business networking events and expos; take on freelance, volunteer, and consultant opportunities (they may become job offers; in the meantime you’re keeping your skills sharp and building contacts)—and that’s just the start of the list. This post was originally published at an earlier date.
Awhile back, a LinkedIn question asked about the ten most common (and least appreciated) resume clichés. Among the candidates were: results driven, detail oriented and team player. Related: Resume Mistakes: The 5 Worst Resume Sins When I write a resume, I’m less concerned with cliché words than cliché information. The words “team player” are perfectly fine to use - if your achievements and skills back them up. The examples in your resume should show what you’ve achieved as part of a team and should make you stand out from other candidates with similar claims. Compare these two descriptions using the cliché “strategic thinker”:
