Cook Up a Tasty Resume First
The word “resume.” It’s a black and white word—a dichotomy. It symbolizes both good and evil. It’s the Kylo Ren and the Han Solo of the job-seeking universe. How can this be? Just one three-syllable word can do all this?
Yep.
For job applicants, the word “resume” strikes terror into their hearts in much the same way the word “moist” does with certain friends of mine. “How can I possibly encapsulate my entire job experience into one page? Or two pages? Or however many pages the Job Fairies tell you that you’re supposed have? Which font should I use? Times New Roman or Calibri?” On and on goes the internal dialogue until the poor applicant dissolves into a gibbering mess and submits a 16-page resume in Chiller font and filled with cartoons from “The Oatmeal.”
From a job-seeking perspective, this approach does not end well.
On the flip side, hiring managers and Human Resource gnomes love resumes. For them, a resume is the great winnower. Resumes separate the wheat from the chaff, the peanuts from the Chex Snack Mix. Resumes are a quick way for potential employers to rid themselves of the undesirables (in their humble opinions) and latch on to the keepers. And, let’s face it, the grammar and spelling mistakes do make for some pretty great comedy on a late Friday afternoon.
So, other than wearing a sandwich board sign saying, “Will Work for Food,” just what are you supposed to do when you’re asked to submit a resume? Let’s find out.
5 mistakes that will land your resume in the trash
You might think that Rahul Kukreti’s tips would be basic information known by all job applicants. Oh, how wrong you’d be. Check out his five essential tips for making it past the waste bin.
7 Common Job Search Mistakes That Are Keeping You From Getting Hired
Peggy McKee at Careerealism has some great points about some of the things you’re doing, but shouldn’t be.
5 Key Resume Writing Tips For The Over 50 Job Seeker
Looking for a job if you’re over 50 is about as pleasant as trying online dating for the first time, but without the prospect of a good dinner as part of the deal. Michelle Dumas can at least help you with the job-seeking-over-50 bit.
Top 10 Resume Writing Tips
One of the hard truths about looking for employment is that even before you have some kind of human interaction, your resume is likely to be screened by software. Allison Doyle at About Careers lays out some tactics to help get your resume past the electronic gatekeeper/overlords.
How to Customize Your Resume for Different Job Opportunities
Much like how websites use cookies to customize your visits to their websites, you need to customize your resume for the different jobs that you’re seeking. There’s no one-size-fits-all mentality anymore. The folks over at The Red Ink can get you started on the customization process.
Have some tips or tools to share with your fellow technical communicators, information developers, and content creators? Let’s network! Drop me a note: HelpFiles@TechWhirl.com. Follow me on Twitter, connect with me on LinkedIn, circle me on Google+, or email me at craig.cardimon@gmail.com. I enjoy connecting with others in the industry.
