- Check your resume is still up to date. If it's more than a year since you last sent out your CV (let alone looked at it) then you need to revisit it before sending it out.
- Update any employment that you have had since you last sent out your resume.
- Explain any gaps in your work history so that they don't count against you. Keep your resume short and relevant. Your prospective employer doesn't have time to read an epic - they want the facts in an easily digestible format.
- Don't be too "arty". Unless you're applying for a graphic design position, don't make your resume look like it was designed by a graphic designer. If Times New Roman is boring, experiment with Georgia or Verdana fonts but don't make it more fancy than that.
- Use plenty of white space. Notice how the points here are easy to read because they're short.
- Put recent events near the start of your resume. Work backwards in time, so the recent and (hopefully) important events are nearer the start.
- Use bullet points for some of your highlights. Bullets are a good excuse to use a list and can help compress a long list into something less formidable.
- If it's been a long time since you went to school or college, don't be afraid to condense this to your highest or most recent qualification.
- Include experience that is relevant to the job you are applying for. You may need to adjust each CV you send out in order to do this, but it may help convince your prospective employer that you are better suited for the job than one of your competitors.
New Year - New Job? How to Tweak Your Resume For Best Results
Many of us think about changing our job when a new year arrives. Some of us even manage to turn this thinking into doing.
Here are some helpful hints to make your resume stand out from the crowd and get you that interview.
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Edna T. •I have gaps in my resume,to me it should be obvious that I was job hunting. Why do thay need to know anyway? -
Sandy •I'm just turning 60, but look younger by about 10 years, and I can assure you that age discrimination is alive and well across the country. I was laid off in one state and have relocated to another with a much better economy, but I walk into an interview and I can tell that the interviewer is merely being polite as soon as he/she sees that I am "over 40". Very few realize the benefits of hiring "mature" employees, who generally are more flexible, willing to go the extra mile, and share knowledge with others. It is very frustrating.
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Judy M. •I am also having a problem, it has been almost 3 years out of work. I used my 401K to live on, got my real estate license, earned my LEAN Six Sigma Black Belt certification and on top of all that I lost my home and I am living in someone's basement. I have only found a handful of people who understand Six Sigma. It is very hard to get in the door without any hands-on experience.
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Hazel B. •this article have been very helpful to me. I have taken some of your company advice in the past. Your advise on updating my resume has given potential employees reason, to look at my resume as a perspective canidate. Thank you again.Sincerely,Hazel Brooks
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Richard C. •Good advice.
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Shanna T. •I have been searching for a Medical Biller/Coder job for the last year. I keep running into the same old thing, no experience. I went to a vocational school and got my certification, but they care more about the fact that I have no physical experience. I have even applied for medical records clerk positions and did land three interviews back in December but did not get those jobs either.
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Dolores M. •I am having the same age experience in job interviews. I need to work and get health benefits, but I am a very young 60yr old (I really, really look in my late 40's) but my resume shows differently. How does one make a resume short when there is so much experience.
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Sharon K. •I agree with W. Matt Kershner Jr. that there is fairly blatant age discrimination in the American workforce. The problem with resume "guides" is the contradictory information. Do you withhold the year you graduated from college? Do you stick to only the past 15 years of experience? And what about the "keyword" list? It seems that the people doing the hiring are the ones who need to rework their mindset.
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Abdullah N. •Informative
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Linda E. •I have experienced the same age discrimination as Matt K. Recently I interviewed for a job that I met or exceeded every criteria the company was looking for. I found out a few weeks later that the job went to a 25-year-old whose entire resume consisted of experience I also had, something I considered so insignificant it merits one line on my resume. Of course, I am 57 years old. To top it off, a friend of mine worked with this kid, who she described as "useless." How do we legally counter this type of age discrimination? I have actually considered changing my name because it identifies me as a Baby Boomer, thus I'm sure my resume is usually tossed out.
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Anne A. O. •I am a job seeker from Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services. I have been trying to find an Entry Level Job in the East Multnomah County Area of Oregon, but nobody would hire me. I am being placed on the Registry and Referral System to find available clients who needs a caregiver.
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Ramya BR •GOOD
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Don P. •Seeking professional help with redesign and updating of my resume. Can you help?
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W. Matt Kershner Jr. •I'm 52 years old. It is plain to see that the HR people after they see me, I don't get the job because of my age. On one interview that I went on. The guy that got the job was someone that worked for me, and he told me himself that he couldn't answer some of the questions that they asked. they asked me the same basic questions, I knew the answers. Go figure.
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Rustico David •Thanks for the useful pointers/guides how to write a good resume. I can now start rewriting my resume and finally I will get an interview.
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Greg Buckenara •In regard to the more mature job hunters,what hope do we have of employers considering our applications apart from very little IF ANY.I may be cynical, but I believe it has to do with AGE and the chance someone may take action on the grounds of age discrimination.
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Thu Tram •Thanks for this information. it is really useful when i start to write my resume. i really appreciate whoever sent me this.Thanks again. You read my mind.
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JAGDISH SINGH •The article is very knoledgeable.It summerizes the valuable points which helps to get better job.
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