They’re traditional, and they’re still the norm, but increasingly people wonder if resumes are still relevant to employers when there are newer ways to assess candidates. As a professional resume writer, I obviously think resumes are still relevant, and will remain relevant for the near future.. Alternatives to resumes include videos in which candidates discuss…
Time and again, when clients show me their old resumes, I see skills that are completely outdated or irrelevant, which not only ages you, but tells employers you don’t value the skills that they value. As to what skills I predict that employers will look for in 2020, you can be assured that by this…
I’ve never understood why job candidates need to write a cover letter, and I don’t understand why it’s a hotly contested issue within the hiring process. Here’s the fact: the vast majority of people in recruiting don’t read cover letters. I periodically survey recruiters and HR professionals in my network to get their feedback, and…
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it now: your GPA doesn’t belong on your resume. Recent graduates mention their GPAs, which I understand. They’re just exiting an environment where their grades mattered, and if they’re applying to graduate school, they still matter. That doesn’t mean that GPAs add value to resumes, and I’ll explain…
Your resume is your first line of defense to avoid ageism during your job search, as ageism is a real, if difficult to prove obstacle to your job search if you are over 50. By eliminating details that point to your age, you greatly improve the odds that your resume will land you interviews. So…
One of the first steps I take when writing a client’s resume is to strip away anything that doesn’t add meaning in explaining that individual’s value proposition. So if you’re wondering what constitutes unnecessary detail in your resume, read on. A professor who taught a graduate program in writing gave our class excellent advice. She…
I see it all the time: resumes that feature a box containing a bunch of keywords that represent skills or areas of expertise. But are keywords important in a resume, or is the context around them what actually matters? Answer: It’s the context. A sales executive sent me his resume that included a box titled,…
Hint: the best resume format does not include a bitmoji. An article in the Wall Street Journal, (full disclosure: I write for the WSJ’s Experts Blog) has gotten a lot of attention for how it describes the reaction of many employers to resumes that “are starting to look like Instagram – and sometimes even…