*** Let's Talk Resumes *** with Author Susan Ireland (The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Perfect Resume)
Have a resume or job search experience you want feedback on? As a professional resume writer and author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Perfect Resume, I want to hear about your job search.
Having worked with job seekers through recessions and good economic times, I know two things for sure:
1. Almost every job seeker has a job search problem they need to resolve, such as career change, gaps in employment, age discrimination, or job hopping.
2. Group support really can help! By using the collective wisdom of job coaches and fellow job seekers in this group, you're bound to come up with at least ONE solution to your problem.
I'll be helping the members of the JOBS Group by periodically posting articles about how you can have a great resume and a winning job search strategy. I hope you'll follow the conversation and add your two cents so I can tailor my advice to meet your needs.
I'll respond to as many comments as possible. In some cases, however, I may need to choose ones that are most relevant to the entire group.
Want personal help with your resume? Here are two ways to get assistance:
1. Ask your question in this discussion group where it's free and public.
2. Get Susan Ireland's Ready-Made Resumes (http://susanireland.com/readymaderesumes/resume-creator/?ap_id=JOBSgroup&c_id=susantopland). 150 easy-to-use resume templates and advice. For a limited time, a private resume critique is included.
* Objective or Not on Resume?**
Should you put a Job Objective on your resume? This question gets tossed around a lot. Here's my answer:
Every resume has an objective. Your resume is a marketing piece with the objective of getting you the job you want. Here's the "real" question: How do you communicate your job objective to a recruiter or employer during his initial eight-second scan of your resume? Depending on your situation, one of the following will do the trick:
Option #1: Put a very concise job objective statement near the top of your resume. (For example: http://susanireland.com/sampleresumes/resume/consultant01.html)
Option #2: Put your professional title near the top of your resume. (For example: http://susanireland.com/sampleresumes/resume/technical03.html)
Option #3: State your line of work at the beginning of the first phrase in your Summary section. Or, use your professional title as the heading for your Summary section. (For example: http://susanireland.com/sampleresumes/resume/consultant03.html)
Option #4: Do none of the above. This option works only if you fall into one of these categories:
* You're staying in the same industry and your objective is to have the same or similar job title as your most recent job title. In that case, the reader of your resume will correctly assume what job you seek just by scanning the work chronology on your resume.
* You're writing an academic or scientific CV (curriculum vitae). In that case, you should place your Education section near the top of your document, which essentially declares your job objective.
If you want to make a career change or a significant vertical career move, use one of the first three options.
A good resume quickly communicates your job objective. Do you have another resume technique for achieving that goal? Please share it with us.
Having worked with job seekers through recessions and good economic times, I know two things for sure:
1. Almost every job seeker has a job search problem they need to resolve, such as career change, gaps in employment, age discrimination, or job hopping.
2. Group support really can help! By using the collective wisdom of job coaches and fellow job seekers in this group, you're bound to come up with at least ONE solution to your problem.
I'll be helping the members of the JOBS Group by periodically posting articles about how you can have a great resume and a winning job search strategy. I hope you'll follow the conversation and add your two cents so I can tailor my advice to meet your needs.
I'll respond to as many comments as possible. In some cases, however, I may need to choose ones that are most relevant to the entire group.
Want personal help with your resume? Here are two ways to get assistance:
1. Ask your question in this discussion group where it's free and public.
2. Get Susan Ireland's Ready-Made Resumes (http://susanireland.com/readymaderesumes/resume-creator/?ap_id=JOBSgroup&c_id=susantopland). 150 easy-to-use resume templates and advice. For a limited time, a private resume critique is included.
* Objective or Not on Resume?**
Should you put a Job Objective on your resume? This question gets tossed around a lot. Here's my answer:
Every resume has an objective. Your resume is a marketing piece with the objective of getting you the job you want. Here's the "real" question: How do you communicate your job objective to a recruiter or employer during his initial eight-second scan of your resume? Depending on your situation, one of the following will do the trick:
Option #1: Put a very concise job objective statement near the top of your resume. (For example: http://susanireland.com/sampleresumes/resume/consultant01.html)
Option #2: Put your professional title near the top of your resume. (For example: http://susanireland.com/sampleresumes/resume/technical03.html)
Option #3: State your line of work at the beginning of the first phrase in your Summary section. Or, use your professional title as the heading for your Summary section. (For example: http://susanireland.com/sampleresumes/resume/consultant03.html)
Option #4: Do none of the above. This option works only if you fall into one of these categories:
* You're staying in the same industry and your objective is to have the same or similar job title as your most recent job title. In that case, the reader of your resume will correctly assume what job you seek just by scanning the work chronology on your resume.
* You're writing an academic or scientific CV (curriculum vitae). In that case, you should place your Education section near the top of your document, which essentially declares your job objective.
If you want to make a career change or a significant vertical career move, use one of the first three options.
A good resume quickly communicates your job objective. Do you have another resume technique for achieving that goal? Please share it with us.
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