are professionally done resumes worth it? by Alison Green on February 11, 2016 A reader writes: I have been out off work for three years. I have sent out a lot of resumes and filled out a bunch of job applications, but I have not received any calls back. I was talking to a friend about it and they suggested that I get my resume done professionally. I’ve […] Read the full article →
should you put the job title you’re applying for on your resume? by Alison Green on February 8, 2016 A reader writes: I find myself unemployed again because I moved with my husband for his work. As part of his relocation package, I’ve been offered the help of a job coach.The first thing my job coach did was retool my resume. This is my first experience using this type of help and I’m on […] Read the full article →
how can I have accomplishments when I do the same thing every day? by Alison Green on January 7, 2016 A reader writes: I have to do my yearly self evaluation, which asks me to list my accomplishments with defined goals. I do payroll processing for a large company. I have been with the company 36 years, and I do the same job day in and day out; there are no accomplishments or defined goals […] Read the full article →
how much do resume gaps matter? by Alison Green on November 19, 2015 A reader writes: My husband and I are moving in December to Wisconsin (from Texas) so he can start a new job on January 4th. I love my current job and am sad to leave it. However, from a financial standpoint, it seems to make the most sense for me to move with him in […] Read the full article →
I’ve been a job-hopper — how can I start fixing my work history? by Alison Green on October 27, 2015 A reader writes: I’m a young professional who, for various reasons, has had a lot of jobs in my adult life. Since I graduated from college in December 2011, I have held 11 positions at eight different companies/organizations in four different cities (all internal changes were promotions). In my opinion, I’ve changed jobs for very […] Read the full article →
do not cheat the one-page resume rule by using a tiny font and tiny margins by Alison Green on September 8, 2015 If you’re early in your career, you’ve probably heard that your resume should only be one page. And perhaps you’ve tried to wiggle your way around that rule by using a tiny font and non-existent margins so that you can cram more text into one page. If you’re done this, you’re violating the rule in spirit […] Read the full article →
stop claiming subjective traits on your resume by Alison Green on August 14, 2015 Do you have anything like the following on your resume? excellent written and oral communication skills strong initiative visionary leader creative innovator able to present strategic concepts clearly and persuasively If so, remove it! Remove it all! Your resume is for experience and accomplishments only. It’s not the place for subjective traits that anyone could […] Read the full article →
how can my resume show that I take charge and people like me? by Alison Green on June 22, 2015 A reader writes: What is the professional way of saying on a resume, “I always take charge of things and people like me”? Writing that is clearly cringy. Maybe the cover letter is a better place? At my current company, I started in more of a technical role, but I did not supervise anyone. My […] Read the full article →
these 5 resume mistakes are hurting your job search by Alison Green on June 15, 2015 As a former hiring manager who now helps clients with their own hiring, I look at a lot of resumes. Day after day, I see job candidates severely harming their own chances by submitting resumes that do a terrible job of making it easy for employers to spot why they might be the right person […] Read the full article →
is the one-page resume rule dead? by Alison Green on May 13, 2015 An awful lot of people have internalized the old rule that your resume can only be one page and go through incredible contortions to keep their resumes to one page, even when they have years of experience. Other people apparently have never heard that they should think about resume length at all and thus create […] Read the full article →