It’s a new year, a new quarter and a good time to think about updating your resume. This is a task that many of us procrastinate on, but even if you’re not perpetually seeking your next job, refreshing your resume is a worthy endeavor—even in this era of social job hunting. After all, there’s no better way to assess where you are and what you need to do to increase your desirability.
Toni Bowers of Tech Republic notes, “Even if people keep their resume up to date with their latest jobs, they often plug that new information into an old format.” She recommends three things to avoid :
- Ditch the objective ‒ According to Toni, a “broad, descriptive statement is good as an introduction.” But hiring managers don’t care if you’re looking for a job that leverages the fabulous skills you’ve acquired. It’s not about you. It’s about what you bring to the company, so articulate your value proposition instead
- Jettison that “typed” look ‒What that means is that your resume no longer has to look as though you created it on a typewriter. Per Toni, you “can let go of the old Company name…tab…Position held…tab…dates worked mentality.” To that I add, don’t go crazy when you pep up your resume. It still needs to be readable. Weird-looking efforts get mentally tossed.
- Say goodbye to generalities‒Yep, you’re hard working and a great communicator. So what? That’s your opinion. Unless you can prove it, leave it out.
- Don’t offer to provide references‒A prospective employer has already checked you out on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, etc. (You haven’t posted any party-hearty pix on FB or insulted anyone on Twitter have you?) If your interviewers want references, they’ll ask and you’ll provide.
- Leave out your hobbies‒This is not one of Toni Bowers’ suggestions, but it is one of mine. Back in the day, the presumption was that you didn’t want to mention anything that sounded “too personal” or identified you as a member of a racial or ethnic group. These days that’s all out on the social media, so, as with mentioning references, leave them out and use the real estate you save for something more important.
Next week’s post: the right font to use in your resume.
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