Resumes For Dummies

Laura DeCarlo, was selected as the resume writing expert serving 54 national and international professional associations from the AMA to the ASCE. As the founder of Career Directors International, LLC (CDI), Laura has developed a leading resource for the education and certification of resume writers and career coaches worldwide.

• Introduction 1About This Book 1Foolish Assumptions 2Icons Used in This Book 2Beyond the Book 3Where to Go from Here 3Part 1: Getting Started with Resumes 5Chapter 1: Getting a Job in the Digital Age 7Resumes Are Here to Stay 8Keeping Up with Resume Times 8Targeted resume rules 9Unfit resumes are zapped 10Tried-and-true techniques remain 11Technologies Facilitate Job Searching 12Social networking scoops jobs 13Mobile’s on the move 13Quick-change process customizes content 14Bios gain new importance as profiles 14YourName.com becomes vital 14Chapter 2: Enlisting Social Media 15The Sweeping Reach of Social Networking 16Eyeing the Big Three of Social Networking Job Searches 17LinkedIn focuses on professionals 17Facebook hands adults important search tools 19Twitter opens quick, slick paths to employers 20Making Sure Online Profiles Capture Your Best Side 23Let’s hear it for profiles! 23Not all profiles should be cheered 24Great tips for great profiles 25Writing Your Social Profile 26Summary section 26Specialties section 28Experience section 29Fine-tuning your profile 31Putting Your Best Face Forward 32Chapter 3: Going Mobile 35Earning New Rewards with Mobile Search 36Knowing When and Where to Stick to Home Computer Searches 37Powering a Mobile Search 37Choose job search apps wisely 37Watch type size and font 38Empower RSS to send job news 38Stay in the running with a rehearsed salary strategy 39Choose your work site with GPS 40Score with proven keywords 40Avoiding Mobile Job Search Mistakes 41Thinking technology overcomes poor resume quality 41Going on too long when going mobile 41Looking naive in following up 41Chapter 4: Leveraging Familiar Search Tools 43Plain-Text Resumes Are Still on the Scene 44Creating an ATS-Friendly Resume 47E-Forms: Fill in the Blankety-Blanks 51Online Screening Guards the Employment Door 52Sample components of online screening 53Pros and cons of online screening 54Can your resume be turned away? 55Blogs Give a Global Brand 55RSS Delivers Job Alerts on Your Time 56Resume Blasting: A Really Bad Idea 57Privacy and identity theft problems 57Overexposure to recruiters 58Going directly makes all the difference 59Making recruiters work for you 59Chapter 5: Checking Your Online Image 61Your Online Life Is an Open Book 62A look at the dark side 62A look at the bright side 63Cleaning Up Your Act 63Restoring Your Online Reputation 64Keeping Watch on Your Online Reputation 66Staying out of trouble online 66Looking like a champ online 69Look Who’s Talking about You 71Part 2: Pulling Together a Winning Resume 73Chapter 6: Selecting the Best Resume Format 75Resume Formats Make a Difference 76Reverse-Chronological Format 77Understanding the RC format’s strengths and weaknesses 77Deciding whether you should use the RC format 79Creating a reverse-chronological resume 80Chrono-Functional Format 81Understanding the CF format’s strengths and weaknesses 83Deciding whether you should use the CF format 83Creating a chrono-functional resume 84Hybrid Format 84Understanding the hybrid format’s strengths and weaknesses 85Deciding whether you should use the hybrid format 86Creating a hybrid resume 86Other Resume Presentations 89Resume letters 89Portfolios 90Chapter 7: Understanding the Parts of a Resume 93Breaking Down the Parts of Your Resume 94Leading with Contact Information 95Placing Your Job Target in the Objective Header 96Grabbing the Reader with the Summary Section 97Maximizing the summary section 98Selling yourself in your summary 99Matching the Job Target with Key Skills 100Hard skills 100Soft skills 101The Proof Is in the Experience 101Defining the parts of your experience 102Playing up target expertise 102When competencies come into play 104Education Makes the Grade 105Detailing your degree 105Featuring your certifications 107Listing your licenses 108Gaining Extra Points 108Activities 108Organizations and affiliations 109Honors and awards 109Endorsements 110Shaping Your Content on Application Forms 111Notable Content to Leave Off Your Resume 112Avoid addressing the salary question 112Hold off on providing your references 113Chapter 8: Making the Details Shine 115Getting Started by Gathering Data 116Compiling the Content for the Basis of Your Resume 117Starting with your employment history and responsibilities lists 117Going down the rabbit hole to identify challenges 119Showing how action and results overcame challenges 121Taking the Next Steps 123Considering other accomplishments 123Brainstorming your way to success 124Your Core Resume: Turning Your Data into Dynamite 126Assembling the bones of the resume 127Tackling your most recent professional or job-related experience 128Focusing on older positions 129Playing up other experience 130Building your brand in the summary section 130Polishing Your Core Resume to Hand Out in Person 131Chapter 9: Using the OnTarget Approach 133Is Targeting Your Resume Really Necessary? 133Why One-Size-Fits-All Never Works 134First-line human resume screening 135First-line computerized resume screening 135Final destination with decision-maker 136Taking a Custom Approach 137Drawing words from job descriptions 139Using crossover language to be OnTarget 139Part 3: Resume Strategies to Wow Them 143Chapter 10: Working Wonders with Wow Words 145Bringing Good News with Wow Words 146Wow words for administration and management 146Wow words for communications and creativity 147Wow words for sales and persuasion 148Wow words for technical ability 149Wow words for office support 149Wow words for teaching 150Wow words for research and analysis 151Wow words for helping and caregiving 152Wow words for financial management 153Wow words for many skills 153Helping Recruiters Find You 154Keywords for administration and management 156Keywords for banking 156Keywords for customer service 156Keywords for information technology 157Keywords for manufacturing 157Keywords for human resources 158Finding Keywords 158Using Keywords 160Getting a Grip on Grammar 161Focusing on Spelling 162Chapter 11: Refining Your Design 165Leaving Space 166Measure your margins 166Balance blank space 167Employing Basic Design Elements for a Readable Resume 168Come on, break it up! Avoid blocky text 169Group content under a job description 169Draw attention with text boxes, charts, and graphs 170Create eye-catching headers 172Have fun with fonts and font styles 173Consistency, consistency, consistency 174A few more tips on appearance 174Tips for Printed Resumes 175Chapter 12: Opting for a Creative Resume 177Understanding Why Creative Resumes Are Game Changers 177Defining creative resumes 178The yes and no of creative resumes 179Using Design Strategies That Pop 180Lines and shading 181Text boxes 181Charts and graphs 182Monograms and logos 184Graphics and icons 185Chapter 13: Dealing with a Major Life Change 187Scoring Big with Your First Gig 188Promoting your strengths 188Recognizing your rookie soft spots 188Demonstrating how recent graduates add value 189Avoiding gaffes common to new graduates 193Moving Beyond “Too Old” to “In Demand” 195Selling your strengths as a seasoned worker 195Busting myths about seasoned workers 196Tips for the seasoned worker 197Taking a lower-level job 199Watching out for gaffes common to seasoned workers 201Moving from Military Work to Civilian Employment 202Highlighting your military strengths 202Identifying potential strikes against you 202Tips for transitioners 203Getting the message about milspeak 204Chapter 14: Overcoming Career Roadblocks 209Navigating Job Gaps 209Viewing a gap as a good thing 210Minding the gap 211Returning to the Workforce after Being a Caregiver 213Seeking a Job When You Have a Disability 215Deciding whether to disclose a disability 216Explaining gaps in work history 216When substance abuse is the problem 216Seeking a Job When You’re an Ex-Offender 217Negative info kills your chances 217Avoid the chronological format 217Present prison experience in nonprison terms 218Get help with job search moves 218Addressing Experience Dilemmas 218Too much experience in one job 218Too little experience 220Addressing Situations Not in Your Control 220Several layoffs 220Mergers and acquisitions 220Handling Red-Flag Circumstances 221Demotion 222Job-hopping 225Concurrent positions 226Self-employed or family-employed 226Part 4: Bringing It All Together With Sample Resumes 229Chapter 15: OnTarget Resumes by Industry and Career Field 231Chapter 16: OnTarget Resumes by Experience and Age 271Chapter 17: OnTarget Resumes for Special Circumstances 307Chapter 18: Award-Winning Creative Marketing Resumes 351Part 5: The Part of Tens 395Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Improve Your Resume 397Match Your Resume to the Job 397Use Bulleted Style for Easy Reading 398Discover Art of Lost Articles 398Sell, Don’t Tell 398Show Off Your Assets 399Make Sure Your Words Play Well Together 399Reach Out with Strength 399Trash a Wimpy Objective 399Deliver the Right Document 400Erase the Leave-Outs 400Chapter 20: Ten Ways to Increase the Odds of Landing a Job 403Send Your Resume in the Right Tech Form 403Don’t Chase Every Job 405Hit the Bull’s-Eye with Your Resume 405Move Fast, Follow Guidelines 406Neutralize Chilling Information 406Go Directly to the Hiring Manager 407Find an Inside Advocate 408Keep on Keepin’ On 409Find It on Company Websites 409Use Job Boards with Caution 410Chapter 21: Ten Tips for Choosing Professional Resume Help 413Choose a Resume Writing Service, Not a Clerical Service 414Zero in on Certified Professionals 414Request a Free Initial Consultation 416Evaluate the Writer’s Resume Samples 416Ask for References 417Watch Out for an Overuse of Forms 417Identify Generalists and Specialists 417Look for a Fair Price 418Take Aim 419Know That a Cheap Resume Is No Bargain 419Chapter 22: Your Ten-Point Resume Checklist 421Qualifications 421Image and Focus 421Format and Style 422Accomplishments and Skills 423Language and Expressions 423Content and Omissions 423Length and Common Sense 423Social Media and Other New Things 424Sticky Points and Sugarcoating 424Proofreading and More Proofreading 424Appendix: Directory of Resume Writers 425Index 431