Resumes

When I think about resumes, I think about a tool that is intended to earn its owner the opportunity to be interviewed. It’s like a passport, that once accepted, allows its holder to pass into an otherwise restricted area. Once there, you have an opportunity for more personal (face-to-face or video) selling of your fit for the job opening.

The above reference to resumes is substantially correct, however; other sources of information about job applicants are increasingly relevant. Internet searches, applications on job boards, LinkedIn profiles, social media posts, and a host of other sources can reveal a lot about a job candidate and their potential fit for a job. In addition, machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are being used to better understand the context of who you are and what types of job opportunities you are seeking.

Transitioning military veterans will likely encounter another variable. That is that many recruiters and HR departments are unfamiliar with the complexities, titles, and jargon that is common within the military sector. To overcome this, transitioning military veterans must be able to "demilitarize" these factors so they can be appropriately translated into relevant civilian sector equivalents.

While resumes will be our primary reference point in this section, the digital age has broadened our view of what a resume is and the form it takes. In addition to the resume we create as a discrete document, our living resume is more holistic and may include information from a variety of sources. Knowing this, you should develop your resume and manage your online presence in much the same way. We'll start with a discussion covering the more traditional concept of a resume.

Resumes can have a tremendous impact on the number and quality of interviews one receives. In the following pages, you'll learn how to transform your resume into one that is far more likely to get an employer's attention, sell your qualifications, and create a positive image of you in an employer's mind. The goal, of course, is to earn the opportunity for an interview.

A well-written resume conveys a positive image to employers. On the basis of your resume, a prospective employer forms an impression of you long before you walk in the door. Setting an appropriate image is an important first step for anyone, regardless of the position they are applying for. The following will help you establish the best possible image.

Employers Look for Job Match and Growth Potential

Resumes are important for a number of reasons. They form an employer’s first impression of you, set expectations regarding your fit for the job, suggest your potential for promotion, and provide a feel for your likelihood of success with the hiring organization.

As you begin to prepare your resume, you need to view if from the perspective of the employer and write it accordingly. Interestingly, you also need to write it from the perspective of the employer's electronic applicant screening tools. Most large employers, and many smaller ones, use computer programs, typically called Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), to do an initial screening of resumes. Failure to consider applicant tracking systems when writing your resume may mean that a human never sees it. More on this later.

When it comes to hiring, employers are risk-adverse. That is, they want to avoid risks associated with mistakes in the hiring process. This makes sense when you consider the investment organizations make in their staff. Among other considerations, there are recruiting costs, training costs, productivity issues, and on-going salary and benefit costs. Therefore, you always want to write your resume in a way that will lower the employer’s perception of risk.

Ideally, your resume will convince an employer that they have little or no risk if they hire you. Overall, you want them to feel comfortable about your present skills and future job potential. You want them to feel like you are a good fit for the job. If you can position yourself this way, you'll have taken a big step forward.

Ironically, you and employers have the same goal when it comes to your resume. They want to find that you are a perfect match for the job opening, and you want them to find that you are a perfect match for the job opening. So why does it seem so difficult to bring your mutual goals together? The reason, of course, is employers have lots of resumes to consider, and most resumes aren't a clear match with the requirements of the job opening.

There's nothing you can do to change the number of resumes an employer receives, but you do have some control over how well your resume matches the requirements of the job. You also have some control over how easy you make it for the employer to find that you are a good match for the job. This is clearly where you need to concentrate your efforts.

It's important to begin by recognizing that most large employers will utilize far more sophisticated processes and technology. Small employers, on the other hand, are more likely to use fairly basic and manual processes. There's a wide range of sophistication between these types of employers and this eBook is designed to help you prepare accordingly.

Getting your resume noticed is not easy. These days, employers can easily receive 100 to 300 resumes for each position they advertise. Some receive well over 1,000 resumes for a job opening. There are a variety of reasons for this … the economy, the ease with which resumes are sent via email, use of the Internet for job searches, resume broadcast services, and more.

Often, making the first cut means passing muster via the organization's electronic Applicant Tracking System (ATS). These "robots" help employers narrow down the sometimes oppressive number of resumes they receive. They do this by scanning resumes for keywords (found in the job description), professional summaries, dates of employment, job titles and the like.

Talent acquisition professionals are increasingly relying on technology to help source and screen top quality job candidates. The use of predictive analytics that can help determine where to source, or where the best quality candidates can be found, is gaining in popularity. These analytics use algorithms that are constantly being refined and updated based upon their statistical success rates in achieving quality hires and reducing turnover.

The data these algorithms use can come from a variety of sources, including public records, e.g., anything you can Google; background information, such as resumes, professional credentials, education, etc.; and even things as obscure as an employee's interaction during the online application process. For example, the algorithm might measure a job candidate’s keystrokes, how many seconds they spend on a page, and other browsing habits. The algorithms can help narrow down the number of applicants to those considered to have the highest chance of succeeding and staying in a given job.

These algorithms are highly guarded secrets, hence specific advice on how to accommodate them is not possible. However, one can derive general ideas about what aspects of one's background and habits might be used as part of the screening process. Think about every aspect of your background, job search, and application completion process. Ponder whether any of these elements would have a positive, neutral or negative impact. Then adjust accordingly.

As one considers the use of such algorithms, the following might help guide a job hunter's actions when visiting a prospective employer's website and submitting a resume. Would the algorithm rate the job hunter higher if they spent several minutes reviewing the employer's "About Us" page, or if the job hunter skipped that page altogether? While we have no way of knowing whether such a factor would be included in an algorithm or given much weight, it does provide an idea of the kinds of things job hunters should consider.

Another technological screening tool is the use of robots that can scan the internet for multiple versions of one's resume. The resumes are parsed into common elements and the elements can be compared for consistency. For example, the job title and dates of employment for your last job can be compared among various versions of your resume. Discrepancies and inconsistencies can be identified and may act as cautionary "red flags" for potential employers.

Machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in the recruiting field are growing increasingly capable. Candidate matching capabilities are transforming how job hunters and employers come together. These technologies analyze and interpret a myriad of similar job titles and job descriptions in order to help job hunters find jobs more quickly. They look at candidate profiles (internal and external) to help match job hunters with relevant job openings, substantially enhancing and speeding up the recruiting and placement processes.

Another positive impact of technology is that some systems interpret military occupational specialty code translations. In these cases, transitioning service members can include their code (MOS, AFSC, NEC) in their resume and be matched with the relevant civilian jobs.

As can be seen from the above examples, the worlds of recruiting and job hunting are increasingly being impacted by technology. Job hunters must consider how technology is being used and take actions that reduce or eliminate the potential for technology to screen out opportunities for employment. The important take away from this is that job hunters will find it increasingly difficult to embellish their resumes or have inconsistencies across multiple sources. In addition, added care must be taken when customizing resumes for specific jobs or employers so that key elements of their resume remain consistent.

While it can vary substantially, out of all the resumes submitted, typically only five to ten people (less if they are highly qualified) are selected for a first interview (often a phone interview). Three to five of these might be called back for a second interview. With competition like this, it is critical that your resume stands out and gets noticed. Your resume must be easy to read, and highlight the skills and job potential the employer is looking for.

Important: The following two paragraphs are especially important to keep in mind as you prepare your resume, so please read them carefully.

Due to the volume of resumes employers receive, a human may spend as little as five to ten seconds reviewing a resume before discarding or filing it away. Think about the implications of that statement. It means your resume must be so focused that it grabs the reviewer’s attention in as little as five or ten seconds. When you view your resume in the context of the job you are applying for, keep the five-to-ten seconds review in mind.

As mentioned earlier, your resume may initially come to the interviewer's attention as a result of a preliminary screening by an applicant tracking system or other technology. This is especially so if you applied for a job at a large organization or posted your resume on the Internet. These systems electronically scan resumes into a document management database. Once there, they can be searched based upon criteria (keywords, etc.) that the screener or interviewer enters into the screening software. The screening criteria usually consists of keywords in the form of nouns (words that can be used to refer to a person, place, or thing) that relate to the requirements of the job.

The importance of having a very focused and well-written resume is probably becoming much clearer. Not only do you have to consider the short amount of time humans will take to screen your resume, you must also factor in the potential use of electronic systems as an initial screening tool.

As you think about crafting your resume, always keep the requirements of the job in mind. Look at the keywords in the job description or ad, and carefully consider the keywords (especially nouns) that electronic searches might focus on. In this regard, be sure the words you use are up-to-date with the latest terminology used in your profession. If you're struggling finding the right words to describe your skills or attributes, check out our list of Winning Words under the Forms menu for suggestions.

Clearly, effective resumes are more difficult to prepare than many people realize. Here's a hint about how to make your resume more appealing. Because of time constraints, interviewers often give a lot of weight to job title matches when screening resumes. Applicants that have held positions with exact or similar job titles when compared to the title of the open position are far more likely to get noticed.

The problem, of course, is that titles vary substantially from organization-to-organization. If you have done exactly what the open position calls for but your current or former employer used some obscure job title for your position, you may be at a significant disadvantage.

In cases such as this, it may be reasonable and appropriate to use a more descriptive title (one describing your actual role). Use this title as the title or heading for your job rather than your current or former employer's rather obscure job title. For example, lets say you are applying for a job in the Billing Department. If your previous role was that of a lead billing clerk, but your formal (official) title was "Clerk III," you should seriously consider using "Lead Billing Clerk" as the job heading for that section of your resume, or at least putting that title in parenthesis. Just be sure you are consistent among the various versions of your resume.

You can reference and explain your official title later in the resume. During the interview process, you should clarify the difference between your more descriptive title and your official title. Explain that the title you listed is reflective of your actual duties. Remember, most employers will check references. You don't want to be perceived as falsifying your resume.

Here's another hint. Once job screeners or interviewers get interested in your resume because of your past job titles, they will be looking for keywords that tell them you are the type of candidate they want to talk to. So, how do you know what those keywords are? Ironically, they are given to you by the company or organization reviewing your resume. You need to look no further than their job advertisement, job description, position specifications, or other information that led you to the job in the first place. If you need additional information, search for similar job descriptions on the Internet.

Modifying your resume to include those keywords can be a little time consuming, but the effort can pay off handsomely. You might even want to use bold type as a way of drawing attention to selected keywords. Put yourself in the interviewer's shoes. If you find a resume that has job titles and uses keywords that match the specific needs of the company or organization, you'd pay attention. People who have such resumes have a significant competitive advantage over those who don't. It's all a matter of positioning yourself in such a way that you are attractive to the employer. It also reduces their perceived risk in hiring you.

Initial resume screenings are often completed using computer programs. These programs (typically called Applicant Tracking Systems or ATSs) are in wide use and must be considered when developing your resume. There are several things you can do to help avoid being excluded from consideration by an applicant tracking system. Here are some suggestions that will help.

As you may have gathered from the above suggestions, you want to make your resume easy to read by a computerized program. Part of doing so, means keeping your resume in a predictable format with easy-to-decipher headings and formats. The ATS will also be comparing your resume to the requirements of the job as defined in a job specification or job description. It will evaluate your resume against key words it finds in those documents. This is why it is so important to carefully craft your resume with specific words and titles.

Assuming your resume makes it to a human, you still have to meet similar criteria. When I was screening resumes, I would typically look for resumes that very clearly matched my needs. Then I’d put them in a pile to be reviewed further. Earlier resumes that I discarded due to poor content or lack of focus were excluded from this pile and were seldom reviewed again. Regretfully, this process probably unfairly eliminated some qualified candidates. In my defense, these candidates weren’t very adept at writing an effective resume.

From my pile of qualified resumes, I’d rank each resume and schedule interviews for those at the top of the list. Depending on the type of position, sometimes these were phone interviews and sometimes they were face-to-face. While it varied a lot, this typically included five-to-ten candidates.

This first “screening interview” would weed out those applicants with lesser skills or poor interviewing technique. This would result in a batch of “seriously considered” candidates. From this group, a final group of interviews would be scheduled. This smaller group was normally about three to five candidates.

Hopefully, you’re beginning to get the message that this is a bit of a "numbers game." Interviewers might start with hundreds of resumes, and narrow it down to just a few. The big challenge is to make your resume one of the few that are seriously considered.

Before going into too much detail, let's start by saying chronological resumes are generally the best choice. They are usually better from an electronic (ATS) and human screening perspective. However, there are times when other formats may be appropriate.

Resumes come in all shapes, sizes, and configurations. As a general rule, there are two primary formats. One is most often referred to as "functional" (or "skills-based") and the other as "chronological." As their descriptions imply, a functional resume focuses more on the job functions performed by the applicant (and the required skills) and less on work history. The chronological resume focuses on a chronological sequence of the applicant's work history with somewhat less emphasis on skills. Depending upon your work history, both types can be effective, but deciding on which one works best for you depends upon some analysis of your background and other considerations, including interviewer preferences (see below).

Picking the type of resume to use would be easy if we knew in advance the preferences of the person reviewing them or if a particular ATS was more adept at deciphering one vs. another. Regretfully, this would be a rare piece of knowledge. As such, we have to make certain assumptions. In general, if your skills are more impressive than your job history or titles, a functional (skills-based) resume may be a good choice. On the other hand, if you have a solid work history with good job titles, a chronological resume is clearly your best choice. Keep in mind, however, that you have some latitude in mixing and matching both types into a hybrid that fits your particular needs and background.

Before we go into more detail about the two primary types of resumes, it is important to understand a few points that apply to both types. Here are some guidelines.

A chronological resume typically works best for those with solid and progressively improving work histories. It can be especially compelling if your work history is a close match to the job you are seeking. The chronological resume is the format most commonly used and is recommended for most situations. It is pretty much accepted by all interviewers, even if they would otherwise prefer another format. On the other hand, some interviewers are far less accepting of functional resumes.

A chronological resume describes your work history, starting with your most recent job, and working backwards. Because it is chronological and includes dates of employment and job title, it highlights past advancement from one position to another. Chronological resumes will typically also include a brief description of the duties of each job and point out special accomplishments (productivity, quality, process improvement, quantity, cost, revenue, and the like) while in the job. This gives the applicant an opportunity to highlight skills and unique competencies.

Some of the reasons for the popularity of chronological resumes among interviewers include: 1) the ease in which job progression can be determined, 2) the clearer view it gives of skills and accomplishments as they apply to particular jobs held, and 3) the greater value most interviewers place on recent accomplishments, which are listed chronologically.

Some disadvantages of chronological resumes include their tendency to make short periods of employment or erratic patterns in one's career a little more obvious. They also make periods of unemployment a bit more obvious.

You need to be careful to portray your employment in the best possible light. Part of this is choosing the best possible terminology to describe your work history, but also to include an appropriate amount of information about skills, competencies, and accomplishments.

Always keep in mind that you have very little time to get the reviewer's attention so focus on job titles, keywords, accomplishments and important facts very early in the resume. Click the following link to view an example of a chronological resume in a new browser window. Resume templates and downloads can be found under the Forms menu.

As mentioned earlier, a functional resume focuses more on functional responsibilities or skills than on work history and job titles. While "functional resume" is the common terminology used these days, I prefer to think of these as skills-based resumes. This is because it gives more weight to the skills required to do the job versus the specific job functions performed. A person's skills can be applied to many different job functions, where as the job functions themselves are narrower in scope.

A functional resume can be especially important for people just starting out in their careers, new graduates, employees that have had relatively short careers, or people that have unique skills or credentials that are important to emphasize. It can also be helpful for those who have recently changed or are trying to change careers and want to emphasize newly acquired skills or downplay past employment in other fields.

Functional resumes will use lots of adjectives and descriptive terms identifying the functions performed and the skills of the applicant. Selection of these adjectives or terms is an especially important part of writing the resume. For example, one might use the term "front desk or receptionist" to describe one of their skill-sets. However, there are lots of ways to describe someone who has these skills. Some examples that could apply include: customer relations, customer service, client relations, public relations, administrative support, guest relations, and customer support.

As you write your resume, you need to use the strongest and most impressive terminology you can to describe the skills you possess. To do otherwise puts you at a disadvantage to others who are more adept at doing so.

When choosing verbiage for a resume that is focused on a particular job description or advertisement, look at the adjectives used in the job description or ad itself. To the extent you can, use these same adjectives in your resume. For example, if the job ad says it needs a "self-starter," try to incorporate the term "self- starter" in your resume. As long as you are being honest, there is nothing wrong with putting the most positive spin you can on your resume. Indeed, it is essential to achieving success in your job search. This includes using the most appropriate and positive terminology you can to describe your skills and background.

Even though a functional resume emphasizes skills, it must still include a summary of your work history. Don't decide on a resume format until you have read about the other types and can make an informed decision on what might work best in your situation. Also, remember you can always combine the two resume styles into a hybrid. Click the following link to view an example of a functional resume.

A combination/hybrid resume is simply a resume that takes the best of functional (skills-based) and chronological resumes and combines them into a resume that works best for you in light of your background, strengths, weaknesses, etc. Click the following link to view an example of a combination/hybrid resume.

It is important to note that there is no single form of resume that works best in all cases. If such a resume existed, we'd all know about it and everyone would use the same format for a well-defined situation.

When looking at your resume, you might find that certain headings, such as your job title, don't match very well with the requirements of the job. If your job title doesn't adequately reflect what you actually do in your job, or if your job title is weak, this can be a limiting factor. In cases like this, don't hesitate to develop a hybrid resume that includes sub-titles or sub-headings that highlight your qualifications for the job. As discussed earlier, job titles in a resume can have a big impact, so pay close attention to this detail.

Always remember, you may have as little as five or ten seconds to get the reviewer's attention. Don't let a poor heading, inappropriate job title, or lack of keywords keep you from getting noticed.

The bottom line is you need to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and develop a resume that focuses on your strengths and minimizes any weaknesses. The goal is to make you look as good as possible within the context of your skills and the job you are applying for. In this context, you may find that a hybrid resume will work best for you.

When in doubt, give your resume to a friend or colleague and give them between five and ten seconds to review it. Then ask them what they gleaned from it. If their answer isn't what you were hoping for, you probably need to revise it.

In general, the curriculum vita or CV has been replaced by the resume. However, it is still used by some technical and academic organizations, and in some countries outside the U.S. The CV is distinguished from a resume primarily by its greater detail and a stronger focus on factors such as education, credentials, licensure, professional affiliations, grants, publications, research and the like.

Much of the layout and content of a CV will be similar to a resume, and like a resume, it should focus on the needs of the prospective employer. Accomplishments using the PAR format referenced above should also be included.

A less commonly used form of a resume is the video resume. A video resume, as the name suggests, is a video representations of a job hunter’s resume. It describes the job hunter’s skills, qualifications, accomplishments and the like. It is typically used to supplement a traditional resume.

However, there are some important differences and potential impacts that job hunters need to be aware of before considering the use of a video resume. A video resume may not be appropriate in many situations and one should be cautious about creating one. See below for additional considerations.

To start, it's important to keep in mind that a video resume should be considered a supplemental tool in your job search. By itself, it isn't likely to get you a job. However, a properly executed video resume can help in marketing yourself to prospective employers. On the other hand, if done poorly, it can hinder your chances of landing a job.

There are many forms and styles of video resumes. If you’re thinking about creating a video resume, search the Internet and review examples created by others. As you do so, think about your targeted job and audience. For example, an appropriate video resume for a Creative Director in an advertising firm will have a very different flavor than one for an Accountant at an accounting firm.

It’s also important to recognize that some industry segments and employers will not be receptive to video resumes. A video resume could do more harm than good. Unless you are sure a video resume will be welcome, you may want to avoid using one.

Once done with your video resume, you can post it on the Internet. Several career and social networking sites have a section where you can include your video resume. If you have a personal website, you can upload your video there and link to it. You can include that link in your paper resume.

It’s probably pretty obvious that video resumes aren’t for everybody. They are, nonetheless, part of the job search landscape and it’s good to know a little bit about them. In some situations, they can be a useful supplement to your overall job search. Just be sure you do additional research to be sure they are a good fit for your particular situation.

1) Heading- Include the following: your name, a phone number that captures voice messages reliably, and e-mail address that you check often. You should also list the city, state, and zip code of your home as well. Your street address is no longer mandatory as they won’t need to mail you anything. If you have a suitable profile on LinkedIn, include the link to your profile.

2) Professional Summary- 4-6 Sentences that captures the essence of your profession, experience, skills and distinctiveness. Keep the summary to five or six statements. Below are the steps to building your summary:

Step 1 - Name your profession (not a positional title) and industries in which you have experience. You can also choose to follow the profession by highlighting your primary functional areas of expertise if you want to change industries.

For example - Sr. Network Engineer with extensive experience in the Fortune 500 Telecommunications Industry.

Step 2 - State your expertise. Focus on your primary functional areas of expertise, but keep to a listing of around three areas.

For example - Particular strengths in design, development and implementation of complex infrastructure systems.

Step 3 - State your breadth or depth of skills. This could be up to two sentences. Alternatively, you could list this in bullets under your summary.

For example - Initiated system design changes, published analysis, and presented at International conferences. Uniquely skilled in communication of complex data to general audiences.

Step 4 - Last statement should describe your distinctiveness or work style.

For example - Recognized for strong leadership, innovation and hands-on management.

Step 5 - Make sure the sentences flow together smoothly, as the following example demonstrates:

Sr. Network Engineer with extensive experience in the Fortune 500 Telecommunications Industry. Particular strengths in design, development and implementation of complex infrastructure systems. Initiated system design changes, published analysis, and presented at International conferences. Uniquely skilled in communication of complex data to general audiences. Recognized for strong leadership, innovation and hands on management.

3) Professional Experience- Employers are focusing on ensuring that you have the experience and skills to meet their needs. They’ll try to determine this based on your past actions, and the results produced for former employers. Past experience and actions are strong indicators of future potential and tendencies.

These actions will serve as the bullets on your resume, whether you’ve decided to organize your resume chronologically, functionally, or otherwise. They are accomplishment or PAR statements. Below is the PAR framework that will help you develop your accomplishment statements:

P = Project or Problem — Think of a project or problem related to the challenges in the roles of interest to you.

For example - The records existed in a variety or different systems, and there needed to be a system which would reduce costs with regard to time and resources.

A= Action- State what did you do to overcome or impact the problem

For example - Consolidated and computerized all records into a single system.

R= Result- Describe the outcome. Share how you improved, achieved, improved or resolved the issue.

For example - Implemented a new tracking system that reduced annual costs by 20%

Thus, the accomplishment statement would appear as the following:

Consolidated the records management system, resulting in 20% annual cost savings.

4) Volunteer Experience - Indicate any experience in extracurricular activities that could be of benefit to the position of focus that would appeal to the employer.

5) Education &/or Professional Development - If you have at least three years of post college or high school experience, list your degrees, certifications, or professional licenses. You can also list professional development training programs you completed or attended.

6) Honors/Awards - Include recognition for outstanding work on a specific project or a unique achievement. For example, “Spot Awards” or performance bonuses would be appropriate to mention.

7) Technical Skills and Languages - A list of computers and software you have used. Mention any additional languages you can speak and write.

We've talked about focusing your resume on the requirements of the job and making it easy for the interviewer to see you have the required skills and abilities to do the job. But, what if you have some blemishes in your work history? How do you deal with them?

The reality is that almost everyone has something in their work background that wouldn't look as good on a resume as they'd like. Since the resume is primarily a tool to get an interview, you need to accentuate the positive and minimize the negative. The following are some of the more common resume problems and some suggestions on how to overcome them.

Gaps in Your Employment History: Employers will be interested in gaps in your employment history. Gaps in employment tend to raise a "red flag" that warrants additional review. As a general rule, you want to minimize obvious gaps in your employment. If you have gaps in your employment history where you did odd jobs, independent consulting, volunteer or temporary work, managed family or childcare needs, or took classes, you'll have to evaluate whether any of these items warrant being covered in your resume. If you do include them, be sure you portray them in the best possible light, and to the extent possible, show how they contributed to your skills and experience as they relate to the job you are applying for. If the reason for the gap has negative connotations, it is best not to mention it in the resume. However, you must be prepared to discuss it when asked during an interview.

Lack of Formal Education: If your formal education is less than what is typically required for the job you are applying for, you'll want to minimize that fact on your resume. In this situation, you should be stressing your work experience, life experience, talents, accomplishments, on-the-job training, or other indicators of your ability to perform successfully in the job. If you have experience training or mentoring other employees, this can be a good indicator of a high level of competence on the job. Any awards, certificates of completion, or continuing education credits can also help. If you attended a college or university but didn't receive a degree, go ahead and mention the school you attended and leave off any reference to a degree. The interviewer will be asking you to clarify this area of your resume so be prepared to show that your talents, skills and accomplishments are clear indicators of your ability to do the job. If you are pursuing additional education, be sure to mention that as well.

Being Fired from a Previous Job: Never mention this or other similarly sensitive issues in a resume. Remember, the purpose of a resume is to get you a job interview. Discussion of sensitive issues such as being fired should be reserved for the formal interview. In that forum, you will have an opportunity to turn the situation into a positive learning experience. At that time you can impress your potential employer with your abilities and past accomplishments while minimizing any negatives associated with your reason for leaving. You should always assume that reasons for leaving former employers will eventually be explored by the interviewer so be sure to prepare accordingly.

Moving Around from Job-to-Job: Employers tend to get nervous about employees that move from job-to-job after short-term employments. They know that it costs a lot of money to recruit, hire, and train new employees, only to have them leave after their productivity finally gets to an acceptable level. If you have lots of different jobs in a short time span, try to minimize this on your resume, or demonstrate that there were legitimate and logical reasons for so many job changes.

Lack of Experience: Sometimes raw talent is more important than experience. The difficulty, of course, is demonstrating this on your resume. If you are fairly new to the workforce, you need to stress education, training, life experience, personal talents, or other indicators of your ability to perform successfully in the job. Try to demonstrate your enthusiasm and strong work ethic through examples of things you have done in the past. If you have other work experience but are new to the type of job you are applying for, focus on past skills and experience that can be applied to the new job. People wanting to change from one industry segment to another often have this challenge. Realize that most jobs have something in common in the way of required skills, talent or knowledge. Think about those skills and discuss how they are applicable to the new job or industry.

Concern About Your Age: U.S. employment laws protect people in certain age groups from employment discrimination, but you may still have some concerns about your age. If you are concerned your age may be a factor in how your resume is viewed, the following may help.

If you are very young, it may be somewhat difficult to hide that fact based upon lack of work experience. As such, the more experience and education you can add to your resume, the more "mature" you will appear. You can also, help minimize the impression of youth by leaving dates off of the education section of your resume.

If you fear you may be perceived as rather old for the type of job you are applying for, the best options are to leave all dates off of the education section of your resume (unless you got a degree late in life), and to only give the most recent 10 - 20 years of job experience. Generally speaking, experience prior to that time has diminished value anyway. How much job experience you include on your resume is partly a function of the type of job you are applying for. Higher level jobs typically require people to have more years of experience so factor this in to your decision.

The Internet has had a huge impact on the job search process. Whether you're highly Internet savvy or just a casual user, you should not overlook actively using the Internet as an important tool in your job search process. In addition to the obvious value of the many job search, career, and networking sites that can be found, it is also a valuable source of information about organizations.

Fortunately, you don't have to put in a lot of extra effort in order to utilize the Internet in your job search strategy. You'll find that most of the concepts and tools presented throughout Job Hunter Pro apply to both traditional and Internet-based job searches. Regardless of whether you're using the Internet or a more traditional job search approach, you still need to develop a personal marketing plan, create an effective resume, utilize focused cover letters, develop good job interviewing skills, etc.

There are, however, several unique aspects of using the Internet that are important to be aware of. Probably the most significant is the likelihood that initial screening of resumes is conducted by employers utilizing text-based electronic searches of keywords or phrases found in the resume. They also search based upon information provided in the job search site's applicant questionnaire. For example, a prospective employer might search for applicants with certain qualifications and experience that are listed in their resume, and also search the applicant's questionnaire based upon the applicant's desired salary range and willingness to travel.

As you are probably beginning to see, there is a need to carefully evaluate the use of keywords in your resume. You must also give careful thought to the completion of the search site's applicant questionnaire. The best way to do this is to put yourself in the position of the prospective employer. If the employer put together a "wish list" of words that describe the qualities and skills of the ideal job candidate, how many of those words would be found in your resume?

Each industry tends to use some common words or lingo to describe what is required to do a particular job. Think about how the employer might use those words and other criteria to conduct an electronic search of resumes. After evaluating this question, go back and adjust your resume and job search site questionnaire accordingly.

You might find it helpful to periodically adjust your resume or other criteria you've previously posted on an Internet job search site. Sometimes changing just a few words can make a big difference. You might also find that frequently changing your resume will encourage more queries from prospective employers. Resumes with recent revision dates tend to attract more interest than those that have been posted and unchanged for an extended period.

So, how do you know if your resume has a decent chance of being seriously considered (making the first cut)? While there is no surefire way to know, you can check to see if you've got some of the right stuff. Here's a quick test that will give you an idea of your resume's chances of being selected for further consideration.

Before sending your resume to an employer, take 10 minutes to look over a few things. Start by putting your resume side-by-side with the advertisement or job description for the job you are applying for. Then ask yourself the following questions.

If you answered yes to all of these questions, you are probably in good shape. If you answered no to some of them, see if you can revise those areas to make them a closer match. If you're struggling with the right words to use, check out our list of Winning Words under the Forms menu for suggestions.

As has been said before, there is no magic formula that will work in all cases. Answering no to several of the above questions won't necessarily eliminate you from consideration. Answering yes to all of them won't necessarily land you a job interview. This exercise is a review of the kinds of common considerations that interviewers will look at when they screen resumes. If you pay attention to these details, you will improve your chances of being noticed and ultimately selected for an interview.

Every interviewer has their own way of looking at things. Sometimes they will be looking at additional selection criteria that isn't listed in the job description or ad. The above, however, provides a reasonable test that can help you hone your resume-writing skills.

RESUMES

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