How to Customize Your Resume to the Job Listing

If you want to be included in a recruiter’s call back pile keep your resume’s chronological information static, but tweak the language in the top section, advised professional resume writer Steve Burdan in the article “Customize Your Resume for That Plum Job.”
Burdan believes strongly in the importance of customizing the top third section of a [...]

Resume Words and Phrases to Avoid

A resume is a far cry from creative writing; the advent of applicant tracking systems that govern resume retrieval at most hiring companies have made the selection of resume format and words as much a science as an art.
Certified professional resume writers follow the trends in ATS software; they establish guidelines on resume formats (such [...]

Common Resume Lies

Eighteen percent of resumes include fake companies or lie about companies no longer in business, and 8 percent of resumes exaggerate accomplishments. Those are the findings of a study by Accu-Screen of Tampa, Fla., an investigative firm that conducts employment background screenings for hiring companies.
What are the most common forms of deceit on a resume? [...]

Grab Attention with Your Cover Letter

Do you really need to write a cover letter? Does anyone even read cover letters? Aren’t they a formality?
The answer is “yes” to all three. They’re a formality, but one you’re forced to address in every job application.  Someone will read your cover letter.
Sure, you need to shine in an interview, and you will likely [...]

Resume Objective Statements Are So 10 Years Ago

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Bad Math Accounts for 20,000 Extra Stimulus Jobs

It’s time to face the music: Objective statements are outdated  and should be killed.
That’s right, nuke the objective [...]

Top Jobs for 2009 Are in Math, Science and Technology

Math careers top out the list of best careers in 2009.

The greatest revenge of the nerds may be in the realm of careers.
Math, science and numbers-centric careers have topped out a list of 200 as having the best jobs, according to  a study published by job site CareerCast.com earlier this year. The numbers were culled from the [...]

Resume Tips: Skill Overkill Dulls Resume and Weakens Job Chances

What is a resume? A document that lists all the information about your job experience, right? Yes and no.
Yes, it’s information about your job experience. No,  it does not need to list every skill you bring to the table, just the right skills for the job you’re after.
A recent blog post from Palladian Staffing,  “A Resume [...]

Resume Tips: Common Mistakes to Avoid

Spelling, grammar and dates matter on a resume.
Why?
For one, getting past electronic scanning machines and the fast-scanning eyes of human resources requires that you show an aptitude for detail — detail that includes spelling your job titles and companies correctly, as well as getting your dates consistent, says  an article at ResumeEdge.com:
Company Name: First and [...]

How to Keep Information on Your Resume Lined Up

Tab is not just a soft drink from the 1970s. It’s also a function in your word-processing software that you need to learn to use for consistent resume layout.
Why? Because you can’t guarantee that the font you use will be the same font used by those reading your resume, according to the blog post Resume Layout–Use Tabs, [...]

Resume Tips: How to Avoid Annoying a Resume Reader

It’s hard enough keeping up with the trends of resume writing these days.
Objective statements are out; results are in. In very rare cases, your resume should be no longer than two pages. Oh, and don’t forget about making your resume searchable for software scanning. Without the right keywords, you may never get a call from [...]