5 Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Resume

5 Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Resume5 Tips for Spring Cleaning Your ResumeCleaning your resume regularly and having it spruced up and ready to go is crucial.Are you groaning? We know- its common advice.But, if youre like most people, its advice that you repeatedly ignore. Youre not showcasing your resume unless youre actively job hunting, which means its easy to let it slip to the back burner until you need it again.In an effort to avoid that frantic scramble to get your resume in tip-top shape right when you need it, theres no time like right now to do a little spring cleaning on that document of yours.Here are five tips for cleaning your resume so you have an impressive resume ready to go1. Check over the basics.Those nuts and bolts things on your resume are easy to overlook- but, its important that theyre up to date.Did you get a new phone number? Do you have a new email address? Did your last name change since the last time you were job searching?That sort of basic information might not be the most exciting stuff that appears on your resume. However, you should still do your due diligence to ensure that its all accurate.2. Add new locations.If you havent update your resume since the last time you were hunting for a new job, then chances are good that your current position isnt even listed on there. Make sure to add any new positions to your document and then change the employment dates on your previous role accordingly.Another thing you need to make sure to update? Your verb tense. Your existing position should be the only one with responsibilities listed in present tense- all of your old jobs should be written in past tense.Thats a minor change thats easy to miss, but goes a long way in presenting you as polished and detail-oriented3. Swap out some verbs.Speaking of verbs, you can make your resume far mora impactful by swapping out some of them. If three bullets in a row start with the word managed, its probably best if you make an effort to get some new words in there.Try some other action verbs like coordinated, spearheaded, oversaw, directed, trained, or supervised, for example. Not only does this do away with that obnoxious word repetition, but it also makes a far more powerful impression.4. Tell your story.What appears at the top of your resume? If its an objective statement, then youre probably well overdue for a refresh.Most employers agree that the objective statement is a thing of the past, and theyd much rather see you start your resume with a summary that highlights your most impressive and relevant skills and qualifications. So, kick that objective to the curb and replace it with something that reveals a little more about what makes you a suitable candidate.Already have a summary on your resume? Its still worth turning your attention to that section to see what updates you can make. You probably have additional years of experience or some new skills youve picked up since you originally wrote that blurb.5. Delete the old stuff.The above steps have helped you bring some new touches to your resume. But, what about the old stuff thats only collecting dust on your resume?If you have anything thats so far in the past its hardly relevant or impressive anymore, its time to hit the backspace key.That professional license that you let expire? Theres no point including it on your resume. That college internship? Its probably not that important after youve been in the working world for 15 years.The general rule of thumb is that anything older than 10 years probably doesnt deserve the precious real estate on your resume.Is it time to start spring cleaning your resume? Put these tips into action, and youll have an impressive resume polished up and ready to go when you need itKnow someone looking for a job? Refer a friend to with this link- youll get a month free service and theyll get 30% off

5 resume-writing rules you should break in 2018

5 resume-writing rules you should break in 20185 resume-writing rules you should break in 20181. The rule that says you cant use the word I in yur resume. Of course you can Its your branding document, after all2. The rule that says you must list the tasks and duties you performed at every past job. Those are things anyone in the role would have done. Tell us what you achieved, specifically.3. The rule that says you must list every job you ever held on your resume. Your resume is a branding document, not a legal document. Include the jobs you want to include on your resume and leave out the rest.4. The rule that says you must list your past jobs with no explanation of why you moved from one job to the next. What hiring managers really want to understand is your path so share it with them Try to use the last bullet under each job to explain why you left, something like thisI built Zangos first PR program, and got our CEO on national TV within six months.Together with our Marketing tea m I built our public webinar series from 85 to 650 participants in one year.I left Zango when the firm was bought by Reddingo.Now your hiring manager knows why youre job hunting. Reducing uncertainty is your principal job as a resume writer5. Finally, go ahead and break the old-fashioned resume-writing rule that states you must focus on numeric and measurable achievements in your resume. Thats ridiculousIf you conceived and sold a huge, groundbreaking idea to your CEO, COO, CTO or any senior of yours it doesnt matter so much whether or not you stuck around long enough to see the idea implemented or to see its measurable results. You can still tell the story, whether youve got numbers to share or not

6 Resume Red Flags You Can Avoid

6 Resume Red Flags You Can Avoid 6 Resume Red Flags You Can Avoid There is a lot of truth to the old adage: "You can't beat someone at their own game." In the resume game, the people who "own it" are the recruiters, sources, and HR staffers whose business it is to parse hundreds of resumes each week. They can put your resume into the larger context in a matter of seconds. Their job is to constantly be on the lookout for any disqualifying factor. Here are six key red flags you should avoid:1. Generic resume. If you want to earn serious consideration from an employer, provide the same to him or her. If it appears that you haven't taken the time to customize your resume for the specific job in which you are interested and the company where it's found, you raise the most basic red-flag question: What is the relevance of this resume to this particular job?Solution: Customize each resume you send out and make certain you mirror the words found in the job description on your resume. Show how, when, and where you developed the talent and expertise to meet the needs of the position for which you are applying.2. Resume appearance malfunction. Is your resume friendly to the beholder who wears bifocals? Non-standard fonts, small text with little to no space between sections, and narrow margins all raise red flags. Beyond the poor aesthetics, they may suggest you are the kind of person who is "bound and determined" to wedge too large a story into too small a space, rather than boiling down the salient aspects of your career achievements into a document which clearly speaks to the job to be filled.Solution: Remember that your resume is not your unabridged autobiography. You aren't obligated to show everything you have ever done and every place you worked. It's a marketing document onto which you should put the things that are most germane. Use a standard font at a reasonable type size and forget all the lines, graphics, pictures, and colors.3. Poor grammar spelling. In an age when everyone has spellchecking capacities, there is no excuse for misspelled words. At the same time, there's no end to the ways words get mangled into other words with different meanings. When either happens, it stands in sharp opposition to your claim of being a "good communicator." Moreover, it raises the red-flag question: "If this candidate is too lazy or incapable of checking his or her own resume, what will be sloughed off if they were on the job?" Every career expert would agree that careful proofreading is critical.4. Resume timeline gaps. Is it easy to follow the sequential steps of your career with dates set apart, flush right? Are there multiple gaps in years without explanation?It's perfectly acceptable- even meritorious- to address those legitimate gaps with just a phrase or two without going into great detail. You might, as the last bullet under a given job say something like: "Left position to pursue additional educational opportunities" or "Left position to deal with a family member's chronic medical problem which was ultimate ly resolved."5. Resume evasiveness. There are many things that job hunters typically try to "fudge." Yet, overgeneralizations, squishy language, and omissions are not generally regarded well.For example, job hunters in their 50s and 60s believe they can avoid age discrimination if they omit dates when degrees were earned. But just the opposite is the case. In attempting to skirt the age issue, you actually bring attention to it with your unstated but very clear message: "I don't want you to figure out how old I am based on when I attended college." Worse, you may potentially also raise the red-flag question: Is this job seeker trying to mask anything else of significance?6. Key phrase banalities. Some job hunters aren't certain of how to go about the process of writing an effective resume, and so they resort to words and phrases found in resume-writing books and other templates that might be good starting points, but not ending points. By adhering too closely to them, you are likely to sound like everyone else, without conveying any understanding of what you are really trying to convey. Using hackneyed phrases like "hard worker," "out-of-the-box thinker," "team player," "excellent communications skills," etc., offer your own conclusion about your talents and work ethic. But they do nothing to cause the resume reader to believe you or to come to the same conclusion. Instead, show examples of your out-of-the-box solutions and talk about times when your actions really did benefit your team.If you take the time to lower these red flags, you will raise the likelihood of gaining the respect and positive attention of those who own the resume game.Arnie Fertig is the head coach of JOBHUNTERCOACH.COM, where he utilizes his extensive background in HR Staffing and as owner of a recruiting company to help mid-career job-hunters land their next job. Arnie provides one-to-one coaching services to individuals throughout the U.S. in all aspects of the job hunt, including: r esume writing, personal branding, utilizing social media, enhancing networking skills, preparing for interviews, and negotiating compensation.