10 Resume Mistakes
This is a very insightful article from QuintCareers.com that lists 10 big mistakes you must avoid when writing your resume.Avoid These 10 Resume Mistakes
by Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
As a resume writer, I see hundreds of resumes, and the vast majority of them are much weaker than they could be. I see the same mistakes over and over. This article describes the 10 I see most often. All are easy to fix.
Don't make these resume mistakes:
1. Resume lacks focus.
A sharp focus is an extremely important resume element. Given that employers screen resumes for between 2.5 and 20 seconds, a resume should show the employer at a glance what you want to do and what you're good at. In a recent study by Career Masters Institute, employers wanted resumes to show a clear match between the applicant and a particular job's requirements. A "general" resume that is not focused on a specific job's requirements was seen as not competitive. In an even more recent study by CareerBuilder.com, 71 percent of hiring managers preferred a resume customized for the open position.
Stay Positive When Job-Hunting
With the recent downturn in the economy, there is no doubt that it has affected the job market as well. This article has some great ideas about how to stay positive when job-hunting.Strategies for staying upbeat in a weak job market
By Times Staff Writer
In print: Saturday, August 16, 2008
Times Staff Writer
More and more Americans are being affected by a malady that Dr. Randall Hansen calls the "Job Market Blues." Hansen, a nationally recognized career and job-search expert and founder of Quintessential Careers (Quint Careers.com), says that "job-seekers can employ five strategies for staying upbeat and fighting the blues in a weak job market." Here are his suggestions:
1. Keep a positive focus
"While it can be extremely difficult to do, job-seekers must show confidence and a positive attitude when job-hunting," Hansen says.
Read more: Stay Positive When Job-Hunting
10 Job Myths
This is a great article we found at BusinessWeek.com that sheds light on some of the many myths about resumes and job hunting.The 10 Worst Job Tips Ever
The world abounds in bad advice for job-seekers. Here are some spectacularly unsound directivesNearly every day, someone sends me a bit of astounding job-search advice from a blog or a newsletter. Some of this advice seems to come directly from the planet X-19, and some of it seems to have been made up on the spot. Here are 10 of my favorite pieces of atrocious job-search advice, for you to read and ignore at all costs:
1. DON'T WRAP IT UP
The Summary or Objective at the top of your résumé is the wrap-up; It tells the reader, "This person know who s/he is, what s/he's done, and why it matters." Your Summary shows off your writing skills, shows that you know what's salient in your background, and puts a point on the arrow of your résumé. Don't skip it, no matter who tells you it's not necessary or important.