{"id":2780,"date":"2013-03-16T17:52:29","date_gmt":"2013-03-16T21:52:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=2780"},"modified":"2013-03-16T17:54:56","modified_gmt":"2013-03-16T21:54:56","slug":"kerrys-tips-on-marketwatch-7-tips-for-the-perfect-boomer-resume","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=2780","title":{"rendered":"Kerry’s Tips on MarketWatch: 7 tips for the Perfect Boomer R\u00e9sum\u00e9"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"market\"<\/a>For job seekers these days, crafting the perfect r\u00e9sum\u00e9 may matter less than making key connections with the right people and ensuring a stellar online presence. But you still need your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 to shine.<\/div>\n
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It\u2019s a key marketing tool\u2014your opportunity to present yourself in the best light before an in-person interview. But the older you are, the tougher it can be to create a r\u00e9sum\u00e9 that details years of experience without bogging down in details.<\/p>\n

For boomer job seekers, the key is to keep it simple, relevant and timely.\u201c<\/a>Your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 is not going to get you the job,\u201d said Kerry Hannon, a Washington-based career expert and author of \u201cGreat Jobs for Everyone 50+<\/a>.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s the interview that gets you the job. Use [the r\u00e9sum\u00e9] as your calling card.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are seven r\u00e9sum\u00e9 tips for mature workers:<\/p>\n

1. Keep it timely<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stick to the most recent 10 to 15 years of experience, says Amanda Augustine, a job-search expert with career website TheLadders.com.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve got relevant experience from 20 or 30 years ago, consider adding a note to that effect at the end of your r\u00e9sum\u00e9\u2019s \u201cexperience\u201d section, Augustine said.<\/p>\n

She offered an example: \u201cCareer Note: Additional experience includes roles in brand management with Coca-Cola Company and Nestl\u00e9 SA. Details available upon request.\u201d<\/p>\n

For your recent jobs, you\u2019ll need to provide dates, said Andrea Kay, career consultant and author of a forthcoming book, \u201cThis Is How to Get Your Next Job: An Inside Look at What Employers Really Want.\u201d<\/p>\n

But for decades-old experience, leave off the dates\u2014and only include those old jobs if they\u2019re relevant to the work you\u2019re currently seeking.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes I will crunch together a lot of experience that may be old but is still relevant, and use a subhead like \u2018Other Experience Includes\u2019 or \u2018Experience Also Includes,\u2019\u201d Kay said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t put dates with that, but it shows you have that experience,\u201d she said. \u201cYou put it on there because it\u2019s relevant to what you\u2019re trying to achieve now.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s OK to leave off college-graduation dates, Kay said.<\/p>\n

2. Keep it focused<\/strong><\/p>\n

Often, mature workers want to include everything they\u2019ve ever done. Don\u2019t. Your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 is not a life history.<\/p>\n

Focus on the position you\u2019re seeking, advises Martin Yate, author of a number of career-management books and the site KnockEmDead.com, which offers professional r\u00e9sum\u00e9 services for a fee.<\/p>\n

Yate advocates a technique he calls \u201ctarget job deconstruction.\u201d Gather six or so job postings and find one job requirement that\u2019s common to all of them, then look for a skill required for at least five of them, then four, etc.<\/p>\n

Then, make sure the experience and skills you cite in your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 match those skills employers say they\u2019re seeking, Yate said.<\/p>\n

Also, limit your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 to two pages, Augustine said. \u201cA recruiter is spending an average of six seconds reviewing a r\u00e9sum\u00e9\u2014anything longer than three pages will not get read. Professional r\u00e9sum\u00e9 writers rarely create a r\u00e9sum\u00e9 that\u2019s more than two pages.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Tell a story<\/strong><\/p>\n

Your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 should tell employers a narrative about how you\u2019ve been successful in previous jobs. That means being specific, such as how you increased revenues or stayed under budget by a certain percentage.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want to say you grew sales by 30% or you brought a job in three months ahead of time,\u201d Hannon said. \u201cThe problem you solved is what people want to see, because they want you to solve their problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0Please continue reading full story By\u00a0Andrea Coombes\u00a0on MarketWatch<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n

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