{"id":4256,"date":"2014-12-31T09:10:27","date_gmt":"2014-12-31T13:10:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=4256"},"modified":"2014-12-31T09:22:50","modified_gmt":"2014-12-31T13:22:50","slug":"help-your-resume-stand-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=4256","title":{"rendered":"Help Your R\u00e9sum\u00e9 Stand Out"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"aarp.sq\"<\/a>A r\u00e9sum\u00e9 revamp can help you stand out from other applicants in the screening process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

A great r\u00e9sum\u00e9 is at the heart of any successful job hunt<\/a>. While lots of job hunting advice, mine included, says that a LinkedIn profile<\/a> is critical to getting noticed during your job search, it does not replace a traditional r\u00e9sum\u00e9.<\/p>\n

But the older you are, the trickier it can be to create a r\u00e9sum\u00e9 that’s not only concise but also does justice to your years of experience.<\/p>\n

Here are seven ways experienced job seekers can get their r\u00e9sum\u00e9s noticed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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1. Use a simple format<\/h3>\n

Keep it to two pages, says career coach Phyllis Mufson.<\/a> Anything longer will probably go unread. “In certain circumstances, it can be as much as three pages, but only make your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 as long as you need to highlight your qualifications.”<\/p>\n

A r\u00e9sum\u00e9 is reviewed in less than five minutes before it’s decided whether a job candidate advances to the next step in the hiring process, according to a 2014 Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) R\u00e9sum\u00e9s, Cover Letters and Interviews Survey<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Select a traditional font, say, Times New Roman, Calibri or Arial. Stick to a 10- to 12-point size, and use black type against white paper for the body of the r\u00e9sum\u00e9. Your name, however, might be in 15-point size, all caps; your contact information and section heads might be in 12.<\/p>\n

Be consistent in formatting. Use boldface type, italics and underlining sparingly.<\/p>\n

Prepare the document in a plain Microsoft Word document format that can easily be viewed on most computers, Mufson says. You will also use this version to print out as a hard copy or to upload into an online job<\/a> application form.<\/p>\n

Put your contact information at the top of the r\u00e9sum\u00e9: name, email address, phone number (just one), a customized LinkedIn URL<\/a> and website, if you have one. Skip your street address.<\/p>\n

You might need a new email address. Using an AOL, Hotmail or Yahoo email address on a r\u00e9sum\u00e9 can hold people back from landing an\u00a0interview<\/a>, says Mindy Thomas,<\/a> a career development coach and professional r\u00e9sum\u00e9 writer. “Yes, there is discrimination relating to the domain name of your email provider that you are using. “It says you are not up with the times, and you’re not tech savvy.”<\/p>\n

Use an email address that includes your full name, such as johnsmith@gmail.com, or one that includes your own domain name, such as kerry@kerryhannon.com. You can get a free Gmail address by going to Google’s site.<\/p>\n

Below your contact information, list the specific title of the job for which you are applying \u2014 for example, type “Objective: [employer’s job title]”<\/p>\n

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Read column on AARP<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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2. Cull your professional experience\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n
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“What employers want to see is your most recent 10 to 15 years of experience. “Think advertisement, not obituary,” says Susan Whitcomb<\/a>, author of R\u00e9sum\u00e9 Magic: Trade Secrets of a Professional R\u00e9sum\u00e9 Writer.<\/i> “No one wants, or needs, to read every one of your employment entries over a four- to five-decade career.<\/div>\n
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Package your earlier experiences into “one nice, tidy paragraph at the end of your r\u00e9sum\u00e9’s ‘experience’ section and omit dates,” she says. And only use the work history that’s relevant to the job you are applying for now.<\/div>\n
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She offers this example: “Prior Experience (Commercial Development, Business Development and Technology): During tenure with Ecolabs, promoted through positions in Food Business Development, Industrial Commercial Development; Applied Research and Commercial Development for Performance Materials; and Applied R&D. Initially recruited from UCLA as Research Chemist for Shell Oil.<\/div>\n
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3. Mind the gaps<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Fill in holes in your employment history. It’s best to have a good experience to sub for it, say, during a period between jobs \u2014 you traveled, performed community service, added a degree or pursued other education.<\/div>\n
If you were out of the workforce<\/a> for caregiving duties, you can market that, too. You were skill-building. No doubt you were a “project manager,” supervising a team of other caregivers \u2014 from nurses to doctors and physical therapists. You were a “researcher” tracking down the best doctors and medical care. You may have been a “financial manager” in charge of bill-paying and insurance claims.<\/div>\n
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Use strong action verbs to describe your caregiving experience and skills: directed, enabled, facilitated, hired, supervised, controlled, coordinated, executed, organized, planned, implemented, spearheaded, navigated, negotiated, secured and resolved<\/div>\n
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More on Job Hunting<\/strong><\/div>\n
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AARP Work Resource Center<\/a><\/div>\n
Job tips for 50+ workers<\/a><\/div>\n
Part-time jobs for workers 50+<\/a><\/div>\n
Looking for a job? Why you need to go social<\/a><\/div>\n
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4. Tell your story<\/strong><\/div>\n
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You want to say, for instance, that you grew sales by 25 percent or you completed a job four months ahead of schedule. R\u00e9sum\u00e9 writing pros refer to this as telling your CAR story. This stands for “Challenge, Action and Result.”<\/div>\n
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Talk about a problem you faced, what you did to solve it and the specific tangible result of your efforts. Don’t be too formal in your writing. This is where you can show a little personality and let reviewers hear your voice and pride in your accomplishments. “Include every possible metric and anything that has made you look like a star, including exceeding national or corporate standards, plus your awards,” Thomas says.<\/div>\n
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Importantly, make sure the CAR stories are relevant to the job for which you are applying.<\/div>\n
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How you list your work history matters. Start with your most recent job. State the complete name of the company you work for, or have worked for, and what the firm does, how long you were there \u2014 month and year. Then list in bullets the position or positions you held, followed by your CAR story.<\/div>\n
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5. Add some spice<\/strong><\/div>\n
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“Include a section for ‘Education and Training,’ ” Mufson says. “By adding recent training, education and credentials, you highlight your commitment to professional development and show that you’re current with industry and management trends.”<\/div>\n
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Interests, hobbies, activities and professional memberships can also help you get noticed or even reveal that you’re physically active. That can be great way to subtly deflect an employer’s opinion that older workers don’t have the stamina for the job. It might even provide a connection to someone who is reading your r\u00e9sum\u00e9, if he or she shares a similar passion.<\/div>\n
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Include any volunteer work that can be viewed as management skills. Being in charge of a gala fundraising event, for instance, converts to sales and marketing chops. Holding a board position shows leadership ability. “Include this work in the professional experience section of your r\u00e9sum\u00e9,” Thomas says. “There’s no need to distinguish between paid and unpaid work-related skills on your r\u00e9sum\u00e9.” Also, if you work for a family business, never say it’s a family business on your r\u00e9sum\u00e9, she advises.<\/div>\n
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6. Be mindful of automated screening systems<\/strong><\/div>\n
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If you’re submitting your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 to an online portal, don’t embed charts or images that the screening system can’t read.<\/div>\n
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List the names of your employers<\/a> first, then the dates you worked there. When tracking systems screen a date before the employer they can reject r\u00e9sum\u00e9s.<\/div>\n
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Use a .doc or .txt format when uploading your r\u00e9sum\u00e9. These programs often mistake .pdf documents as large pictures.<\/div>\n
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Scatter throughout your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 words and unique key phrases that appear in the descriptions of the jobs for which you’re applying. If an employer’s computer scans your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 and doesn’t see the words or phrases it’s programmed to look for, you’ll end up in the black hole of discarded applications. For example, if the job requires someone who has “managed” a team, don’t use the word “directed.”<\/div>\n
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Meet Our Expert<\/div>\n
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View more from AARP jobs expert and author Kerry Hannon<\/a><\/div>\n
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7. Consider hiring a pro to help<\/strong><\/div>\n
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It’s hard to brag about yourself. “Boomers spend zillions of hours trying to perfect their copy and still can’t get noticed by a recruiter,” Thomas says. “If that is truly the case and you are not receiving any response, hire a certified r\u00e9sum\u00e9 writer to write your r\u00e9sum\u00e9.” Fees will range from $300 to $1,500 or more. You can deduct the cost of preparing and mailing your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 from your federal taxes.<\/div>\n
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You can find certified r\u00e9sum\u00e9 writers through Career Directors International<\/a> or the National R\u00e9sum\u00e9 Writers Association<\/a>. In addition, career counselors, coaches and consultants can help you write your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 as well as help you hone your job search skills and strategies. If you’re a college graduate, check with your college career center to see if it offers free r\u00e9sum\u00e9 services.<\/div>\n
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Last but not least, proofread your r\u00e9sum\u00e9. Ask someone you trust to double-check it for you. I recommend reading it out loud, too. For me, that’s the single best way to catch missed words and grammatical gaffes.<\/div>\n
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R\u00e9sum\u00e9 Red Flags<\/strong><\/div>\n
Remove these from your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 now:<\/div>\n
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The “Career Objective” section.<\/strong> (Employers don’t care about your objectives. They care about theirs.)<\/div>\n
College or high school graduation dates.<\/strong><\/div>\n
Jobs that lasted less than six months.<\/strong> (This can be a good way to shorten an unwieldy r\u00e9sum\u00e9.)<\/div>\n
Outdated tech skills.<\/strong><\/div>\n
Too much personal information.<\/strong><\/div>\n
“References available upon request.”<\/strong> (If you advance in the process, you’ll be asked to provide.)<\/div>\n
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by Kerry Hanno<\/a>n<\/div>\n
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Kerry Hannon<\/a>, AARP jobs expert,\u00a0is a career transition expert and an award-winning author. Her books include<\/i> What’s Next? Finding Your Passion and Your Dream Job in Your Forties, Fifties and Beyond<\/a> and\u00a0<\/i>Great Jobs for Everyone 50+: Finding Work That Keeps You Happy and Healthy\u00a0\u2026 and Pays the Bills.<\/a>\u00a0Follow her on Twitter<\/i> @kerryhannon.<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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