The Resume Critique

How are you going to get your resume to stand out among all the others?

By making sure it is organized for easy reading with the information prospective employers are looking for and showing how you are a unique individual.

I took advantage of a free resume critique from GetInterviews.com that offered me some advice on how to update my resume. I liked their comments and updated my resume using most of them. Following are the suggestions given to me which I thought was worth sharing with you.

A resume is read in 45 seconds. If a resume can't be read that quickly, it won't be read. Suggestions:

• Summary: The most valuable real estate is the first half of the first page. The summary establishes the focus of the resume and should provide the reader with a concise picture of the value you offer.
• Core Competencies: These should be specific areas of expertise and knowledge that can be supported by solid accomplishments, such as HTLM programming, using Eloqua, Google Analytics. Computer skills such as Microsoft Office do not add weight to your candidacy. They are normal, expected skills and should not be listed.
• Professional Experience: (1) For each position held, summarize your duties and company information in paragraph format and then use up to 5 bullets for your accomplishments and results achieved to maximize their impact. (2) Take out personal pronouns - I, me, my. (3) List only the past 10-15 years experience because it is most relevant to the challenges employers face today. If you are concerned about showing depth, there are ways to truncate your older experience while still showing you have good background from which to draw upon. (4) Don't use "References available upon request." It's not done anymore, especially for upper level resumes.
• Education: Employers are looking for education and omitting it is a red flag.
• Associations: A hiring manager only has your resume to get to know you. Include group memberships and volunteer work to make you stand out from your competition.

After you've updated your resume, send it to a few people to get their comments. Once you've got it where you like it, don't forget to upload it to all the job sites you are currently registered.

If you've got more ideas on how to get your resume in tip top shape, post it here.