Resumes For Dummies^®, 5th Edition

by Joyce Lain Kennedy

• ISBN13: 9780470080375
• ISBN10: 047008037X
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-01-01
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

Is your job search stalling out after you submit a resume but before you're offered an interview? With reinvented recruiting technology, unmanageable millions of resumes choking employer databases, and government mandates in the name of diversity, a gigantic change has occurred in the recruiting world over the past several years-and it demands a fresh look at how you write and market your resumes. Whether you're entering the job market for the first time, changing jobs, or changing careers, Resumes for Dummies, 5th Edition will show you the ropes and rules for a new era in recruiting and job finding. With 85ew content added since the previous edition, this up-to-date guide gives you the very latest strategies on how to create, and more importantly, distribute your resume in today's new job search environment. You'll learn: Why most generic online resumes fail How to customize resumes for each job opening New quick ways to find the right jobs How to use meta search engines to your advantage Why both digital and print versions of resumes are still needed How to use resumes interactively The resume basics that still knock 'em dead How to create resumes for your life's changing phases What to do after you send them your resume With a wealth of sample resumes-organized by industry and career field, experience level and age, and special circumstances-along with tips on choosing professional resume help and other valuable resources, Resumes for Dummies, 5th Edition will help you get noticed in a universe saturated with billions of resumes and more on the way.

Author Biography

Joyce Lain Kennedy is America’s first nationally syndicated careers columnist. Her twice-weekly column, CAREERS NOW, appears in newspapers and Web sites across the land. In her four decades of advising readers — young, senior, and in-between — Joyce has received millions of letters inquiring about career moves and job search and has answered countless numbers of them in print.
Joyce is the author of seven career books, including Joyce Lain Kennedy’s Career Book (McGraw-Hill), and Electronic Job Search Revolution, Electronic Resume Revolution, and Hook Up, Get Hired! The Internet Job Search Revolution (the last three published by Wiley). Resumes For Dummies is one of a trio of job market books published under Wiley’s wildly popular For Dummies branded imprint. The others are Cover Letters For Dummies and Job Interviews For Dummies.
Writing from a San Diego suburb, the country’s best-known careers columnist is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis. Contact Joyce at [e-mail].

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
About This Book	p. 1
Conventions Used in This Book	p. 2
Foolish Assumptions	p. 3
How This Book Is Organized	p. 3
Pitching Your Resumes in a New Era Job Market	p. 3
Resume Basics That Wow 'Em Every Time	p. 4
Bringing It All Together: Sample OnTarget Resumes	p. 4
You've Sent Your Wow. What to Do Now	p. 4
The Part of Tens	p. 4
Icons Used in This Book	p. 5
Where to Go from Here	p. 5
Pitching Your Resumes in a New Era Job Market	p. 7
The All-Purpose Resume Is So Five Minutes Ago	p. 9
In a New Era, the Targeted Resume Rules	p. 9
Market Forces Zap Unqualified Resumes	p. 10
Game-Changing Government Rules Impact Resumes	p. 12
Navigating the regulations	p. 14
Sign of the times	p. 15
Three Steps to Writing a Targeted Resume	p. 15
Prepare your core resume	p. 16
Research requirements of job	p. 16
Customize each spinoff resume	p. 16
Sample Core Resume and Spinoffs	p. 16
The back story on Lauren L. Simpson	p. 17
Lauren's core resume	p. 17
Lauren's spinoff resume A	p. 17
Lauren's spinoff resume B	p. 22
In a New Era, the OnTarget Resume Brings You So Up to Date	p. 25
New Quick Ways to Find the Right Jobs	p. 29
The Young Giants: Vertical Job Search Engines	p. 30
Using a vertical: The generic basics	p. 32
Meet the verticals	p. 33
SimplyHired.com	p. 33
Indeed.com	p. 33
Jobster.com	p. 34
GetTheJob.com	p. 35
Yahoo! HotJobs	p. 36
Job Boards Rising	p. 36
Finding job boards	p. 37
Using job board resources	p. 38
The Continuing Power of Newspapers	p. 39
But here's the rest of the story	p. 40
A new wind is blowing on newspapers	p. 41
Hunting on Company Web Sites	p. 41
Seeking and Finding Is Easier than Ever	p. 43
Spotlight Your Resume in a Web 2.0 World	p. 45
Online Employee Referral	p. 46
What it is	p. 47
Getting started	p. 47
Finding more info	p. 48
Online Social Networking	p. 48
What it is	p. 48
Getting started	p. 49
Finding more info	p. 50
Blogs	p. 51
What it is	p. 51
Getting started	p. 52
Finding more info	p. 53
Really Simple Syndication (RSS)	p. 53
What it is	p. 53
Getting started	p. 54
Finding more info	p. 54
Instant Messaging	p. 54
What it is	p. 55
Getting started	p. 56
Finding more info	p. 56
Podcasts	p. 56
What it is	p. 57
Getting started	p. 57
Finding more info	p. 58
Web 2.0 Is a Work in Progress	p. 58
Familiar Search Tools That Haven't Gone Away	p. 59
Scannable Resumes: Same as Ever	p. 60
Plain Text Resumes: A Long Last Gasp	p. 61
E-Forms: Fill in the Blankety-Blanks	p. 64
Yippee! The Fully Designed, Handsome Resume Is Back!	p. 66
From Identity Theft to Recruiter Turnoff: Why Resume Blasting Is a Bad Idea	p. 67
Privacy and identity theft problems	p. 67
Risks in your workplace	p. 68
Overexposure to recruiters	p. 69
Online Screening Keeps On Keepin' On	p. 69
Sample components of online screening	p. 70
Pros and cons of online screening	p. 71
Can your resume be turned away?	p. 72
Match Your Resumes to the Jobs	p. 72
Resume Basics That Wow 'Em Every Time	p. 73
Creating Your Best Resume	p. 75
"Telling It" Mutes; "Selling It" Sings	p. 75
Focus Your Resume	p. 77
Resume Formats Make a Difference	p. 80
Reverse Chronological Format	p. 81
Strengths and weaknesses	p. 81
Who should use this format and who should think twice	p. 82
Creating a reverse chronological resume	p. 84
Functional Format	p. 84
Strengths and weaknesses	p. 84
Who should use this format and who should think twice	p. 85
Creating a functional resume	p. 85
Hybrid Format	p. 87
Strengths and weaknesses	p. 87
Who should use this format and who should think twice	p. 87
Creating a hybrid resume	p. 87
Professional Format	p. 89
Strengths and weaknesses	p. 89
Who should use this format and who should think twice	p. 89
Creating a professional resume	p. 89
Academic Curriculum Vitae	p. 91
Strengths and weaknesses	p. 91
Who should use this format and who should think twice	p. 91
Creating an academic curriculum vitae	p. 94
International Curriculum Vitae Format	p. 94
Strengths and weaknesses	p. 94
Who should use this format and who should think twice	p. 94
Creating an international curriculum vitae	p. 97
Other Resume Presentations	p. 97
Variations on a theme	p. 97
Accomplishment format	p. 98
Linear format	p. 98
Keyword format	p. 98
Resume letters	p. 99
Portfolios	p. 99
Video resumes	p. 100
Web resumes	p. 101
Multimedia resumes	p. 101
Choose What Works for You	p. 101
Content Makes the OnTarget Difference	p. 103
The Parts of Your Resume	p. 103
Leading with Contact Information	p. 104
Hooking the Reader with a Summary or Objective	p. 106
Choosing an objective	p. 107
When to use an objective	p. 107
Advantages of an objective	p. 107
Disadvantages of an objective	p. 108
Opting for a summary	p. 108
When to use a summary	p. 108
Advantages of a summary	p. 110
Disadvantages of a summary	p. 110
Making Education, Experience, Skills, and Competencies Work for You	p. 110
Education	p. 110
Experience	p. 111
Skills	p. 111
Competencies	p. 113
A few examples of core competencies	p. 114
Including competencies in your resumes	p. 116
Gaining Extra Points	p. 117
Activities	p. 117
Organizations	p. 118
Honors and awards	p. 118
Licenses and samples of your work	p. 118
Testimonials	p. 119
Shaping Your Content on Application Forms	p. 119
Content to Omit: Your Salary Story	p. 120
Accomplishments Are Your Content Aces	p. 121
Wow Words Work Wonders	p. 123
Wow Words Can Bring Good News	p. 124
Wow words for administration and management	p. 124
Wow words for communications and creativity	p. 125
Wow words for sales and persuasion	p. 125
Wow words for technical ability	p. 126
Wow words for office support	p. 127
Wow words for teaching	p. 128
Wow words for research and analysis	p. 128
Wow words for helping and caregiving	p. 129
Wow words for financial management	p. 130
Wow words for many skills	p. 131
Keywords Are Key to Finding You	p. 131
Keywords for administration/management	p. 132
Keywords for banking	p. 133
Keywords for customer service	p. 133
Keywords for information technology	p. 134
Keywords for manufacturing	p. 134
Keywords for human resources	p. 134
Where to Find Keywords	p. 135
Get a Grip on Grammar	p. 136
A Few Words about Spelling	p. 137
Words Sell Your Story	p. 139
Refine Your Design for Great Looks	p. 141
Resumes That Resonate	p. 142
Word processing	p. 142
Printing	p. 142
Paper selection	p. 142
Consistency, consistency, consistency	p. 143
When three's not a crowd	p. 143
Come on, break it up!	p. 143
Open spaces	p. 144
Typefaces and fonts	p. 145
A few more tips on appearance	p. 146
Choosing between Two Resume Layouts	p. 146
Design That Gets the Word Out	p. 150
Passages: Resumes for Your Life's Changing Phases	p. 151
Scoring Big as a Recent Graduate	p. 152
Quick take: Rookie strengths	p. 152
Quick take: Rookie soft spots	p. 152
Tips for recent graduates	p. 153
Beef up your sales pitch	p. 153
Clarify your aim	p. 154
Ditch unhelpful information	p. 154
Data-mine your college experience	p. 154
Gaffes common to new graduates	p. 155
Falling short of image standards	p. 155
Omitting heavy-hitter points	p. 155
Overcompensating with gimmicky language	p. 157
Making employers guess	p. 157
Leveling the experience field	p. 157
Stopping with bare bones	p. 157
Hiding hot information	p. 157
Highlighting the immaterial	p. 158
Ignoring employers' needs	p. 158
Writing boastfully	p. 158
Grabbing Good Jobs as a Baby Boomer	p. 158
Quick take: Boomer strengths	p. 158
Quick take: Boomer soft spots	p. 159
Tips for baby boomers	p. 160
Match your target job description	p. 160
Shorten your resume	p. 161
Focus your resume	p. 161
Show that you're a tower of strength	p. 161
Demonstrate political correctness	p. 161
Distribute your resume online	p. 161
Murder ancient education dates	p. 162
Trim your resume to fighting weight	p. 162
Use appropriate headings	p. 162
Taking a lower-level job	p. 162
Gaffes common to boomers	p. 163
Choosing the wrong focus	p. 163
Using old resume standards	p. 164
Lacking a summary	p. 164
Revealing age negatively	p. 165
Appearing low-tech	p. 165
Not supplementing a high school education	p. 165
Winning Interviews as a New Civilian	p. 165
Quick take: Transitioning military strengths	p. 166
Quick take: Transitioning military soft spots	p. 166
Tips for new civilians	p. 167
Advertise what you're selling	p. 167
Consider your best format	p. 167
Zero in on job fairs	p. 168
Protect your identity from theft	p. 168
Be a resource collector	p. 168
Visit key Web sites	p. 170
Get the message about milspeak	p. 170
Changing Course with an OnTarget Resume	p. 172
Successful Solutions to Resume Problems	p. 175
Too Much Experience	p. 176
Too many qualifications or ageism?	p. 176
Too much experience in one job	p. 178
Divide your job into modules	p. 178
Deal honestly with job titles	p. 178
Tackle deadly perceptions head-on	p. 179
Highlight the issue	p. 179
Too Long Gone: For Women Only	p. 180
Sift through your past	p. 182
Use professional terms	p. 182
Know the score	p. 182
Job Seekers with Disabilities	p. 183
Deciding whether to disclose a disability	p. 184
Explaining gaps in work history	p. 184
Asking for special equipment	p. 185
When Demotion Strikes	p. 185
Gaps in Your Record	p. 187
Too Many Layoffs That Aren't Your Fault	p. 189
Explaining Mergers and Acquisitions	p. 189
Here a Job, There a Job, Everywhere a Job, Job	p. 190
Overcoming a job-hopping image	p. 190
Cleaning out your job closet	p. 192
When Substance Abuse Is the Problem	p. 192
A Bad Credit Rap	p. 193
Ex-Offenders Job Hunting	p. 194
Know that negative information is dangerous	p. 194
Avoid the chronological format	p. 194
Present your prison experience in nonprison terms	p. 195
Get help with your resume and job search	p. 195
Look for Ways to Scoot Past Resume Blocks	p. 195
Bringing It All Together: Sample On Target Resumes	p. 197
A Sampling of OnTarget Resumes by Industry and Career Field	p. 199
A Sampling of OnTarget Resumes by Experience Level and Age	p. 219
A Sampling of OnTarget Resumes for Special Circumstances	p. 239
A Sampling of Extreme Resume Makeovers	p. 259
You've Sent Your Wow. What to Do Now	p. 279
References Safeguard Your Resume	p. 281
The Harm Caused by a So-So Reference	p. 281
Seven Things You Should Do about References	p. 282
Ban references from your resume	p. 282
Expect employers to check references	p. 283
Choose references with thought	p. 283
Help references help you	p. 284
Cover your bases with a reference folder	p. 284
Stamp out bad references	p. 286
Thank everyone	p. 287
Finding References without Shedding Your Cloak of Secrecy	p. 287
Allow Enough Time for Skillful Reference Management	p. 288
Twisting in the Wind? Follow Up!	p. 289
Why Follow-Up Efforts Are Essential Today	p. 290
Questions to Ask Yourself Before Following Up	p. 291
Should I phone or e-mail my follow-up?	p. 292
What if the ad says "no phone calls"?	p. 292
What is the most powerful opening statement I can make?	p. 293
What are other compelling opening statements?	p. 293
How much information can I find out from a central phone operator?	p. 294
What are some tips to get past screeners, a.k.a. gatekeepers?	p. 294
What can I do if I keep getting booted to voicemail?	p. 296
Why shouldn't I leave a message asking the target to call me back?	p. 297
How can I keep track of all my calls, e-mails, and contacts as I follow up?	p. 298
When is it time to throw in the towel and move on?	p. 298
Monitoring Your Follow-up Efforts	p. 299
Using the Follow-Up Matrix	p. 299
Factors on the Follow-Up Matrix	p. 300
The Values Key	p. 301
Checking out a sample Matrix	p. 303
Fast-Tracking Your Successful Follow-Up	p. 303
Almost Got the Interview Date? Read This First	p. 305
When Your Job Conflicts with an Interview Date	p. 305
Face-to-Face Beats Ear-to-Ear	p. 306
Going Overboard on Ardor Can Cost You Money	p. 307
When the Interview Is Out of Town	p. 307
Making the Most of Your Moment	p. 308
Little Things Do Mean a Lot	p. 308
The Part of Tens	p. 309
Ten (x3) Wap to Prove Your Claims	p. 311
Say It with Numbers	p. 312
Say It with Percentages	p. 312
Say It with Dollar Amounts	p. 313
Ten Ways to Improve Your Resume	p. 315
Match Your Resume to the Job	p. 315
Use Bulleted Style for Easy Reading	p. 315
Discover Art of Lost Articles	p. 315
Sell, Don't Tell	p. 316
Show Off Your Assets	p. 316
Make Sure Your Words Play Well Together	p. 316
Reach Out with Strength	p. 317
Trash a Wimpy Objective	p. 317
Check the Horse's Mouth	p. 318
Erase the "Leave-Outs"	p. 318
Ten Tips on Choosing Professional Resume Help	p. 319
Choose a Resume Writing Service, Not a Clerical Service	p. 320
Ask Around for a Great Resume Pro	p. 320
Request a Free Initial Consultation	p. 321
Watch Out for Overuse of Forms	p. 321
Look for a Fair Price	p. 321
Check Out Samples	p. 322
Take Aim	p. 322
Consider a Certified Resume Writer	p. 323
Remember That Design Counts	p. 323
Know That a Poor Resume Is No Bargain	p. 324
Ten Pet Peeves of Recruiters	p. 325
Resume-Free Pitches	p. 325
Major Mismatches	p. 325
E-Stalking	p. 326
Caps and Taps and Typos	p. 328
Too Much Information	p. 328
Date Grate	p. 328
Guess Who	p. 329
File Style	p. 329
Useless and Uninformative	p. 330
Probable Prevarication	p. 330
Your Ten-Point Resume Checklist	p. 331
Tit for Tat	p. 331
Format and Style	p. 331
Focus and Image	p. 332
Achievements and Skills	p. 332
Language and Expressions	p. 332
Content and Omissions	p. 332
Length and Common Sense	p. 333
Appearance: Online Attached and Paper Resumes	p. 333
Sticky Points and Sugarcoating	p. 333
Tap the Power of OnTarget Resumes	p. 335
Index	p. 337
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