more terrible ideas: your resume should not be an infographic by Alison Green on February 5, 2013 Your resume should not be presented as an infographic. This is a terrible, terrible idea. First, it means that your design goals end up trumping quantity and quality of information. In the examples I’ve seen, there’s far less information than on a traditional resume, because it needs to be fit into the constraints of the […] Read the full article →
5 things you might not have on your resume but should by Alison Green on February 4, 2013 If you’re trying to write an effective resume, here are five things you might not be including, but should add. 1. A profile at the top of your resume. Profile sections or summaries have replaced objectives at the top of modern-day resumes. This is a quick list of the highlights of your strengths and experience, summing […] Read the full article →
stop applying without your resume by Alison Green on February 1, 2013 A reader writes: Since I know you appreciate good examples of bad job applications… I’m currently recruiting for a full time, entry level, customer service position. My HR department definitely pared down the job description more than I would have liked prior to posting, but it still conveys the basics of what we’re looking for, […] Read the full article →
do you need to include months when listing job dates on your resume? by Alison Green on January 23, 2013 A reader writes: What is your opinion/advice on removing months from the dates portion of your resume? I have a few years of professional experience and wonder if the months could come off from my earlier jobs. For instance, changing “Job Title, April 2011 to June 2012” to just “Job Title, 2011 to 2012.” Or […] Read the full article →
how to list the dates of your current job on your resume by Alison Green on January 4, 2013 This is a tiny, minor, inconsequential thing, but I’m telling you anyway because I’m neurotic about small things: If you are currently employed, the dates on your resume for your current job should end with “present.” For instance: Chocolate Teapot Maker, 2009 – present not Chocolate Teapot Maker, 2009 – 2013 If you do the […] Read the full article →
staffing agency told me to pay for resume help before applying by Alison Green on December 29, 2012 A reader writes: I just had a question regarding an email response I received after submitting my resume for a job posting I found through a job posting website. It turns out that the posting was from a job agency. The only requirement was to email him a copy of my resume. I did so, and […] Read the full article →
if you’re not getting interviews, read this by Alison Green on December 26, 2012 I have talked to a lot of people lately who aren’t getting interviews and who can’t figure out what the problem is. They tell me that they know their resume and cover letter are fine (and often people have looked those over for them and verified that), and they can’t figure out what they’re doing […] Read the full article →
should you list hobbies on your resume? by Alison Green on October 1, 2012 A reader writes: Lately, I have been wondering about conventions regarding including hobbies and activities (other than volunteer work) on resumes. For example, in my spare time I take archery lessons and sing in an a cappella group, in addition to various musical commitments that may pop up over the course of the year (i.e., […] Read the full article →
do not use a video resume by Alison Green on September 21, 2012 A reader forwarded me this email from a job applicant, which she notes was “sent after we posted a job listing with the explicit instructions to follow a link and apply through our online form”: Here’s my video resume – it highlights my experience, qualifications, etc.: (LINK REDACTED) It’s about 2 minutes, then it downloads my […] Read the full article →
help! I’m getting confusing and conflicting resume advice! by Alison Green on September 20, 2012 Posts this week will include some reprints of older posts that I still love. This post was originally published on September 30, 2009. A reader writes: Last week, I did a complete overhaul of my resume, specifically to cut it down from 2 pages to 1, because I keep hearing (from friends who work in […] Read the full article →