Sunday, December 5, 2010

Creative Ways to Improve Your Resume

Monster+HotJobs. Learn More.Home
Job Search
My Searches
My Jobs
My Resumes
Career Tools
Post Jobs Search Resumes Employer Site Sign In

Career Tools > Career Articles > Creative Ways to Improve Your Resume
Creative Ways to Improve Your Resume
Stuck in a resume rut? Here's how to review and revise with fresh eyes.
by Charles Purdy, Monster+HotJobs senior editor

Career experts are unanimous on the importance of customizing our resumes for each new job we apply for. But for many of us, when it comes to revising our resumes, the first question is "How?"

It's easy to get stuck in rut when you're working with material you know so well. So here are some ways to take a fresh look at revising your resume.

1. Analyze the job post's wording.
An easy way to make sure your resume gets you in the door for an interview is to echo the language in the job post. Look for ways to use the words in the post; a resume reader--human or software--may be screening for them. (If there is no job post, check the company's website--especially the About Us page and any corporate mission statements--for language you might adopt.)

=========================================
Monster+HotJobs: More Opportunities

Transfer your HotJobs account to Monster for access to more jobs and more employers. Learn More
=========================================

If your resume says "supervise," but the job post says "manage," change it. If your last job title was "Social Media Ninja," and you're applying for a "Social Media Marketing Specialist" position, include the term "Marketing Specialist" in parentheses after your Ninja title (as long as you feel that this term could describe your past role).

Of course, don't stretch the truth!

2. Weed out fibs.
It's all too easy for little fibs to make their way into a resume. Several years ago, you added an unearned certification to your resume, just to get your foot in the door at a new company. Or you claimed competence in a software program you figured you could learn on-the-fly.

Then, as the years went on, those temporary resume fibs somehow became set in stone. Now's the time to chisel them out. Any lie--even a seemingly inconsequential one--can put your job search and your future job security in jeopardy.

Replace lies with truths--or set about making them true. It could be as simple as putting the word "pursuing" before that imaginary degree on your resume.

3. Get rid of the "objective statement."
Beginning a resume with an objective statement (a phrase that starts with something like "Seeking a challenging position ...") is out. As Lauren Milligan, resume expert at ResuMAYDAY.com, says, "Employers already know that your objective is to get a job, after all." She suggests, instead, creating a personal summary statement that "illustrates how you are better than other candidates for the job." She adds, "Identify a few areas in your profession that you excel at ... and that you really enjoy doing."

Tell the hiring manager who you are and how you can solve her or his company's problems, not what you want.

4. Get rid of redundancies.
Don't waste time telling hiring managers what they already know. Many people do this in their descriptions of past jobs. For instance, if your last job was as a copywriter for an online rug retailer, saying something like "wrote marketing copy for a wide variety of rugs" is unnecessary. Instead of taking up space with definitions no one needs, describe specific achievements. Did your work improve sales, get praise from management, or improve SEO rankings? Use job highlights, not job descriptions.

5. Cut unnecessary resume "stories."
Work Coach Cafe's Ronnie Ann advises removing things that are not directly related to the story you're telling about yourself and the job you're applying for. She says, "I have an abundantly varied job history--better than 'job hopper,' huh?--and remember back to resumes where I just wanted to make each job so full-bodied and rich that I was sure the employer would want to meet me. But as interesting as we may be as human beings, employers just want to know if we're right for their company--and specifically the job in question."

For instance, if you're both a professional accountant and a certified dog groomer, you might want to play down your dog-grooming experience when you apply for jobs in finance.

6. Look for ways to use exciting language.
Check your resume's verbs, and use strong verbs to make your resume more vibrant. For instance, "responsible for daily bank deposits" (no verb) could easily be "oversaw daily bank deposits" (strong verb). And as you find each verb, look at its subject--is it you? If not, should it be? For instance, in "duties included writing press releases," the subject is "duties." It'd be much better to say something like "Wrote all company press releases."

7. Turn your resume upside-down.
I'm serious. Turn your resume upside-down and look at it from a distance. This will help you analyze its appearance separately from its content. Does it look too dense? Is it heavier on the top or bottom? Emily Bennington, a coauthor of "Effective Immediately: How to Fit In, Stand Out, and Move Up at Your First Real Job," says, "Sometimes a resume will catch my eye simply because it's formatted beautifully. I know the most important component is the content on the page, but you should also pay attention to the packaging. Trust me, hiring managers notice!"

8. Write a draft in a different format.
In his book "The Overnight Resume: The Fastest Way to Your Next Job," career expert Donald Asher suggests writing a letter to a family member about your job accomplishments as a way to rethink your resume. (Go ahead, brag a little.) Then he says you can start turning this into a resume draft by removing most personal pronouns ("I" and "we"), taking out articles ("a," "an," and "the"), and cutting transition words like "and" (unless doing so would distort meaning).

Thinking of your resume as a letter or a story (in which you're the hero), or some other medium, is a great way to start making it fresher, more personal, and more effective.

(For more on keywords and how to format resumes for online posting, read "Resumes for the Digital Age." And for a few resume-proofreading tips, check out "The Well-Punctuated Resume" on the Monster.com blog.)

Also on Monster+HotJobs:

How to turn a stranger into a network contact
How to deal with an annoying boss
Find a new job near you

Other Helpful Tools
Resume
Interviewing
Salary
Networking
Career Development
Life at Work
Search Jobs

Keywords (e.g. nurse, unix, or part-time)
City & State or ZIP (USA)
Include: Metro Area & Job Category

Accounting/Finance Advertising/Public Relations Aerospace/Aviation Arts/ Entertainment/Publishing Automotive Banking/Mortgage Business Development Business Opportunity Clerical/Administrative Construction/Facilities Consumer Goods Customer Service Education/Training Energy/Utilities Engineering Government/Military Green Healthcare Hospitality/Travel Human Resources Installation/Maintenance Insurance Internet Job Search Aids Law Enforcement/Security Legal Management/Executive Manufacturing/Operations Marketing Non-Profit/Volunteer Pharmaceutical/Biotech Professional Services QA/Quality Control Real Estate Restaurant/Food Service Retail Sales Science/Research Skilled Labor Technology Telecommunications Transportation/Logistics Other

Tools from our Partners
Free Career Test
by LiveCareer

Know yourself, know your right career.
Resume Writing

by Resume Edge
Get a resume that gets results.

ADVERTISEMENT
Calculate Your Salary

Find out what salary you should get.
Start over
Job Title (Required)
City & State, or ZIP

Salary data provided by PayScale

Sponsored Links
Send Resume to Recruiters • Send your resume instantly to recruiters looking to fill positions.

www.myResumeAgent.com


Job Alerts via Twitter
• Interviewing
• Salary
• Career Articles
• Browse Jobs
• Hiring Solutions
• Post Jobs, Search Resumes
On Monster
• Monster.com Job Search
• Career Advice
• Career Management Tools
• Monster.com Communities
Other Resources
• Monster+HotJobs Canada
• Site map
• Add Toolbar
Send us feedback
Find a job, post your resume, research careers at featured companies, compare salaries and get career advice on Monster+HotJobs. Start your job search now on Monster+HotJobs - thousands of jobs listed daily.

Top keyword searches:part time jobs • receptionist jobs • nurse jobs • medical assistant jobs • sales jobs • parttime jobs • warehouse jobs • customer service jobs • driver jobs • truck driver jobs
Top cities:Jobs in Atlanta • Jobs in New York • Jobs in Houston • Jobs in San Antonio • Jobs in Dallas • Jobs in Austin • Jobs in Los Angeles • Jobs in Denver • Jobs in Chicago • Jobs in Tampa Copyright © 2010 Monster Worldwide, Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright/IP Policy | Terms of Service | Guidelines | Privacy Policy | About Our Ads




About Monster+HotJobs | Affiliate Program | Advertise With Us | HotJobs has been acquired by Monster.com. Click here for more information

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Heya i'm for the first time here. I came across this board and I find It really useful & it helped me out a lot. I hope to give something back and help others like you aided me.

Visit my website; best stairlift online

Anonymous said...

Thanks for every other greаt aгticle.
Where еlse coulԁ anyone get that type of
information in such аn ideal manneг of wгiting?
I have a presеntation next weeκ, and I am at the search fοr such іnfo.



Check out my website ... best cheap luxury perfumes online

Anonymous said...

It's awesome to pay a visit this website and reading the views of all friends concerning this paragraph, while I am also eager of getting experience.

Take a look at my web site :: cheap bass yachts seats online

Anonymous said...

I think the аdmin of thiѕ ωebsite iѕ trulу woгκing harԁ in support of hiѕ
web page, for the reaѕоn that herе every
ѕtuff is qualіty basеd mаteriаl.



Alsо visit mу ωebpagе; cheapеst staіrliftѕ (toplist.stonetawne.net)

Anonymous said...

Hellο сolleagues, how is all, and what you
woulԁ like tо saу on the topiс
οf this article, in my vieω its аctuаllу amazing in ѕuρport of mе.


Also visit my site ... Tгeppenaufzüge Beratеr []