Your resume is all about YOU and maintaining an updated professional resume at all times, employed or not, will ensure you are prepared for your next opportunity. Although you may be content in your current position, it is impossible to predict the future and the possibility of going from employee to job seeker could happen when you least expect it. Quantifiable accomplishments are critical content for a resume so keeping your resume current will eliminate the need to try and recall details from the past or the inability to note impressive results on your resume. 

Your resume represents You and so too, will your ability to provide a current, professional resume at anytime upon the request of an HR professional or Recruiter. It will reflect your due diligence, competency and genuine aspirations for career advancement earning you respect and the acknowledgement of your confidence.   

You and your resume are one and the same with your most defining attribute being your name. It should be displayed on your resume in a font that is both larger and bolder than any other content. In addition, your position titles and your diploma/degree should also be displayed in bold. Do not bold the company name or the University or College name. Further to contact details, which now require a Linkedin address, your title should be prominently displayed followed by an enticing tag-line.  

Your accomplishments will be more impressive and easier to notice by quantifying results so use numbers. Anyone can say they increased sales but not everyone has bragging rights to say they increased sales by 150% over 6 months! You and your resume must exude confidence to stand out from the competition and have a positive influence on the decision maker. For inspiration, make note of the following quote from SteveWeber, “Be bold about what you have to offer the world! If you hold back, people sense the insecurity of your offer.”

Are you and your resume ready? Submit your resume to Martin Buckland, Certified Professional Resume Writer for a free resume critique. 

It is possible that you will have an opportunity to create a first impression prior to being asked to submit your resume, but more likely than not your resume will be your only chance at a first impression. How are you going to establish the most awesome, professional and impressive document possible to make yourself stand out from the competition and instil a lasting impression that will get you the job interview? How your resume looks is critical because without the job interview there is no job!

Your resume; this one, two or three page document, is your key to unlocking doors to a successful career. Of course you will need to be prepared to exude confidence and relay your expertise in a job interview but without an exceptional resume with a look that entices the reader, your chances of unlocking doors to a job interview are limited. Is your resume generating job interviews? If so, depending on your success rate in the interview it is safe to say that multiple job offers will result in the ability to negotiate, make choices and ensure the advancement of your career.  

What we see is highly influential in every assessment or decision we make. So too is the appearance of your resume, your online profile and your physical appearance to the decisions that will be made by HR professionals and recruiters. Credentials, expertise and ability are important but if you don’t look good on paper or online, you won’t get the opportunity to brag in person at a job interview.

Does your professional resume clearly portray you as an accomplished individual? Does it highlight quantifiable accomplishments? Are your past positions and accreditations highlighted? Have you included a variety of contact details? Do not include personal information on your resume. You may be proud of it and think others should be too but you have only opened the door to discrimination. There is a reason that it is illegal to ask certain questions on an application or in a job interview.

Don’t miss out on an opportunity to be interviewed for a job. Contact Martin Buckland, Certified Professional Resume Writer for a free resume critique and and find out how your resume looks to a professional before you send it out. 

What is the one word that describes you? This is likely a question you have heard alot lately especially if you are in career transition. More than ever before the key to advancing your career is to promote your value. Give careful consideration to the one word that will describe your most impressive attribute but at the same time distinguish you from the competition. Although passion and drive are highly influential to employers, too many individuals refer to themselves as passionate when in fact few people really are truly passionate about what they do. It is so widely used that it risks credibility and will not help you to stand out from the competition. Consider words such as inquisitive, audacious, competitive, ambitious, intuitive, savvy and indomitable. Steer clear of out of date, overused or boring words such as results-oriented, methodical, detail oriented and communicative. 

Do you have a tag line? A clear, concise tag line should compliment the one word that describes your strongest attribute and be consistently displayed to establish your brand and promote your value. Is your tag line contained in your resume, Resume Writing Tag Lines? Be sure to include it in social media profiles and on your website. A business card is a must and an effective tag line will ensure a lasting impression.   

Consumers and HR professionals are looking for and willing to pay for value. Managing a successful career involves promoting your value. Why should your next employer invest in you? What value will you bring to their organization?

Contact Martin Buckland, Certified Professional Branding Strategist to unearth your unique promise of value! 

How many people have you asked to review your resume prior to sending it out to decision makers? Your professional resume is your key to open doors but once it has failed to open a door you have forfeited an opportunity that may have provided you with the job interview of a lifetime!

HR professionals and recruiters receive an enormous number of resumes limiting their time for review to little more than a few seconds and creating the necessity to reduce those numbers to a manageable level. Will your resume survive through this elimination process?

Don’t take any chances. Send your resume to friends, colleagues, family members and professional resume writers to obtain a free critique before you put it in the hands of an eliminator! Carefully consider all feedback and the majority of responses. Do they like the look and layout of information? Were they able to get back to you easily with the contact information you provided? Is your resume free of typos and white space? Did you receive any questions about the information you provided, employment gaps or missing dates?

Don’t miss out on opening a door with your resume! Obtain a free resume critique.

As a potential candidate for a job, your interest is an employer’s job description but the employer will be interested in your performance and not a job description.

If your resume is going to open up doors for you it must be performance based! Anyone can assume responsibilities and tasks but it is quantifiable results that will be of interest to a prospective employer. Promotions, awards, charts and numbers provided in an easily read, 1 to 3 page, aesthetically pleasing, professional resume will quickly and easily create a positive impression and secure a job interview. Employment gaps, white spaces and missing dates will only take away from the limited amount of time that will be spent perusing your resume which is estimated to be 20 to 30 seconds decreasing your chances of being called for an interview!

Using the STAR principal is the most effective tool to produce a performance based resume; Situation, Task, Action, Result. Your current resume may list your job description as “Responsible for budget, logistics and supply chain management”, whereas a STAR resume might read, “Outsourced manufacturing to third party, non-unionized packers in western Canada to alleviate the Toronto-centric processing base, extracting $15 million from freight costs”.

Apply to the job description with a professional resume that will be acknowledged as a record of impressive performance and resulting accomplishments and you will secure your next job interview!

A job search can be an extremely discouraging experience for many people. Sending out a resume over and over again to recruiters, companies and job boards and waiting beside a phone that never rings. Is your resume to blame? 

Before you blame your resume, it is important to have a clear perspective and a good understanding of the job market. Did you know that online jobs account for less than 5% of all available jobs? Did you know that close to 80% of jobs are obtained as a result of networking? How many resumes are you submitting to online job postings versus those submitted from leads obtained by networking? Is it possible that your job search strategy is to blame and not your resume?  

When applying for a job, is the experience noted on your resume closely matched to the job description that you are applying for?  Do you have the qualifications that the potential employer is seeking? Some companies are willing to accept experience in lieu of a degree but if you don’t have the experience or the education, do you think you should be called in for an interview? Are you still blaming your resume?

Your resume is a critical document in the job search process and is more often than not, the only chance you have to create a dynamic first impression. As an introduction to a job interview, you must present a professional and accomplishment based resume if you intend to catch the attention of a decision maker. It is just as important to ensure your resume reaches the individual who is in a position to make a decision for a viable job and to apply for positions that you are qualified to fill.

Of course your resume could be to blame for your lack of job interviews but this need not be the case. Email your resume to Elite Resumes for a free resume critique from a Certified Professional Resume Writer. Don’t take any chances on a missed opportunity for a job interview because of a poorly written resume.

The following resume writing tips are well known in the industry but for those who find themselves returning to the job market after a lengthy tenure, it may be worth reviewing to ensure you are aware of some of these do’s and don’ts of resume writing.

These 10 tips represent what NOT to do:

• Do Not use colourful or glossy paper, fancy fonts, symbols or underlining.
• Do Not leave blank white spaces or go beyond a 3 page document.
• Do Not add your photo to your resume.  There are only a few positions that would require a photo such as a model or an actor.
• Do Not use an  outdated or silly Hotmail or AOL email address. It only takes a matter of seconds to establish a professional email address.
• Do Not complete contact details without including your customized LinkedIn address and a phone number that you can be reached at.
• Do Not use, “I”, “My”, “He”, “She”.  This is your resume, not a cover letter.  Use bullet points and begin each accomplishment with an action verb.
• Do Not lie about your past jobs or qualifications.  It’s not worth getting the job today just to lose it tomorrow.
• Do Not leave out graduation dates or leave gaps in your work history. Leaving it out will only send a red flag. If you’re not willing to tell the whole story on your resume, should you be trusted to reveal it in an interiew?    
• Do Not include religious or political affiliations or personal interests and hobbies on your resume.
• Do Not list references on your resume and there is no need to note that they are “available upon request” as any recruiter or human resource professional expects that they will be available.

Send your resume to Elite Resumes to receive a free resume critique from a Certified Professional Resume Writer.

When dealing with any business or individual providing goods or services a transparent image is critical to securing your loyalty and trust as a customer. The notion that they have Nothing to Hide relates to being reputable and honest.

When submitting your resume to an HR Professional or Recruiter this same principle applies and yet over 60% of resumes are purposely submitted with missing dates or career gaps. This sends an immediate red flag! Leaving a blank space is equivalent to saying, ”I’m trying to hide something from you!” Most people will assume the worst when missing information is discovered. The omitted graduation date of 1985 will more likely be presumed to be 1975! Your lack of honesty has tarnished your credibility and the futile attempt to hide your age just added on 10 years!

Many of us learn from an early age that, “honesty is the best policy” and when a professional resume is sent out, nothing is more critical than honesty. Yes, you could argue it was not meant to be dishonest when you intentionally left out the dates or work history on your resume but it is much easier to establish credibility from the start than to take a chance on missing out on the opportunity to defend your reputation after the fact.

The goal for any professional sifting through mountains of resumes is that of elimination in order to establish a reasonable number of potential candiates to interview. Any reason to discard your resume will do. You may believe you are the most qualified of candidates but all studies show a simple typo could result in a missed opportunity! Intentionally leaving out details on your resume will also result in a missed opportunity. Employers are searching for honest, loyal and reputable employees as we are when we make a decision to pay for products or services. Is the potential candidate/product/ service recognized? Is it easy to search and gain valuable information? Are there postitive testimonials available?

There is nothing to hide on your resume. The risk of being eliminated as a potential candidate due to missing information or the risk of discovery at a later date could be devastating to your career.

Email your resume for a free resume critique from a Certified Professional Resume Writer.                  

Are you able to answer the following, frequently asked questions about resume writing?

How many pages should my resume be?

Do I need to list references on my resume?

Should I list all 20 of my previous jobs?

Is there a particular font that is more acceptable than others?

I’ve heard that you shouldn’t underline anything on a resume.  Is this true and why?

Is it acceptable to use abbreviations?

Do you include high school info in a resume?

Should I include the political and religious organizations I am involved with?

Should a resume for an undergraduate be kept to one page?

Is it necessary to include an objective?

Should the education section always appear at the end of the resume?

What type of results should I be expecting from my resume?

Is it acceptable to have more than one type of resume?

How should I list the degrees I have acquired from other countries?

Should I list my hobbies and interests to let a potential employer get to know me a little better?

What is the difference between a Functional and a Chronological resume?

How do I show my personal brand in my resume?

Is a tag line important?

Why shouldn’t I use resume.doc when naming my resume?

Do I need to include my customized Linkedin url on my resume?

If you are writing your resume and are not sure how to answer any one of these frequently asked questions STOP now!  You do not want to give a hiring professional any reason to discard your resume. Contact Elite Resumes for the answers to these questions or submit your resume for a free resume critique by a Certified Professional Resume Writer.

Searching for jobs online is a common occurrence and just as common are the number of organizations that require you to submit your resume online. Mailing a paper resume or hand delivering it are two options that may never be an option again. Although online job boards represent a very small percentage of available jobs since many are posted solely to boost traffic to a website or contain outdated information, it will still be necessary to send your resume online even if it is in an email. For that reason, you must have a properly named and formatted, professional resume that is ready to upload on any site at any time with the press of a button.

Here are a few tips to consider before sending your resume into cyberspace:

• Review the formatting of your resume to ensure it will look the same to the recipient as it does to you. Avoid symbols, unique fonts and underlining.
• Check the validity of the site advertising the job. There are many but most should be familiar or provide contact information.
• Ensure your resume is up to date. Keep a list of the sites you have your resume posted on and take the time to update at the same time to maintain consistent information.
• If you have a professional resume that has provided positive results, use it to post content when creating online profiles on social media sites such as Linkedin and Visual CV.
• Remember most resumes are scanned for keywords as a process for elimination so don’t miss any. Google the most current and popular keywords in your industry.
• Job boards such as Monster should be visited daily if only to make a minor change to your resume to ensure it stays near the top of the list for visibility.

Visit Elite Resumes for a free resume critique from a Certified Professional Resume Writer.