Career & Life Coaching

I recently volunteered to review a client’s resume.   She was applying for a job at a large Financial Institution.  She had her artistic husband design a very creative resume, which showcased his graphic design skills.  The resume looked great, if she was applying for an artistic position.  You want your resume to be memorable and stand out from the others in the pack, but the design should match the position you are applying for and the company environment.

Unless you are applying for a very conventional job with a conventional employer who will not appreciate a creative resume, you want a job resume that will set you apart for the other individuals vying for the job.  You want a resume that is creatively smart and will best reflect your qualifications, giving you the opportunity to sell yourself to a potential employer.

How to Make a Creative Resume

If you really want to make a job search resume that surpasses the competition, there are some key elements that must be included, especially if you want your potential employer to notice that little something different that you will bring to the company. Here are 4 tips that will help you prepare the perfect job resume:

1.  Choose a font that will catch the attention of the reader.  However, make certain it’s still easy to read and looks professional. Some fonts are great for letters and cards, but they are totally inappropriate for a professional resume.

2.  Choose a theme that reflects a bit of your personality, while still remaining professional.  For example, a person applying for a graphics artist position may create a template that reflects his/her talents in a professional way.  Some resumes include a header that coincides with the applicant’s job qualifications.  A nurse may choose a nursing header on the resume.  It’s a good idea to have the resume divided into sections for easier reading.

3.  Color is also important.  If you are applying for a more traditional position, a white background is best. For example, you probably wouldn’t apply for a job with the FBI on pink stationary.  However, if the job entails computer graphics or artistry, the resume should reflect something of your talents and expertise.

4.  A creative resume should include all of the elements of any job resume.  In fact, there is a recommended order that helps organize the information and assists your potential employer in locating the data.

A creative resume doesn’t have to be difficult.  You simply need to include all of the necessary elements, while making sure the design reflects the position for which you are applying and stands out amongst all of the other resumes in the pile. Then, your job resume is more likely to be selected for the next step in the job application process.

Copyright, Cecile Peterkin. All rights reserved.

You hired a professional to create an excellent resume marketing your Value Proposition.  You’re getting interviews – however,  you are not landing your dream job – Why?  Could be you’re not good at selling yourself verbally, and you’re not able to “speak to” to your resume?  The resume gets you the interview.  It’s up to you to get the job based on your “WOWING” interview.

The following 3 tips will market yourself in the interview: http://www.jobsjournal.com/articles/312002370/Expert-Interviewing-Tips-Part-1?utm_source=WNW&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=20100218-15328-MinedAtomic-31200003

When you are looking for the chance to get ahead in the workplace – meaning, when you want to find a job that’s better than the one have or you just want to be sure that you can get in the door and work your way up – one of the most important things that you can do is to have a great resume. Simply put, if your resume doesn’t grab the attention of the recruiter, HR person or manager, you are unlikely to get the interview. Because of this, more and more often people are turning to a professional resume writer to help get them in the door.

The majority of resumes that are written – even those based on spectacular examples or templates – tend to have weaknesses with phrasings and even layout. If you have been sending out your resume without response, if you have been posting your resume for positions that you know you are qualified for but you still are not being called in for an interview, working with a professional resume writer will, if nothing else, help you to identify the weaknesses of your resume.

Likewise, if you are changing careers or want to apply for a position that is a slight reach beyond what you’ve been doing, you’re likely to find that a professional resume writer can help you to identify your situation and to create a resume that will work for you. If you’ve had gaps in your employment history, if you find that it’s difficult to express yourself in your resume or there are other issues that you want to address, a professional resume writer will know of tools and strategies that will overcome those situations that you’re concerned about.

By working with a professional resume writer, what you will find is that you are able to have a resume that points you in one direction: toward the jobs that you’re applying for. You can be sure that a professional resume writer will help ensure that your resume is formatted well, that the information you need to convey is clear and that your resume is focused for the field and position level that you want to work in.

A professional resume writer will also be able to keep you focused. The two of you will be able to sit down and identify your skills, your objectives, and your accomplishments. And then the writer will be able to create a document that helps you to reach your goals.

If you have been thinking that your resume could use some work, a professional resume writer can help you to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your original document and bring you closer to the career goals that you have set for yourself. If you want to work with a professional resume writer, make an effort to see examples of his or her work, understand the rates that will be charged up front and ask for references – the same way that you would with any other professional that you would hire.

Copyright 2008, Cecile Peterkin. All rights reserved.

This September I spent two days doing Resume Assessment at The National Job Fair and Training Expo in Toronto. 400 Job Seekers received free resume assessments from nine Resume Writers. There was a 2-3 hour wait for this service that was available from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Since a resume is critical to our employment success, waiting a few hours for professional advice wasn’t a big deal to most people.

Although no one gets hired solely on the basis of a resume, many job seekers miss the opportunity of an interview because of an inadequate resume. Your resume can (and should) have a distinct personality to it. It should separate you from all the people applying to land that dream job. Be unique!

A lot of people think a generalized resume describing everything they have ever done is a great way to show their experience and skills. This is not true. You should only include information that is useful to the job you are applying for. If you are applying for a variety of positions, write more than one resume. To make this process easier, start with a general resume, and use it as a template by cutting and pasting the most relevant information for the different positions.

Style of Resumes

There are two basic resume styles: Chronological and Skill Based.

The most popular style for resumes is the Chronological Resume. It provides a job-by-job listing of each position you have held starting with your most recent. Use a Chronological Resume if you have consistent work history, and your job titles are supportive of your objective.

If you are making a career change, and your title and work history don’t match your job objective, use a Skill Based Resume. A Skill Based Resume should also be used if you have gaps in employment, a short work history, your skills are transferable, your most recent experience doesn’t support your objective, or you have an erratic work history.

Simple Crucial Resume Writing Tips

* Know your audience before you begin writing your resume. Your resume must be consistent with the position you are pursuing.

* Choose your language carefully and proofread. Your resume must be free of spelling, grammar, punctuation, or typographical errors.

* Tailor your resume to your prospective employer’s needs – highlight the skills and abilities that will make you an attractive candidate.

* Your resume should answer the potential employer’s questions, “Why should I hire you?” in 20 seconds or less.

* Focus on your expertise, abilities, and accomplishments.

* Use bullets. They make a resume more reader-friendly if used consistently.

* Describe your roles and accomplishment with strong action words and key terms that will grab attention.

* Keep all descriptions short. Descriptions should generally take up no more than three to four lines on the page. Full sentences are not necessary, however, be consistent with punctuation.

Length of a resume

There is no “rule of thumb” for resume length. For an experienced job seeker, a one-page resume may be too short and even look to “entry-level”. A properly designed, well-written, two-page resume would be far better. Your resume is your marketing tool. Can you market yourself on a one page resume or will you need two or three pages to include your best skills, accomplishments, and experiences?

Note: In every resume, the first 10-15 lines are the most important. They will motivate a recruiter to read on or to stop. Longer resumes need to be carefully designed to “sell” you up front.

The real cost of writing a basic or weak resume is valuable time and thousands of dollars in missed opportunities.