Remove These Ten Things From Your Resume

What type should I do when you are good at everything?

Thank you for the advice. It is very helpful.

Thank you very much for your detailed advice.

Very useful advice

@Katherine thanks for your comment. So sorry for the things you have endured. It's tough to just give a pat answer to your comment because the answer is - it depends. Each job is different and each company has different requirements. We hear all of the time from job seekers who complain about companies' applications. I don't know how they get by with asking for some of the things that they do - including birth dates, marital status and the like. We are supposed to be protected from questions like those but companies still ask them. Since you have been out of work for quite some time, it might be worth your time and effort to get in touch with some temporary agencies and get into a company that way. They can not turn you away for a disability unless the position is physically challenging and you would not be able to do it. So truly, going through a temp agency is your best bet to get your foot back in the door. Another option for you, since you want to teach, is to try to find a position where you can teach from home. Many colleges have options for remote professors. Check out some of the cyber schools which might be another option for you when it comes to teaching. My niece has been teaching from her home for the past several years and it works so well for her. In addition to this, you might want to try to find a recruiter who specializes in educational type positions. There are options other than just blindly submitting applications. Hope this helps. All the best.

How could one show quantifiable information for professions such as teaching? Other than stating that one started a program or raised money or is a coach who's team won, I cannot see where that could work. Also, many jobs require computer applications and will not go through the first gate unless one fills out gender, birthdate, graduation years, GPAs, an objective section with a limit of 125 characters, and in some cases all jobs held since high school. They also ask about disabilities of any kind and if one does not fill it out and gets an interview, he or she will be perceived as a liar if not fraudulent. Some districts even ask if one is married. Resumes are required as attachments to these applications as are cover letters, recommendation letters, and test scores. I am 42 and fairly new to my profession after battling an illness and then having a surgery that allowed me to work full time.After working for a few months in my last position in 2014, I was in a life threatening car accident and have not been able to work since. I will be able to in the next 6 months, however, and want to know if there is anything I can do to decrease the likelihood of discrimination I am bound to face. ( I will most likely still walk with a cane or forearm crutch.) Thank you for your time.

@Mark thanks for your comment. Just remember that the resume writer works for you. You let them know what you want to see on your resume and have them write it. Every resume service is probably going to do things a bit differently so don't get caught up in that. Companies want short concise resumes - period. The resume needs to contain specific keywords to get through the ATS. @Rebecca it doesn't sound like it's your resume that is the issue. In your world, a two-page resume is pretty standard as the article indicated. It didn't specifically call out Paralegals but used the term lawyers instead. So it's not your resume that is causing the issues. How do you feel after the interviews? Do you feel that they are interested? Are you answering their questions and do they ask any follow up questions to your responses. In other words, are they engaged with you during the interview. You were on the job 22 years which means that you are probably over 40 - right? That could be a factor, also. As much as we don't like to see it, many companies do discriminate due to age even though they will never admit it. Are you following up after the interview to find out why you were not chosen for the position? Not all companies will respond but, hopefully, a few will and that might help you. If not, have you considered going back to your alma mater and requesting to do a mock interview with career services? Or maybe in your area there are job services to help with things like resumes and interviews. Try it and see. We wish you all the best.

Nancy, I attend a job search strategy class led by Jay Lang (whose "Break Through" book was just published). For each applied job, I tweak the skills and the job title. The rest of the resume remains the same. I was on the job 22 years, beginning as a Legal Secretary and ending as a Paralegal. On the job I engaged in other activities which are reflected on my 2 full page resume. That resume clearly demonstrates my ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment. I've had many interviews but haven't yet nailed the job.

I agree with the author's comments, however, resume service writers tend to do just the opposite..... Who should we believe?

Thank you sound advise

@Melissa thanks for your feedback. Maybe something like *Exceptional team player with 10 years experience. Remember to never use a personal pronoun when writing your resume. Remove anything that has "I", "me", etc. As for trying to keep your resume from being rejected - try to mirror the job posting as much as possible because those are the keywords they seek from a candidate. I don't mean to copy word for word - but make sure you pull some of the keywords from the job posting and incorporate them into your resume and cover letter. Take two or three job postings for a like position and sere what words they have in common. That will help you bring out keywords that the ATS is set up to look for when you submit your resume. Hope this helps. All the best.

Nancy, so you recommend a sentence, such as - I can be a team player and have over X amount of years experience. Or make full use of my administrative, financial, communication and organisational skills. Trying to ensure your submission does not get into the 'no' pile is hard.

@Jean N thanks for your follow up. If you will look down these comments you will see my response on 19 August. No 10 is not too small but I would not go any smaller.

This is my third time asking and still no reply by you. Mine is what is the correct don't for bullet descriptors...is 10 too small? I have many to include. This is not stated and I am still waiting for an answer!!!

@Melissa thanks for your comment. It can be frustrating for sure. Sounds like you are doing everything right. Using the keywords needed to get past the gatekeeper is important for sure. Make sure that your resume contains measurable and quantifiable bullet points. On your cover letter, always remember that it's not about you - it's about how the company will benefit from hiring you. One thing you may want to try is finding a recruiter that specializes in your type of work. They know the companies and the positions and could truly help you. A temp agency could be the answer for you also. Many people have come by their jobs by going through a temp agency and then being hired permanently. It's worth a try. All the best.

I have altered my CV to direct it to the position to no avail. Tried also picking the key words. It is very difficult job market here in Australia. I also attempted a one page cover letter - previously two pages with bullet point and three paragraphs - attempting to personalise each one to the position. What do you suggest a hiring manager wishes to see when applying for a position? I try and review the grammar and extremely pedantic.

@Mayai thanks for your comment. You are asking about multiple email addresses? It's best if you only use one email address for all of your correspondence related to your job search. Multiple email addresses will make the hiring manager wonder what you are hiding and why you need multiple ones. Many job seekers create a new email address that they use exclusively for the job search. If you get tons of emails on your regular email account, you might want to consider a second email address. But only include one email address on your resume. Hope that helps. All the best.

Thank you Nancy for your correspondences advice which are so helpful in ways forward to get new jobs. I want know more on multiple line emails whether it has any problem.

what about multiple email

Just wanted to say a huge thank you. After being very ill with cancer. Sometimes being questioned regarding gaps in employment - then duty of care. Very tough to make you resume / CV shine. Looking at the different resources online -Very tough as not copying the details - which I admit sometimes is tempting. Looking at the situation of a lot talented people - it is tough out there. Glad to be alive.

@Dorrene thanks for your comment. So true - writing resumes seems to scare most people but it doesn't have to. If you really feel that you need assistance, we offer a resume writing service. You will find information to it on your account by clicking on the down arrow next to the photo holder at the upper right of your account and then clicking on Account Settings. Look for the Resume Service on the left side of the screen. Or, if you went to college, you could contact your school's Career Services and make an appointment to have them assist you in writing your resume. Also look around your area as many places offer free resume writing classes to teach you how to write your own. They will help you figure out the best way to add your office work experience so that it's highlighted. Hope this helps. All the best.

I need my resume to stand out. I'm usually pretty good at being a detailed person but resume writing is not my cup of tea. I have lost so many job opportunities because employers tell me that i don't have any experience in office work; i have a lot of experience but the experience is so sporadic throughout my life that its difficult for me to put it all into perspective.

@Jean thanks for your comments. I did respond to your question on 30 July. As to font size, the best one I have found is size 11. I wouldn't go above a 12 or below a 10 so you choose what looks best for you. Don't use fancy fonts - straight forward - Arial, Times New Roman or Courier are probably the best. The best thing is to try to keep your resume to one page, if you can. I'm glad that you brought up the email address issue. You would NOT believe some of the email addresses that I see on a daily basis. Some of them make me blush! Foul language, sex terms - you name it - it gets used and these people are trying to find jobs with these email addresses! Straight forward email addresses are best. Yes I have gone online and looked at the job applications. I have not encountered one where I have to include my social security number but I have been asked my birth date. They aren't really allowed to ask for that, either but they get around it by asking what year you graduated from High School. Personally - I walk away from those. And, if I can find a contact for the company and position, I will send them an email about it. No I never get a response back but it makes me feel better. Yes it is true that background checks are run but they are not typically run on every applicant that they "might" want to hire. Since this is a cost that is absorbed by the company, they usually only run them on applicants that have been interviewed and have a chance at the position. They do run financial background checks, too - especially if the position is dealing with money. It is unfortunate that many people are pushed out of the running because of finances. But truly - if I was a hiring manager in a financial institution, I would not want to hire someone who has filed for bankruptcy or is showing up with multiple late payments on their credit report. They figure if you can't manage your own finances, how are you going to manage theirs. I have not encountered the work tax credit issue either. Has anyone else? Wish I had all of the answers Jean. All you can do is keep searching and keep applying. Are you networking? Maybe you know someone who works at the company that you are considering? If so, contact them and ask if you can send your resume to them. I know I am going to get a lot of responses back on this one but it does still happen where you can have your resume hand-carried to the hiring manager. Remember the old adage - it's not what you know but who you know! All the best.

FYI... Nancy who I have to ask, have you gone online and actually applied for a job these days? I say this because most are not aware the applicants are required to provide a full social and their full birthdate in order to finish the application. This is with no guarantee of an interview, yet they need your full social security number. Don't you think this is too much info out there on websites without any reason? This is discrimination, due to the fact the hiring manager or management could have access and run a background check before an offer of employment is given. In other words young college students with terrible credit are not getting into an interview due their info collected prior. Another example, the Work credit tax employers now ask on the end of the application. The is a screen so they can select those who qualify and they get the tax credit for the large corporation. This is selective hiring practices... screening.. or stereotyping before a person has arrived to the interview.

Dear Nancy, I have been waiting weeks for a reply and you just skipped me before. I wanted a simple question answered. What is the correct font size for a resume; headings and info listed. Is that ok to ask you? Also Craig Langaster I am a white woman over 50 with a graduate studies degree... so you are not the only one getting the shaft. First of all, your probably using an old email account which is a red flag, and also your listing jobs that are more than 3-6 years, don't do that these days. The less you put, the more you put in your cover letter to wow them. If they know everything in your resume they won't need to invite you in. REMEMBER it's a young kid who is under 30 has no clue your experience is HUGE!!! And honestly they don't invite you because they are worried you will take all of their jobs. I am the one who leaves when the management is bad, so I look like I don't have longevity I know it and they know it. But when I get in the interview I explain "80% of people leave a position within the first three months due to poor management" and that works.