Robin's Resumes®

Government resumes and government recruiters are quite different from civilian resumes and recruiters. Resumes for federal government jobs have their own special requirements, and many of them would actually put off a recruiter or hiring manager in business and industry. If you plan to apply for a federal job, you need a resume writer who understands government requirements.

The federal government also has strict rules about eligibility. In fact, some positions are only open to candidates already working in the agency that has posted the job and only open to those already working at a certain grade level in government. Others are open only to military personnel, military spouses or veterans.

The end date for applicants is very specific, often down to the hour, and the method of sending in the application is also specific (email, mail, fax, hand delivery and so on).

Your background and skills must exactly match the requirements in the job posting. There is no flexibility with federal jobs. You may have to write essays based on certain questions. Those essays have to be submitted as part of the application.

You may have to send other documents. But if the announcement does not request other documentation, you should not send it.

A federal resume is difficult to complete even for someone with years of federal government experience. I am a Certified Federal Resume Writer and a recognized military transition expert. I have delivered speeches and seminars on writing federal resumes before professional organizations and conferences. If you are considering applying for a federal government job, contact me today.

Many of the people hit by the long-term unemployment in the U.S. are over 50 years old. Is there a special resume format that older job applicants should follow? Yes and no.

First, all recruiters and hiring managers like a chronological resume. Please do not try to gloss over your years of experience by writing a strictly functional resume, one that is a narrative and not a list of positions held. A strictly functional resume immediately makes recruiters and hiring managers feel that you are hiding something.

Second, as I’ve said before in this blog, your resume is not your life history. You do not have to list every job back to high school graduation. Consider grouping some jobs by company name and position only under “Additional Experience.” Do not give the date you graduated college.

Third, employers are looking for skills but they are looking even harder for evidence that you know how to use those skills. When you focus your resume on achievements, you make recruiters and hiring managers think twice before moving on to someone younger but entirely unproven. Experience is a virtue.

Finally, as a fellow resume writer once put it, your resume is not about you, it’s about the employer and the employer’s needs. You want to position yourself as the solution the employer is looking for.

All of the points above apply to job hunters at any age.

If you are afraid that your age is damaging your chances for a job, please contact me.

For recruiters and hiring managers, a great resume is one that tells them what they want to know fast. They review hundreds of resumes for every job opening. They lack the time to hunt for the qualifications, experience, achievements and attitudes they want in the perfect candidate. So your resume has to fulfill their wish for quick and thorough information.

Your resume is a marketing document. It is marketing you. With the holidays approaching, your mailbox is full of brochures. Consider what the best marketing pieces have in common: The contact information is easy to find and read; a bold statement up front makes that company stand out from the crowd; and the detailed information gives the facts that any consumer wants before deciding to buy.

Your resume must do the same thing: make it easy for recruiters to contact you, start with a strong statement of your outstanding skills and accomplishments and cover the details that recruiters and marketing managers are looking for. And it has to do all without wasting their time.

I have more than 10 years of experience writing professional resumes for individuals at all levels, from upper management to support staff, in technical, retail, government, manufacturing and many other fields. Look at the samples on this website for civilian and federal  resumes. Then call me today so we can get started on marketing you.

As a certified job and career transition coach and professional resume writer, I’ve helped many people rev up their job search. If you find yourself unemployed, working with a certified coach and professional resume writer will:

• Boost self-confidence. Losing a job is a draining experience. If you had a crystal ball, you would have looked for a job while you were still employed, but who has a crystal ball? When you lose your job, the time to contact a professional career coach and certified resume writer is right now. Don’t wait until you feel beaten down by a poor market.
• Encourage and facilitate networking. More jobs are found through networking than through the newspapers or online searches. I can help you direct your job search into channels you may have overlooked. I can also give you a resume that makes it easier for you to see the value you bring an employer. When you know your worth, you bolster your ability to network and interview.
• Re-focus your energies on the right job. In the first panic of unemployment, job hunters often set their sights on “any job.” As a result, they write a resume that lacks focus and energy. Together, we can make sure your resume targets the job you really want and qualify for.
• Give you professional advice. Advice from family and friends is meant well but it sends you off in twenty directions at once. It often leads to a resume that satisfies everyone except you or that contains basic mistakes. I know what recruiters and hiring managers are looking for because I’ve been in this business over 20 years. Let me help.

Robin’s Resumes is recognized by other resume writers, recruiters, and hiring managers as a leader in resumes for science, business, engineering, and information technology. I’m ready to help you.

These days many people work for at least part of their careers in contract, self-employed or consultant jobs. Though each job may be short in duration and there may be many of them, they don’t represent “job hopping” in the traditional sense. Consultant, self-employment and contract jobs are supposed to be short-term and are supposed to involve many different clients.

However, if you list each employer separately and your work for each only lasts a month or two, your resume will give the impression that you do jump from job to job. You do not want that to happen.

Instead, group all of your contract or consulting clients under a single category; for example, Contract Positions or Consulting. Each employer then becomes a separate bullet point under that category.

Another approach, particularly if you are self-employed, is to provide an overall company name for yourself; a freelance web designer might call himself “ABC Web Design.” Your company is treated like any other company on the resume and your position is (for example) founder and president.

Many people have job histories that don’t seem to fit the standard resume format. If you are concerned that your history is keeping you from the job you want, please send me an email or call today. I can help.

The objective is a statement at the beginning of a resume. Once upon a time, job applicants were told to start their resumes with statements like the following: “Enthusiastic, quick learner looking to grow in her career and contribute to a company’s ongoing success.”

After recruiters read a dozen objectives like that, they ignore them all.

If your resume has an objective, it should summarize the particular achievements, attitudes and experiences that make you a prime candidate. For example, if you are applying for a marketing manager’s job in the health care industry, your objective might go like this: “Accomplished marketing manager with 15 years of experience in the health care industry and strong track record directing multi-million dollar print and e-marketing programs. Skilled in creating cohesive multi-disciplinary teams from sales, marketing, product development and IT.”

When your objective reflects the value you will bring to a new employer, it reinforces your resume details. If you cannot come up with a statement that showcases your individual talents, either drop the objective or call upon a professional resume writer like me. I can help you decide if an objective benefits your resume—and, if it does, I will make it a true selling point.

Professional resume writers know to avoid the following four mistakes. Take a look through your resume now to see if you are guilty of:

• Misspellings and typos. It is not enough to use an automatic spell checker. You must print out your resume and proofread it word for word. Never trust online grammar checkers—they are all horrible. Check the dictionary if you are unsure about the proper use of words like its and it’s or effect and affect.
• Inconsistent information. If the information in your LinkedIn profile differs from the information in your resume or if your resume contradicts your cover letter, recruiters and hiring managers will suspect that you are either lying or careless. Make sure all the elements of your application present the same picture.
• Too much jargon and too few specifics. Avoid the temptation to write about “state-of-the-art software” or to a “proactive approach to customer satisfaction.” Automatic tracking systems don’t search on vague jargon like “state-of-the-art” or “proactive.” Those words are taking up valuable space you should use for specific facts: “Redesigned company website using Joomla” or “Increased customer satisfaction 57%.”
• Too much history. As I’ve stated before in this blog, your resume is not your life story. Focus your resume on the requirements for the job you want now and the information employers ask for in their ads. That first job you took right after college in 1989 probably has little bearing on your current skills; you moved on long ago.

If you are finding it hard to avoid errors, inconsistencies and jargon or if you are not sure what to leave in and what to take out, please contact me today. You will get some good ideas, too, from my talk on resume revamps at the the Women for Hire website.

My certifications as a Certified Electronic Career Coach and a Job and Career Transition Coach enable me to help job seekers who may have become stalled in their job hunt or who are finding it hard to define their career goals. If you are frustrated by a job hunt that seems to be going nowhere or if you aren’t even sure where you want your job hunt to go, you may benefit from coaching.

Among other services I offer, I can:

• Help you create an organized plan for your job search
• Help you define the jobs and types of companies that fit your areas of expertise and work history
• Review your job hunt so far and see if there are strategies you might have missed
• Recommend frequently overlooked sources for job openings
• Make sure you’re looking for the right job at the right level
• Fine-tune and strengthen your resume and cover letter
• Review your online networking—for example, making sure you have a LinkedIn profile and that it reinforces your resume

Whether or not you take advantage of these services, my background as a career coach helps me to create a resume that gives you more confidence. And that confidence helps you move your entire job search along.

The words “you are overqualified for this position” are frustrating. Why did the recruiter or hiring manager call you in for an interview if they felt you were overqualified? You need this job and you won’t leave for a better opportunity, become bored, demand huge salary hikes and try to take over your new boss’s job. But clearly the people who are hiring don’t believe that, so they send you on your way. What can you do?

First, make sure you really do want a less demanding position. If you’ve simply given up trying to find a job that matches your qualifications, it may be time to take a hard look at your resume and job search techniques. As a certified resume writer and job coach, I will write a resume and set you on a path more suited for your true goals.

On the other hand, perhaps you are genuinely looking for a position with fewer responsibilities. In that case, your cover letter should give a reasonable and positive explanation for seeking a lower level position: You like hands-on work more than supervision, you want a chance to mentor others now that you have achieved the highest levels of your profession, you are transitioning from another industry.

With the right resume and cover letter, you can beat the “overqualified” response. I’ve accomplished that for other job seekers; I can do it for you.

When you describe your past employers in your resume, make it easy for hiring managers and recruiters to understand who you worked for, where and when.

Resumes written to apply for federal jobs must include full contact and reference information for each past employer; but for all other resumes, the name of the company, its general location and the years you worked there are sufficient. For example:

ABC Corporation, St. Louis, MO     (1999-2004)

Except for federal resumes, do not include contact information for your past supervisors; you can provide that information later, when the company you are applying to expresses real interest. In the meantime, your supervisors do not want to be interrupted by dozens of requests for information.

Perhaps the company’s name does not clearly explain what the company does; or perhaps details about products and services are important in your industry. In that case, you might want to add a few words to identify the company. For example, in the fashion industry you might want to say, “Specialists in plus sizes in men’s, women’s and children’s outerwear.”

You should not include your reasons for leaving a previous position. There are a very few exceptions. For example, if a buyout occurred and you were retained for even a limited time by the new owners, your retention is a tribute to you and your abilities.

At Robin’s Resumes, I specialize in knowing what to leave in and what to leave out on the perfect resume. I’m ready to do the same for you.

A cover letter or email is an essential part of a resume.

The cover letter echoes some of the most important achievements from your resume, chosen to highlight your fit for the particular job you are applying for. Sometimes an important experience, skill or accomplishment needs more emphasis or explanation than you have room for in your resume. The cover letter is a perfect place to expand on what’s already in your resume. Cover letters and resumes do become separated, so don’t rely on the cover letter alone to tell a recruiter or hiring manager that you have essential skills they want.

Certain pieces of information belong only in a cover letter, not in a resume. For example, the cover letter is the place for information about your availability for all shifts or your flexibility regarding travel or relocation.

Make sure your contact information is identical on your cover letter and resume. If you are considering a job in another state, you may want to rent a postal box in that state to give yourself a local address. Your contact information includes:

• A phone number that is answered professionally—if your children always answer your home phone, purchase a pay-as-you-go cell phone that you can use for the length of your search.
• A professional email address based on your full name (robertsmith@yahoo.com). Opening a new free email address at yahoo or gmail is easy and few employers will bother to contact a candidate at “skibum@yahoo.com.”

Double and triple check the address you are mailing to: on the cover letter, you don’t want to misspell the name of the recipient or their company or division.

Finally, the cover letter or email is a great place for a statement of what you hope to contribute to the company, whether increased sales, greater team work, improved communications or whatever your expertise qualifies you for.

Having trouble fitting all that in three or four short paragraphs? Email me today and I’ll give you a cover letter and resume that show off your value.

Wondering what keywords are and how they should be used in your resume or cover letter. Sign up today for my free webinar, How to Keyword Optimize Your Resume!

I’ve written previously about the need to target a resume for the job you want. But how do you do that?

First, you have to read the advertisement or posting for the job. Read it thoroughly. You want to note both the hard and soft skills the employer is looking for. Hard skills include specific requirements like “knowledge of Excel” or “90% travel.” Soft qualifications are found in statements like “will work closely with engineering department”—what part of your past experience or training shows that you work well with engineers?

Second, make sure that you have the skills listed in the advertisement or posting. Enter them in your resume using the same keywords. For example, if the ad asks for “expert knowledge of Excel,” make sure your resume specifies that you have “expert knowledge of Excel.” It’s also important to show how you used your skills to benefit your former employers. Almost anyone can learn Excel. But what if you used Excel to better manage inventory, saving time and staff? That is an accomplishment that your prospective employer will value highly.

Third, research the company online. Find out if they offer a product or service you have worked with in another situation; or reach out to customers you are familiar with; or operate in countries you have visited. Any connection you can make between the company and your own background will strengthen your resume.

Fourth, remember that a resume is not your life story. You don’t have to “make” all your experience relevant. Without creating gaps in your resume, leave out details that your future employer won’t care about and devote the most space to the most relevant experience. If you’ve had a long career, summarize your very early experience; you’ve moved far beyond that first job as an intern or trainee or assistant to the assistant.

Above all, write your resume for the job you want, not the job you left behind. Phone or email me today and I will put your resume solidly “on target.”

I’ll be sharing my expertise on world class resume writing secrets at the 2011 Career Director’s International Global Career Empowerment Summit in Savannah, Georgia, on October 20, 2011.

Federal Job Seekers:

USAJobs is changing. See <https://my.usajobs.gov/FeaturedArticle/FeaturedArticleContent.aspx?ArticleID=528&ArticleTypeID=1&count=5 for further information. A quote from the story is below:

This Week’s Update:

USAJOBS “search and apply” functions offline during the
transition

OPM will transition to the new USAJOBS over the
Columbus holiday weekend. During the transition nearly 5 billion rows of data
will be extracted, validated, and subjected to integrity testing to preserve the
applicant resumes, seeker profiles, and agency job postings in the current
system. The USAJOBS search and apply functions will be “offline,” beginning at 5
pm EDT on October 7, 2011, which means no searches can be conducted and no
applications can be submitted via USAJOBS. Daily transition status updates and
general employment information, however, will be available on USAJOBS.gov. So,
if you were planning to jump start your federal job search in the new fiscal
year, you might want to schedule it for October 12th!

On October 4, I’ll be presenting at the Women for Hire event in Atlanta. You can register for this event at the Women for Hire website (womenforhire.com).

A few weeks ago I had the honor of being interviewed for an audio presentation on the Women for Hire website, to give expert advice about resumes.

One of the interviewer’s first questions was a request to explain what I do.

I’m a professional certified resume writer and career coach. I moved into this field after years of experience in industry as an engineer and project manager. That background gives me practical experience out in the job market, both as a job applicant and as someone who participated in the hiring process. It also makes me very familiar with the requirements of technical as well as management and staff positions.

Now I am dedicated to helping job applicants identify and achieve their career goals. The better you know your goals, the stronger candidate you will be both in your resume and during your interview. I assist job seekers in many fields, including for profit, non-profit and government.

If you need help discovering and writing about your goals, talents, skills and accomplishments, contact me today.

From October 6-12 – USAJobs will be down for transitioning to Version 3.0. I recommend you download everything from the website – to reload after they come back online. At that time, Navy Resumix will also be retired and transfer to the new USAJobs system.

These days a lot of recruiters and hiring managers rely on computers to eliminate some of the hundreds of resumes they receive in response to each advertisement. The computers search for keywords directly related to the skills the company is looking for. But as I’ve mentioned before, keywords are not enough.

No one hires an employee on the basis of a computer search alone. At some point, every resume of interest is read by a real person. Your resume must show that you have the skills and achievements to back up the keywords.

Some hiring managers focus on the beginning of your resume: your most recent job. Some focus on the end of your resume: your education and professional certifications. Some hiring managers read cover letters and some ignore them. You cannot know what part of your resume package will hold the most appeal. So you should make sure that all the information you give is professional in content and format and is easy to find.

Most recruiters and hiring managers do not like purely functional resumes (where jobs are not listed in chronological order and job titles are not clear). They believe that a purely functional resume is an excuse to hide problems. They do not like video resumes; they do not have the time to listen to every word of a video resume when they can quickly scan through a written resume. They do not like surprises. If they search for you on the Internet, they want to see a professional presence on Facebook and LinkedIn (for example) that is consistent with your resume. If you are hunting for a job, remove the rants against your old boss and the party animal photographs.

Trying to think like a hiring manager or recruiter is difficult. I have the years of experience and the contacts in the field to shape an appealing resume from your job history, achievements and skills. As a professional resume writer, I know what the majority of recruiters and hiring managers want and expect in a resume. Email me today.

Professional resume writers know what to leave in and leave out of a resume. We never include references or the phrase “references available on request.” If an ad or application specifically asks for references, include them in your cover email or letter or in the official application. You do not want your references to be surprised by calls from every company you apply to, and you do not want to take up valuable space on your resume by telling companies what they already know: references are always available on request.

As a professional resume writer, I am saddened when a job applicant uses a resume to explain a lack of skill or a job loss. I understand that a new job hunter may be unsure of his or her skills or that someone who is recently downsized may be in pain. But a resume should celebrate abilities and achievements. It should not be a list of excuses and apologies.

Please call or email me. As a professional resume writer, I can guide you in deciding what information belongs on your resume and what you should leave off. I know how to showcase the value that you bring to a company—and help you believe in yourself.

Many people writing a resume for their first job make these mistakes:

1. They try too hard to be clever and stand out by using fancy fonts, colors, clip art or even video resumes.

2. They think that volunteer work, summer jobs and school honors or adult-ed courses do not count.

3. They are not clear about their career goals; they apply for everything and expect their resume to get them “any job.”

4. They do not research what employers want.

Your resume helps you land your first job by presenting you at your best to recruiters and hiring managers who are looking for someone with your achievements, skills and education. Here is what your should be doing in your resume to land your first job:

1. Forget about clever paper, fonts and presentations. Companies are not impressed by an origami resume. Focus on skills and achievements and you will quickly grab their attention.

2. Recognize and embrace the value of your experiences and education. One of my clients worked the same summer job every year and showed enough skill in that short time to win two promotions. Another client who wanted to become a training manager wrote her thesis on “Mentoring in the Workplace.” A future sales person helped sell tickets to a nonprofit’s fundraising event. These are all important achievements.

3. Write your resume for the job you want, not “any job.” Do you prefer to work in a forest or an office? Do you like to travel and meet people, to work in a team or to work at home alone? Did you take courses in biology or art? Apply for the jobs that you are prepared for and that excite you.

4. Find out what employers want. Read the ads. Talk to people who already work in the job or industry that appeals to you. Read books about your chosen field. When you know what employers want, you can write a resume and cover letter that shows how you meet their needs.

Applying for your first job is difficult enough. I have years of experience helping people in exactly your situation with resumes that land the job. Give me a call today.

Your resume is all about your skills and achievements. But it is not your life story. While writing your resume, you should always think about your future employer. What is that employer looking for? What value can you bring to the company?

As a member of the top four professional organizations in resume writing and career marketing, I understand how to excite businesses about your qualifications, skills and achievements. I know what to highlight, what to add and, above all, what to omit.

You may have years of experience in a variety of fields from coal mining to commercial real estate. You may be a recent graduate with a passion for fly fishing or knitting. But the company you are applying to is interested only in the achievements and passions that will help the company succeed.

My task is to focus your resume on the details that are most important to the company you are applying to. Do not let your life story get in the way of your job hunt. Email or call me today.

Keywords are the precise words that hiring managers look for on a resume as a quick check on your skills and background. For example, their ad for a sales person might include the words “sales team,” “account management,” “customer relationship management,” and “CRM software.” They look for those keywords (either by reading or by computer search) in every resume they receive.

Some job applicants list all the keywords they can think of in their resume: one keyword after another with no explanation.

I don’t like keyword lists because they tempt job applicants to exaggerate their skills. It’s easy to add yet another keyword to the list even if you lack the skills that go with it. Therefore, instead of creating a list, you should make keywords a vital part of your real record of achievements.

If your skills match the company’s keywords, good for you. If you do not have the right skills, the company always finds out during the interview. You waste the company’s time, but worst of all you set yourself up for failure.

That’s why my resumes concentrate on achievements. If you have the right skills, you should also have the right achievements. Your achievements demonstrate more than a talent for creating lists. You used your skills in a way that profited your old company, and you are able to learn and apply new skills. Maybe you do not know the exact CRM program the company listed in its ad. But if you have a strong record of achievement with another CRM program and the ability, the company might be willing to train you so that you can achieve the same results with their CRM program. That’s a much better outcome for both of you.

If you feel that keywords are keeping you from the job you want, email or give me a call. I will strengthen your resume and help you focus your job search on employers who need the skills you really have.

When you are choosing a resume writer, you need to ask questions. Here are four of the most important questions and my own answers.

1. What types of certifications do you have? Robin’s Answer: I am a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), Certified Advanced Resume Writer (CARW), a Certified Electronic Career Coach (CECC) and a Job and Career Transition Coach (JCTC).
2. What specialties do you have? Robin’s Answer:  I am a Certified Federal Resume Writer; I have written many successful resumes for federal personnel and for civilians hoping to land a federal job.
3. Have you ever written a resume for someone in my field? Robin’s Answer: Like most long-time resume writers (I have written resumes for over 10 years), I  have written resumes for a wide variety of professionals at all levels from entry to CEO. But I also tend to attract job hunters in technology fields, usually from word-of-mouth referrals. I am a former process engineer and project manager. I understand technology and what technology companies are looking for, whether they need an IT professional, a supply chain manager or a chemical engineer.
4. What do your resumes look like? Robin’s Answer: I supply several samples on my website under Civilian and Federal Resumes. If you like what I delivered for other job seekers, you will like what I deliver for you. I want your resume to impress future employers but I also want it to make you feel confident. That confidence will help carry you through your job hunt and interviews.

Do you like my answers? Give me a call today.

You know something is wrong with your resume, but what? Is it something you can fix yourself or do you need a professional writer?

You may find some semi-automated programs which will criticize your resume. Like most computer programs, they are likely to leave you with a resume that is correct but boring. It is a resume suitable for anybody–including all your competition for a position–and will not help you stand out from the crowd.

I prefer to deal one-on-one with my clients through phone and email. I review resumes using a very basic form and comments based on the specific resume. I prefer this individual approach to anything automated.

After my critique you will have a better idea of what is wrong with your resume. I hope as a result that you will use my professional services to improve it. That is a win/win for both of us.

As a former engineer and as a project manager for many high-tech companies, I am delighted when engineers, IT professionals and others with strong technical backgrounds hire me to work on their resumes. Over and over their original resumes suffer from these three errors:

• No focus on achievements: Your technical resume has to show that you have the skills an employer is looking for, but it should also show results. Many people can offer a set of skills; you stand out if you used those skills to benefit your employer in a big way.
• No information about soft skills: Deserved or not, many technical people have a reputation for highly-individual behavior that does not align with the company culture or goals. Make sure your resume shows that you are able to work in a team and that you understand company priorities.
• Too much jargon: Your resume has to be formatted with sentences, including nouns, verbs and articles, so that it is readable. An endless string of jargon and acronyms is not readable. One of the soft skills employers look for is the ability to communicate: demonstrate that in your resume.

I have great respect for technical people; I have worked with and for engineers, software developers, researchers, product developers and technology experts throughout my career. If you are looking for employment in a technical field, email or call me today.

When those questions were asked on LinkedIn, everyone agreed on the answer: a professional resume is tailored to the job you want.

You begin to tailor a resume by looking at ads in print and postings online for positions that interest you. What skills, attitudes and achievements are recruiters and companies asking for? A professional resume matches those requirements.

Achievements are particularly important. Thousands of people may share your combination of skills. But what did they do with those skills? A professional resume highlights your achievements and is results-driven. It explains how your previous employers benefitted from your skills. It you makes stand out from the rest of the applicants.

A professional resume and cover letter echo the words that recruiters and companies use in their ads and posts. You’ll want to work those keywords into the very start of your resume. A professional resume grabs attention from the beginning by showing that you are a great fit for the position you want.

If you are overwhelmed by the range of requirements in your field, if you are unsure of your achievements or if you are sending out a resume that shouts “I’ll take anything,” email or phone me now. As a professional resume writer, I know how to create a very professional resume.

When people have been searching for a job for a long time, they are willing to try anything to make their resume stand out: red ink, unusual fonts, purple paper, clip art.

Don’t do it.

Recruiters and Human Resources departments are impressed with only three things:

• The right combination of skills, education and achievements
• The ability to relay that information quickly and concisely
• A clean, neat, easy-to-read format

They don’t have time to sort out facts from creativity and computer scanning programs are very likely to miss or mess up vital information if you use unusual colors, artwork, formats or fonts. As one recruiter put it, if a resume “looks like it means business, it is more likely to be taken seriously.”

The best way to capture attention is to make sure that your resume is focused and clear, that you have included the information that companies are looking for and that you have given yourself full credit for your achievements. If your resume has not yet won interviews, give me a call.

One of my clients came to me with a problem: she had held pretty much the same manager-level job during her entire career but with different companies. Her resume felt boring, even to her, because every job sounded exactly alike.

I saw the problem immediately. Like many job hunters, she had focused her resume on her skills. And every job she held required almost exactly the same skill set. Anyone reading her resume would think that she had spent 10 years going nowhere.

The solution? We changed the focus of her resume to accomplishments. In every management position, she faced different challenges and had to come up with solutions. Every position involved different goals she had to meet. Every position required her to communicate with a different group of people, work on a different team or report to a different level of supervisor.

When we wrote about her accomplishments, her resume took on a whole new aspect. From yawn-worthy it went to exciting: here was a potential employee who brought value to one company after another.

You may be struggling with a similar problem and unsure how to focus your resume on accomplishments. I can help. I will interview you to bring out your achievements and then write a resume that makes you proud.

This post considers some questions that job seekers recently asked online:

What does “lying” mean on a resume?

You are lying when you make up jobs, dates of employment, responsibilities, education or any other fact. You are not lying when you leave things out. Your resume is not your life story. It is a marketing document; it markets you to employers who are looking for someone with your skills and achievements.

Do you have to have your home address on your resume?

Because email and cell phones have made it much easier to connect with job applicants and because relocation is not the huge hurdle it used to be, many companies don’t care if you omit your home address on your resume. They understand that they are more likely to reach you by email or phone and that you might have privacy concerns.

Be aware, however, that some companies interview only local candidates with local addresses. If you are concerned about this or your privacy, consider using an address you rent from a mailbox supplier, such as Mailboxes, etc. or UPS. This way you can have a “local address” while you conduct a job search.

Do you have to be on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn to get a job?

It can help–many people have connected with recruiters and companies using social media–but it is not always required. If you are on social media such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, keep your online information consistent with your resume and completely professional. Using social media the wrong way (for example, to rant against your former employer) could cost you your chance at an interview.

Based on my discussions with hiring managers, many employers and recruiters search LinkedIn for candidates for jobs they are not yet advertising. In addition, once you are identified as a potential candidate, many companies will specifically search LinkedIn for your profile. If your profile is not there, they may reject you as a candidate. Therefore, having a LinkedIn profile gives you the best chance to get a job.

Robin’s Resumes® recommends you get a professionally written LinkedIn profile for your job search. We can do this for you when you order a package from us. Just ask me for one when you order your resume and other career marketing documentation, and I will be glad to quote you the price.

A recent job hunter sent her resume around to all her friends and relations asking for advice. A fellow job seeker argued against including so much information. A former co-worker suggested expanding to two pages. One friend said, “You should center your education section.” Another friend said, “Get rid of all the centering.” An aunt recommended removing information about specific college courses. An uncle praised the details about her college career.

The job hunter froze. How could she consider applying for a job when she couldn’t even get the resume right?

Like many job seekers, she suffered from too much advice from amateur resume writers. I recommend that you limit the number of your reviewers. There are a dozen ways to write a resume. In truth, great resumes vary a lot both in format and content. What is perfect for one job applicant may not serve another one at all. At Robin’s Resumes we customize each resume to you—your experience, your achievements, your industry and your expectations.

If you are frozen by conflicting advice, give Robin’s Resumes a call. I will set you firmly on the path to the job you want. Remember, the only resume that succeeds in getting you a job is the one you send out.

Many job seekers look for full-time employment after spending a year or more at temporary or part-time jobs, sometimes working for several different agencies or volunteering their services. They worry that that these experiences make them seem like job hoppers or undesirable full-time employees.

In fact, part-time, temporary or volunteer work, especially work in your field or that keeps your skills fresh, shows your dedication and flexibility. It may broaden your appeal to companies in industries you never considered before.

In your resume, group these jobs under one title to create a unified history. Perhaps you’ve worked at several part-time jobs in restaurants as a waiter; you could group that experience under Part-Time Work in Restaurant Industry. If you worked for a temporary or contract agency, list the companies you worked for under your group title (Contract Engineer)—not the agencies. The experience you are highlighting is the valuable experience of working for multiple industries.

You might be able to group your temporary, contract or part-time jobs as Freelance or Consulting Positions. You are contributing your job skills in exactly that way: you go from one company to the next, complete each job efficiently and then move on again.

As for volunteer positions, companies are very aware of the leadership skills, teamwork and commitment that volunteer work requires. Create a section of your resume for Community Service and give yourself credit.

If you are still anxious about your work history, let’s talk.

Every so often a new trend hits the employment and recruiting field. The video resume is a trend that wastes a lot of energy and money for job applicants.

Recruiters and employers do not have the time to sit through video after video. They often are barred from accessing video sites at work, and they certainly do not want to load videos from unknown sources onto their computers. They have enough trouble with virus protection.

Videos make it difficult for employers to claim that their job search is nondiscriminatory. They are also unfair to employees. Not every face or body type is treated kindly by the camera. Many people shine in person-to-person interviews but freeze in front of a camera.

In an interview, you may come across as open-minded and attentive while a video makes you seem self-centered simply because it allows for only one speaker and one topic: You. A 15-minute monologue is not a great way to introduce yourself to anyone, let alone a future employer.

Are you ready to change your video to fit the specific requirements of each company you apply to or to account for a change in your circumstances? Tweaking a resume or cover letter is easy. But tweaking an old video?

If you are looking for ways to make yourself stand out among all other candidates, avoid gimmicks like video resumes. Come to a professional resume writer who knows how to present your experience and achievements in a way that recruiters and hiring managers truly appreciate. Give me a call today.

Do you need a cover letter for your resume? The answer is, “Yes!” Recruiters and hiring managers read cover letters and cover emails for three main reasons:

• To find out information that may not be in your resume or immediately obvious
• To get a fast overview of your most relevant experience
• To find out why you are interested in their company or their opening

The cover letter—or cover email—should not be long: two or three paragraphs with bullets highlighting your most relevant achievements, experience and skills. You might also let the recruiter or hiring company know what soft skills you bring to the table: teamwork, leadership, a get-it-done attitude, efficiency, organization, a concern for the bottom line. You know your own strengths.

The cover letter is the place where, if necessary, you explain a change in careers or locations, notify potential employers that your search is confidential, respond to a request by the company for references or salary ranges, or share other important information that is not appropriate for the resume.

I believe strongly in cover letters because they are far more personal than the strictly formatted bullet points of a resume. When I talk with you about your career goals and your experience, I ask what any recruiter or hiring manager would ask—and then I put the answers in your cover letter.

One of the ways you can identify a professional resume writer is to look for certifications like the following:

• CPRW: Certified Professional Resume Writer
• MRW: Master Resume Writer
• NCRW: Nationally Certified Resume Writer
• CARW: Certified Advanced Resume Writer
• CERW: Certified Expert Resume Writer
• CRS+X: Certified Resume Specialist – 12 Niche Resume Credentials
• CMRW: Certified Military Resume Writer
• CFRW: Certified Federal Resume Writer
• CMRS: Certified Master Resume Specialist
• ACRW: Academy Certified Resume Writer
• ARWC: Advanced Resume Writing Certification

A professional resume writer should have at least one, if not several certifications (see my About Us page for my own certifications). Some certifications have become obsolete (for example, CFRWC, CMRW, CRW), but the ones listed above are still going strong.

In addition, referrals are an excellent way to find a professional resume writer; many of my clients come to me through word of mouth referrals or as a result of my speaking engagements at industry and educational events.

The resume writing industry is not regulated so anyone can claim they are a resume writer. In addition, there are several “scam” companies set up that simply rip off customers (many are based overseas); the website won’t reveal the size of the industry in the United States.

If you look for certifications and listen to referrals, you’ll find the right resume writer for you. Send me an email or give me a call; if I can’t help you, I’ll try to refer you on to another truly professional resume writer.

How long should a resume be? The short answer is: long enough.

Standards have changed. The old rule about never going over one page has been thrown out, and for good reason.

First, that rule often confined applicants to merely listing their duties. Modern employers are more interested in what applicants have achieved. Every shoe salesperson sells shoes. But you stand out from the pack if you were among the top five salespeople or if you specialized in athletic shoes or if you sold in one of the largest shoe stores in the country or if you took a course to improve your sales technique.

A longer resume lets you describe your skills and how your old employers benefited from those skills.

Second, people are moving around more rather than staying in one job at one company for their entire careers. A resume should emphasize past jobs that directly relate to the job an applicant wants now; and in general it should concentrate on recent jobs rather than the distant past. But that still leaves a lot of employment history for most people: too much to fit on one page.

How long should a resume be? It is unacceptable to fill your resume with all fluff and no content. But so long as your career justifies it, two (or even three) pages are fine. As a professional resume writer, I can make sure that every page counts.

A recent question on LinkedIn came from a freelancer who was worried about detailing his multiple jobs on his resume. Would the list make him look like a job hopper?

Freelancing is an honorable employment status and should be treated that way. You are self-employed. Organize your freelance career under one “Freelance” heading, just like employees who work for a company organize all of their achievements, roles and projects under the company’s name.

The same rule applies if you freelance while holding a full-time job. Treat your freelancing as a separate “company” that you work for year after year (the same way that you work for your full-time job year after year). If you alternate individual freelance assignments with full-time jobs on your resume, you’ll confuse employers into thinking that every new freelance job is a change in employment. Instead, keep all the freelance assignments together under one heading and no one will be confused.

You can pick and choose the freelance assignments that you list. You want to concentrate on the ones that make you the most desirable candidate for the job you want now.

If you are still unsure about handling your freelance career on your resume, please contact me. I would be happy to review your individual situation.

Recently an online job seeker asked where she could find a special format suitable to someone in marketing. Earlier in this blog I described some of the formatting issues she should be concerned with; see the posts on “Resume Style” and “The Great Debate: Which Type of Resume Works Best?” But interviews and jobs are not won by formats; they are won by content.

Beware of anyone who says they have the one and only format for marketing, sales, management, software development or any other career. Unless you are applying for federal jobs (which have very stringent requirements), any readable and professional format is appropriate. As a professional resume writer, I will make sure your format meets those criteria and is suitable for both paper and electronic submission.

But more importantly, I will make sure your resume’s content wows the recruiters and companies you contact. When your resume describes in clear, powerful words what you achieved and how, it is perfectly tailored to send you on the road to the job you want.

Stay tuned for the latest advice on resume preparation as well as career tips, and look for the latest information on the ever-evolving job market. I have added some of my articles – stay tuned for even more. I plan on updating my blog every week. Watch here for more updates.