7 Fundamental Rules for Crafting a Rock-Solid Resume
By: Source: AARP Bulletin Today Date Posted: September 2003
The key for older workers' resumes: Show evidence that predicts your future performance—rather than simply providing a laundry list of your past work experience. A dynamic resume should communicate a sense of purpose, professionalism, competence, honesty, enthusiasm and likeability, says Shelbi Walker, vice president at Back to Work, Inc.
Your resume also needs to overcome common misconceptions about older workers—for instance, that you're too slow to survive in a fast-paced work environment or that you lack specific experience in a new field. Your variety of skills, experience, perspective and work ethic are assets that separate you from other candidates, and your resume should make that clear. Follow these 7 guidelines to craft a winning resume:
1. Know what a prospective employer seeks. Check a company's website to learn about its business strategy and products and how it treats employees. The exercise will help you position your own experience and skills most effectively, says Todd Hamilton, director of adult services for the Baton Rouge, La., chapter of Catholic Charity Services, an agency that helps place older workers in the workforce.
2. Highlight your accomplishments. Think about the positive results that you helped create for previous employers. Use verbs such as "established," "developed" and "organized" to introduce the accomplishments. Remember, job recruiters are looking for firm evidence that you can produce, Hamilton says.
3. Mind the length. You don't have to limit yourself to one page, especially given your range of experience. But more than two pages is probably overkill, and you should highlight only the most salient aspects of your work and experience.
4. Keep it relevant. Non-work experience and hobbies are useful to include—but only if they highlight skills or interests that are relevant to an employer, Hamilton says. Example: Your role as the keeper of your family's budget can be useful to mention for jobs where accounting and bookkeeping are requisite skills.
5. Address gaps in work history. If you took time off for family or other reasons, identify the relevant activities for that period that showcase skills needed for the job you're seeking. Example: Note that time spent as a caregiver shows your skills at organization and diligence, Hamilton says.
6. Avoid personal information such as age, height, weight, sex, race or religion. Those details simply aren't relevant. It's OK to include hobbies and avocations, as long as they are concise and applicable to the position.
7. Offer an e-mail address. It has become a preferred method of communication for those who handle hiring at companies. Make it easy for an employer to get in touch with you.
Of course, don't forget to double-check your spelling and grammar. A single mistake can take you out of the running for a position—no matter how solid your experience.
Share
preview