The world has sure changed in the past three weeks. We went on spring vacation (had a really wonderful trip BTW) and came back to a new world where some folks are super cautious about contact with others, and some are defiant in the face of precautions we are being told to make. And even worse, you may have been laid off or downsized. Plus, we all know that the stimulus money won’t go very far.
So… how do you land on your feet? Have a kick-ass resume. I’ll try to make this simple and address everything you need to know. Consider this the best place for resume advice in the dumpster fire of 2020.
I promise we will get through this. Together. And if you need help, I am offering discounts for folks impacted by coronavirus. Pick up the phone and call 480-499-3588 today.
- Contact info. Name, city and state, phone number (just your cell – do not list your home number), and email. Yes, it matters. Yes, Gmail is best. And no, do not use yahoo, Hotmail, cox.net, or AOL. Outlook, iCloud, or me.com are all okay.
- Objective. Leave it off. No one cares. The only time I add the objective is for folks who want a career change. In other words, if you were an accountant and are applying for a job as a delivery driver, the objective becomes important as it explains why you are applying for a job that you are clearly overqualified for.
- Executive summary. Focus on your credentials, core qualifications, and personal value proposition. Read my blog on writing the perfect executive summary for in-detail best practices.
- Core competencies. No matter how tempting, do not omit the skills section. This is where the HR Manager will clearly see that you possess the requisite knowledge for the job. Plus, it will help you get past the ATS software. Make sure it has a list of the software you are familiar with as well!
- Professional history. List every job in chronological order. Do not use a functional resume format. No one likes them. Trust me. You may want to lead each job with a short description of the company. Follow that with a paragraph outlining the scope of your role and reserve the bullets for your best accomplishments. Tell a story in each bullet. My best resume advice is to follow the CAR format – challenge, action, resolution – for each and every bullet. Again, if you’d like to read more about how to build a distinctive resume, click here.
- Education. List your highest level of education and never, ever lie. If you attended college but did not graduate, do not claim that you have a degree. The best strategy is to tell the reader how many semesters of credit you have “towards” a bachelor’s degree. See what I did there??
- References. Leave them off. Every time I see “references available upon request,” I want to say “okay boomer.” Put your references on a separate page.
Krista Morris is the founder of Virtuoso Resumes and a two-time TORI Award winner who has helped more than 3,000 professionals land jobs faster with strategic, high-impact resumes. Known for bold storytelling and interview-based information gathering, she blends recruiting insight with clear positioning to turn complex careers into compelling brands. Before launching Virtuoso, she spent nearly a decade in workforce development with the State of Arizona and Maximus, helping job seekers move from unemployed to unstoppable. Today, her four-writer team serves clients across the United States and supports career transitions at every level.