blogs.vault.com/ Fri, 26 April 2019 14:09:00 Fri, 26 April 2019 14:09:00 /blog/resumes-cover-letters/why-you-should-include-your-interests-on-your-resume/#detailed_comment Hi—my name is Kaitlin. I live in New York, I went to college in an Illinois town you’ve never heard of, and I’ve interned at a small literary magazine and a small book publisher. I’m also a judge for a nationwide contest for young writers, I host a cross-country book club focused on WoC authors, and I will absolutely wreck you on pub quiz night. Don’t you feel like you know me a little better after that second sentence? Don’t get me wrong, the first sentence has some very important information—and I probably could’ve stood to elaborate at least a bit on it. But isn’t the second one inherently more interesting? It sparks questions—like who’s trusting me to judge this contest and why, or what’s my best trivia category? These are the items that I have on my resume under “Interests,” a much-contended section to include at all. To the Interests Naysayers, I respectfully disagree. And here’s why. Your Interests Are What Make You Human. Applying for a job can be a relatively impersonal process. Chances are that you won’t meet your hiring manager in person until quite some ways into the application process, which means that, until then, it’s hard for them to see you as more than your resume. Including your interests on your resume clue whoever’s reading it into the fact that, yes, you are indeed a person rather than just a work history on a piece of paper—which means they might be more likely to want to speak to you. It’s All About Likability. Your work history and education are what qualify you for a position—but if the most qualified person always got the job, we would be living in a much different world. People hire candidates that they like, and oftentimes “liking” someone for a job has more to do with the candidate’s personality than their qualifications. We all want to work with people that we get along with, that’s not exactly an earth-shattering revelation. Telling people what you like to do in your spare time will give them an idea about if you’re someone they’d like to be around 40 hours a week. Ice Breakers Are Important. An ideal interview is a conversation, not an interrogation. The interests section on a resume provides your interviewer with conversation points, and that gives you the opportunity to potentially bond with them. Which is why any interest you list on your resume should actually be an interest you have—how embarrassing would it be to list “opera buff” because you think it will make you sound smart, only to find out that your hiring manager is a regular at the Met? So do be honest about what you list, as with all aspects of your resume. They Demonstrate Your Passions. I like books. You probably guessed that from the interests I listed at the start of this article. But doesn’t everyone list “reading” as a hobby? Exactly. I chose to list my book club and the writing contests because they’re a lot more interesting than just saying “reading” and because they show that I enjoy things besides books, like commitments to diverse opinions, engagement with my community, and the development of young writers. That says a lot more about me in a hiring capacity than simply “reading.” This is why it’s so much more valuable if you select interests relevant to the position you’re applying for. Mine are generally media-themed because I was applying to editorial positions—being well-read is a relevant, desirable trait. For other positions, it might not be as applicable. But, say you’re applying to be a programmer and one of your interests is developing video games—list it. Or perhaps you’re looking for a job in marketing—your resume might do well to include any volunteer fundraising you do. Chances are really good that there’s some overlap between the job you’re looking for and the things you like to do in your spare time. So, if you’ve got a little extra room on your resume, take the leap and tell your hiring managers a little about why, even when you’re off the clock, you’d be a great fit for the position. /blog/resumes-cover-letters/why-you-should-include-your-interests-on-your-resume/ /blog/resumes-cover-letters/why-you-should-include-your-interests-on-your-resume/ Fri, 26 April 2019 14:09:00 BambooHR /blog/resumes-cover-letters/your-comprehensive-ats-worthy-cover-letter-resume-guide-slideshow/#detailed_comment Your resume is your chance to make a good first impression, but without designing it properly, it might never even be seen by human eyes! Applicant tracking systems (ATS), which automatically sort through and weed out resumes, are becoming the norm for an increasing number of companies. We've created a quick guide that makes beating them less daunting. Head on over to BambooHR's website to view the complete cover letter and resume guide . /blog/resumes-cover-letters/your-comprehensive-ats-worthy-cover-letter-resume-guide-slideshow/ /blog/resumes-cover-letters/your-comprehensive-ats-worthy-cover-letter-resume-guide-slideshow/ Fri, 26 April 2019 11:34:00 LiveCareer /blog/resumes-cover-letters/how-to-approach-a-cover-letter-optional-job-listing/#detailed_comment Have you ever been invited to a friend's birthday party and been told you shouldn't feel pressure to bring a gift? How often do you take this at face value? Do you assume your friend really doesn't want a present? Or do you think, "I'll just play it safe and get her something small to show I've thought of her?"  Job seekers faced a similar dilemma when greeted with the words "cover letter optional" in a job posting. If you've been in this position, you've likely wondered, "Are they just testing me? Do they really want me to submit a cover letter, or are they genuinely fine with not receiving one? And what will it say about me if I don't attach one?"  Read "optional" as "essential" There is, of course, the chance that an employer has used the line "cover letter optional" because they honestly don't see much value in you attaching this document. But it's also entirely possible that recruiters give you the choice to submit or not to submit because they want to find out how keen you really are on the position. Since you never know whether you're dealing with the first or second scenario, it's always safest to send a letter—even when doing so is not required and even when the job ad says nothing about it at all. The only time you wouldn't attach this invaluable document is if the posting explicitly requests that you don't. Set yourself apart from the competition First and foremost, submitting a cover letter when you don't have to shows that you really, truly want the job. If you're not willing to set aside an hour or two to craft a letter, recruiters might question whether you're really that motivated at all, and that won't reflect well on you. Choosing to send a letter also offers hiring managers a preview of what's to come if they hire you—it shows that you're the sort of employee who’s prepared to go above and beyond and do more than the bare minimum. If you're being compared to similarly qualified candidates who didn't submit a letter, then this testament to your work ethic should give you an advantage over them. If a cover letter is potentially going to be the one thing that differentiates you from others, why wouldn't you attach one? Demonstrate your soft skills A cover letter also presents various other opportunities you don't want to miss out on. It's a chance to demonstrate strong communication skills, which are highly valued in almost every industry, and to say what you can't in your resume . In a letter, you can capture what it is about the role and the company that most appeals to you, showcase your unique personality, and make specific links between your skills and experience and the requirements of the position. Your resume offers a summary of your career history and qualifications; a cover letter acts as a bridge, showing how these details would translate to success in this particular job. Make your cover letter work extra hard If hiring managers include the line "cover letter optional" in a job posting, it might be because they don't want to be inundated with a heap of extra reading that doesn't add value. So, if you're going to give them something they haven't requested, make sure it's worth their time to engage with it. Compile a document that's customized, original, and attention-grabbing, and avoid making all the common cover letter mistakes . Never start with "To Whom It May Concern" (personalize the greeting with the hiring manager's name instead), stay away from clichés and tired buzzwords , and don't just repeat what's in your resume. It's also best to keep the emphasis on the company's needs and how you can add value, rather than on what the job would bring to your life. And, of course, you should make sure your letter is free of any errors and is as concise as possible—the leaner, the better, especially if it's only optional. A final note If you're not sure where to start, it's a good idea to use one of the many cover letter templates available online to assist you. Cover letter templates are especially helpful in that they typically offer step-by-step guidance and even suggest job-specific keywords to include to beat applicant tracking systems that screen for certain phrases. Since 2005, LiveCareer has been helping job seekers create resumes and cover letters via its free  resume builder  and  cover letter builder  tools. Also available are collections of free, professionally written  resume templates  and  resume samples , all of which are organized by industry and job title. /blog/resumes-cover-letters/how-to-approach-a-cover-letter-optional-job-listing/ /blog/resumes-cover-letters/how-to-approach-a-cover-letter-optional-job-listing/ Tue, 09 April 2019 15:19:00 /blog/resumes-cover-letters/how-to-write-a-resume-that-crosses-borders-infographic/#detailed_comment Earning your MBA is the first step to securing a great job—creating a standout resume is the next. Whether you're an international student applying to jobs in the United States, or you're from the U.S. but seeking new experiences abroad, a resume that crosses borders is essential. With best practices and application requirements varying from country to country, it's important to know how to tailor your resume to the right market. The folks at Hansen & Company  have put together this great infographic that breaks down how to create a resume or CV that translates internationally. /blog/resumes-cover-letters/how-to-write-a-resume-that-crosses-borders-infographic/ /blog/resumes-cover-letters/how-to-write-a-resume-that-crosses-borders-infographic/ Fri, 05 April 2019 11:41:00 Silvia Giltner via Fairygodboss /blog/resumes-cover-letters/3-resume-tips-for-older-career-changers/#detailed_comment Unfortunately, modern society is ageist. There's a common societal belief that the young should experiment while older people should stick to what they know. That can make it hard to switch careers later in life. Still, it’s not impossible, particularly as people are becoming aware of this discrimination . You just might need to take some extra steps to succeed. To that end, here are three resume tips that will go a long way to helping you switch careers if you're an experienced professional. 1. Be careful about the personal information you include in your resume. Ideally, employers should judge you based on your skills and experience, not based on the age at which you're switching careers. However, it's possible that some employers will see a career change later in life as the result of failures in your employment history. And so, your age, picture, and graduation date might make an employer turn your application away simply because you're older than they expected. Keeping such information off your resume will help you have a better chance of landing an interview. 2. List your experience according to importance, not chronologically. If you're a very experienced professional, it's only normal that you have a wide range of work experience. And this experience will come in handy. Veronica Wright, the CEO of Resumes Centre, notes: “Experience in other fields of work will help you have more chances of making your career change a big success." However, chronological ordering may not work in your favor with respect to your resume, and you could potentially make an employer turn your application down simply because of your age. By ordering qualifications based on their importance and relation to your new career path rather than by chronology, you're indirectly helping your future employers focus on the right ones. 3. Include your tech skills. There's a general misconception that older people don’t understand technology. If you can prove this stereotype wrong, you can force people to evaluate you by your skill rather than your age. So, proudly include technological skills and qualifications on your resume. If you need more skills, take some online media and tech courses, or watch YouTube videos and learn that way. Also, it's not a bad thing to ask friends, colleagues, and family for help if you have any questions about any applications or new technologies. It's likely that you'll come to see that many applications and skills are a lot easier to learn than you initially expected. A version of this post previously appeared on  Fairygodboss , the largest career community that helps women get the inside scoop on pay, corporate culture, benefits, and work flexibility. Founded in 2015, Fairygodboss offers company ratings, job listings, discussion boards, and career advice. /blog/resumes-cover-letters/3-resume-tips-for-older-career-changers/ /blog/resumes-cover-letters/3-resume-tips-for-older-career-changers/ Tue, 02 April 2019 10:30:00 LiveCareer /blog/resumes-cover-letters/6-ways-your-resume-should-differ-from-your-linkedin-profile/#detailed_comment Although your resume and LinkedIn profile are both important job-search tools, they serve slightly different purposes and are read by slightly different audiences under different conditions. As a result, they should never be identical. Here, we explore the difference between building a resume and building a LinkedIn profile, and outline six key ways you should set these two tools apart to get the most out of each. 1. Customization While you’ll only have one LinkedIn profile that does the broad job of presenting your professional persona to the online world, you’ll ideally have a separate resume for every job you applied for, each carefully tailored to fit the requirements of a role. Profiles aren’t written with a specific position in mind, so yours needs to include enough information to appeal to a wide audience and paint a complete picture of all your various skills and strengths—after all, you don’t want to limit your options by restricting your narrative too much. Your resume, on the other hand, should feature only information that’s 100 percent relevant to the needs of a specific position and the interests of the hiring manager. That means you should cut out mention of any work experience or skills that don’t relate while playing up those that do. LinkedIn will require some tailoring, as you want to tell a specific story, but not to the same degree as your resume. 2. Length and level of detail A major difference between a resume and LinkedIn profile is depth. Your online profile is a platform you can use to tell a fairly full and colorful story—one that unpacks your passion for your line of work and details the ins and outs of how you moved through the various roles you’ve held. You can even add extra information about your volunteer experience, published work, and involvement with organizations. When you write a resume, you don’t have the same luxury of space. Recruiters want to quickly scan this document and get everything they need out of it in a few seconds. So while you still need to present your career narrative, you have to do so in far fewer words (ideally one page) and omit fluff and nice-to-haves. Certain details, like all the technicalities of a major project you supervised, have to be saved for the interview. 3. Supplementary proof LinkedIn allows you to add attachments, hyperlinks, videos, presentations, skill endorsements, and recommendations from former colleagues. This is simply not possible when submitting a resume. Because you can’t add physical evidence of your abilities to this document, you need to weave in as much concrete, verifiable proof of your value as you can by including numbers to quantify the impact you’ve had on former employers. For instance, if you helped to improve profits at a company, say by how much. If you can tell your story in a compelling way, you’ll hopefully entice recruiters to head over to LinkedIn, where they can find samples of your work and other hard evidence of what you can do for them. 4. Privacy LinkedIn is a public platform, so anyone in your network has access to all the information you include here. For this reason, you have to be careful about the details you choose to share. For instance, you should never list your physical address or divulge confidential business metrics. Your resume, however, is a private document, so there’s more room to include specific facts and figures that could make a stronger case for your employment. As your resume will only be seen by the recruiter and whomever he or she shares it with, you can also be quite direct about your objectives here. The same doesn’t apply to LinkedIn, where you need to promote yourself more subtly and avoid explicitly stating that you’re actively looking for a new job. 5. Tone of voice Degree of formality is another key difference between a resume and LinkedIn profile. Your resume is a professional document that’s meant to position you as the polite, respectable employee you are. Make sure this comes across through the language you use, and prioritize formal wording over colloquial phrasings. You should also avoid using first-person pronouns—in fact, you can drop personal pronouns altogether. Professionalism is also important on LinkedIn, but as it is first and foremost a networking site and social platform, a degree of informality is allowed. It would be a mistake not to use LinkedIn to showcase your personality , so make your profile’s language familiar, relatable, and conversational, and feel free to say “I” and “me.” The idea is to give people a sense of who you are so that they feel comfortable reaching out and connecting. 6. Imagery and media In order to make your LinkedIn profile more personable, it’s essential that you include a professional profile picture. On the contrary, it’s best not to include a personal photograph in your resume so as to protect yourself from bias. In general, your LinkedIn profile can be fairly colorful and dynamic, with the inclusion of additional media, documents, and clips. Your resume differs in that the formatting should be as straightforward as possible so that it’s accepted by screening software and applicant tracking systems (ATS). As this document is a key job application tool, it should tell your story the way recruiters expect to receive it—simply. If you’re still unsure about the difference between a resume and LinkedIn profile, or if you need extra guidance to compile your resume, take a look at LiveCareer’s free resume examples . A library full of samples, organized by industry and job title, will give you all the inspiration and direction you need to put together a standout document. Since 2005, LiveCareer has been helping job seekers create resumes and cover letters via its free resume builder and cover letter builder tools. Also available are collections of free, professionally written resume templates and resume samples , all of which are organized by industry and job title. /blog/resumes-cover-letters/6-ways-your-resume-should-differ-from-your-linkedin-profile/ /blog/resumes-cover-letters/6-ways-your-resume-should-differ-from-your-linkedin-profile/ Tue, 05 March 2019 11:47:00 /blog/resumes-cover-letters/5-words-never-to-use-in-a-cover-letter/#detailed_comment If you're a copy editing nerd like I am, you'll be very pleased to know that there's a really interesting NPR Fresh Air podcast now available that just might change the way you think about writing cover letters, thank-you letters, and other rather formal (and quite painful) business and career correspondence. The subject of the podcast is Benjamin Dreyer, the copy chief of book publishing giant Random House. Dreyer, who has copy edited books by major authors such as E.L. Doctorow and Michael Chabon, has a new book of his own out entitled "Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide To Clarity And Style." In it, and in the aforementioned podcast, Dreyer passes along several editorial tips, one of which covers five words never to use in written communication: very, really, just, rather, and quite. Five words which I used in the first sentence of this blog. Yes, I used these words to help underline Dreyer's point. Which is that they are utterly useless. To test this out, I invite you to go back and read that first sentence without those five words ... Unnecessary, right? A waste of space and time, correct? A weaker sentence with than without, yes? Dreyer, like any good copy editor, knows that strong writing is concise and clear. Ideally, when writing, you'll use as few words as possible to convey your message as clearly as possible. That said, Dreyer concedes there's a time and place in written communication for a "very" if you really need one. But chances are you don't need one. Chances are you're being shy when using "very." Dreyer recommends to "be a little bold" and "let [the  adjective that very modifies] sit by itself." Not incidentally, Dreyer says two other words you should kill from your writing are "that said" (two words which I used superfluously in the previous paragraph; Dryer calls this phrase and others like it nothing but "throat clearers"). How all this advice applies to cover letters, thank-you letters, and other business correspondence is this: Make sure that when you edit your job search and career correspondence, you remove all unnecessary words so you take up as little of your reader's time as possible. Another benefit is your writing will come across as stronger and more confident without them. And thus you will come across as a stronger and more confident candidate. One way to remove these words is by using the "find" function to find and then delete all of the verys, quites, and reallys in your writing. Another way is to read your correspondence slowly, word by word, while asking yourself if each word is necessary. If it is, keep it. If not, delete. Concise writing is especially important when it comes to cover letters, since recruiters spend little time on them. So, try to get across all that you can in under 20 seconds, maybe 10 if possible. And keep in mind that although an opening pleasantry like "I hope your week is going well" is fine, you want to get to the meat of your letter as fast as you can. So cut out the fat. Finally, I want to point out that Dreyer isn't as editorially militant as some other editors and writers I've come across. For example, I was surprised to learn that Dreyer, unlike, say, Ernest Hemingway , doesn't despise adverbs. "I like adverbs very much," says Dryer. "I know that many people think that adverbs are dreadful. I use them all the time. In fact, there's that great, big, honking utterly in the subtitle of my book." Dryer also concedes that when using the spoken word, his rules for writing don't always apply. A "really," "quite," or throat clearer like "in fact" can work well when speaking, he admits. Follow us on Instagram . /blog/resumes-cover-letters/5-words-never-to-use-in-a-cover-letter/ /blog/resumes-cover-letters/5-words-never-to-use-in-a-cover-letter/ Tue, 12 February 2019 13:01:00 /blog/resumes-cover-letters/5-best-resume-fonts/#detailed_comment When it comes to choosing which font to use for your resume, less is more. This means you want your content to stand out, not the lettering with which you craft your content. With that in mind, here are five great fonts to consider when putting together your resume. 1. Arial This sans-serif font was created in 1982. One of its creators, Robin Nicholas, reportedly called it a "bland" and "generic" font, meaning it's perfect for your resume. It's like the gray suit of fonts. It will look just fine, while letting what's in it (what it spells out) shine. You no doubt are very familiar with this font, since it's standard on a lot of Microsoft software and applications. 2. Cambria If you prefer a serif font to a sans-serif font, give Cambria a look. It was designed (by a Dutch designer) specifically to look sharp on a computer screen, while keeping its elegance on a printed piece of paper. And since chances are your resume will be viewed on a screen, Cambria is a nice choice. Lastly, it should be noted that Cambria was supposedly created to take the place of Times New Roman (the former resume champion that is now considered, by some, to be a tad too formal for a resume, like wearing a three-piece suit to an interview). 3. Calibri This is another clean sans-serif font, like Arial, but a bit less ubiquitous. Which makes this a fashion-forward choice. Indeed, Calibri is relatively new, as it was only made public in 2007 when it appeared in Microsoft Office. The creation of another Dutch designer, Calibri also looks great when italicized, a benefit when choosing this for your resume, as you will want to ital and bold certain headers and phrases. 4. Georgia This is another serif font, like Cambria, that was created to look good on a screen (Microsoft created it). A nice feature of Georgia is its bold is very bold, making it really stand out, thus making it great to use for business reports and writings like resumes, where you want headings to catch the eyes of readers. Georgia is another good substitute for Times New Roman, if that used to be your go-to CV font. 5. Helvetica As far as we know, this is the only font to have been the subject of its own movie . And yes, this font is more than worthy of the honor. It is perhaps the most well known and widely used font in the world (it is the font of American Airlines, American Apparrel, Target, Knoll, and Panasonic, among many other iconic brands). Like Calibri and Arial, it is a sans-serif font; it was created by a Swiss graphic designer in 1957. Helvetica is a great choice for a resume because it's modern yet classic and recognizable yet still projects beauty and symmetry. Think of it as the perfect blue suit of fonts that will last you decades. /blog/resumes-cover-letters/5-best-resume-fonts/ /blog/resumes-cover-letters/5-best-resume-fonts/ Tue, 29 January 2019 16:22:00 /blog/resumes-cover-letters/20-common-resume-buzzwords/#detailed_comment January 18 th is National Thesaurus Day: a chance to celebrate the complexity of words and the variety of creative ways to express yourself. Thesaurus Day recognizes Peter Mark Roget (born on January 18, 1779), who published the Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases in 1852. Until the advent of the digital age, Roget’s Thesaurus was one of the most widely used lexicons of the English Language—a staple among writers, students, and virtually anyone who’s ever put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard). Much has been written about the best and worst words to use on your resume; with such limited space, word choice is essential to portraying yourself in a way that sets you apart from everyone else, and certain buzzwords come across as tired or trite to recruiters and hiring managers. To celebrate National Thesaurus Day this week, we’ve compiled a list of creative alternatives for some of the most common and generic resume words or phrases. When describing your accomplishments/responsibilities Employers want to know what you’ve accomplished in your previous roles, and what you can bring to the table. Here are ten common words or phrases and some synonyms you can use as an alternative: Lead (as in leading a project): execute, initiate, helm, orchestrate, oversee, spearhead Manage (as in managing a team of people): coordinate, direct, guide, head, pilot, supervise Create : design, devise, envision, establish, formulate, launch, pioneer Improve : influence, optimize, overhaul, redesign, revitalize, transform Increase (as in growing profits, production, etc.): advance, amplify, boost, expand, generate, maximize Decrease (as in saving time and money or cutting down on losses): conserve, condense, ease, moderate, reduce Research: analyze, examine, explore, inquire, investigate, study Write: author, brief, compose, define, verbalize Achieve (as in reaching a goal): attain, demonstrate, earn, reach, surpass, win Communicate (with clients or colleagues): convey, correspond, interact, liaise, mediate, network When describing your personality/attributes Are you a go-getter? A self-starter? A team player? That’s great if you are, but there are far better ways to describe yourself. Try these instead: Self-starter: enthusiastic, inspired, motivated, zealous Go-getter : ambitious, aspiring, determined, industrious, passionate Detail-oriented: analytic, attentive, comprehensive, meticulous, precise, systematic Team player: collaborative, collegial, cooperative, helpful, supportive Proficient: accomplished, adept, apt, competent, effective, experienced Results-driven: committed, efficient, intent, purposeful Go-to person: enlisted, entrusted, expert, relied upon Dynamic: agile, diligent, energetic, engaging, lively, versatile Innovative: avant-garde, creative, groundbreaking, imaginative, inventive, pioneering, resourceful, shrewd Strategic thinker: critical, flexible, focused, logical, methodical, perceptive, studious A few words of advice When it comes to revitalizing your resume, there’s a thin line between creativity and hyperbole. While you want to stand out from the competition, you also want to keep things professional. Most recruiters can tell when you’re grandstanding or exaggerating your qualifications. Overly embellished language can read as flowery and convoluted, which is the last thing you want for someone who might spend less than 30 seconds reviewing your resume. Every word on your resume counts. Be specific and concise, only using works that illuminate your point. Utilize keywords from the job description , but only where they’re relevant. Avoid repetition, and only use words that you understand. This last point might seem self-evident, but as you search for creative synonyms, it can be easy to reach for words you don’t firmly grasp—and that can come across during your interview. And never forget to proofread your resume multiple times; recruiters and hiring managers overwhelmingly cite typos or bad grammar as an immediate deal breaker. /blog/resumes-cover-letters/20-common-resume-buzzwords/ /blog/resumes-cover-letters/20-common-resume-buzzwords/ Wed, 16 January 2019 16:12:00 /blog/resumes-cover-letters/6-things-to-do-to-your-resume-before-the-new-year/#detailed_comment A lot of people think the holiday season is a bad time to look for a new job. With the year winding down, offices closing, and people going on vacation, it’s not difficult to see why you might table your job search until the New Year. But jobs open up year-round, and a company’s hiring process depends more on its needs than on the season. Sure, things might slow down around the holidays for some companies, but this is in no way a blanket statement. In fact, the holiday season presents some fantastic networking opportunities to jumpstart your job search. Even if you’re not ready to look right now, you can take advantage of the downtime the holidays bring so that when January rolls around, you hit the ground running. For instance, this is a great time to reevaluate and revamp your resume. Here are six things you can do to your resume to get a head start on your New Year’s job search. Take Inventory of your Skills and Achievements The holidays are a time to reflect, and as the year draws to a close, it’s helpful to ruminate on everything that’s happened this year. What did you learn in 2018? What interests did you pursue? What skills did you develop? Take a look at the Skills section of your resume and update it to reflect anything new that happened this year. Did you learn a new software program? Were you certified in anything? If you have a separate section for awards or recognitions, update this as well. Think of your resume as a snapshot of your professional journey, and use this opportunity to make sure it reflects where you currently are. Update your Projects and Responsibilities If you worked this year, it’s important that the projects and responsibilities you list are up to date. Think about some of the highlights of your year—major things you worked on, projects that demonstrate new skills. If something was particularly impactful to your employer, or is relevant to the jobs you’ll be applying to, make sure it’s front and center. Try to quantify your results if you can. Sales numbers, website traffic, social media engagement—whatever your KPI’s (key performance indicators) are. Including any pertinent data you have access to shows that you are results-oriented and accountable. Change Up Your Format Formatting can make or break a resume. If you haven’t been hearing back from hiring managers, or if your resume feels a little stale, consider changing things up a bit. You’d be surprised what a difference a few simple changes can make. Font, spacing, paragraph brakes—even bullet styles—can make all the difference in your resume’s presentation. If you’re in a creative industry, like fashion or graphic design, your resume may call for something visually engaging (side note: this is a great time to update your portfolio). This is very job-specific, however; use discretion when pushing the envelope. Generally, a resume should be clear and concise, neatly formatted with a simple font and proper headings. Play around with our collection of resume samples to find one that works for you. Consider a Functional Resume Resumes are traditionally organized in reverse chronological order, starting with your current or most recent employer and job title. Some people, however, find it useful to create a functional, or skills-based resume. A functional resume is organized by specific transferable skills, emphasizing the projects in which you developed and applied those skills. A functional resume shifts the focus to your talents and capabilities rather than the specific positions you’ve held. Your employment history is included, but insofar as each job serves as an example of how you used the skills you’re presenting. You might consider this kind of resume if you’re a recent graduate without much work experience, or if your experience isn’t directly related to the job you’re applying for. Skills-based resumes are also good for people who have had a lot of internships, temporary assignments, or done a lot of freelancing. A functional resume isn’t for everyone, and some employers are skeptical of resumes that prioritize skills over concrete experience, so you should carefully evaluate whether this is the right type for you. Get a Second Pair of Eyes to Look at It There’s nothing more helpful than having somebody provide feedback on your resume. A second pair of eyes is an excellent way to get another person’s perspective—to see how your resume comes across to someone else, and what a hiring manager might take away from it. It’s hard to look at your own resume objectively. No matter how many times you proofread or revise, you’re bound to overlook something. Ask a friend or trusted colleague to review your resume, or get a professional resume critique. They may offer insight into your wording, formatting, grammar, and the strongest aspects of your resume—what’s working and what you can build upon. Be mindful of the fact that people are busy during the holidays, so give them ample time to review. Update Your Online Resume If you post your resume online—either to job sites like Indeed or Monster, or to a social network like LinkedIn—this version of your resume must also be up to date. Chances are that if you post your resume digitally, these are the platforms through which you want hiring managers and recruiters to see you. Once you’ve updated your resume, make those same changes to any digital channel where you showcase your professional experience. This ensures that the first impression people in your network have of you is current and accurate. It’ll save time and confusion if the resume you send a hiring manager who reached out to you through LinkedIn mirrors the information in your profile. For more helpful resume advice, be sure to check out Vault’s resume resources at http://www.vault.com/resumes . /blog/resumes-cover-letters/6-things-to-do-to-your-resume-before-the-new-year/ /blog/resumes-cover-letters/6-things-to-do-to-your-resume-before-the-new-year/ Fri, 07 December 2018 16:01:00