New Resumes For Older People
Does Your Resume Need an Update?
Is Your Resume Current or Outdated?
Back in the day, we all learned how to write a resume. It may have been in a Business Communications class or from a job resource center. However, this generation of employers and human resources people have different expectations than the ones we grew up with. Your resume may be dating you!
What Can You Do For Me?
Remember when we would put a career goals statement up at the top of our resumes? It would tell employers what you were looking for in a new job. Well, guess what? Employers are more interested in what you can do for them!
Instead of telling employers that you are looking for a challenging job with free coffee, put a summary of your skills and experience that tell employers why you would be a good fit for your job. This is called a professional summary, and you can Google it if you want to learn how to format it.
One Size Does Not Fit All Resumes
You may have been fine by making dozens of copies of one resume in the past. These days, it is probably worth it to format individual resumes and cover letters that are unique to the job you are applying for. It is extra effort, but these days, you have to figure it will take extra effort to get the job you want.
Your Resume Can Be Longer Than One Page
Going over 1 page used to be a sin when making resume. But these days, if you have a long work history, you will be better off by adding another page than by trying to squeeze everyting in with a microspic font.
Trim Your Resume’s Skill Set
Yes, it is ok to have a 2 page resume, but you still might want to trim some old things out. Outdated skills, that will not be required for the job you want, may date your resume without adding anything productive to it. Your new employer may not care if you could program a TRS-80 a few decades ago, but will be interested in what you can do to accomplish tasks today.