Below you will find descriptions of 12 typical situations faced by job seekers.

For each situation, you will find a description of the problems faced and how the job seekers addressed the situation with their resumes.

Today, a single version of your resume is not sufficient.

For best results, match the requirements in the job description with your qualifications and accomplishments, as you will see in these samples.

Samples for Many Different Situations

Below find sample resumes for special situations (entering or re-entering the job market, making a career change, unemployed, older candidate who wants to look younger, and more) as well as a standard employed job seeker.

Read the detailed explanation for each resume to help you understand the issues the job seeker faced and how they were resolved in the sample resume.

Choose and carefully examine the resumes closest to your situation. Also check out the other resumes to see how different experiences are handled by a professional resume writer.

  2 Versions of Each Sample Resume  

Because of the impact of technology used by recruiters and employers, we have provided 2 versions of each sample resume:

1. The formal version of the resume –

This is the traditional version of the resume designed to appeal to live humans. This is the resume sent directly to recruiters and members of an employer’s staff.

Leverage your word processing software’s functions to make it appealing and easy to read.

2. The simpler ATS-friendly version of the resume –

When you look at this resume, you won’t be particularly impressed by what you see because this is the simplified version of your resume that you would submit to most job boards and to employer applicant tracking systems (ATS).

Automated systems require a very plain format which can be processed by the software, generating the fewest errors in understanding the content of the resume. These ATS samples were prepared with assistance from JobScan.co.

The Sample Resumes

The challenges faced by these job seekers is explained in the article that accompanies the resume and should explain the particular challenges each job seeker faced. The job seekers range from executive to college student and everyone in between.

Each sample resume illustrates how to resolve several issues that the job seeker had.

Do read the explanation of the situation the resume is addressing before you look at the resume samples. That will enable you to see what “problem” the job seeker had that the resume addresses.

  Standard Situation:  

The Details: Average Joe Job Seeker

This “regular guy” — Eduardo Hortiz (not his real name) — has been working for several years and is looking for a non-management job in his current field. Learn more about how he stands out without changing who he is.

1. The formal resume: “Average Joe” Resume
2. The simplified ATS version: “Average Joe” Resume

  Typical Challenges:  

• The Details: Making a Career Change

  This executive job seeker, Joseph J. Monroe (not his real name), wants to change industries from healthcare to technology. Learn how he emphasized his accomplishments in technology to make the transition.

  1. The formal resume: Making a Career Change Resume
  2. The simplified ATS version: Making a Career Change Resume

• The Details: Older Job Seeker Looks Younger

  This older job seeker, Karen Coffey (not her real name), competes with much younger job seekers in a “young field.” Learn how she made herself look younger to compete successfully.

  1. The formal resume: Older Job Seeker Looks Younger Resume
  2. The simplified ATS version: Older Job Seeker Looks Younger Resume

• The Details: Highlighting Education

  In some fields education is very important to employers, so this job seeker, Frank Ford (not his real name), needs to emphasize that aspect of his background. Learn how this management consultant emphasized his education several ways to highlight his qualifications.

  1. The formal resume: Highlighting Education Resume
  2. The simplified ATS version: Highlighting Education Resume

• The Details: Non-Profit Executive with No Degree

  This successful senior manager, Ryan Meade (not his real name), did not finish his college degree and is now seeking an executive director position, typically requiring at least one degree. Learn how he managed the missing degree.

  1. The formal resume: Non-Profit Executive with No Degree Resume
  2. The simplified ATS version: Non-Profit Executive with No Degree Resume

  Entering or Re-entering the Job Market  

• The Details: A Mom Returning to Work

  This job seeker, LaDonna Davis (not her real name), faced two big challenges – handling the employment gap when she was home taking care of her family and also changing the direction of her career when she returned to the workforce. Learn more about how she managed each challenge.

  1. The formal resume: Mom Returning to Work
  2. The simplified ATS version: Mom Returning to Work

• The Details: College Student

  Graduating next May, this student, Loretta Perkins (not her real name), is getting a jump start on her post-graduation job search. Read how she combined her experience, both on the job and off, to impress potential employers.

  1. The formal resume: College Student Resume
  2. The simplified ATS version: College Student Resume

• The Details: New Grad

  This new accounting grad, Landon Jones (not his real name), wants to follow up on experience he gained during an internship. Read the issues this job seeker faced and how she handled education.

  1. The formal resume: New Grad Resume
  2. The simplified ATS version: New Grad Resume

  Unemployed Job Seekers  

• The Details: Job Seeker with Gaps in Employment

  This job seeker, Anna Gonzalez (not her real name), used her volunteer work to disguise her gaps in employment. Learn more about how she handled employment gaps.

  1. The formal resume: Handling Employment Gaps Resume
  2. The simplified ATS version: Handling Employment Gaps Resume

• The Details: Older, Laid-Off Worker

  Appropriately presenting all the experience that this older job seeker, James Carpenter (not his real name), brings to an employer can be challenging. Read how this job seeker resolved three tough issues.

  1. The formal resume: Older, Laid-Off Worker
  2. The simplified ATS version: Older, Laid-Off Worker

• The Details: Just Fired

  A job search after you’ve been fired can be difficult. Read how this experienced manager, Betsy Charles (not her real name), handled being fired.

  1. The formal resume: Just Fired Resume
  2. The simplified ATS version: Just Fired Resume

• The Details: Unemployed with a Chronic Illness

  This job seeker, Sandi Patterson (not her real name), faces two challenges, a chronic illness (MS) and being currently unemployed. Learn how she handles both her chronic illness and being unemployed.

  1. The formal resume: Job Seeker with Chronic Illness Resume
  2. The simplified ATS version: Job Seeker with Chronic Illness Resume

The Bottom Line on Resume Examples

Your resume is an extremely important personal marketing document, essential for job search today. Keep that perspective in mind as you create your resume. A resume must be truthful and focused on the employer and opportunity.

More About Resumes

• Effective Resumes Home
• 3 Smart Tips to Beat the ATS Systems
• Why 95% of Resumes Don’t Get Read and What You Can Do About It
• Why a General Work-History Resume Doesn’t Work Now
• 7 Deadly Resume Mistakes for New Grads to Avoid
• How to Triple the Value of Your Resume

About the author…

Erin Kennedy is a Master Career Director (MCD), Certified Master Resume Writer (MCRW), Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), and Certified Empowerment & Motivational Coach (CEMC). She has been helping clients since 1999. Erin is also the President of Professional Resume Services, Inc.. Visit her website and connect with Erin on LinkedIn and Twitter.
More about this author…

The post Free Resume Samples and Examples appeared first on Job-Hunt.

The Details About This Mom Resume Sample (Links at Bottom of Article)

LaDonna received a BA in Education and went to work teaching preschool for the local school district after graduating.

During her fourth year at the preschool, she became pregnant and decided to become a stay-at-home mom until her child entered kindergarten.

For the next five years, LaDonna’s focus was on being a full-time mother. To keep her teaching dream alive, she did sporadic volunteer work as an assistant teacher at the local middle school.

It was during this time at the middle school that she realized teaching was not the ideal career for her.

The problem: she didn’t know what she wanted to do, so she hired a career counselor to help her figure things out. After some skills assessment and informational interviewing, LaDonna decided to go back to school to get a degree in Psychology, with the goal of becoming a Childhood Development Specialist sometime in the future.

In the meantime, LaDonna needed a job! So, she focused on landing a job that would pay the bills while she got her new degree, targeting small businesses and moving away from education.

• Handling the Employment Gap

To overcome the issue of not holding a full-time job for five years, she showed she was actively volunteering and documented her volunteer work so that it showed her project management, administrative, and organizational skills.

• Launching Her Career Change

To distance herself from teaching and begin her career change, LaDonna made these changes to her resume:

• She used content focused more on her organizational and project management experience to demonstrate that she would be an excellent Office Manager for a local small business.
• She created a strong keyword list showing her transferrable skills from working within the schools, which helped define her as an organized person who knows how to create and streamline systems, and effectively manage projects, programs, and people.
• She purposely did not write a lot about her teaching experience because that’s the aspect of her previous work that she does not want to repeat.

The Bottom Line on This Resume Example for a Mom Returning to Work

This one-page resume is clean and concise. It delivers only the most relevant information, thereby painting the picture of a job seeker who will organize and manage a small professional office in a neat and straightforward manner.

  The Resume Samples for LaDonna:  

• Sample Formal Resume for the Mom with Employment Gap and Career Change
• Sample Simplified ATS Resume for the Mom with Employment Gap and Career Change

More About Managing Employment Gaps

• Answering Interview Question: What About That Employment Gap?
• Options to Bridget that Employment Gap
• Returning to Work After Caring for a Parent
• How to Handle a Chemotherapy Gap on Your LinkedIn Profile

More About Beating Unemployment:

• Job-Hunt’s Guide to Beating Unemployment
• How to Manage Employment Gaps on Your Resume
• Hiring Manager Tips for Escaping Unemployment
• 5 Options to Bridge that Unemployment Gap by recruiter Jeff Lipschultz
• Overcoming the Unemployed Bias by recruiter Jeff Lipschultz
• Best LinkedIn Title When You Are Unemployed
• Managing Employment Gaps on Your Resume
• How to Manage Resume Red Flags
  • Job Seeker with Gaps in Employment – with sample resume
  • Older, Laid-Off Worker – with sample resume
  • Unemployed with a Chronic Illness – with sample resume
  • How to Handle a Chemotherapy “Employment Gap” in Your LinkedIn Profile
• Explaining Your Gap in Employment in Job Interviews

About the author…

Erin Kennedy is a Master Career Director (MCD), Certified Master Resume Writer (MCRW), Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), and Certified Empowerment & Motivational Coach (CEMC). She has been helping clients since 1999. Erin is also the President of Professional Resume Services, Inc.. Visit her website and connect with Erin on LinkedIn and Twitter.
More about this author…

The post Resume Sample: Mom Returning To Work, Making a Career Change appeared first on Job-Hunt.

While browsing a company website she found a job post that seems a perfect fit for her.

Notice how Sandi customizes her resume for this specific opportunity.

The Details About This Resume Sample

Since Sandi is applying for a specific opportunity with this resume, she has customized it to make it clear that she is qualified for this job.

Matching the Resume to the Opportunity

Here’s a list of requirements and preferences for the Marketing Management job:

• At least 5 years experience in marketing management
• Able to supervise creative teams
• Work in conjunction with sales team
• Internet marketing and product launch experience
• Social media marketing experience a plus
• MBA preferred

Keywords used in the job post:

• Online marketing
• Product launch
• Management
• MBA
• Creative teams
• Internet marketing
• Supervise teams
• Social media marketing

With this information in hand, Sandi targeted her resume by including all the keywords from the job post and writing about her relevant achievements.

Notice how she highlighted her pending MBA by placing the Education section near the top of the page (even though she’s not a recent grad) and listing her thesis in Social Media Marketing Strategies for Profit and Nonprofit Organizations.

What’s NOT on Sandi’s Resume

Sandi’s resume is completely honest but doesn’t scream “I am out of work!” It’s not obvious that she is unemployed.

That is achieved by putting the relevant keywords in the Leadership Acumen and Areas of Expertise sections. She also includes her education on the front page of the resume.

This means her employment history is not at the top of the page. In fact, her employment history doesn’t appear until the 2nd page of the resume.

She is hoping that her skills and achievements will pull in the reader before they realize that she is unemployed.

However, unemployment is not Sandi’s biggest obstacle. Sandi has Multiple Sclerosis, a chronic disease that sometimes makes full-time work in an office environment challenging.

When the time comes, she will have a discussion with her potential employer about how she can manage a full workload and what accommodations her disability requires. Until then, there’s no need to mention it on her resume.

The Bottom Line:

Many people with chronic illnesses are able to work from virtual locations, as well as on-site. Finding a career that can be done from a virtual location when your illness may keep you from getting out to an office, will help people with these types of situations to stay actively employed.

  The Resume Samples for Sandi:  

• Sample Formal Resume for Unemployed Job Seeker with a Chronic Illness
• Sample Simplified ATS Resume for Job Seeker with Chronic Illness Resume

More About Beating Unemployment:

• Job-Hunt’s Guide to Beating Unemployment
• How to Manage Employment Gaps on Your Resume
• Hiring Manager Tips for Escaping Unemployment
• 5 Options to Bridge that Unemployment Gap by recruiter Jeff Lipschultz
• Overcoming the Unemployed Bias by recruiter Jeff Lipschultz
• Best LinkedIn Title When You Are Unemployed
• Managing Employment Gaps on Your Resume
• How to Manage Resume Red Flags
  • Job Seeker with Gaps in Employment – with sample resume
  • Older, Laid-Off Worker – with sample resume
  • A Mom Returning to Work – with sample resume
  • How to Handle a Chemotherapy “Employment Gap” in Your LinkedIn Profile
• Explaining Your Gap in Employment in Job Interviews

About the author…

Erin Kennedy is a Master Career Director (MCD), Certified Master Resume Writer (MCRW), Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), and Certified Empowerment & Motivational Coach (CEMC). She has been helping clients since 1999. Erin is also the President of Professional Resume Services, Inc.. Visit her website and connect with Erin on LinkedIn and Twitter.
More about this author…

The post Resume Sample: Unemployed with Chronic Illness appeared first on Job-Hunt.

By creating a resume that employers and recruiters want to see, your chances of landing interviews skyrocket.

Increase the value of your resume by stating your experience as achievements.

Skip the empty, boring “responsible-for” statements that don’t convey your expertise and value to an employer.

Convert Your Resume From Blah to Effective

Here’s how to make that conversion:

In the one or two lines it would take to describe a task you performed, instead share the accomplishment you achieved when you performed that task.

For example, IT Security & Risk Manager, Mary Johnson wrote:

“Devised and introduced the 1st risk-based approach to compliance by balancing governance and risk to ensure that the IT operating model — including organizational design, infrastructure, resources, processes, competencies, capabilities, and delivery models — meets current and future business needs. Increased organizational effectiveness by 30% and compliance by 45%.”

Instead of:

“Drive the technology investment and organization model by aligning the IT capabilities and priorities with strategic and operational business priorities”

A job description says only what you did. An achievement statement says:

1. What you did;
2. That you’re good at performing that task; and
3. That you’re proud of the skills you used and enjoy using them.

That’s triple the value for the same experience.

Finding and Defining Your Achievements

To figure out what achievements are appropriate for your resume, ask yourself the following questions:

• How does my potential employer define success for the job I’m applying for? How do I measure up?Example: Juanita Garcia knows that as a real estate appraiser, her success will be determined partially by how well she understands state real estate law.To assure the employer that she excels at this, she wrote this achievement statement:

  “Developed a five-page guide on state appraising regulations, which became a standard reference at Carlson Real Estate.”

• What project am I proud of that demonstrates I have the skills for my job objective?Example: When Louis Pulski was looking for a research position, he found a job posting that required candidates to be “Skilled at providing accurate and prompt reference service through print and online services.”To address this requirement, Louis wrote the following achievement statement:

  “Performed timely, in-depth searches for print and online information at the request of faculty, students, and the general public.”

• What is my prospective employer’s bottom line (for example: money, attendance, retention, clean data), and when have I shown that I know how to address that bottom line?Example: Salesman Paul Crome knows that his prospective employer’s bottom line is money.Therefore, he created strong achievement statements like this —

  “Generated over $1 million in new business annually.”

• What technical or management skills do I have that indicate the level at which I perform?Example: Knowing that the employer wants a candidate with basic computer skills, Sheila Fromer exceeded the requirement by writing:“Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Outlook; SPSS for Windows, basic HTML and CSS coding.”

  Is there any doubt that Sheila’s a whiz on the computer?

• What problem did I solve, how did I solve it, and what were the results?Example: On his resume, lawyer Chris Pathens referred to a problem he solved:“Drafted legal notices necessary to merge operations without jeopardizing company’s multimillion-dollar distribution.”

Read How to Create an Achievement Resume for ideas on how to use this information.

The Bottom Line

Rather than simply claiming that you have a skill or specific experience required by the employer, show that you have demonstrated success with that skill or experience by describing an accomplishment that verifies your ability. But, do be careful not to reveal any confidential information about your employer (current or former).

More About Resumes

• Why a General Work-History Resume Doesn’t Work Now
• 4 Killer Tactics to Get Your Resume Read
• Supercharge Your Resume
• Guide to Effective Resumes

About the author…

Erin Kennedy is a Master Career Director (MCD), Certified Master Resume Writer (MCRW), Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), and Certified Empowerment & Motivational Coach (CEMC). She has been helping clients since 1999. Erin is also the President of Professional Resume Services, Inc.. Visit her website and connect with Erin on LinkedIn and Twitter.
More about this author…

The post Achievements Triple the Value of Your Resume appeared first on Job-Hunt.

In this section, find articles and sample resumes to help you improve your resume.

You will also find great tips for creating effective cover letters so your resume is read and you receive those job interview invitations.

Over 90% of recruiters and employers will look for your LinkedIn Profile to compare it with your resume. To ensure they find it, include your LinkedIn Profile’s URL in your resume.

Your LinkedIn Profile must support the facts in your resume. For more information, read the articles in Job-Hunt’s free Guide to LinkedIn for Job Search.

Does Your Resume Work for You?

Here’s a quick quiz to identify if your resume needs to be improved to produce results:

1. Is your resume a generic, one-size-fits-all document that focuses on your past?
2. Does it make more sense for you to use a CV than a resume? Read What Is a CV? Writing Tips and How to Format Your CV, to learn more.
3. Are you receiving callbacks from people or places you are sending your resume to?
4. Are you using a resume format from the 1990’s? A Microsoft Word template? Advanced formatting is essential these days.
5. Does your resume convey your value, your ROI, and your brand?
6. Is it accomplishment focused, keyword-driven, content-rich, and ready to take on any ATS out there?
7. Are there any red flags (such as age discrimination, gaps, too many transitions) in your resume that would make an employer think twice about inviting you to an interview?

If you are scratching your head at these questions, your resume could be your problem.

A bad resume can negatively impact your job search, sometimes eliminating you from consideration for your perfect job. It may be hindering you more than helping you.

Resumes are viewed by many, on both sides of the hiring process, as a necessary evil.

For the executive job seeker, they are your opportunity to “make your case” for why you should be hired. Think of it as your marketing tool, a blueprint for what you’ve accomplished.

A resume should summarize your achievements, skills, and education appropriate to the position you are seeking without being inaccurate or misleading.

People often reject the idea that a resume is a “selling” document, but, if it is effective, that’s exactly what it does.

You are marketing your services to employers. It’s your job to show the employer that you are the right person for the job, and your resume is the starting point for that show. You are your product, sell yourself!

The Purpose of Your Resume

Basic truth about resumes: The purpose for your resume is to get you invited to interview for a job.

People are seldom hired based only on their resume alone.

Your resume should open the door to a new job for you by:

1. Surviving the initial resume screening process (Do you meet the qualifications? Does your resume make a good impression? Does your resume contain the appropriate key words? etc. ).
2. Keeping the hiring manager’s attention long enough to see that you are (or are not) qualified for the job opening.
3. Presenting the best picture of you (your skills, accomplishments, and education most relevant for the job you want).
4. Presenting that targeted picture of you in a way that entices the hiring manager to learn more about you.
5. Providing appropriate, accurate contact information so that the employer may reach you.

This section of Job-Hunt will try to help you put together an effective resume that will help you get to that job interview.

Cover Letters Create Connections

Fortunately, not every resume is submitted to a job board or captured by an automated system.

[If job boards are the only way you make your resume visible, you need to change your approach to your job search!]

We still send resumes to people, like hiring managers and network connections, outside of the automated recruiting systems. And, both email and “snail mail” are used for the transmittal.

Effective cover letters create interest in the attached resume so that the resume is referred and, depending on the purpose of the communication, passed on to someone who can make a decision that may result in a job interview or a job offer.

More: Are Cover Letters Necessary?

The Bottom Line

Your resume and cover letter are often your introduction to an employer. Make it clear that you deserve the employer’s attention and that you understand what the employer needs for someone to do this job successfully.

More About Effective Resumes

• How Top ATS Systems Analyze Resumes
• 3 Smart Tips to Beat the ATS Systems
• Why a General Work-History Resume Doesn’t Work Now
• How to Create an Achievement Resume
• What Recruiters and Hiring Managers Want in a Resume
• Why 95% of Resumes Don’t Get Read and What You Can Do About It
• 4 Killer Tactics to Get Your Resume Read
• 147 Action Verbs for Your Resume (Examples)
• Sample Resumes

More About Effective Cover Letters

• Are Cover Letters a Waste of Time in a Job Search?
• What Should Your Cover Letter Contain?
• Cover Letters that Grab Recruiters’ Attention
• Executive Briefing Cover Letters

About the author…

Erin Kennedy is a Master Career Director (MCD), Certified Master Resume Writer (MCRW), Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), and Certified Empowerment & Motivational Coach (CEMC). She has been helping clients since 1999. Erin is also the President of Professional Resume Services, Inc.. Visit her website and connect with Erin on LinkedIn and Twitter.
More about this author…

The post Guide to Effective Resumes and Cover Letters appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Based on this theory, remember, when writing your resume, that your audience is the hiring manager for the position mentioned in the job description.

Keep It Focused

A concise and focused resume can get you considered by a hiring manager or search committee, while a general resume will get put in the “circular file” almost immediately.

The reader does not want someone who “will do anything, I just want a job.” They want someone who specializes in what the company needs.

The key concept in writing a resume that lands interviews and makes it past the applicant tracking system (ATS) is to keep the focus on your target job, which means you may need to tailor your resume each time you apply for a different job.

It’s not as tedious as it seems and it’s well worth your energy when you consider how much more effective your document will be.

Consider Your Audience

In order to sell yourself to this potential employer, create statements that are meaningful to him or her. In some cases you may need to:

  Use more generic terminology to downplay the differences and emphasize the similarities between your previous position and your job objective.  

Example:

Jennifer was a salesperson who wanted to make a career change into elementary school teaching. She tried to bridge the gap between her two careers by emphasizing the common denominators of the two experiences.

Preferred version:

• Made presentations to multicultural audiences, incorporating small group activities and individual coaching to ensure that each person understood the subject matter.

Instead of:

• Made marketing presentations to corporate executives, achieving an average of 34% more sales than fellow presenters.

  Select the aspect of the achievement that relates to the job objective.  

Example:

As a horticulturist, Patty was surprised to learn that the part of her job she liked the most was answering client questions. When she wrote her resume for a job as a travel agent, she emphasized her customer service skills and down played her scientific expertise.

Preferred version:

• Assisted customers in selecting from over 2,000 options by patiently answering questions and educating them about costs and benefits.

Instead of:

• Provided scientific information on thousands of plant species, as the lead horticulturist of the country’s most prestigious botanical garden.

  Prioritize your statements so the one most relevant to your new job is first.  

Example:

In her former job as office manager, 75% of Andrea’s time was spent processing administrative paperwork, and less than 25% on training and supervision.

She wanted to get a job as a corporate trainer. So she prioritized her achievement statements to stress the training experience even though it was not her primary responsibility.

Preferred version:

• Trained 13 employees on new automated accounting system, providing classroom sessions, individual coaching, and written instructions.
• Led office to achieve “#1 Team” award by motivating staff to take a customer service approach to all internal and external interactions.
• Supervised administration of firm’s largest litigation department with over 300 cases per week.

Instead of:

• Supervised administration of firm’s largest litigation department with over 300 cases per week.
• Led office to achieve “#1 Team” award recognizing excellence in researching cases.
• Trained 13 employees on new automated accounting system, providing classroom sessions, individual coaching, and written instructions.

  Use the “right” keywords for your target.  

Since the majority of large employers, and a growing number of smaller employers, use applicant tracking systems (a.k.a. “ATS”) to store resumes for easy search and retrieval, focus on the job’s keywords.

The terms used most often for searching — the keywords — are typically these:

• The job’s title
• The key skills required
• The education required
• The job’s location

Be sure to use those exact terms in your resume in addition to other relevant language describing your accomplishments and fit for the job.

Understand that employers will typically want to compare your resume to your LinkedIn Profile. Make it easy for them to make those connections by using exactly the same version of your name on each.

Don’t be “Bill Jones” on LinkedIn and “William A. Jones” on your resume. Without the ability to easily connect your resume to your LinkedIn Profile, employers are less likely to invite you for an interview.

Worst case, they find someone unqualified who has the same name you do, and your resume is discarded as a result.

The Bottom Line on Targeted Resumes

An untreated resume does not work well now because of the technology employers use and the level of competition for most jobs. So, the best way to ensure visibility with employers is to modify your resume to fit each job.

More About Successful Resumes

• Why a General Purpose Resume Doesn’t Work
• How Top ATS Systems Analyze Resumes
• 3 Smart Tips to Beat the ATS Systems
• Your Most Important Keywords
• Understanding Keywords
• Keyword Secrets to Get Your Resume Noticed

About the author…

Erin Kennedy is a Master Career Director (MCD), Certified Master Resume Writer (MCRW), Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), and Certified Empowerment & Motivational Coach (CEMC). She has been helping clients since 1999. Erin is also the President of Professional Resume Services, Inc.. Visit her website and connect with Erin on LinkedIn and Twitter.
More about this author…

The post Targeting Your Resume for Your Audience appeared first on Job-Hunt.

When he wrote this resume, he faced three problems, described below, each of which he resolved in his resume.

The Details About This Resume Sample

James had 3 important issues to address so that employers would see him as up-to-date (vs. old) and not assume that he used his period of unemployment as a vacation.

• Problem #1: No Online Presence.

It wasn’t until James started his job hunt that he realized he was way behind the times — he was nowhere to be found online, where recruiters and employers would likely search for him.

He had absolutely no presence online. Not good now!

“Better late than never,” he thought as he created his LinkedIn account, and hyperlinked the URL to his LinkedIn Profile in the heading of his resume.

Then, he hurried to build up his LinkedIn Profile, completing the work experience section job description and other sections in agreement with his resume. He focused on using the industry-specific keywords and content relevant for his target job and target employers, generating appropriate connections, joining Groups in his profession, gathering recommendations and endorsements for his skills, and making daily updates.

He wanted to be sure that when a recruiter or employer looks for him online (and through the LinkedIn URL he listed on his resume), he or she would be impressed with his LinkedIn Profile and activities.

• Problem #2: Currently Unemployed

James was unexpectedly laid off from his last position. It wasn’t his fault, of course, but being unemployed could put him at a slight disadvantage because some employers view an unemployed job seeker as less desirable than an employed applicant. And the longer James is unemployed, the less attractive he may be to a potential employer.

James wrote and sent out his resume immediately after his layoff, when it was clear that his unemployment was very recent.

James doesn’t want to look like he is being inactive during his job search, so he is taking advantage of some free time by taking classes to enhance his technical expertise in today’s modern social media applications.

These classes also increase his competitiveness in the job market since many of these applications did not exist when he originally earned his degrees.

Another thing James did to take the focus off of his unemployment status was to add professional testimonials right on his resume. He specifically added one for his last place of employment so that it shows he did not leave on bad terms or his own doing.

• Problem #3: Age Discrimination

If James listed all his public relations jobs on his resume he might risk age discrimination in his job search. To avoid this problem, here’s what he did:

• Even though his career started more than 20 years ago, the earliest date on his resume is for a Marketing Representative position he held in 2006.
• He showed he has had additional experience by putting a small blurb about early career experience at the end of his employment history.
• Under Education, he lists his degrees, but not the years he received them.

With only 12 years of detailed experience showing on James’s resume, an employer will deduce that James is a middle-aged candidate (see my dates-on-resume formula for more details), which James thinks will appeal to his potential employer.

The Bottom Line:

Once in the job interview, James can make his pitch for the job as well as – if not better than – his younger counterpart.

  The Resume Samples for James:  

• Sample Formal Resume for Older, Laid-Off Job Seeker
• Sample Simplified ATS Resume for Older, Laid-Off Worker

More About Looking Younger for Your Job Search

• Job Search Guide for Boomers and Over 50
• Over 50: 5 Ways You Look Out-of-Date in Your Job Search
• Over 50: Beating the “Too Old” Bias, Learning New Skills
• Over 50? Personal Branding Is for Boomers, Too
• Linkedin Profile Photos for Job Seekers Over 50
• Managing the Age Issue with Recruiters: Age as an Asset NOT a Liability

About the author…

Erin Kennedy is a Master Career Director (MCD), Certified Master Resume Writer (MCRW), Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), and Certified Empowerment & Motivational Coach (CEMC). She has been helping clients since 1999. Erin is also the President of Professional Resume Services, Inc.. Visit her website and connect with Erin on LinkedIn and Twitter.
More about this author…

The post Resume Sample: Older, Laid-Off Job Seeker appeared first on Job-Hunt.

How old does she look to you, based on this resume?

The Details About This Resume Sample

At this point in her career, Karen is concerned about competing successfully against much younger job candidates, knowing that an employer would want someone who has lots of energy and state-of-the-art know-how in the ever-changing healthcare sector.

Karen knew she just needed to get through the door for a job interview, at which time she would be able to demonstrate that she has what it takes to do the job as well as a person 20-30 years her junior.

To get that interview, her resume needed to sell her achievements and experience, yet minimize a focus on her age.

She conducted some research to get an estimate of the average age for professionals holding similar positions to the one she’s shooting for.

• She used LinkedIn to get a sense of the demographics of the company she was applying to, and made sure she included a link to her own online profile on LinkedIn right on her resume.
• She Googled each company and studied its website to learn about the corporate culture.
• She asked for opinions within her professional network about what age was most prevalent in her line of work.
• She factored in her own observations about the age of fellow colleagues she met at industry conferences, networking events, and online job boards.

Based on her research, Karen knew that a potential hiring manager would probably be younger than she is and would be looking for an administrator who is in their early 30s. With this age in mind, Karen was able to create a resume where the focus was on achievements/experience from the last 10 or so years of her career.

She also made sure to minimize the focus on her early career experience by not including any information other than jobs/names of employers. In addition, she removed the years from her education information.

The employer will deduce that if Karen graduated college when she was 22, then put in 10 years of work experience, she might now be in her mid-30’s a perfect candidate for the job she’s applying for!

The Bottom Line on Resumes for Older Workers:

Notice that Karen didn’t lie on her resume. She simply gave the employer enough information to draw their own conclusion, without giving away her age.

  The Resume Samples for Karen (Someone Over 50):  

• Sample Formal Resume for an Older Job Seeker Looking Younger
• Sample Simplified ATS Resume for an Older Job Seeker Looks Younger

More About Looking Younger for Your Job Search

• Job Search Guide for Boomers and Over 50
• Over 50: 5 Ways You Look Out-of-Date in Your Job Search
• Over 50: Beating the “Too Old” Bias, Learning New Skills
• Over 50? Personal Branding Is for Boomers, Too
• Linkedin Profile Photos for Job Seekers Over 50
• Managing the Age Issue with Recruiters: Age as an Asset NOT a Liability

About the author…

Erin Kennedy is a Master Career Director (MCD), Certified Master Resume Writer (MCRW), Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), and Certified Empowerment & Motivational Coach (CEMC). She has been helping clients since 1999. Erin is also the President of Professional Resume Services, Inc.. Visit her website and connect with Erin on LinkedIn and Twitter.
More about this author…

The post Resume Sample: Older Job Seeker (50+) Looking Younger appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Ryan is highly qualified and motivated, but does not have a college degree, which could be a stumbling block.

See how this issue is addressed in his resume.

The Details About This No College Degree Resume Sample

Ryan started his career in the non-profit/association management sector as a volunteer and was hired to handle membership services.

Since he did not go to college and planned to stay in the non-profit/association management field, he chose to pursue a professional certification as a Certified Association Executive (CAE) rather than a four-year degree.

Now that Ryan is looking to find a new employment opportunity, he has to minimize the fact that he does not have a degree while finding a way to ensure that his resume positions him as a competitive candidate against other candidates who have college degrees that are applying for the same jobs.

Things to note about Ryan’s resume for a job in the in the non-profit field:

• He positioned his certification designation (“CAE”) right at the top of his resume so that the reader knows up front that he has this credential.
• He included quantified achievements at the top of his resume so that the reader can see where he has added value in his career.
• He included a list of his top skills in the field that can help to optimize his resume for SEO searches.
• His achievement statements are detailed, quantified, and full of industry-specific keywords.

The overall look of the resume is creative and tech-savvy in nature, showing that he has a creative side in addition to his business and organizational skills.

The Bottom Line on Resumes With No College Degree

By emphasizing his strengths and de-emphasizing his deficits, Ryan was able to successfully compete in his job market.

  The Resume Samples for Ryan:  

• Sample Formal Resume for Executive Degree-less Job Seeker
• Sample Simplified ATS Resume for Executive with No Degree

About the author…

Erin Kennedy is a Master Career Director (MCD), Certified Master Resume Writer (MCRW), Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), and Certified Empowerment & Motivational Coach (CEMC). She has been helping clients since 1999. Erin is also the President of Professional Resume Services, Inc.. Visit her website and connect with Erin on LinkedIn and Twitter.
More about this author…

The post Resume Sample With No College Degree Example appeared first on Job-Hunt.

In addition to getting counseling from his academic advisor and at the school’s career center, he decided to get some real-world experience to help figure things out.

The Details About This Resume Sample

During his junior year of college, Landon got an internship with a wealth management firm. Even though he didn’t have much responsibility, he had the opportunity to observe how various departments worked together to make a business run smoothly.

One day on the job, opportunity knocked. His boss asked if Landon could create a spreadsheet for a special client portfolio project.

Landon not only created it, he became the primary data-entry person for the project. This was the beginning of his professional experience for his upcoming career in finance.

Landon was able to stay on at his internship and, by his senior year, was on track to accept an entry-level position in any financial services firm. Just before graduation in 2019, he put together this resume. He is using it to apply for a position at the firm where he is currently interning, as well as other financial entities.

Things to note about Landon’s resume for a job in the Finance sector:

• Because his B.S. in Finance is new and highly relevant to his objective, he placed his education information near the top of his resume, just before his professional experience
• Highlighting an internship is a great way to tell the employer he’s a hard worker: He held down a job while going to school full-time.
• Achievement statements are modest, yet meaningful. As he is new to the field, Landon doesn’t use dollar signs and percentages to state his value. Rather, he uses industry-specific keywords and special achievements from his college years. This is excellent for the accounting field where modesty backed by a good work ethic is appreciated.

The overall look of the resume is clean and straightforward. In fact, Landon chose a resume format with lines because he felt it looked organized and represented his professional approach.

The Bottom Line on a Resume for a Recent Finance Graduate

By focusing on his relevant new degree and his accomplishments in his internship, Landon’s resume presents a strong case for him as a great new addition to an organization’s accounting staff.

  The Resume Samples for Landon:  

• Sample Formal Resume for New Graduate in Accounting
• Sample Simplified ATS Resume for a New Grad

More About Job Search for College Students and Recent Grads

• College Student Resume
• 7 Deadly Resume Mistakes for New Grads to Avoid
• Improving Your GPA After Graduation
• Competing with Older Candidates
• 3 Steps to Job Search Success for New Grads
• 5 Reasons LinkedIn Is Not Optional for New Grads

About the author…

Erin Kennedy is a Master Career Director (MCD), Certified Master Resume Writer (MCRW), Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), and Certified Empowerment & Motivational Coach (CEMC). She has been helping clients since 1999. Erin is also the President of Professional Resume Services, Inc.. Visit her website and connect with Erin on LinkedIn and Twitter.
More about this author…

The post Resume Sample: New Graduate with a Finance Degree appeared first on Job-Hunt.