What’s the first thing most people do when they decide to look for a job or find out that just lost their job? They get their resume together. And why do they do this? Because the old way of landing a job involved polishing up your resume, looking in the classified for jobs that seemed to fit your experience, and sending out resumes.

I did it in the early 80’s when I left General Motors. I sent out 350 resumes. No, I sent 350 absolutely gorgeous resumes that I spent a lot of money having typeset and printed on expensive stock. (Yes, we had things typeset back then, and it cost a lot when you were unemployed.) The reward for my efforts? I got one response. And if I remember correctly, it was from a shoe store. Times are much more difficult now.

The online job application process has forever changed personnel recruiting, and jobseekers must learn how to use the electronic resume to further their careers. Social media career profiles, such as those on LinkedIn, rely completely on electronic submissions. What do employers look for in a resume? To find the answers, Monster asked career experts what they consider the absolute must-haves for great resumes—and what your resume is likely lacking if you’re still not getting a callback. So before you hit “send” on your next batch of job applications, make sure you’re steering clear of these 10 common resume mistakes. You scour job-search websites for openings, you submit applications to individual companies through web-based portals, and you communicate with recruiters and hiring managers via email. Because so much of the job search process is on the internet, it's important to have a resume that's optimized for digital use. Resumes submitted to many employers, particularly large employers, are often stored in a database known as an applicant tracking system. Use of an ATS makes the keywords used in resumes even more important than in the past. The importance of a well written Professional Resume cannot be stressed upon enough. A Resume is a medium for advertising yourself, it’s the first means in which you use to present yourself as a.

So if times are more difficult, why would we use a method that didn’t work when times were nearly as bad as they are today? I’m guessing that most people operate within their comfort zone…they opt for what they are familiar with. But, as the saying goes, “If you keep doin’ what you’re doin’, you’ll keep getting’ what your gettin’. I tend to believe though, if people get the right tools to attack an old problem with a new solution, they can start using them and end their job search frustration and ease their anxiety. Let’s first dispel some myths:

Resume Myth #1:

Your Resume is an Advertisement of You

A resume is NOT designed to be an advertisement of you. It doesn’t outline the benefits of YOU, rather it is a reporting of what you have done in the past, the experience you have gained, the education you have received and some of the skills you have honed. It’s an inventory…period!

Contrary to public opinion, employers don’t look at resumes and get motivated to hire a person. To the contrary, usually the emotion a resume evokes is a negative one. (There’s a typographical error, or the format you have used is confusing, or your experience is too short or too long, or your education is not from the right school and the list goes on.) You see your resume shows an employer your FEATURES not the BENEFITS you could bring to their company. While your resume is extremely useful AT the interview, it is just not the most effective means of an introduction.

Resume Myth #2:

Sending out Lots of Resumes Increases Your Odds of Getting an Interview

Let me start out by clarifying that, I’m not saying to NOT send out resumes. I am saying to not send your resume, and then sit back thinking you’re going to get a response. You may get a response, but you most likely will not. Why? Resumes are the tools used by hiring companies to weed you out, not wed you in! We live in an economy where one job posting results in hundreds (and sometimes thousands!) of responses from interested applicants. The HR representative’s main goal is to reduce their huge stack of resumes to a smaller, more manageable group of potential interviewees. Believe me, they are not reading your resume to find out how you fit. They reading it to rule you out. They aren’t being mean. They are just doing their job.

Why Online Resumes Are A Must For Job Searchers Searching

If you talk with someone who is successful in the search business, they will most likely agree that the worst way to land someone an interview is to send a resume first. In my recruiting experience, I rarely sent a resume before a person arrived to the interview. I wanted the hiring company to base their opinion on the person and not the paper. While sending out your resume in response to a posting can be one strategy you use in your search, remember that 70% of the jobs people land are landed via networking or referrals. So don’t devote more than 30% of your valuable search time on activities that require you to send a resumes first. Put your energy into search activities that have better odds.

Resume Myth #3:

Networking Means Giving Everyone a Copy of your Resume

Just recently, someone thrust his resume into my hand and said, “Can you hold on to my resume and pass it along to anyone you think might be interested in my experience?” What I said, was, “Okay,” but what I thought was:

(A) I don’t have enough office space to hold all the resumes that are given to me

(B) I really care about the environment, so I’m trying to conserve paper

(C) What are the chances that I’ll have time to read this resume, retain the information it contains and then remember to refer this person if/when I’m talking with someone about something totally unrelated to this person’s job search?

Networking doesn’t mean distributing your resume. Networking means helping people get to know you and understand how they can help you. So what’s the alternative to passing out resumes?

Develop a 60 second commercial (or some people call it an elevator speech) about you. Who are you? What do you do? What are you looking for? And how can someone help you? Let people get to know you, and they will be more inclined to refer you to people that they know. Remember that people do business with people they know and trust. And employers hire people that they know and trust…your resume doesn’t establish trust. You do!

If you feel more comfortable having something to hand out, rather than your resume, develop a one-page “Me at a Glance” that introduces you and summarizes what you’re all about.

One-Page “Me at a Glance”

(What to Include)

Description of Background = in one paragraph, what is it you do?

Unique Strengths = what makes you different from someone with the exact same experience?

Types of Leads Being Sought = what type of job leads are you after?

Best Ways to Help = should people just call you with job leads or are there other ways they can help?

Why you need a resume

Finding employment can be challenging for anyone, but the job market can be especially tough for recent college graduates, people re-entering the workforce after time away, or someone who has been in a position for a long time. Competition is stiff; the market is filled with other strong job candidates, too. So how can you increase your chances for getting a great job in the field you love? For almost everyone, it starts with a resume.
In this lesson, you will understand what a resume is and the various ways in which it is used. We will also explore what information is contained in a resume.

Why Online Resumes Are A Must For Job Searchers Job

Watch the video below to learn about the types of information that a typical resume contains.

What is a resume?

Whenever you apply for a professional-level position, you will likely be asked to submit a resume. Hiring managers look closely at certain resumes to see if a candidate is a good match for their open position.

A resume is a document that tells prospective employers exactly what you want them to know about you and why you would be a good fit for their open position. It should advertise your skills in an easy-to-read, logical, and concise format. Its purpose is as follows:

• Hiring managers use resumes to screen potential employees.They typically look at a resume for less than 15 seconds before deciding which pile to put it in. The No pile ends up in the recycle bin. The Yes pile gets a second look, and possibly an interview.
• For you, a resume is a tool that's designed to get you to the next step in the employment process: the interview. It can even help you prepare for the interview by giving you specific items to practice talking about.

Think of your resume as your very own 30-second commercial spot. Hopefully, you catch the hiring manager's attention within the first five seconds so she'll keep reading. Otherwise, your resume may end up in the No pile.

Why is a resume important in the job search?

Most hiring mangers will tell you that they use a resume as a screening tool to select which candidates to interview and which to rule out. Some hiring managers perform this screening themselves, but many let someone else—even a computer—do the screening for them!

Did you know that some hiring managers may scan more than 100 resumes to fill just one position? This means a hiring manager may only spend a few seconds scanning each one. Obviously, you'll want to make your resume worth a closer look!

A resume provides the hiring manager with his or her very first impression of you. A well-written one could be your ticket into an interview. You can use it before an interview to help you prepare your answers to the questions you expect to get, and it can even help you during the interview by giving you a way to direct the flow of questions.

What should you include on a resume?

Each resume has its own layout, format, look, and feel. However, every resume should contain the same basic types of information.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about what to include on a resume.

edit hotspots

Contact information

This section is always located at the top of a resume. It tells the employer who you are and how to contact you.

Professional summary

Why Online Resumes Are A Must For Job Searchers Seekers

This sections, sometimes called a profile, always appears under your contact info. It should give a prospective employer a quick overview of your professional skills and accomplishments.
The summary can be included after a stated career objective. However, most hiring managers prefer a summary over an objective.

Employment history

This section appears under the summary to provide details about your previous work experience.
In a chronological resume, this section is broken down by employer and job title, and should list the dates you worked for each employer.
In a functional resume, this section focuses on your functional skills. It may still include employer names, though it won't always include dates.

Education history

This section states when and where you attendedschool, what degrees you earned, and/or what programs and certifications you have completed. (If you have not finished school, list the anticipated completion date).

Additional skills

This section can appear anywhere after your work experience. It should include any technical orcareer related skills. It may also include related skills that you gained outside your career, such as volunteer work or community service.

Let's review

A resume is a document that you put together to sell your skills and experience to a hiring manager when you are trying to get a specific job. Hiring managers scan numerous resumes to find the few candidates who most closely match the needs of their organizations. They usually meet with these candidates for interviews to determine which candidate to hire.

The same basic information should be included on each resume, regardless of which resume format is used. The information you should include is:

• Your Contact Information, so a hiring manager can easily get in touch with you if needed.
• A Professional Summary, sometimes called a profile, that gives the hiring manager a glimpse of your skills and accomplishments.
• Your Employment History, which should provide specific details about the accomplishments and successes you've had in your previous jobs. It always includes the names and locations of the employer, and should include a job title that is generally understandable. Dates are often included in this section, although you may want to omit them if you have gaps in your employment history.
• Your Education information, which should include the certifications or degrees you have earned, the institutions from which you earned them, and the dates they were awarded.
• Any Additional Skills and Information that highlight any technical or specialized skills you have that are applicable to the position.

Resources

• What Resume Format is Best for You?
  Additional information on which resume format will best suit your needs
• The Quintessential Guide to Words to Get Hired By
  An extensive resource of strong key words and phrases for every part of your resume

• The Easy How-To Guide to Formatting Resumes for Applicant Tracking Systems
  A resource for learning how to optimize your resume for these popular online systems
• What it Really Means to 'Tailor Your Resume'
  An article with tips for customizing your resume to match the job you're applying for

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