NY Resume Writing

Recently, someone asked me about resume writing: She was hesitant to put phrases like, “Over ten years experience” and add dates of her college attendance, etc. because she thought it would make it seem like she was “old” and employers would not consider her for positions. I absolutely disagree with this logic!  Firstly, she DOES have over ten years of experience and therefore is NOT looking for an entry level job paying $30k a year. She was making over $80k at her last job and hopes to continue in that salary level. Employers do not pay that kind of salary to people who are not seasoned and tenured in their careers! Therefore, if you have over ten years of experience, SAY you have over ten years of experience! Also, her age is 40 and she was concerned that by putting her college graduation date on the resume, the employers might not consider her. Employers are not dumb and leaving out very obvious things, like college graduation dates, are red flags. They might assume that she is trying to hide something and mistakenly think she is in her 60s, not 40s! The bottom line is: be honest on your resume and don’t leave anything out. Take everything you assume to be a negative and give it a positive spin. Use it to your advantage and you will have the best chance of landing a job in no time at all. If you have any questions, about resume writing, please contact Millennium Personnel Corp. at 212-244-2777.

This is a very unique job market in our country’s history.  People are forced to come up with the most resourceful ways to market themselves in this new economy.  For example I have heard about a young man who was a recent college graduate.  He couldn’t find work in his field of study so he took a job as taxi driver to pay his bills until he could find something in his field.  However, he decided to post his resume in the back of the taxi for rider to read as he drove and provide copies for people to take with them to pass along to associates.  Within one month, he found his ideal job.

Another young man, who was a Harvard grad, decided to wear a sandwich board emblazoned with his resume, and walk back and forth outside of Grand Central Station during rush hours.  He got the interest of several businessmen who happened to be passing and secured a job very quickly.  Another person decided to post their resume on google maps, detailing their experience that way.

Whatever one can do to garner attention and make themselves stand out in the crowd is a very good thing…

In today’s tough job market having a strong resume is a deciding factor in whether an employer is interested in hiring you. The average employer will take several seconds to review your resume. This may sound discouraging to the job seeker, but remember you are the product selling yourself. Like any salesperson, you must be convincing and persuasive to the reader if you expect a phone call. It is important to take in consideration that there are hundreds of applicants competing for the same position. It is important to strive to have an outstanding resume that can catch the eye of the reader.

Some people find it very hard to distinguish the pros and cons to proper resume writing. The easiest way to lose a prospective employer is providing several pages of irrelevant information. Provide only your latest skills and your most recent job experiences. When describing skills or job duties, the use of a thesaurus and action verbs increase the strength of your writing. Instead of listing every task, focus on the most important duties. Customize your resume towards the position that you are seeking. If you are building a resume towards an Admin Assistant position, include information relevant to that particular job. Don’t list references, as it is understood that the employers will ask for that information in the interview. Bring a separate sheet that includes three to four solid references. Be sure to proof read your resume thoroughly and even have family members and friends review your resume as well. If there any signs of typos, your prospective employer will assume you are sloppy and lack attention to detail. Remember your resume should be inviting overall, showing the employer they need to see you face to face.