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Chronological Versus Functional Resumes
Resume writing. Whether you love it or you hate, it’s something you’ll probably have to deal with at some point in your life. Many people write resumes with the understanding that it’s the resume that gets them the job. This is a misconception; resumes don’t get you the job, but they can ensure you don’t get the job if you submit a bad one. A resume’s purpose is, instead, to entice hiring managers to interview you. The interview is, ultimately, what will get you the job. Having said that, a well-written and formatted resume is paramount in a successful job search. Before you begin writing...
read moreThe Value of a Summer Job
It’s the summer of 2009, and I’m looking to land a job. I paint the town with my resume, and even check back with each business a week later. To my distress, however, no jobs become available for a teenager with no prior work experience except doing chores for my parents. Luckily for me, one of my parents’ friends hears that I like clouds (this is a true fact; I think that clouds are quite beautiful). Did I want to work for a meteorology lab? They were looking for new data processors. It was going to be boring work—running programs, and then fixing the programs when they inevitably crashed....
read moreSummer Jobs: Resource Round-Up
Summer jobs are an all-important rite of passage for many young adults. Though the prospect of flipping burgers or bagging groceries might not seem glamorous, there is a high correlation between teen employment and better job prospects later on in life. So, if you’re looking to find some seasonal employment this summer, here are four resources to jump-start your job search: Local job fairs. Many cities and states offer regular, local job fairs for job seekers. You can do an internet search for “Your location” and “job fairs” to see what may be happening in your area soon. Job fairs will...
read moreResumes & Results-Driven Accomplishments
Creating an eye-catching resume is partially about aesthetic. Does your resume look nice, is all the grammar correct? However, no matter how pretty your resume looks, it won’t make it past a decision maker’s desk without having good content. And good content comes from demonstrating results. Use your resume as a platform to show, concretely, your abilities in a particular role. It’s one thing to say that you are capable of doing something, and it’s quite another to show that you can do it. Utilizing results-driven accomplishments in your resume solves this problem by pointing to concrete...
read moreThe History of the Resume
Where did our tradition of the resume come from? Who wrote the first resume, and why do we still use them today? These are questions that often crossed my mind when I performed my first job search. This was mostly due to my frustration at having to cram all my background onto one page (I hadn’t realized that I should only include relevant information at this point). Well today we are finally going to explore the history of that all-important document, the resume. Most resume histories begin in 1482 with Leonardo da Vinci composing the first professional resume. Eighteen years later in 1500,...
read moreTen Don’ts on Your Next Cover Letter
Approaching a cover letter can be a difficult task, especially if you’ve burnt yourself out writing a resume. However, it doesn’t have to be a lengthy, grueling process if you keep these pieces of advice in mind. Here are ten do nots for your next cover letter: Don’t rehash your entire resume. The point of the cover letter is to act as a supplement to your resume, not to repeat it. Focus on the most relevant skills for the position, and explain why you would be an excellent fit. Don’t be generic. It’s easy to write a one-size-fits-all cover letter and call it a day, but this will end up...
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