The resume makeover : 50 common problems with resumes and cover letters

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Title:

The resume makeover : 50 common problems with resumes and cover letters - and how to fix them

Personal Author:

Marcus, John, J.

Publication Information:

New York, NY : McGraw-Hill, 2003

ISBN:

9780071410571

Subject Term:

Resumes (Employment) -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.

Available:*

Library	Item Barcode	Call Number	Material Type	Item Category 1	Status
Searching... PSZ JB	30000010037977	HF5383 M26 2003	Open Access Book	Book	Searching... Unknown
Searching... PSZ KL	30000010029615	HF5383 M26 2003 f	Open Access Book	Book	Searching... Unknown

Summary

Clear, quick, effective solutions to the 50 most common resume problems

"No matter how much you think you know about writing resumes, you'll learn something new. I'd recommend this book to anyone conducting or anticipating a job search."--Laura Lorber, Managing Editor, CareerJournal.com

In this solution-oriented guide, bestselling careers author John J. Marcus zeros in on the 50 most common resume writing problems and offers easy-to-perform fixes for each.

Among other crucial lessons, readers learn how to identify and deal effectively with job history problems, skill-set deficiencies, poor visual presentation, and formatting problems.

A compelling feature that distinguishes The Resume Makeover from all the competition is its unique quick-reference, "Before & After" format. Each chapter focuses on one common problem and offers a proven solution, along with before-and-after documents illustrating how a few simple changes can significantly improve a resume.

In addition, readers learn:

How to write a resume in half the usual time Strategies for changing careers or reentering the workforce Key words and phrases to include How to write high-impact cover letters The five areas in which all recruiters and employers grade resumes, and how to ace each one

Author Notes

John J. Marcus is a nationally recognized career coach and author who is widely regarded as the best resume writer in the business

Preface	p. v
Acknowledgments	p. vi
Part I Writing Your Resume and Cover Letters
1 What This Book Is All About	p. 3
2 Creating Your Resume	p. 7
The Experience Section	p. 10
The Education Section	p. 17
The Secondary Sections	p. 20
The Introductory Section	p. 25
Resume Mechanics	p. 41
3 Writing High-Impact Cover Letters	p. 55
Part II Fixing the 50 Common Problems in Writing Resumes and Cover Letters
Problems with Presenting Work Experience in Resumes	p. 79
1. Omitting an Introductory Section	p. 80
2. Writing Too Lengthy an Introductory Section	p. 82
3. Using a Typical Introductory Section	p. 84
4. Stating Responsibilities, Not Accomplishments	p. 86
5. Stating Accomplishments Only in General Terms	p. 88
6. Placing Most Important Accomplishments at End of Discussion of Experiences	p. 90
7. Presenting Work Experience in Chronological Order	p. 92
8. Providing Only Job Titles, with No Discussion of Activities	p. 94
9. Providing Only Job Functions, with No Discussion of Activities	p. 96
10. Offering Too Much Information on Employers, Responsibilities, and Activities Performed	p. 98
11. Providing a Narrative Discussion That Summarizes an Entire Career	p. 100
12. A History of Job Hopping	p. 102
13. Numerous Periods of Unemployment	p. 104
14. Stating Reasons for Each Job Change	p. 106
15. Being Close to or Past Retirement Age	p. 108
16. A History of Unrelated Positions	p. 112
17. Lacking the Experience a Position Traditionally Requires	p. 114
18. Required Experience Appears in an Early Job	p. 116
19. Recent Decreases in Responsibility	p. 118
20. The Resume Contains an Embarrassing Position	p. 120
21. Dividing Key Accomplishments between Resume and Cover Letter	p. 122
Problems with Clarity and Word Choice in Resumes	p. 127
22. Failure to Discuss Accomplishments in Statements Beginning with Action Verbs	p. 128
23. Word Repetition, Especially in Beginning Statements	p. 130
24. Using "I" and "My," Especially to Begin Statements	p. 132
25. Beginning Statements in an Inconsistent Way	p. 134
26. Continuous Use of Cliches and Buzz Words in Introductory Section	p. 136
27. Using Unclear, Confusing, or Generally Poor Language	p. 138
28. Making Rambling Statements Versus Crisp, Concise Ones	p. 140
Problems with Composition/Appearance/Formatting in Resumes	p. 143
29. Four or More Pages in Length	p. 144
30. Insufficient White Space	p. 150
31. Lacking Bold Type to Highlight Key Parts of the Resume	p. 152
32. Excessive Use of Bold Type	p. 154
33. Using a Fancy Font	p. 156
34. Using Multiple Fonts	p. 158
35. Using Extra Large Type	p. 160
36. Using Too Small Type	p. 162
37. Writing a One-Page Accomplishments-Focused Resume	p. 164
38. Experience Presented in Paragraph Form and Without Bullets	p. 166
39. Utilizing a Two-Column, Multiple-Font Format	p. 168
40. Utilizing the Functional Format	p. 170
41. Utilizing the Accomplishments Format	p. 174
42. Placing a Border on a Resume	p. 178
Cover Letter Problems	p. 181
43. Writing Too Brief a Letter	p. 182
44. Omitting Accomplishments and Stating Only Responsibilities	p. 184
45. Writing a Letter Devoid of Enthusiasm	p. 186
46. Beginning a Letter with Philosophical, Global Statements	p. 188
47. Providing a Career Summary in Chronological Order	p. 190
48. Offering a Narrative Presentation with Excessive Use of "I" and "My"	p. 192
49. Focusing on Personal Needs, Not on Value Being Offered	p. 194
50. Writing a Two-Page Letter	p. 196
Index	p. 199

Available:*

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Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Table of Contents