The Career Doctor Blog
Empowering job-seekers to conquer college, career, and job-search ailments.
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Resume and Cover Letter to Please Professor -- AND Employers
Susan writes: I am a 52-year-old college student. For class, our assignment was to write a resume and a cover letter. While the professor liked my resume, he tore my cover letter up but didn’t give any help in writing it. My question to you is, how do I present myself. He wrote that “the resume begs the question why are you in college.” He has me confused as to what I should be putting in the cover letter between his comment and the fact that he didn’t like the cover... |
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What Kind of Cover Letter for Returning to Former Employer?
Gloria writes: I’d be appreciative if you can give me some advice on how to write an email to former employer to ask for a job. I supported 2 managers in a company. One hated me; the other one liked me, (“hated” had more power). Now “hated” is no longer with the company, and I’d like send an email to ask the “liked” one to see if there is any opening that match my skill set. I have no idea how to start. Should i go for cold-calling style even... |
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Should You Thank Employer for Interview If You Don't Want the Job?
Jon writes: I have a question that wasn’t answered in the section of your article on post-interview thank-you letters. What if I am not interested in the job? I had gone to the job interview, and realized that I would like a job somewhere else. I would still like to send a letter to maintain good relations with the company, but I was looking for some guidance on how to go about doing that. The Career Doctor responds: It’s still common courtesy to thank the employer for the... |
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Follow Up with Recruiter After Post-Interview Silence?
Cindy writes: I have been reading your stuff on the internet and found it to be very helpful. I have a question on what my approach should be next for a job I really would love to have. This is how the process has played out: 30-minute call with the recruiter 5-hour group interview with five key people Second interview with Global HR and second with two people I would work with as part of a team The recruiter said he got great feedback after the first interview. It has been 5 day’s... |
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Using Social Media in the Job Search
Karen writes: I’ve been reading a lot about using social media in the job search. What’s your opinion of this approach? Is this the way to get a job these days? The Career Doctor responds: Social-media for job-seeking takes a lot of time and patience. Complete and compelling profiles are important. And you also need to strike a balance between the desire the build a huge network and the need to be discriminating. Both Facebook and LinkedIn urge users to connect only with people... |
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Don't Sacrifice Resume's Readability to Make It Fit on One Page
Micki writes: I’m having a really hard time getting my resume down to one page. How much can I reduce the font size and margins to make it fit? Does the resume HAVE to be one page? The Career Doctor responds: Don’t sacrifice your resume’s readability to make it conform to any arbitrary “rules” about resume length. It’s always pitiful when we have to whip out the magnifying class to read the tiny 8- or 9-point type on the resume of a job-seeker who has... |
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One Way to Follow Up If You've Heard Nothing After Submitting Resume
Peggy writes: I submitted a resume and cover letter in response to a job vacancy 2.5 weeks ago but have heard nothing from the employer so far. What should my next follow-up step be? The Career Doctor responds: Jimmy Sweeney, president of CareerJimmy and author of the www.Amazing-Cover-Letters.com, advises sending an e-mail (as one option) to follow up if you haven’t heard from an employer within 10 days of applying with a resume and cover letter. Says Sweeney: “Professionals... |
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Free E-Book Offered to Young Job-Seekers
During the past couple months, the folks at Brazen Careerist have been compiling an eBook designed to help young job-seekers overcome the hurdles of finding mentors. The chapters in this book come from some of the top human-resource bloggers on the web — big thinkers and do-ers and people whom the folks at Brazen look to for trends in hiring. Some topics these leaders cover include … Marketing Yourself Based on the Value You Will Bring Your value proposition has to be out there,... |
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How Long Should a Cover Letter Be?
Jimmie writes: I’m struggling with cover letters. How long should one be? The Career Doctor responds: Make your letter as concise as possible so that it doesn’t look like a daunting reading project. Be as brief as you can, and make sure your letter has a pleasing amount of white space. Keep your paragraphs short, and include no more than 4-5 paragraphs. Cover letters sent electronically in the body of an e-mail message should be especially brief. (See our article, Tips for a... |
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How Can He Sharpen His Resume's Focus
Steve writes: A friend who works in HR told me my resume is unfocused and too generic. How can I make it more focused? The Career Doctor responds: Here are ways to consider sharpening the focus of your resume: Use a branding statement or headline or both atop your resume. Add a profile/qualifications summary with keywords relevant to the job you seek. Add a keyword section relevant to the job you seek. Beef up portrayal of accomplishments and transferable skills. Be sure to spotlight... |
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What Contact Info Should She Include on Resume?
Joanie writes: What’s the best, or should I say necessary, contact information that I should be including on my resume? The Career Doctor responds: Although studies have shown that employers rarely try reaching job-seekers using any number but land-line home phone numbers, include on your resume and cover letter your cell-phone number and any other option for reaching you, such as fax number and office phone number (if you can discreetly receive employer calls at your office).... |
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Sharpening Job-Search Focus Will Make Selling Yourself Much Easier
Kevin writes: I have a degree in American Studies from Brigham Young University, and I struggle not only with the liberal arts degree, but with having one in a subject nobody has ever heard of. Because of this, and probably some confidence issues in an interview situation by not really being able to point out my tangible skills and how my degree can help me do the job, I have been struggling finding a job that I enjoy and am interested in. Since graduation, I have had two jobs. The first was... |
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Answering Some Basic Resume Questions
Neeraj writes: I really liked the Quint Careers article, Avoid These 10 Resume Mistakes. I have a some questions. Are you sure a 35-year-old professional who graduated at the age of 22 should not include the date of graduation because it happened over 10 years ago? Won’t that raise a red flag? I have an MBA and 15 years experience — should I also stick to one page? I have a job description with 2.5 pages. How can I look like a match in one page? The Career Doctor... |
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On Resume: Handling Lack of College Degree
John writes: I recently got laid off from my job as a senior software engineer because of the economic downturn. I was at my job for 11 years and the job before that I was at for 8 years. I have been reading your web site for hints on how to write a resume. When I was in college, I got a job as a co-op. When it was time to return to school, my boss asked me if I would stay at the company instead of going back to school. That was the end of my formal education. The jobs I have had were better... |
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Most Employers Detest Functional Resumes
Mike writes: I just read the QuintCareers article regarding the use of a functional resume. I am writing to you because my particular situation was not specifically addressed as one that would be appropriate for using a functional resume, although I am still wondering whether my situation might be appropriate. Due to circumstances beyond my control in some instances, as well as some instances that were well within my control, I have held six jobs in the past 10 years. I was laid off my last... |
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Everyone Can Build a Network
Carol writes: I believe that I have successfully described my “transferable” skills on my resume and in cover letters. I do not have a large network of friends or associates whom I can tap to help me. I have been posting resumes on company web sites when I see a job that catches my attention. I went to a couple of job fairs (no luck). I gave up on web sites such as, Monster or CareerBuilders. The Career Doctor responds: You need to build your network. Networking — particularly... |
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What If Your Most Relevant Experience is Far in the Past?
Don writes: Some of my best experience happened while working for a company from 1973 to 1987. Listing the dates of employment dates me. It seems that so many companies are looking for younger staff, but still want experience. How do I get around this on a “first pass?” The Career Doctor responds: Even if it’s your best experience, most hiring managers will consider this experience to be too dated to be of much value today. At one time, I would have advised you to leave... |
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Yes, Bullet Points are Expected on Resumes
Eric writes: I just read your site’s article Avoid These 10 Resume Mistakes and found it very helpful. However, I have a question about bullet points. Are we supposed to use them? When I was in college just three years ago, my technical-writing professor told us that they were a “substitute for good writing.” I think they are inelegant and clutter a resume, but you say not using them will hurt my chances. Did something change in the past few years? The Career Doctor responds:... |
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Top Tips for Job-Interview Prep
Matt writes: I’m a new MBA grad who has secured an interview as marketing/sales manager for the regional office of a company that focuses on digital forensic reconstruction of accidents, both mechanical and biological. I would be mainly dealing with the insurance adjusters and the attorney’s of the clients. It sounds pretty intense, and I feel blessed to even be considered and given a chance to interview with them. I will be up against some people with a lot more industry experience,... |
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Does She REALLY Want to Be a Classroom Teacher?
Arlene writes: I have been a speech and language specialist for over 15 years. It was not my chosen field, but I felt I would always be able to obtain employment because it is so specialized, which has certainly been the case. I also have an elementary teaching certificate and two English-as-a-Second-Language teaching certificates. I took a leave of absence from work in 1988 for personal reasons and began to study acting, my true first love. I took part-time jobs while my husband was terminally... |