Writing a Resume For a New Career

Writing a Resume For a New CareerWriting a resume for a new career is usually something that people shy away from doing. It's not because they don't have enough knowledge to write one. In fact, many new careers require you to be quite proficient with the jargon used in the field.When you are looking for a technical job, you will find that you will need to write a resume that will explain your qualifications. The purpose of the resume is to get an interview and show that you know what you are talking about.You also need to know that you can write a resume yourself. In fact, it is common for professionals to hire a professional writer. However, there are also many writers who write their own resumes and turn them into jobs. If you are reading this article, you may be one of those people who would like to try this out.So how do you write a resume? There are many ways, but the basic concept is that you start off by creating a list of your qualifications and then go from there. It is impo rtant to do this on paper so that you can see where you fall short.You also need to have a list of your accomplishments. For example, do you have a degree or training in anything? Do you have any certifications? These can be listed in order so that you have a list of what you have accomplished.Other things that you need to include in your resume are any awards you have won, awards for service, awards you have been given or volunteered for, job duties, extra-curricular activities, and job responsibilities. Some employers will actually ask you to list more in your resume.As you can see, a resume is a tool and it is your job to use it to help get you to the interview. Get started now!

Do You Need to Include Months on a Resume (Examples)

Do You Need to Include Months on a Resume (Examples) Spread the loveThere are many pitfalls for job-seekers who are creating their own resumes. One of the most common of those potential errors involves the question of whether employment months should be listed on the resume. Other potential problems can arise from the formatting of those dates. So, should you be listing employment months on your resume? And if so, what’s the right way to list those dates?The General Rule on Listing Employment MonthsABC Corporation  1/2009 5/2018VS.ABC Corporation  2009 2018Let’s get the big question out of the way right off the bat. There are some who say that you should always consider listing employment months on your resume â€" even if it produces gaps in your work history. The reason for that is simple. You see, if you just list the years of employment, most employers will assume that you’re trying to hide something. And in most instances, they would be right!Now, it is true that many job-seekers have in the past avoided listing employment months when they had work history gaps. And for a time, that approach probably helped many of them avoid questions about time away from the workforce.However, old strategies often become obsolete with time, as more and more people see them being used. That’s certainly the case in this instance. Today’s hiring managers will typically see any attempt to avoid listing employment months as an attempt to hide some gap in your employment history.And let’s be honest here: they’re usually right in that assessment. After all, the only real reason to leave out the months is that you’re trying to hide a gap.On the Other HandStill, there are times when you might feel that you really do need to only put years on a resume. If that employment gap is sizable and difficult to explain away, then it may be tempting to leave dates off your resume. In fact, many experts recommend this approach, to ensure that your resume is as seamless and gap-free as possible. In the end, it can be a difficul t decision to make, as you have to balance the need for honesty with your need to properly shape your narrative.There is another argument along these lines, of course, and its simple to understand. It basically relies on the fact that there is rarely a requirement to list every job youve ever had. For most resumes, you should only include truly relevant experience and that may offer some flexibility in how you list those dates.Addressing Employment History GapsMake no mistake: if you’re listing employment months on your resume, any gaps will be noticeable. So, how can you be honest in your presentation without sounding warning bells in an employer’s mind?(We wrote a good post here on how to deal with employment gaps on a resume)The best bet is to focus on being as direct as possible. If you had a three-month gap between jobs, and you were struggling to land an interview, say so. If you took six months off to focus on taking care of a sick relative, be sure to tell the prospecti ve employer about that time away. And if you had a lengthy period of unemployment while you pursued additional skills training, note that as well.The important thing is to be honest because those gaps are often not as dire as you might imagine. The key is to focus your attention on the value you can provide as an employee. If the rest of your resume is rock-solid in that regard, your explanation for that work history gap will probably be sufficient to allay any serious concerns.Listing Employment Months on a Resume the Right WayIf youve decided that   you should be listing employment months on your resume, it’s time to address another major concern: format. It’s not enough to just list those months and years; you need to know how to list dates on your resume. Here are some simple tips to help you with that formatting, as well as example to show you what it should look like.Align your employment dates to the right, and use bold text for your resume month and year format.If you ha d various positions at a given company, list the dates for each. Offset them slightly from the right and use normal text formatting.When adding months on a resume, spell out the month name. As a rule, you should not be abbreviating months on a resume.If you choose to only put years on your resume, be consistent.Do not try to hide gaps. List months and years for every job and position.Double-check your dates to make sure that there are no inadvertent errors.Example: Listing Employment Months on a Resume:ABC Corporation  May 2009 May 2018Insert a description of the company hereSenior Director, Marketing  June 2014 â€" June 2018Describe job role and achievements hereAssistant Director, Marketing  April 2013 â€" June 2014Describe job role and achievements hereMarketing Associate  January 2009 â€" April 2013Describe job role and achievements hereAt the end of the day, honesty is always the best policy. That’s true everywhere in life, but especially true when creating a resume. Listing employment months on a resume is typically the right thing to do and can help you avoid potential headaches in your job search efforts. So, you should probably try to include those months and just be prepared to explain any gaps that they may reveal. And if you decide to leave dates off your resume, be sure that youre prepared to explain the omission if your would-be employer starts asking questions.For more great employment history tips and examples, check out our post, Writing Your Resume Work Experience Section. Do You Need to Include Months on a Resume (Examples) Spread the loveThere are many pitfalls for job-seekers who are creating their own resumes. One of the most common of those potential errors involves the question of whether employment months should be listed on the resume. Other potential problems can arise from the formatting of those dates. So, should you be listing employment months on your resume? And if so, what’s the right way to list those dates?The General Rule on Listing Employment MonthsABC Corporation  1/2009 5/2018VS.ABC Corporation  2009 2018Let’s get the big question out of the way right off the bat. There are some who say that you should always consider listing employment months on your resume â€" even if it produces gaps in your work history. The reason for that is simple. You see, if you just list the years of employment, most employers will assume that you’re trying to hide something. And in most instances, they would be right!Now, it is true that many job-seekers have in the past avoided listing employment months when they had work history gaps. And for a time, that approach probably helped many of them avoid questions about time away from the workforce.However, old strategies often become obsolete with time, as more and more people see them being used. That’s certainly the case in this instance. Today’s hiring managers will typically see any attempt to avoid listing employment months as an attempt to hide some gap in your employment history.And let’s be honest here: they’re usually right in that assessment. After all, the only real reason to leave out the months is that you’re trying to hide a gap.On the Other HandStill, there are times when you might feel that you really do need to only put years on a resume. If that employment gap is sizable and difficult to explain away, then it may be tempting to leave dates off your resume. In fact, many experts recommend this approach, to ensure that your resume is as seamless and gap-free as possible. In the end, it can be a difficul t decision to make, as you have to balance the need for honesty with your need to properly shape your narrative.There is another argument along these lines, of course, and its simple to understand. It basically relies on the fact that there is rarely a requirement to list every job youve ever had. For most resumes, you should only include truly relevant experience and that may offer some flexibility in how you list those dates.Addressing Employment History GapsMake no mistake: if you’re listing employment months on your resume, any gaps will be noticeable. So, how can you be honest in your presentation without sounding warning bells in an employer’s mind?(We wrote a good post here on how to deal with employment gaps on a resume)The best bet is to focus on being as direct as possible. If you had a three-month gap between jobs, and you were struggling to land an interview, say so. If you took six months off to focus on taking care of a sick relative, be sure to tell the prospecti ve employer about that time away. And if you had a lengthy period of unemployment while you pursued additional skills training, note that as well.The important thing is to be honest because those gaps are often not as dire as you might imagine. The key is to focus your attention on the value you can provide as an employee. If the rest of your resume is rock-solid in that regard, your explanation for that work history gap will probably be sufficient to allay any serious concerns.Listing Employment Months on a Resume the Right WayIf youve decided that   you should be listing employment months on your resume, it’s time to address another major concern: format. It’s not enough to just list those months and years; you need to know how to list dates on your resume. Here are some simple tips to help you with that formatting, as well as example to show you what it should look like.Align your employment dates to the right, and use bold text for your resume month and year format.If you ha d various positions at a given company, list the dates for each. Offset them slightly from the right and use normal text formatting.When adding months on a resume, spell out the month name. As a rule, you should not be abbreviating months on a resume.If you choose to only put years on your resume, be consistent.Do not try to hide gaps. List months and years for every job and position.Double-check your dates to make sure that there are no inadvertent errors.Example: Listing Employment Months on a Resume:ABC Corporation  May 2009 May 2018Insert a description of the company hereSenior Director, Marketing  June 2014 â€" June 2018Describe job role and achievements hereAssistant Director, Marketing  April 2013 â€" June 2014Describe job role and achievements hereMarketing Associate  January 2009 â€" April 2013Describe job role and achievements hereAt the end of the day, honesty is always the best policy. That’s true everywhere in life, but especially true when creating a resume. Listing employment months on a resume is typically the right thing to do and can help you avoid potential headaches in your job search efforts. So, you should probably try to include those months and just be prepared to explain any gaps that they may reveal. And if you decide to leave dates off your resume, be sure that youre prepared to explain the omission if your would-be employer starts asking questions.For more great employment history tips and examples, check out our post, Writing Your Resume Work Experience Section.

The Skills Gap Issue For Job Seekers - Work It Daily

The Skills Gap Issue For Job Seekers - Work It Daily The debate over a “skills gap” is not particularly new â€" but, in recent weeks, it’s escalated because of some very interesting and different perspectives of the issue. For job seekers, it’s a very important issue because human resource professionals and hiring managers are going to be assessing a candidate’s qualifications within the context of the “skills gap.” Related: Focus â€" A Critical Skill For Job Seekers The consensus among managers and human resource professionals is that there are significant skills gaps â€" that organizations struggle to identify and hire individuals with the specific skills needed. On the flip side of this position, a New York Times editorial called the idea “mostly a corporate fiction” saying “don’t blame the workforce.” The editorial blamed companies for its failures to properly train workers, charging that companies want schools and government to bear the responsibility. What’s interesting about this position is that in denying a skills gap the editorial inherently states it does exist. According to one of the recent surveys from a provider of training courses (Udemy), 61% feel there is a skills gap: 54% - Do not know what they need for their current jobs. 33% - Lack of skills prevent them from earning more. 33% - Inadequate skills cost them a promotion or new job. The survey asks about “missing skills.” 32.8% responded “new software, programming” 23.6% said “management skills” A disturbing 18.6% said they “don’t know” The survey from Udemy takes a fascinating twist. While there was strong support for the existence of the skills gap (61%), 95% stated that “they personally are qualified or overqualified for their jobs.” The “reality gap” here is what needs to be the biggest concern for job seekers, human resource professionals, and managers â€" all contributors to the problems. I have used a formal assessment of managerial competencies for almost 3000 managers in a wide range of industries, both profit and non-profit, and organizations of all sizes. The assessment very objectively assesses 12 managerial competencies against a well normed international database of experienced managers (Managerial Assessment of Proficiency, HRD Press). As part of the program, I’ve been able to collect some very interesting data on the “perceptions” of participants’ competencies. Prior to receiving the objective feedback, which includes an overall “average” competency score, participants are asked to record their “expected” score. Almost unanimously, participants with below average overall competency scores record “expected” scores much higher. This clearly verifies the “it’s not me” perception. But the alternative is more interesting. The overwhelming majority of participants who receive above average scores, particularly those who score in the top 25%, record “expected” scores that are lower â€" often significantly lower â€" than their actual scores. There are two very important insights from this. The first is an interesting historical perspective, from 18th century author Jonathan Swift: “Although people are accused of not knowing their own weaknesses, fewer yet know their strengths. In us as in soils, sometimes there is a vein of gold which the owner knows not of.” The second, from Peter Senge, author of “The Fifth Discipline:” “It is a process. It is a lifelong discipline. People with a high level of personal mastery are acutely aware of their ignorance, their incompetence, their growth areas.” The “skills gap” is a challenge that needs to be undertaken. We need to take the valuable information from several of the surveys as the basis for a serious exploration of the short and long term consequences, both positive and negative, of the skills gap. Then, we could discover possible actions to address the negatives and seize opportunities for positive outcomes. But right now, here are some actions that job seekers, human resources, and hiring managers should consider: Job seekers must adopt a “learn more each day” attitude. Of course, the computer skills you learned in school or last year on the job are no longer up-to-date. There’s just been a major upgrade with new features to the software you use most often. Human resources and hiring managers need to “peel the onion” assessing a candidate’s learning experiences and learning style. For a candidate’s significant accomplishments, probe for what the candidate learned â€" what they would do differently. Job seekers must show on their resumes and prepare with their interview responses to demonstrate their eagerness to accept new challenges and learn new skills. Top performers are always eager to learn more, accept more responsibility. Human resources and all managers need to do a much better job of clarifying expectations â€" what successful performance really looks like in the first year, in the first six months, in the first 30 days. The “reality gap” noted above must be addressed. In today’s fast-changing world, there are always emerging trends and innovations affecting our skills. Only that ‘learn more each day” attitude will meet the challenges. Related Posts 3 Ways To Advance Your Skills 5 Great Tools That Showcase Your Skills To Recruiters 6 Intangible Skills That Can Get You Hired Today About the author Jim Schreier is a management consultant with a focus on management, leadership, including performance-based hiring and interviewing skills. Visit his website at www.farcliffs.com.     Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here. Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join For Free!