THROW THOSE RESUME RULES OUT THE WINDOW!
Recently while facilitating an
Orientation workshop here at VCCS my group got side tracked by an interesting
yet not new debate….what are the rules for resumes? Two young clients in the
group with impressive education were frustrated because they were feeling
ignored by retail and food service employers. Their goal for the time being was
an entry level part time position, and even though they were including customer
service skills on their resume they felt that they were being told they were
overqualified and ignored because of their education …``But we can’t lie and
not include our education on our resume`` they said to me.
I think it is important for us to
remember that there are no rules, only guidelines when it comes to resumes. The
key is to make sure that every word is substantive and relative to the readers
(employers) needs. That way no matter what the format, font, bullets, length
etc., it is the information that gets you a call.
Don’t be afraid to step
outside the box and try something new…personally, I love looking on pintrest.com
for creative resume ideas and formats.
Does the local coffee shop need
to see on your resume that you have a degree in Bio-engineering? Ask yourself if
that information is relevant to their hiring needs.
Always remember that your resume
is a ‘living document’ and can change as frequently as you like.
Come in and speak to an employment counsellor if you would like to have your resume reviewed and help with your job search!
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