When it comes to applying for a job or academic program, two terms that often come up are resume and CV (curriculum vitae). While these documents share some similarities, they are not interchangeable and serve different purposes. Continue reading Resume versus CV
Category Archives: Resumes
Songwriting and Resume Writing
RESUME GAPS IN THE NEW CAREER MARKETPLACE
Concerned about gaps in your resume? When was the last time you fret over the time between your favorite recording artist’s gap between albums? You were probably more excited about what had changed and listening to the new songs. Many musicians have had long spans of time between the release dates of consecutive studio albums. Here are just a few: Continue reading RESUME GAPS IN THE NEW CAREER MARKETPLACE
Your Job Title Can Make Your Resume a Hit
Among the platinum-selling songs that Jimmy Webb has written are “Up, Up and Away”, “By the Time I Get to Phoenix”, “Wichita Lineman”, “Galveston”, “Worst That Could Happen”, “All I Know”, and “MacArthur Park”. Inherent to his songwriting genius is that he always starts with the song title before writing a single lyric. For Webb, lyrics are constructed to tell a clear story based upon the title. So, too, résumés. Continue reading Your Job Title Can Make Your Resume a Hit
The Ring of Your Resume
The purpose of a résumé is to generate interest in scheduling the interview and, as such, is like the trailer to a movie: give the prospective employer enough to readily see your candidacy “fit” and motivate them to schedule you for an interview to learn more. That is where and when you can drill-down. A good trailer excites potential filmgoers just enough to make them want to go see the movie without giving away all the details. The same goes for a résumé. The running time of the movie trilogy The Ring was 11.2 hours. The trailer ran a mere 1:49. The film grossed $2.9 billion. Continue reading The Ring of Your Resume
Here’s Why You Should Update Your Resume Now
If the most recent version of your resume is on a floppy disc in that lower drawer of your desk that you only venture into when it’s the place of last resort for finding something you’ve lost, it’s definitely time to update it (as well as save it on the Cloud!).
If you’re like most professionals, you only update your resume when you choose to or have to begin a new job search. When you’re at one job for several years, you can become comfortable and forget what areas of professional growth were important to you as a job seeker. Updating your resume regularly can expose the gaps in your skills and experience and reinvigorate your desire for career self-improvement. There are compelling reasons to regularly review your resume to ensure it’s ready to use at a moment’s notice. Here’s why: Continue reading Here’s Why You Should Update Your Resume Now
THE KEY TO RESUME KEYWORDS
Keyword Density: “On-page SEO” is the practice of optimizing individual web pages in order to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. When used correctly, it can help attract search engines and boost a page’s visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs). When ignored, it can keep a page from ranking or even result in a search penalty, removing it from SERPs altogether. Keyword density is an element of keyword optimization that refers to the number of times a target keyword is used on a webpage. If you’re an aspiring marketer, learning how to calculate keyword density is fairly easy. You simply take the number of times the target keyword appears on a page and divide it by the total number of words on the page: Continue reading THE KEY TO RESUME KEYWORDS
You’ve no doubt read many of my posts extolling the need for your resume to tell your career story and to include your relevant achievements. Jimmy Webb’s songwriting achievements include the most memorable tunes of all time: “Up, Up and Away,” “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “MacArthur Park,” “Wichita Lineman,” “Worst That Could Happen,” “Galveston,” and “All I Know.” I mention Jimmy Webb’s songwriting achievements because there are lessons to be learned that apply to writing an effective resume. Continue reading Songwriting and Resume Writing →