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I've done scores of résumés for people with problematic job histories—from spotty work records to lengthy unemployment. Careers get stalled for every reason imaginable, including
anything, to reveal to potential employers, and at what stage to reveal it. There's no one-size-fits-all strategy. Many résumé preparers favor what they call functional résumés, which distribute your job history according to your "strengths." This arrangement lets the résumé-writer tap-dance around weak areas, such as gaps in employment or a series of short-term jobs. Employers and recruiters aren't easily fooled. A clever but nontraditional résumé is a red flag. The savvy reader thinks, "Aha! This is a clever résumé designed to hide career irregularities. Just what are these irregularities?" That's if the résumé doesn't get tossed away first in confusion or disgust. Employers overwhelmingly favor chronological résumés. They want your life story in a tidy capsule, with segments of it where they're used to seeing them. Job application forms are organized chronologically, and employers expect résumés to be likewise. A well-written cover letter with a straightforward chronological résumé will get you the consideration you deserve. (If you're not a suitable candidate, no document in the world can make you qualified. That doesn't mean you shouldn't apply for a job you really want and think you can do.) Some employment gaps can legitimately be framed as
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year incarceration as "consulting"—or can they? As thousands of inmates have shown, "hard time" doesn't have to be wasted time. |
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Google your name? Will social media betray your playful side in ways you'd rather keep private? Managing your online image is a good idea even if you're not job-hunting. You can't erase the public record, says Steven Petrow, writing for USA Today, so " the best strategy is to overwhelm it, by creating new pages that you control that will turn up in search higher than those old, embarrassing ones." Petrow offers these suggestions for managing your online image:
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Annagrammatica 402-619-2133 Email mary@annagrammatica.com |
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