Is Your Resume Outdated? | Career Rocketeer

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Is Your Resume Outdated? Posted: 06 May 2011 03:30 AM PDT The resume is probably the hardest thing to nail down during the job search. Why? Well, your resume is a reflection of you and your work experience. If it's not presented in the right way, you may not have a chance. The problem with most resumes is that they are outdated, especially if you haven't had to look for a job in a while. The rules of five years ago may not apply today. So what works and what doesn't? It may depend on your industry, but here are three common mistakes and how to fix them: List what you accomplished, not your duties. What did you do in your past jobs to make a difference? Did you gain five clients in one year? Did you raise website traffic by two percent? How about creating advertisements that lead to conversions? Potential employers don't want to know your day-to-day duties. They want to know what you did to move your organization from point A to point B. If possible, list your accomplishments quantifiably. For example, you may have increased total revenue by five percent based on marketing efforts. Be sure to highlight this because potential employers want to know what you can do for them. Objectives are out. If you still have an objective on the top of your resume, do everyone a favor and delete it right now. It's an outdated practice that most hiring managers will see as old fashioned. You are obviously applying for the position because you are interested in improving your skill set and advancing your career in the industry, so you do not need to state that on top of your resume. Instead of an objective, why not list the link to your LinkedIn profile? Your LinkedIn profile can be used as an extension of your resume. Use platforms like this to discuss what kind of candidate you are, as well as what you can bring to the table based on your experiences. Apart from being better than an outdated objective, a LinkedIn profile can be used to list what you can't on your resume, like actual samples of your work. Don't put ordinary skills. In every industry, it's pretty much a given that most people know how to use PowerPoint, or can operate on both PC and Mac operating systems. These are not unique skills. Speaking fluent German is a unique skill. Extensive knowledge of web design and CSS is a unique skill. Whatever sets you apart from the crowd is going to benefit you. Hiring managers and recruiters want to see what you can do to improve the function of the organization, not what you have in common with the hundreds of other applicants. For example, if you've used a specialized software that's known in your industry, you should put it since it's likely the hiring manger is not only aware of the program, but also aware of the skill set needed to operate it. What are some other things that makes a resume outdated? Guest Expert: James Alexander is Vizibility's founder and CEO. He's the guy with two first names. If you 'Googled' his name in 2009, you would never have found him. Now, he ranks within the first few results of a Google search. Find James in Google at vizibility.com/james.

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