When Is a Good Resume Like Swiss Cheese?

When is a good resume like Swiss cheese? When it stands strong even if it has a few holes.

Yes, I’m saying sometimes you can openly have holes on your resume that don’t hurt you… as long as you build a strong structure around those holes. Continue reading...

Can I Call a Career Break a "Sabbatical" on My Resume?

A job seeker asked me if he could write "Sabbatical" on his resume to explain a career break. His employment gap had nothing to do with an academic or professional pursuit, it was simply time off between jobs. My answer -- No, don't do it! Continue reading...

I'm Unemployed. What Do I Put on My Resume?

What should you put on your resume if you're currently unemployed? We hear employers don't like to see employment gaps on a resume, so how do you hide the fact that you don't have a job right now? It depends on when your unemployment started. Continue reading...

Yahoo's 2010 Burning Question: "How to Write a Resume"

In Yahoo's 2010 Year in Review: Burning Questions, How to Write a Resume ranked #4.

Each of the 10 questions has a post with answers to those burning issues. The author of the post How to Write a Resume was kind enough to include this:

For those currently out of work, Susan Ireland, author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Perfect Resume," recommends "filling in your employment gap with any paid or unpaid work that's relevant to your job objective." Volunteering, taking classes, or regularly defragging the computers at your nephew's school all count. "If you can't come up with anything relevant," advises Ireland, "fill your employment gap with a 'job title' that indicates your good character, such as family management, caregiver, travel, or something wholesome you were doing."

Curious about what the 10 Burning Questions for 2010 were? Here you go:

#1 How to Tie a Tie
#2 How to Lose Weight
#3 How to Kiss
#4 How to Write a Resume
#5 What’s the World’s Only Immortal Animal?
#6 Which City Has the Best Tap Water?
#7 Which Natural Disaster Shortened Earth’s Days?
#8 What Is Love?
#9 What Causes Lightning?
#10 How to Boil an Egg

Could It Pay to Say "I'm Unemployed"?

After all the talk that employers prefer passive (employed) job seekers to active (unemployed) job seekers, there may be a new twist: Employers get a tax advantage for hiring the unemployed.

According to the Reuters article, Obama Signs $17.6 Billion Jobs Bill:

The legislation would exempt businesses from paying the 6.2 percent payroll tax on new employees who had previously been out of work. Employers would also get a $1,000 tax credit if those workers were still on the job a year later.

Here's how my tax professional explained it in his recent newsletter (reprinted here with his permission):

It's part of the HIRE Act, passed March 18. Employers normally "match" the 6.2% FICA tax on the first $106,800 paid to each employee. This year, employers who hire anyone who certifies he/she was not employed more than 40 hours in the 60-day period before hiring get a tax "holiday." Key rules: employee must be hired after February 3, can't replace another employee unless former left voluntarily or for cause, applies to wages between March 19, 2010 and end of year. IRS issued a revised Form W-11 for the hire to certify the unemployment, and is revising Form 941 to allow for the credit. In 2011 the law expires, but a credit of up to $1,000 can be earned for any qualified employee who is retained for at least 52 weeks.

Does this mean the active job seeker now has a leg up on the passive job seeker? Maybe... if the employer knows about and values this tax advantage.

So here's the big question: Which employers want unemployed job seekers and the corresponding tax advantage? I did some research, hoping to find a list of such employers, but no luck.

Then, I remembered stories about creative job search strategies that had actually worked, like the sandwich board resume, a clever YouTube resume, and the $6 Google ad campaign. Does the Jobs Bill open the door for another unconventional approach... like marketing your unemployment status as a tax benefit to a potential employer?

In other words, when approaching the right company, sell yourself as the ideal unemployed job candidate who's going to save the employer tax dollars. You could actually use the dreaded "unemployed" (or "available") word in your cover letter or email.

Now, this goes against the grain of most job search advice -- including mine. But it's creative! And it could possibly work -- at least the Obama Administration is hoping it will.

When to Say You're Unemployed

It might pay to state that you're unemployed if you:

1. Try to get a job at a new or growing company. Is there a new plant or branch operation that's looking for new employees? Such a company might be open to hiring quality unemployed job seekers in order to get on board with the Jobs Bill tax incentives.
2. Apply for a job in a struggling company. What companies are not thriving, and therefore might be looking for every way to save a dime -- even from Uncle Sam? Working for a struggling company probably doesn't fit with your image of job security, but it might be a place to park yourself for a spell.
3. Find a job with a tax-savvy company. What companies are financially smart enough to understand the value of a good unemployed job candidate and the tax savings he or she brings along with the deal? Maybe a company in or related to financial services?
4. Seek employment with a small business. What small business is open to your suggestion that they save on taxes by hiring you? This might mean taking the bold step of educating the employer -- very concisely -- in your cover letter.

If you take an "I'm unemployed" job search approach, I suggest you look busy on your resume by listing a current activity (professional development, volunteerism, or personal project) that's relevant to your job objective, even if you're not getting paid for it. You want the employer to see that you're relevant and involved in your profession, no matter what your employment status.

The Jobs Bill will expire at the end of this year. The clock is ticking! How can you take advantage of it in your job search? Let's brainstorm here in the Job Lounge and add ideas to this list.

For another idea for solving your unemployment, check out Barbara Safani's article, Unemployed Need Not Apply. Barbara suggests networking in your community where employers won't be put off by your unemployed status because they know and trust you.

And, for a lively discussion on whether it's fair for employers to prefer passive job seekers over active job seekers, read the Why isn't this illegal? discussion in the Job-Hunt Help Group on LinkedIn. You must be a member to access the group, but it's free to join.

Victim of Bernie Madoff Needs Resume Help

A victim of the Bernie Madoff scandal needs to return to the workforce, and he wants to know how to handle his failed retirement on his resume. Can anyone with experience in the world of Wall St. and financial services add to this advice for him?

Should I Mention Bernie Madoff on My Resume?

Eight years ago I retired early. I am re-entering the workforce because a major portion of my assets were invested with Bernie Madoff. Before I retired I was a CFO of a mid-size company. Should I include an introductory paragraph in my resume, or use the objective statement to explain why I am returning to the workforce? I fear that without such information, someone reading my resume will see the eight-year gap of real work and chuck my resume.

During the period 2002 to the present I did some minor consulting work and participated in some entrepreneurial activities. Nothing of real significance but certainly enough to state that I've been working as an Independent Accounting Professional and Consultant. Prior to retiring I worked as CFO/COO for mid-sized corporations in the managed care industry. My goal is to attain a similar position.

How do I let the reader know that my recent eight-year span was an intentional sabbatical from the corporate world -- not a period of unemployment because no one would hire me?

From the Desk of Susan Ireland
I see two parts to this situation:

1. How to present this unemployed period on your resume in such a way that it gets your foot in the door for an interview.

Don't mention Bernie Madoff at all on your resume. Your personal finances are your business, nobody else's. Simply refer to your Independent Professional Accountant experience for that time of retirement, perhaps citing a few specific projects or clients if they are noteworthy. Write confidently and unapologetically about your consulting so the prospective employer with view it as a valuable addition to your corporate experience.

2. How to talk about that time once you're in the interview.

If pressed for an explanation, say that you retired in 2002, and then became an Independent Professional Accountant as a way to supplement your income. As we all know, the economy has forced many people who were in full or partial retirement back into the workforce. Emphasize that you have valuable expertise and many good years ahead of you, which you'd like to offer to an employer.

More Advice from Maureen Nelson, Resume Writer
I agree with Susan completely. Don't mention Bernie Madoff. If they know about your involvement with Madoff, people might think you have poor judgment. On your resume, you could include quotes from your clients.

Are you doing any volunteer work? If so, add that. If not, start right away with SCORE or Taproot. No reason to sit around. Also, float your resume to headhunters who specialize in your area. (Check out Kennedy Information's Red Book for names and contact info.)

Readers, how do you advise this job seeker who needs to transition from retirement back into corporate leadership?

Unemployed? 4 Things to Do Right Away

If you're unemployed, you may be wondering how to spend your time effectively and how to fill the current employment gap on your resume and online profile.

In this video, Patra Frame explains four things to do right away to address those two unemployment issues:

1. Brush up on your skills by attending classes, workshops, and seminars. List those classes on your resume.

2. Remain active in your professional groups. Networking among colleagues may help you find a great job lead, as well as give you a relevant current activity to put on your resume.

3. Volunteer at organizations that are meaningful to you and, if possible, relevant to your career. Your volunteerism can be presented in your Experience section as your current "job title."

4. Take temp or interim jobs that provide income during your job search. Include these temporary assignments as current employment in the Experience section of your resume and online profile.

To see how some of these ideas look in "print," check out these sample resumes with current unemployment in their Experience sections.


Between Job? Now What?
video by Patra Frame

Does Your Resume Need Hypnotherapy?

Question In 2003 I left my field to further my education. In 2006 I opened a hypnotherapy practice. For a new business, my practice did well the first year, however for the last two years I have had no clients.

I need a job, and therefore need to create a resume. Should I put my business on my resume and how should I refer to it? For example, should I put "Consulting practice" or "Self-owned business"? Continue reading...

List LinkedIn Groups on Resume

Your resume probably has a special section called "Professional Affiliations" or "Memberships" where you list trade organizations and professional societies you belong to. Now that professionals congregate online in social media forums such as LinkedIn Groups, how do you get "credit" for your online participation? Is it possible to use your online activity to fill a current unemployment gap? Here are suggestions for how to get the most of your online memberships on your resume: Continue reading...

Look Busy on Your Resume

If your resume shows that you're currently unemployed, you could be at a disadvantage in your job search. According to Don't Quit Your Job by Susan Joyce, a passive job seeker (someone who's employed and not actively looking for a new job) is more sought after than an active job seeker. Continue reading...

Six-Year Anxiety Disorder on Resume

Question
I had to resign in 2003 because of an anxiety disorder. Now, after six years of struggling with this disease, I feel much better and would like to join the workforce again.

Can you recommend a good strategy to discuss this health issue in my resume, cover letter, and the interview?
Continue reading...

Long-Term Illness on Resume

How do you list long-term illness on a resume? Let's say you were hospitalized for clinical depression for two years, and unable to do anything but recover during that time.

This question came up in a train-the-trainer resume workshop I gave last week for resume counselors at a government-funded employment agency. Here's a solution the group came up with:

1. Use years (no months) in the work history.
2. For the gap in employment, list "Caregiver for household member" as the job title.

As one job counselor in my workshop pointed out, it's none of the employer's business that the job seeker was ill, what kind of illness he had, or how he was treated for his illness. He was, in fact, a caregiver during that time -- he was caring for himself (a member of his household).

I thought this was a very creative approach to handling a lengthy illness on a resume. It's honest, doesn't go into unnecessary details, and hopefully keeps the job applicant in the running for a job.

Lapse in Employment Due to Tragedy

Question
I left my job in January 2002 due to the murder of my children's father. I worked for an insurance company for 11 years.I went back to college a couple of years ago until they told me my financial aid had run out.

I have applied for quite a few jobs and haven't even gotten an interview. Is the lapse in work history the reason? If so, how should I handle this?

Answer
The gap in your work history may very well be the reason you're not getting calls for interviews. Here are some ideas for making that look a little better on your resume.

1. Be sure to have a job objective statement near the top of your resume so the recruiter or hiring manager will know what kind of work you seek.

2. Place your Education section near the top of the resume, just under your Summary of Qualifications. State the starting and ending dates you attended school, using years but no months.

3. In your work history, do something like this:

2006-2008, Student, Such-and-Such College, City, State
- Refer to one or two courses you took that are relevant to your job objective, if possible.

2002-2006, Full-time parent
- Talk a little about any activities (paid or unpaid) that you did in addition to parenting. If these activities are significant, include that "job title" next to Full-time parent (For example: Full-time parent and Red Cross volunteer).

1991-2002, Job Title, Such-and-Such insurance company, City, State
- Write three or more bullet statements that are relevant to your job objective.

Hopefully these suggestions will lead to some job interviews. Best of luck!

Three-Year Gap on Resume

Question
I was employed last in August of 2005. At that time, with no warning, I was given my walking papers. I was completely stunned. No warning, nothing. I asked why and the supervisor said I wasn't doing my job, which was completely untrue. I was a good employee for their company. They refused unemployment and so I filed an appeal and won, getting six months of unemployment insurance.

Shortly after this happened, my mother-in-law got sick and we took her in to stay with us. She has now left, and I am actively pursuing work in an administrative capacity. What about the gap on my resume and what about the job application that asks, "Have you ever been discharged and why?"
--Carol

Answer
Here's how to handle the three-year gap in employment on your resume. If you did any volunteer work that involved paperwork while taking care of your mother-in-law, list that as your most current "job title." (There's no need to say that if you were not paid for your work). It might look like this:

2005-present, Fundraiser, ABC Organization, City, State
- Managed administrative records as part of an active fundraising team. Typed and mailed donor solicitation and acknowledgement letters, and updated donor database.

If you didn't do any volunteer work but provided financial management for your mother-in-law as part of your care giving, you could put that on your resume. It might look something like this:

2005-present, Full-time Caregiver to Parent
- Handled financial matters, including insurance claims, trust administration, and accounts payable, in addition to providing home nursing.

If you did both, then list it like this:

2005-present, Fundraiser, ABC Organization, City, State
while serving as Full-time Caregiver to Parent
- Managed administrative records as part of an active fundraising team. Typed and mailed donor solicitation and acknowledgement letters, and updated donor database.
- Handled financial matters for parent, including insurance claims, trust administration, and accounts payable.

On your job application you will have to say "yes" to the question about having been discharged. Your explanation should be something brief, such as, "Misunderstanding." Then be prepared to talk about it in your job interview.

Best of luck with your job search!

Mom With Dated Experience

Question
I have been a full-time mother for the past nine years and wasn't even thinking much about going back to work but I just heard about a job (Arts Program Administrator at a museum) that sounds perfect for me. I am dusting off my resume and I have a question:

I have three types of experiences that I have grouped together as "Creative Experience," "Arts Administration Experience," and "Board and Committee Experience." All are relevant, but probably the Arts Administration most so. The most recent grouping is unpaid, volunteer, charity board, community service. It is definitely relevant as it is fund-raising and arts-oriented. The creative experience is about 10 years old, but still relevant as it is art direction and design. The most relevant and most distant in time are several jobs in arts administration, which go back about 18 years.

How should I order these? Most relevant first regardless of chronology, which would put my most current experience last? Or in reverse chronology (which would put the most recent but most relevant last)?
-- Jessica

Answer
by Garla Smith, Smart Moms®, LLC, smart-moms.net and smart-moms-online.com

Dear Jessica,
Because of the gap in your history and the fact that you are going back into a field where your relevant experience is dated but still very relevant, the functional resume might be the best bet. The functional resume highlights two or three skills in which the job seeker is very strong. Here's the twist: you could insert subtitles under each skill heading, which tie the skill to the organizations where the experience was gained. Under each organization subheading, you could have two or three result statements to show that you have experience relevant for the job. Perhaps these statements could speak to your creative and art administration skills.

Your main question was about the order in which you should list your experience. In the body of your functional resume, prioritize your skill headings according to how relevant they are to your job objective. Within each skill heading, prioritize your organization subheadings so the most relevant is first, regardless of chronology.

Notice, this resume has the feel of a chronological resume but does not highlight dates until the end of the resume in the Work History, where you provide a timeline of what you have been doing. It is meant to be brief but should have no gaps. For spans of time when you were not employed, list Stay At Home Parent/Title. (By “Title” I mean a descriptor for what you were doing in addition to being at home.) List dates in terms of years (for example, 2000 - 2007), starting with your most current date.

Many thanks to Susan for pointing out this unique functional style resume. I believe it will serve moms very well.

Quit Over Boss's Verbal Abuse

Question
I quit my last job because the boss/partner was making inappropriate remarks to me (along with remarks and looks about a certain feature of mine). I was enduring these remarks because I needed the job. I was an excellent employee (during my seven months there I had three raises) and was well liked by my co-workers. Continue reading...

Medical Work Gap on Resume

Question
My daughter recently stopped working for 3 months to recover from surgery. She now needs to find a new job. How does she acknowledge the employment gap and the fact that she is currently working temporary jobs while searching for a full time position?
-- Debra

Answer



Dear Debra,
Because the gap in employment is only three months long, and those three month are all within the same year your daughter left her last full-time job, there's no need to even mention the time off. Just be sure to list only years -- no months -- in the work history on the resume, like this:

20xx-2008, Job Title, ABC Company

Don't refer to the temporary jobs she's held most recently. She'll have to list those jobs on her job application form, but she doesn't need to list them on her resume.

Best of luck with the job search!

Short-Term Job on Resume?

Question
I am an Executive Assistant presently looking for my next job opportunity. I have extensive experience in this field. Since my last experience was short-lived (6 months), I would like to hear your comments whether or not I should keep it in my resume (even though it is relevant experience)?

So far I went through several interviews, and I haven’t had any offers yet. Do you feel that one of the “red flags” is the fact that I worked at my last employment only 6 months? The reason for leaving the company was the fact that my manager was working out of different location (long-distance boss), and it was very difficult to build a really good working relationship.

One of the other reasons I think is my age even though I don’t look or feel my age (I am 51 years old).
--Asya

Answer
Hello Asya,
Don't put the recent six-month job on your resume for the following reasons:

Because the job before your six-monther ended in 2008 and you wisely used only years (not months), there is no red flag in your work history. It looks as if you might have recently left that job (even though you left it at the beginning of the year), and are just embarking on your new job search.

On the job application, you'll have to list the recent six-month job, but for your resume, leave it off, as you have been.

Your resume is doing its job of winning you interviews; perhaps you need help with your interviewing skills. Try to get some coaching to see how you can tackle the age issue (if that's the problem), how to explain why your last job was short-lived, and polish your interview style.

Good luck in landing your new job!

Job Hopper's Resume

Question
I recently quit a job after 3 months of employment because I felt it was unprofessional. I do not want to put this on my resume as it adds to the many short-term jobs already listed. None of the jobs pertinent to my job field (administrative assistant) lasted longer than 8 months. I have a few about 6 months long, one 8-month position, and the aforementioned 3-month stint. With the exception of the last job, it was not my fault that I was let go. I quit a part-time job, was laid off due to a slow market, fired after a car accident and again, quit the most recent job. I want my resume to stand out, Continue reading...

Walked Out on Last Job

Question
I recently left a job because of a health issue that was frustrating me. At the time I didn't know what the problem was and I just stormed out and never came back. After a diagnosis with my doctor, we found out that the health problem that was frustrating me caused my outburst and sudden resignation at work. Continue reading...