Today, that will most likely be submitted either online at a company’s website, or electronically via the Internet, or at an employer’s kiosk at their facility. In the current ultra-competitive job market, it needs to be more than good, it needs to be outstanding. The following tips will help you create a winning resume and increase your odds of landing a job you like.
· Update frequently – Recruiters and hiring personnel will often filter their resume searches by most recently updated as it indicates the job seeker is focused on a career change.
· Resume style – According to RetirementJobs.com, the preferred resume style for workers over 50 is a combination traditional chronological resume and a functional or qualification-based resume. Use an easy-to-read font with font size 10 or 11. Your name, employers’ names, and section headings can be bolded and/or font size 12 or 13.
· Perspectives on Age – Do not mislead the prospective employer about your age. At the same time, you do not need to go further back than 10 to 20 years of relevant work history. Include earlier positions if they contain qualities of the position you are interested in. The emphasis should be on qualifications, capabilities, and achievements—not previous titles, length of service, and duties.
· Language – Language is important for seeking jobs after traditional retirement. Word choice should convey energy and achievement. Use active verbs, contemporary expressions, and technical wording for items such as computer skills and knowledge. Place numbers near your action verbs (E.g. “Led a team of seven programmers” or “Added 10 states to customer base.”)
· Keywords – Keywords are also very important in the current age. Employers are scanning resumes electronically to locate keywords that are specific to the position in question. Pick keywords from the employer’s job advertisement including job title, qualifications, skills, and knowledge. It can be a good idea to have more than one version of your resume, geared to the specific job of interest. Keep the keywords to within five words of action verbs or any number you have employed to quantify your experience.
· Objectives – According to recruiter Glen Cathey, objectives are passé and should be omitted unless you are dramatically changing careers (E.g. from IT Director to car salesman).
· Page and sentence length –– Try keeping your resume to one page unless your industry’s standard dictates otherwise—you can always link to more information online. Keep your sentences under 30 words as that makes it easier to skim.
· Bullet points – The use of bullet points makes it easier on hiring managers to locate your best qualities.
· Vary your word usage – A few repeats are acceptable but if it sounds repetitious upon reading, it is a good idea to find an alternate word. A thesaurus can assist you with this.
· Avoid jargon and clichés – Use industry-specific keywords in moderation. Avoid general phrases like “highly motivated” and “team player.”
· Heading and contact information – Place your full name at top center. Your contact information should contain your residential address, preferred phone number (a mobile phone is recommended because of quick response time), and a business-like email address. Remember that companies often prefer nearby candidates because of shorter commute times. If you don’t live nearby but are planning on relocating, putting down the address where you will stay until you relocate is an option. Separate the heading section and subsequent sections with a page-width horizontal line to make the resume more visually-friendly.
· Skills and qualifications – These should be tailored to the position desired. Display them in bullet format but limit them to 10 to 12 of the most important factors. They can include particular knowledge, technical capabilities (such as computer skills), personal attributes such as interpersonal skills and results-orientation, and credentials and certifications such as degrees and those earned from workshops and seminars.
· Experience – Put your most recent experience at the top and proceed in reverse chronological order. Include employer name, description of enterprise, city/state of employment, calendar years of employment, most senior title achieved, and primary activities, achievements, or notable results.
· Education – Place your education at the bottom of the resume unless you are a recent graduate. Even with recent graduates, it is advised to put your skills above your education. You don’t need to include a graduation date unless it has been within the past 20 years. Include honors but not your GPA. If you did not complete a degree program from the school, you can still qualify it be noting “Completed Coursework” or “Attended.” Remember that education is frequently checked during background inquiries and falsifying is likely to be discovered.
· Certifications and affiliations – List these in a bulleted list. Certifications should be issued by recognized entities and affiliations should be from existing organizations that relate to your occupational objective.
· Things to avoid – Do not include family or personal information, social or recreational activities, and in most cases photos, colors, or graphic art (although some professionals in creative fields are now beginning to include those).
· References – Employers will ask if they want references. Do not bother stating “References Available Upon Request.”
· Proofread – Proofread, use spell check and/or Grammarly. Have a friend review your resume. Know that resumes with typos and other errors can keep you from getting that desired job interview.
· Save your resume as a PDF – This will solidify the style and formatting so that it will be viewed the same way by everyone.
As a final note for effective resumes for jobs after retirement, pay particular attention to the bullet points on resume style, perspectives on age, and language. Sharpening the focus on those attributes will increase your ability to sell yourself.
Originally published on LinkedIn
◊♦◊
Are you a first-time contributor to The Good Men Project? Submit here:
◊♦◊
If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member, today.
All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS.
A $50 annual membership gives you an all-access pass. You can be a part of every call, group, class, and community.
A $25 annual membership gives you access to one class, one Social Interest group, and our online communities.
A $12 annual membership gives you access to our Friday calls with the publisher, our online community.
Register New Account
Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock