Updating Your Old Resume For Todays Job Search - CareerAlley

Updating Your Old Resume For Today’s Job Search - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will. Vince Lombardi In todays tough economy, there are numerous people out there who are unemployed and looking for work. Much has been made of the 20-something, recent college grad who cannot find employment, forced to live with their parents while peddling between job fairs. But middle aged Americans and baby boomers, although on the whole better off and less likely to be unemployed than the average person, have still seen numbers from their ranks faced with layoffs and job searches. Although more advanced in skills and experience than the recent college grad, these people often lack the know-how for finding jobs in todays world. Whether they are looking for construction work or physician employment, secretarial positions or freelance contracts, they often dont have the internet capabilities, they havent interviewed in decades, and references are often far more difficult to procure. Additionally, theres another aspect of the search process where older applicant are often out of touch: the resume. If you were working at one company for several decades before a recent layoff, chances are that your resume looks nothing like the resumes of today, and not simply because it was written on a typewriter. If you find yourself in this situation, here are a few suggestions for modernizing your resume: Remove The Objective Line For years, job applicants would begin their resumes with a brief objective that states exactly what they are searching for in a job. This section has gone the way of the dodo bird. Instead, simply begin with your educational background. Education Matters More If youve been working for years and college seems like a distant memory, you may be tempted to set aside almost all your resume space for a description of work experience. While experience will usually take up more work than education, employers care more about the latter these days than they did in the past. They want to know your major in college, any honors you received, your GPA, and even the topic of your thesis or dissertation. Make sure, then, that your educational background is fully laid out on your resume. Add A Personal Touch In recent years, a growing number of applicants have added a personal section at the end of their resume. This section may include interests, volunteer activities, language proficiency that is not relevant to your desired job, or anything else that tells a potential employer a bit more about yourself. By adding this section, the applicant can mention minor strengths and come across as a more well-rounded person, thereby standing out more from among the hundreds or thousands of resume that may be viewed. While these tips may seem like minor ones, getting a job is an incredibly competitive undertaking these days; consequently, every little details matters more. If youre searching for employment, and havent updated your resume in years, it may be a good time to sit down at your computer, spend a few hours, and make these corrections to your resume. Good luck in your search. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines.