 | May I help you? Allow me to put my 25 years' of resume writing & career management experience to work for you with a complimentary resume review.
Thank you for your visit!
Cheryl Simpson, Brand You Career Strategist | Executive Resume Writer | President, ExecutiveResumeRescue.com
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| Order FAQs |
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- How do I submit my resume information to you?
There are 3 ways you can send us your materials:
[1] By email
[2] By fax to 509.691.9043
[3] By snail mail to P.O. Box 2624, Westerville, OH 43086-2624
- How long do you take to write my resume?
Once we have all of your resume data, including our proprietary resume questionnaire, we will return a draft to you within 3 business days.
- How do you deliver my resume?
We will send it to you by email unless you do not have email, in which case we will send it by your choice of fax or snail mail.
- Which resume versions are included in your service?
All of our resume packages include 4 resume versions, each of which you will need at different phases of your job search. We call this our 4-in-1 resume:
[1] A MS Word version, which you can use to submit your resume by mail, fax, web upload, or email attachment to prospective employers.
[2] An ASCII text version, which you can use to copy/paste your resume to job banks & employer websites (you'll probably use this version the most).
[3] A scannable version, which you will use to submit to employers when they request it or advertise that they use digital applicant tracking systems (ATSs).
[4] A PDF version which you can use to send your resume by email when employers accept email attachments. Although you can also send your Word version as an attachment, it's best to do so in PDF form. The only way to guarantee that your resume looks the same to employers as it does to you (with the same font(s), bullets, spacing, & pagination) is to "lock" the formatting elements in place with a PDF.
| Resume FAQ |
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- Will a new resume get me a job?
No. Resumes cannot get you - or anyone - a job. The resume's purpose is to get your foot in the door & to get an interview. It is up to you to market yourself by phone and in person well enough to invite a formal job offer.
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- How long should my resume be?
Generally speaking, if you have 10 or less years of experience, then a 1-page resume should suffice, while more experience may require a 2 or 3-page resume.
Executive-level resumes are generally 2-3 pages in length, while less experienced professionals may get by with a 1-pager (particularly new college grads, entry-level job seekers, and those whose work history contains a long series of nearly identical jobs).
If you seek a position in a government agency, academia, or scientific research, then your length may stretch well beyond 3 pages. It will need to be as long as necessary to encompass your entire work history. If this is your situation, you will likely need a CV (curriculum vitae) rather than resume.
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- How much of my work history should I include on my new resume?
It depends on several factors:
[1] The length of your work experience. If you have more than 10 years of experience, it is to your advantage to summarize your earlier experience or eliminate it altogether. Many skills are no longer valid or fresh after that length of time, so reporting them on your resume dates you unnecessarily.
If you have less than 10 years of experience, then sharing all of it in your resume will most likely be helpful.
[2] The type/level of position you are seeking. If you are attempting to make the leap into a managerial role, then including more (though not necessarily all) of your experience will likely strengthen your candidacy.
If you are seeking a director/VP/C-level role, then showing a long history of achievement is necessary. Once again, though, showing all of your experience may be counterproductive.
If you are not seeking such positions, then the length of your experience will be determined based on the relevance of your past employment to your current/future career goals.
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- What is the difference between a resume and a CV?
Resumes are used predominantly in the U.S. for work in both private & public sectors, while CVs (curriculum vitae) are used in most of the rest of the world. In addition, CVs are used in the U.S. by those seeking work in government agencies, academia, and research positions.
There are a number of additional elements which differ between these 2 documents:
Length: Resumes are typically 1-3 pages in length while CVs can stretch to 5 pages or more.
Content: CVs include sections of content often left out of resumes, such as publications, presentations, classes taught. They are also more likely to contain scientific details in the case of research CVs (such as medical procedures/equipment).
Structure: Resumes place education information near the end except in the case of new grads. CVs, on the other hand,generally place education information early in the document.
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- What kind of information do you need from me to write my resume?
As much as you can provide:
Work History: Dates of employment, titles/locations of employers, & scope of responsibilities.
Education: Degrees/certificates/diplomas attained, names/locations of schools, & any special honors received. It is not necessary to list your high school diploma if you have completed any college coursework.
Relevant Skills: Your strongest, most relevant job-related, self-management, & transferable skills. Don't forget your technical (software, PCs, equipment) skills, as well. For those who are in technical occupations, it is important to categorize your technical skills by type (hardware, software, databases, languages, operating systems, protocols, etc.).
Professional Development Coursework: Certifications, seminars, & in-house training are revelant, especially when the focus of study relates to your current/future career goals.
Professional Affiliations: Any current civic, professional, or career-related associations should be included, along with any leadership roles you have held in each.
Honors & Awards: Awards from jobs; academic honors; scholarships; contest winnings; sales rankings, etc.
Achievements: The most critical information to include on your resume is your history of achievements, not a list of your responsibilities. Your achievements reflect the difference you have made on the job - how you've performed better or differently than others. At the end of the day, this is the single most critical piece of information your resume must share with hiring managers.
Personality Traits: Although employers interview based on achievements & experience, they generally hire based on personality. Why? Because how you perform as part of the team will ultimately prove your worth to future employers.
Industry-Specific Key Words: It is absolutely imperative that you "seed" key words from your target jobs into your resume & cover letter. Applicant tracking systems used by mid-to-large employers search for these key words in your resume/cover letter - do you want fall short when they do?
Sample Job Postings: As your resume writer, I can best focus your resume to match your target positions when you provide 1-3 sample job postings. Even if they're not current or location in your preferred geographic area, they are sure to help.
Testimonials: What do your colleagues, supervisors, and clients have to say about your performance? You can source these from thank you notes/emails, performance evaluations, & client feedback forms. If all else fails, you can select 2-3 people & ask them to pen a few sentences about you. You'll be delighted in the difference these quotes can make on your resume!
Philosophy Statement: If you're seeking a job where you will have influence over people, it may be quite helpful to include a philosophy statement. Such a statement can be a way for leaders, managers, teachers, ministers, & others to share their approach to their work.
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| Letter FAQ |
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- Do I have to use a cover letter?
In most cases, yes. You will need a cover letter when you apply for jobs online, by fax, by snail mail, & in person. The only time you won't need one is when your resume is delivered by someone else to a hiring manager or recruiter.
You may be wondering why. A cover letter is another vehicle through which you can market yourself to employers - it gives you a chance to summarize your resume, demonstrate the match between you & the job at hand, & point out any key issues you want to be certain the hiring manager notices.
- Can I make my cover letter generic for easy repeat use?
Well, you can, but you shouldn't. An old job search adage is, "How you go about job searching demonstrates how you will perform on the job." Do you really want hiring managers to perceive you as someone who takes the easy way out?
Another way to think about cover letters is from a branding perspective. Do you want employers to see you as generic?
Keep in mind that hiring managers & HR professionals have mere seconds to assess your resume & cover letter, & they don't have time to study your materials to determine how well you match the position. If you can't take time to make your uniqueness clear to prospective employers, why should they take time to evaluate you?
- Do I need an email cover letter as well?
The Word version of your cover letter can easily be copied/pasted into an email to do "double duty". You can also select a few key sentences from your letter, insert them into an email, & attach your cover letter along with your resume.
- Which elements of a cover letter need to be tailored each time I use it?
Date, inside address, & title of the position you're applying for, of course. But you should also alter your content to point out the match between you & the job in question.
I recommend doing so in bullet form rather than in paragraph form. Not only are bulleted statements easier to write, but they stand out visually & invite the reader to glance over their content more than once.
Make sure you also "seed" your cover letter with relevant, industry-specific key words & note the week when you will follow-up with a phone call to the addressee.
- Is it better to use a passive or active close to my letter.
Active, without question. A passive close (inviting the employer to call you at their convenience) forces you to wait on the employer to call you - haven't you grown tired of doing so yet (if you haven't, you will)? An active close (following your resume submission with a follow-up call to proactively present your match to the position) allows you to show assertive interest in the position without crowding the hiring manager with contacts.
- How should I address my cover letter?
Never ever use, "To Whom It May Concern" or "Dear Sir or Madam". Both are impersonal and out of date.
Instead, leverage your network and online search engines to source a name for the person the resume will be mailed to. If that doesn't pan out, try "Dear Hiring Manager," "Dear Name of Company," "Dear Recruiting Professional," or "Dear Title of Addressee's Position."
- What is a 7-in-1 cover letter?
Most resume services charge you separately for each of the letters you need in your job search. We take a different approach & offer you alternative text with each cover letter you purchase from us.
Your alternative text options include:
:: Salary History Requests
:: Salary Requirements Requests
:: Networking
:: Recruiters
:: Follow-up
:: Post-Interview Thank You
:: Targeted Letter to an Employer in Advance of a Job Opening (Hidden Job Market)
| References FAQ |
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- How many references do I need?
Generally you will need 3-6 references, but a list of up to 8 is acceptable. If possible, make your references a mix of sexes, supervisors/supervisees, internal/external staff, and so on.
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- What kind of information should I include on each reference?
Since most references are contacted via email or phone these days, you don't need to include mailing address information. Rather, ask your references how they prefer to be contacted, then supply that information form on your reference form. This will usually be a combination of phone numbers and email addresses.
It's also advisable to include the job title of each reference, their place of employment, the nature of your relationship, & the length of time you have known them.
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- Should I include my references on my resume?
No! Doing so will clearly mark you as out of date since references are no longer included on resumes. Neither is it advisable to include a note that "references are available upon request." Employers presume this, so don't waste a line of space on something so obvious.
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- When do I give my references to hiring managers?
If you're asked for them before or during an interview, by all means have them ready to share. If you are not asked for them, either offer them to the interviewer before you leave or include them with your thank you letter.
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| Job Search FAQ |
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- Which job boards do you recommend?
I don't recommend specific job boards so much as using at least 3-4 of the 6 kinds currently available:
Generic Job Boards: Monster.com & CareerBuilder.com are two of the best known generic boards. These kinds of job banks don't specialize in certain kinds of positions, industries, or locations. They aim instead to cover the job market as a whole - hence the label "generic". I don't recommend using any of these boards (you'll see why in a moment).
Meta-Search Boards: Examples of these boards include Indeed.com and Simply Hired.com. These boards draw their leads from a wide variety of other job boards (including the generic ones, plus employer sites, & many other job boards). By putting your energy into meta boards rather than generic boards you can save yourself a lot of time. Why search on Monster or CareerBuilder when you can source the same jobs in one search on Indeed or SimplyHired? Plus, if you use automated search agents you don't even have to take time to look for positions - you can sit back & have them delivered to your inbox.
Niche Job Boards: These boards specialize in industries or types of positions, like sales, C-level jobs, government jobs, or jobs on cruise ships, to name but a few. While not all industries or positions have niche boards available, quite a few do, & it's wise to consider 1-2 of the best in your field when you begin job searching.
Geographic-Specific Boards: Obviously these boards specialize in geographic areas (cities, states, countries) or regions (northwestern U.S., southern California, north Africa). For mid-management jobs down to front-line positions, these boards can be helpful to use. Also, if you need to stay local with your new job, these boards offer you a way to optimize your chances for doing so.
Executive Job Boards: For director, VP, & C-level job seekers looking for $100K+ jobs, these boards are perfect. They showcase only executive jobs, usually cover a range of industries, & are frequented by executive recruiters looking for talent. Great examples include ExecuNet.com, TheLadders.com, and 6FigureJobs.com.
International Job Boards: If you're looking for work in global arenas, such as particular countries, with international companies, or with international agencies, you will want to check out these boards, which specialize in this cross-cultural labor market.
Bottom line? I recommend using 1 meta board, 1-2 niche boards, & geographic/executive/international boards when relevant.
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- What are the best ways to job search?
Let me start by telling you one of the worst ways to job search: via online job boards. Did you know that only 4% of job seekers who use these boards actually find work that way? Or that 85+% of all available jobs are never advertised on the Internet or in print form?
Sure, do some online job searching, but make sure you use the right kinds of job boards & that you set up automated search agents (automated email notification of job listings that match your key words, industry selections, & preferred geographic areas).
Put the bulk of your energy into networking and direct contact with targeted employers (contacting hiring managers in target companies before open positions are listed) & make sure you use recruiters if appropriate to your career level.
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- How many resumes should I send out each weekly?
For a full-time job search I recommend sending a minimum of 25-30 resumes out each week. This aggressive level of job searching will help you to quickly canvas the labor market for possibilities.
Make no more than 3-5 of these weekly quota responses to online/print job listings, or your job search will get bogged down in a quagmire of silence.
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