50 resume questions answered by Yana Parker, author of The Damn Good Resume Guide

11. Does your resume software have a "fit-on-one-page" feature?

12. Should I list the date I graduated on my resume?

13. Do I need a job objective on my resume, when it's already in the cover letter?

14. Can I state my objectives THIS candidly?

15. I have started a resume business; do you have any tips for getting clients?

16. His resume makes him look like a job-hopper. How can I change it?

17. I just CAN'T write a resume -- but I'm GOOD at what I do. Can you help?

18. I quit work for two years to stay home; how do I put THAT on my resume?

19. I left my last job because of all the lying; how do I deal with that?

20. I've sent out hundreds of resumes. Why don't I get a response?

11. "About your software ... is there a "fit-on-one-page" type feature so I can compose, edit, and design while viewing the entire thing on a single page?"--David O.

Dear David, Ready-Made Resumes uses YOUR word processor -- Word or WordPerfect -- so whatever you can do in your word processor, you can do in Ready-To -Go. Also, each template occupies exactly one page, and you can always see the whole page at once. There's a 125-page book that comes with it, which has lots of EXAMPLES and ALSO has all kinds of TIPS for making things fit (squeezing in one more line, squeezing in one more word on a line, etc.) so -- indirectly -- the answer is YES.

Back to the top of this page

12. "Should people list on their resumes the dates they graduated from high school and/or college, or is it OK not to? And similarly, is it OK not to reveal one's age on a resume?"--Jim

Jim, keep in mind that your resume is YOUR DOCUMENT. There is no law about what you can or can't do on it. (Except you can't LIE--if you do, it's grounds for getting fired, later.)

So ... DO list your graduation date IF it works for you to do so, and DON'T when it's not to your advantage to list it. For example, if you have a recent degree in a high-tech field, list the date of graduation because it's an asset. If you have a degree in Ancient Greek from 1968 and you're applying in a high-tech field, don't list the date and don't list the Ancient Greek either!

If your graduation date tips people off that you're old enough to be the target of age discrimination (EITHER too young or too old) THEN you leave it off.

If your graduation date suggests an age that's desirable in your new field, then you DO list it. Suppose your age is 58 AND you've JUST graduated from college 3 years ago. It probably would be to your advantage to list the graduation date.

Bottom line: You do what works to your advantage, WITHOUT creating any overt deception. Revealing your age on your resume is never something you do on purpose. People will try to figure it out from the dates you list, which is why you have to either HELP them figure it out or AVOID helping them figure it out, depending on what works for YOU. You deserve to get in there for an INTERVIEW before somebody makes a judgment about you based on their prejudice about age.

Back to the top of this page

13."Our department here at Mohawk College uses your publications extensively and finds the information direct, straightforward and easy to follow. However, I generally advise my students to consider omitting their job objective on their resume, unless they're very specific. This information is already in the cover letter and does not require repetition. Otherwise, I find your resume samples to be of an excellent format."--MP

Dear MP:

It's risky to assume that the cover letter is always going to stay attached to the resume. And even if it does, why omit stating a clear objective on the resume? The resume and the cover letter should agree, and support each other. It's a repetition worth doing, in my opinion.--Yana

Back to the top of the "JOB SEEKERS' QUESTIONS" page

14. "What do you think an employer's response would be to the following objectives? These are, after all, my true objectives: To learn a great deal, to have fun, to work with cool and interesting people, and to earn a good salary."

I think the employer's response would be: "What's in it for ME?"

Back to the top of this page

15. "I have read every page of your book, "Resume Pro: The Professional's Guide" and have started my own business "A Foot in the Door Resume Service." Do you have any suggestions for getting more clients?"--Darlene

Darlene: Go back and check out the MARKETING section of the Professional's Guide. If you do everything suggested there you should generate some business. ALSO, do try to get yourself at least a small Yellow Pages ad. It is expensive BUT the reality is that THIS is where a lot of people DO look when they need a resume. If you have a small local newspaper you could also put a SMALL ad, repeated every week, that people eventually get used to seeing -- and then they REMEMBER right where to look when it's their turn to need a resume.

Back to the top of the "JOB SEEKERS' QUESTIONS" page

16.(Email from Australia)

"I have been a resume writer for just over a year. I am visiting a friend in Australia (his name is Neil) and I am trying to update his resume. Neil has had quite a lot of jobs in his 33 years as a journalist. He has traveled extensively, all over the world. On his current resume he shows, from 1963 to present, 22 positions, all over the world and not all freelance. I think it shows too much job-hopping. Do you have any suggestions for how I can word or format Neil's resume to make it look better?"-- Sheila

Dear Sheila, well, it's true: listing 22 positions may NOT look great on Neil's resume. There are several ways to present his experience without making him look like a job-hopper.

A. OMIT some of the small entries that are not really needed and wouldn't be missed if they were left out.

B. COMBINE under ONE job-heading, several things that happened near each other in time AND were similar in nature. For example:

1982-85 Features Editor; ABC Newspaper; XYZ Newspaper; JKL Newspaper

1977-79 Freelance Reporter, working in Belgium, France, Germany, Austria.

C. ABBREVIATE. You DON'T need to go back to the Beginning of Time! It probably doesn't MATTER what he did in the first 10 or 15 years of his 33-year career. Certainly 15 or 20 years of his RECENT experience is more than adequate, and limiting the resume to 20 years (calling it "Recent Professional Experience" OR "Journalistic Experience" if you want) would a) minimize the job-hopping problem, b) avoid age-discrimination.

D. APPEND. If one or two job-entries account for a large measure of the clutter, you could briefly list that job-entry in the Employment History area with a note "details attached" and have a separate one-page attachment detailing the clutter (say, a whole list of publications, a whole list of feature stories, a whole list of freelance assignments, whatever).

Back to the top of this page

17. "I just CAN'T write a resume! I am great at my job, but for me to express on paper what I have done and what I can do is next to impossible. I am an automated lighting programmer for entertainment lighting and once I get my foot in the door I can get the job. I am trying to land a big show on Broadway and need to send a resume. Please help.--Warren

Dear Warren,
Actually, almost EVERYBODY finds resume writing really hard. That's why we have Resume Writers -- for THEM, it's easier, partly because it's not THEIR butt that's on the line, so they can be more objective. Getting caught up in the EMOTIONAL stuff around job-hunting is a large part of why people get so immobilized about their resume. (The truth is, if the professional resume writer had to write a resume for themselves, they'd probably need to go and get help from a colleague!)

But back to YOU: if writing is just not your thing, and you don't want to hire a resume writer, then just find a friend who is 1) a good listener, 2) a good writer, 3) a good sport who will help you for, say, a fine dinner "on you." Sit down and have a deep chat with her about the world of lighting programming. Explain to her the difference between a mediocre programmer and an inspired programmer (like you). Get her to understand what it takes to be GREAT in this business. This could actually be FUN for both of you because you probably enjoy TALKING about your work, even though you have a hard time putting it in WRITING.

Get your friend to put that down on paper -- the ESSENCE of what you do -- in something like a resume format. The PASSION you have for your work is what you want on the paper -- that's MUCH more important and interesting to an employer than the format or any "rules" about resume writing.

You could always get a copy of my Damn Good Resume Guide or Resume Catalog to see roughly how a resume can be put together.

GOOD LUCK. Remember: there is an employer out there who is desperately in NEED of somebody like you who is GREAT at what they do -- but he needs YOU to make the connection between the two of you. You can make it happen! (With a little help from a friend.)

Back to the top of this page

18. "I just recently decided to go back to work after a two year absence. I left my last place of employment because of excessive job hours (75 to 80 a week). I was in retail management and was also responsible for the recruiting, hiring, and training of the store managers for the company. This position lasted almost 11 years. I might not have left this company had it not been for what I considered "abuse of my abilities." Because I was a salaried manager I was required to be pretty much on call 24 hours a day.

Since quitting two years ago I have stayed home and spent the greater part of my time with my children. Now I am finding it necessary to get back in the work force to supplement our family income. I need help on the best way to approach this. Having worked in the area of recruiting and interviewing, I know what is considered a "red flag" and I'm concerned that my sudden decision to quit and now go back to work might interfere with getting that first interview. My reason to leave was that the job was not allowing me to spend time with my family. Please give what help you can."--Lisa

Dear Lisa, You could go directly INTO it instead of dancing around it.

(Anybody who couldn't 'get it', you wouldn't WANT to work with anyway.)

Even on your resume you could say something--quite honest and reasonable--to the effect:

"After 11 straight years of grueling 80-hour workweeks, I needed, deserved, (and took) an extended "time-out" to get my priorities straight, appease my neglected family, and regain my enthusiasm for my professional life.

Now I'm back, raring to go! All the wiser for getting my head on straight again.

My goal is: A position as ________________________."

And then, your standard resume, cover letter, whatever.

GO FOR IT.--Yana

Back to the top of this page

19. "I'm stumped by how to answer the question "Reason for leaving" my last job. I quit because a lot of lying was going on. I couldn't take it anymore and I just left."--Dolores

Dolores, you have to deal with this situation VERY carefully because it can become a can of worms. Your potential new employer has NO way of guessing who's telling the truth--you or your old boss--so you must not put the new employer in the awkward position of having to believe you, when they don't know you from Adam.

On the application blank, in the space for "Reason left," write "Prefer to discuss in the interview," and then PRACTICE beforehand how you will talk about this unhappy experience when you do get to the interview. Perhaps a career counselor or a savvy friend can help you practice it until you are comfortable talking about it and can do so without "bad-mouthing" anybody. Remember that verbal accusations of past colleagues are disastrous to bring into an interview, regardless of who was the bad guy and who was the innocent victim. Remember, they can't "believe" you because they have no context to do that, so don't put them on the spot!

In the interview you can say, "It looked to me like there was a lot of lying going on, and this affected my work so I just couldn't stay in that environment anymore." The new employer can easily accept the FACT that "it looked to you like there was a lot of lying going on." In other words your feelings and your interpretation ARE facts, and your behavior (quitting) was reasonable, given what you believed was true. But you mustn't put the new boss in the position of having to agree with your interpretation, or side with you about who was right in the situation. So you need to present it as, "The way it looked to me ...."

Back to the top of this page

20. "I have sent out hundreds of resumes for security type jobs that I was very well qualified for, but I have had very few interviews. Can you help me fix my resume so it works?" -- Ruben

Ruben, I suspect the problem is your strategy, not your resume. I looked at your resume and it's actually pretty good. But you are depending WAY too much on your resume to get your foot in the door. What you REALLY need to be concentrating on is making some direct CONTACTS in your field. Sure you'll need a very good resume to present to somebody who could hire you, but FIRST you've got to FIND the right people to apply to, and just mailing out resumes is not going to cut it.

Start building your NETWORK of contacts immediately. Begin any place, with your past co-workers, your family, your friends. What you should be aiming for are introductions (casual, no big deal) to ANYBODY who works at any level in the kinds of companies where you want to apply. Once you have an inside contact, you DON'T ask them directly for help getting a job, but you ask them for INFORMATION, LEADS -- like the names of people in other departments who are responsible for the actual hiring. Gradually you can work your way in/up until you find the person with the authority to hire you. And by then you'll be able to honestly say something like, "Jim Greene in your engineering department suggested I talk directly with you about a possible position in your security unit. Could I send you my resume and come in to discuss your security needs?"

Most employers will be a lot more receptive to a specific person-to-person referral (even if it's pretty casual) than to an unsolicited resume from a complete stranger. -- Yana
Back to the top of this page