Yana fielded a lot of juicy resume questions on JOBFIND TODAY's live online chat (Tuesday October 13, 1998) hosted by the Boston Globe newspaper. The full TRANSCRIPT of that chat is BELOW.

It's a lot to read! You may want to PRINT it out for later reading.
OR you can also go directly to the JOBFIND website at:
http://forums.businesstoday.com/htmlchat/index.asp?org=BUSINESSTODAY
LATER, the same Chat will be posted in their ARCHIVES at this address:
http://www.jobfind.com/jobfindtoday/archive/index.html

Here are ALL THE QUESTIONS, in the order that they appear (with answers) below:

• 1. Is it a good idea to put an OBJECTIVE at the top of a resume or should I leave it off? Shouldn't it be obvious from the resume what I want to do?
• 2. Should you have SUMMARY statements at the beginning of your resume? What should you write and how can it help?
• 3. I want to work in a NEW FIELD in which I have a lot of interest but not much experience. What can I do as a career changer to write a resume so I won't be immediately excluded?
• 4. Every resume book talks about using "ACTION VERBS." Aren't employers sick of looking at the same words? Haven't they lost their punch by now?
• 5. I have often been told in interviews that I am OVERQUALIFIED. Are there ways to change my resume so that this won't happen yet I won't have to lie?
• 6. Do you have to list WHY YOU LEFT a job on a resume, or is it enough to just put the dates? I was TERMINATED, and would rather explain it in the interview than on a resume.
• 7. Is it more important to talk about what you have DONE on your resumes, or your SPECIFIC SKILLS and what you could DO? What do employers want?
• 8. I have read that CHRONOLOGICAL resumes are the ones best received by employers. Do you agree? What do employers most want to see?
• 9. I have been PROMOTED several times within my job. I think this would be great for my resume, but I don't know how to include it. Do you have any ideas?
• 10. Is it a good idea to submit resumes to companies that I know SCAN them, or should I try and find a way to get my resume RIGHT TO A PERSON'S DESK instead of a computer?
• 11. What are the rules on RESUME PAPER? Should it always be beige, or can you be more creative, and try to stand out with something different, and maybe a different font?
• 12. I have heard that you do not need to include the line "REFERENCES Furnished Upon Request" at the end of your resume; in fact, you should include a page with references without waiting for the company to ask for them.
• 13. What do you think of the PORTFOLIO approach to resumes? What is it exactly, and should I consider using it?

---

1. Is it a good idea to put an OBJECTIVE at the top of a resume or should I leave it off? Shouldn't it be obvious from the resume what I want to do?

Absolutely, YES, you MUST put an objective at the top of a resume. Never, ever leave it off.

Why? Because otherwise you are forcing the reader to spend time figuring it out, and they are ONLY going to take about 30 seconds max to decide whether they even WANT to READ the resume, let alone figure out what your objective is.

Is it very presumptuous (and dangerous) to expect the reader to be willing to take the time to figure that out.
And NO, it is NOT obvious from the resume what you want to do. If you don't state your objective, all the reader can do is ASSUME that you want to continue to do precisely what you did in the past. If that's true, the risk in omitting the objective is minimized. If it's NOT true, the risk is disastrous.


2. Should you have SUMMARY statements at the beginning of your resume? What should you write and how can it help? back to the top

SUMMARIES! AH, YES SUMMARIES! I LOVE 'em, can't live without 'em. Seriously. YES a Summary is a terrific idea, and I ALWAYS include one in every resume I do. This sets the stage for the reader (employer) to get a clear picture of you, and to get INTERESTED in reading the rest of the resume.

Here's what a Summary (or "Profile" or "Summary of Qualifications") can do, if well written. It can establish TWO very critical points:

--ONE, that you are ELIGIBLE for this job;
--TWO, that you are a DESIRABLE CANDIDATE for this job.

And those are two of the most critical points of interest to the SCREENER and READER of your resume. THOSE TWO POINTS are what keep your resume in the "yes" pile, and OUT of the "maybe" or "no" pile.

And here's what to put in that Summary to establish those two critical points:

FIRST (top line, of about 5 or 6 lines, SINGLE lines!) The AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE you have in that field (say "Three successful years in Engineering Management."; or "Twelve year background in Automotive Sales", etc.

SECOND, Any credentials or training in that field or RELEVANT to that field. For example, "MBA, with an emphasis in International Business Development" or "Certificate of Completion in Computer Applications"

THIRD, Some achievement or accomplishment that might knock their sox off, or at least be impressive;

FOURTH, A reference to your strongest SKILLS relevant to that field ("Expertise in Middle East Culture and Business Practices"

FIFTH, something about you that's more uniquely personal, that indicates you'd be a great person on their TEAM (OR some other skill or accomplishment). "Dynamic leader and team-builder, effective in motivating others to excellence."

TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE of this opportunity to set the stage and take control of the IMPACT your resume can have on the reader!

3. I want to work in a NEW FIELD in which I have a lot of interest but not much experience. What can I do as a career changer to write a resume so I won't be immediately excluded? back to the top

You have to THINK DIFFERENTLY about resumes. You have to view your resume as a PROMOTIONAL PIECE for the career of your FUTURE -- not an obituary about the career of your PAST.

If I were you, I'd take full advantage of your ENTHUSIASM. You have a lot of interest in this new field, and you would do well to connect with your future employer at the level of that ENTHUSIASM.

Picture this: Probably the most depressing scene for an employer is a room full of employees who "don't-give-a-damn," who are apathetic, who don't appreciate the opportunities of this field, who can't get excited about it (all because THEY'RE in the wrong field or wrong position.)

Then YOU come along, with not all that much PAID experience, but even so, YOU DO "give-a-damn." Your eyes light up when you talk about this stuff, you have a vision about what could be done with the opportunities, you live-and-die reading about this stuff.

Now, if YOU were the employer, wouldn't YOU be willing to talk with somebody with THAT level of interest in the field? Of course you would; you'd be delighted.

So keep THAT image in mind as you construct a resume that is not about your PAST, but about a vision of your FUTURE. It should DEMYSTIFY this career choice by indicating WHERE THAT INTEREST CAME FROM and HOW it was nurtured---how that spark of interest was kept alive despite the necessity to make a living, in some career that was a less-than-perfect match for you.

With a bit of creativity, you can spin this yarn about your PASSION for this field, and even format the story so it looks a BIT like a normal RESUME!

Then do your homework (look for a "Guide to Informational Interviewing" on my website at http://www.damngood.com)

and then find a likely employer to share your Vision with. Good Luck! Let me know how it goes!

4. Every resume book talks about using "ACTION VERBS." Aren't employers sick of looking at the same words? Haven't they lost their punch by now? back to the top

You BET employers are sick of them!

But it's the sing-songy, action-verbs-for-action-verbs'-sake that are so tiresome. Just shooting out line after line of that stuff will not pass the YAWN test.

There has to be some real SUBSTANCE there and an engaging story behind it. There has to be some evidence of a real PERSONALITY behind the words, an intelligent individual who has taken a real INTEREST in the company they're applying to. There needs to be evidence that the job-seeker has AT LEAST MINIMALLY familiarized themselves with that company's agenda and has come up with some thoughtful ideas about what they could do to CONTRIBUTE to that agenda.

Then the "action verbs" dissolve and the ACTION emerges.

5. I have often been told in interviews that I am OVERQUALIFIED. Are there ways to change my resume so that this won't happen yet I won't have to lie? back to the top

PIECE OF CAKE!....just use the word "Relevant" judiciously.

For your education--let's say you have two Masters degrees and a PhD and all you need is one Masters degree (I've had this exact situation with one of my resume clients, an "academic heavy-weight" who only wanted a one-year position to get some computer experience and didn't want to scare employers away).

You head up your Education section, "Relevant Education" and then list JUST the information that is needed to make you qualified but not OVER qualified.

Same with the Work History. You RE-LABEL it "Relevant Work History" or "Recent Work History" and you only go far enough back to establish ENOUGH experience, but NOT TOO MUCH experience.

By the way, this strategy works equally well in the case of age discrimination.

6. Do you have to list WHY YOU LEFT a job on a resume, or is it enough to just put the dates? I was TERMINATED, and would rather explain it in the interview than on a resume. back to the top

Your resume is YOUR BABY, all yours! It's not an official Personnel Document where you have to do it THEIR way. You certainly do not EVER have to say anything on your resume except what YOU want to put there. It is your personal MARKETING document, the place where you shine.

Of course it is to your benefit to make yourself look as QUALIFIED and as HIRABLE as possible (all within the realm of HONESTY, of course.) So you do your best to meet the employer's need for specific job-related information. But you do NOT volunteer any negative information about yourself on a resume!

As for WHY you left a job, that is data asked on an APPLICATION, and has NO place on a resume. And even on the Application, you can legitimately reply, "Will discuss in the interview" or "Prefer to discuss in the interview."

7. Is it more important to talk about what you have DONE on your resumes, or your SPECIFIC SKILLS and what you could DO? What do employers want? back to the top

Employers want to know, first of all, WHY you are contacting them, WHAT you are asking of them, and WHAT you are proposing to be available to DO for them. This is otherwise known as being straight and clear about your Job Objective.

Assuming that agenda is of interest to them, they THEN would want EVIDENCE that you can DO what you propose to do, and do it WELL. Just listing a bunch of skills and SAYING you are good at them doesn't cut it. You need to describe in detail---not necessarily at LENGTH, just in a SPECIFIC way---some projects where you used those skills, including some reference to the VALUE that project had for your past employer (this is the part a lot of people leave out!)

A TIP for doing this well: as you describe your activity, "tweak" it (put a spin on it) that makes it LOOK a lot like it would look if you were doing it at THEIR company with THEIR products or services.


8. I have read that CHRONOLOGICAL resumes are the ones best received by employers. Do you agree? What do employers most want to see? back to the top

I AGREE that employers prefer to see CHRONOLOGICAL resumes, and I have to say I have come to PREFER them myself --- even though I am probably infamous as a defender of the Functional Resume Format!

The CHARM and VALUE of chronological resumes is their CLARITY. You can see exactly WHERE things happened, and you have this lovely sequence of events that is a pretty clear picture of what a person's work-life HAS BEEN like. And that's VALUABLE information. Most employers WANT TO SEE that. They want to see it for good reason: they view it as a PREDICTOR of what can be expected, in the future, of that individual.

Well that's FINE if you happen to LIKE the way your work-life has gone so far, and you'd like to continue doing more-or-less the same thing in the coming years.

But it's NOT fine if you're UNHAPPY with your career, and it's NOT fine if you've been UNDER-EMPLOYED for a long time, and it's NOT fine if you're ready for a seriously big CAREER CHANGE. It's also NOT fine if you're very TALENTED in a field in which you have not a shred of CREDENTIALS. (Been there; done that!)

This is why GOD CREATED THE FUNCTIONAL RESUME. Only trouble is, s/he FORGOT to add: "...But be SURE to make it LOOK LIKE the old familiar, comfortable, reliable CHRONOLOGICAL resume that everybody loves and trusts."

I confess it has taken me an extraordinarily LONG time to fully "get it" and to mend my wicked ways. But NOW I am a True Believer in the MODIFIED Chronological Resume, which I believe can work for lots of people who WANT to make significant changes in the career path.

The TRICK to the MODIFIED CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME is to take advantage of its FAMILIARITY and its comforting illusion of STRUCTURE. But then to CHANGE the space that USED to be filled with b-o-r-i-n-g job descriptions, and instead fill that space up with fascinating images of creative and interesting and useful ACCOMPLISHMENTS --- all focusing on SKILLS and TALENTS the job hunter ENJOYED using and wants to use in the future.

We all DO this, even in jobs we hate; we find ways to BE OURSELVES, to use our god-given talents, to keep our "light" alive. And THAT is what we can put on our resumes! And it can still show up in a CHRONOLOGICAL format! Check out my Resume Catalog for lots of examples of job hunters using this excellent strategy.

9. I have been PROMOTED several times within my job. I think this would be great for my resume, but I don't know how to include it. Do you have any ideas? back to the top

Why not just SAY IT straight out, up front?
Up there in the SUMMARY at the top of your resume, a single line (among 3 or 4 lines) reading something like...
· Earned repeated promotions to more responsibility in my firm.

Alternatively you could slip a line into your chronological work history, thus:

1990-present THROCKMORTON PUBLISHERS, INC, Chicago IL
Rose from proof-reader to Production Manager over past eight years:
--Production Manager 1997-present
· Blah, blah, blah, blah (a few details about that position)
--Asst. Production Manager 1995-96
· Blah, blah, blah, blah (a few details about that position)
--Editorial Assistant, 1994
· Blah, blah, blah, blah (a few details about that position)
--Copy-Editor, 1991-93
· Blah, blah, blah, blah (a few details about that position)
--Proof-reader, 1990
· Blah, blah, blah, blah (a few details about that position)

10. Is it a good idea to submit resumes to companies that I know SCAN them, or should I try and find a way to get my resume RIGHT TO A PERSON'S DESK instead of a computer? back to the top

I think you should do BOTH, with a lot more emphasis on the latter than the former. But the desk you want your resume to get to is NOT the Personnel Dept. desk! That's where the computer is, and the scanner---and also the shredder!

The desk you want your resume to get to belongs to the Hiring Manager, the gal or guy with the AUTHORITY to tell Personnel to sign you up. You need to invest a HEFTY chunk of your job-search energy tracking down and promoting yourself to THAT specific person in the company of your choice.

11. What are the rules on RESUME PAPER? Should it always be beige, or can you be more creative, and try to stand out with something different, and maybe a different font? back to the top

My personal rule on resume paper is that it should be INVISIBLE. That is, it should be so APPROPRIATE that it isn't even noticed. Use plain white or light beige paper of an adequate but not ostentatious weight (unless you're looking for an ostentatious-type position!)

Let the CONTENT of your resume be SO ENGAGING that the paper is superfluous--so good that you could write it on a GROCERY BAG and still get an interview.

back to the top

12. I have heard that you do not need to include the line "REFERENCES Furnished Upon Request" at the end of your resume; in fact, you should include a page with references without waiting for the company to ask for them.

REFERENCES....Hmmmm, there is probably not a hard-and-fast rule about this. Generally, I do NOT attach a list of references (but I WOULD have that list immediately ready and available, for when it is requested).

And I rarely put "references available on request" at the bottom of a resume, UNLESS the person requests it (OR the employer indicates it is needed---which rarely happens).

The more important question, I think is, WHAT IS THE NATURE of those "references". Sometimes people include others as references and they have NOT even asked PERMISSION to use them as references! (disaster).

And then there's the case where they have not enlightened their proposed reference people about the kind of WORK they are seeking (equally disastrous).

I have created an excellent GUIDELINE and Fill-in-the-blanks FORM for getting TERRIFIC Letters of Reference, and you can find it inside my book "Damn Good Resume Guide" --- published by Ten Speed Press and hopefully available at ANY big bookstore. IF they don't HAVE it in stock, look ASTOUNDED and HURT and say "WHAT! You don't HAVE IT in stock! My god, man, you're out of your mind. Please order it for me immediately!" (Thanks!). Anyway, the FORM for getting great Reference Letters is on page 65 in The Damn Good Resume Guide.

13. What do you think of the PORTFOLIO approach to resumes? What is it exactly, and should I consider using it? back to the top

I have not had any experience with a "portfolio approach." This sounds like collecting some good materials that illustrate the quality of work you do (writing, art work, items you have designed or invented, and such). And it sounds like a good idea, but I can't imagine taking all that stuff in to an interview!

I guess I'd have to say, sure, keep a portfolio of your best works. But when you actually have to SUBMIT A RESUME, you have to do some sharp PRIORITIZING, and select the most targeted (directly RELEVANT) information to submit to a prospective employer. It would be REALLY BAD FORM (and useless) to send a bunch of undifferentiated STUFF (including lots of WORDS) to an employer and hope that the employer would wade through it all and pick out the most interesting, useful material. NO WAY are they going to do that.

Think of your resume as your FIRST BIT OF WORK for the new employer. That employer is going to judge that bit of WORK on how well it serves her/his NEED FOR RELEVANT INFORMATION. If it is disorganized, excessively long and rambling, unfocused -----well, the employer is going to conclude that "THIS is the kind of work I can EXPECT from this candidate!"

SO ... "the medium IS the message" here. Make that first bit of WORK for your potential employer be an effective communication for both HER/HIM and for YOU: concise, informative, engaging, TO THE POINT! back to the top