Louise Fletcher is the President of Blue Sky Resumes (www.blueskyresumes.com), a resume-writing service specializing in marketing, media and entertainment. She is a frequent contributor to job search publications such as Monster.com, The Ladders, Net-Temps, Job Bank USA and Employment Spot, and her work is featured in ...
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5 Ways to Start Your Resume With a Bang by Louise Fletcher - May, 2013 Everyone tells you that it's important to make a strong first impression with your resume... "you only have 20 seconds" goes the standard advice. And it's true. Employers are busy and they get hundreds of resumes for most positions which means standing out is vital. But how do you actually do that? The good news is that it¡¦s not as hard as you might think. Here are 5 ways to start your resume with the kind of bang... |
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That’s Really Interesting … Now Take it off Your Resume by Louise Fletcher - May, 2013 As a resume writer you tend to run up against the same issues on a regular basis. One of the most common challenges is working with a client who has a very diverse background, or who has taken a career detour. This is perfectly possible to address, but every now and then, I work with a client who truly believes that all those experiences are equally valuable in getting their next job. Sometimes, it’s hard for this person t... |
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Career Change: A Little Straight Talk by Louise Fletcher - Feb, 2013 If you’re contemplating a career change, you’re not alone. Millions of people are tired of their work and dream of doing something different. I can empathize as I made a big change myself 10 years ago. I worked in corporate HR and I hated it, so I know how horrible it is to feel that you’re in the wrong job. But here’s what I want to say: I’ve now been writing resumes for 10 years and during that time, I’ve spoken with... |
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Resume Writing: It’s All About What You Leave Out by Louise Fletcher - Dec, 2012 I’m taking an art class at the moment and one of the lessons being drummed into us is that what you leave out of a painting or drawing is just as important as what you include. As I was working on a landscape sketch last night, and making the decision to ignore a whole line of trees, it struck me that the exact same principle applies to resume writing or creating online profiles on sites like LinkedIn. You could tell e... |
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“How Long Should My Resume Be?” by Louise Fletcher - Nov, 2012 Of all the questions we get asked, this has to be one of the most common. For some reason, resume length is one of those things lots of people have a firm opinion on, but – to be honest – few have any real basis for that opinion. For example, there are many people who will tell you that your resume must be only one-page long. This is a myth (as I explain here) and should be ignored! Others – generally those over 50 – will ... |
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Should I Include X in My Resume? by Louise Fletcher - Jun, 2012 This is one of the most common questions I’m asked by my clients. I write resumes designed to appeal to a specific target audience, and this means I often omit facts and information that I know won’t impress that target audience. And that can sometimes be hard to swallow. After all, if you see a first draft of your resume that omits key facts, it’s natural to ask “but shouldn’t X be included?” You worked hard for that achi... |
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How LinkedIn Resume Builder Can Ruin Your Job Search by Louise Fletcher - Jul, 2011 I’m a big fan of LinkedIn and encourage all my clients to use it actively. I’m even writing a guide on how to make the most of it as a job search tool. But not everything LinkedIn does is a good idea and the Resume Builder tool is a perfect example of this. It sounds great in theory – create a LinkedIn profile and then transform it into a resume at the click of a button with no extra work. Who wouldn’t want that? Here’s... |
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If You’re Not Going to be Genuine, Don’t Bother by Louise Fletcher - Jul, 2011 Not long ago, I was invited to join a brand new business social networking site. Because I like the person who sent the invite, I clicked ‘yes’ and signed up. But having looked around, I decided it was much too early stage to spend time on. For the last 3 days, I’ve received an email from the site founder. The first one thanked me for signing up and made reference to the fact I’m a resume writer. I thought that was a nice t... |
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The One Rule of Resume Writing You Can’t Afford to Ignore by Louise Fletcher - Jul, 2011 Just lately, I’ve read a rash of articles claiming to reveal the hard and fast rules of resume writing. They have titles like “5 rules of a great resume” or “10 words you must never use on your resume.” Maybe you’ve read some of these articles. Maybe you’ve even made changes to your resume after finding out that the word “innovative” is now forbidden and must be replaced, or that using the phrase “self-motivated” is akin t... |
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Why You Don’t Have to Explain Everything on your Resume by Louise Fletcher - Jul, 2011 One of the most common mistakes people make when writing a resume is to try and explain everything. Every detail, every situation, every technology used, every job held no matter how short – everything. But this is a mistake. The job of your resume is not to tell the clearest story of what happened – it’s to show your experience in the best light. The Spotlight Analogy Imagine watching a play at the theater. At certain... |
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