Write a Better Resume FlexJobs Resume Expert Answers Your Questions

Write a Better Resume FlexJobs Resume Expert Answers Your QuestionsWrite a Better Resume Resume Expert Answers Your QuestionsJust the word resume alone may invoke strong feelings within many job seekers. Whether those feelings are somewhat positive or mostly anxiety-filled, can helpThe rules of resume writing seem to change often, from ditching objective statements to watching your font choice. To help our readers keep it all straight, we recently posed a question to our Facebook page asking our followers for their most pressing resume questions.We received some great questions, which we took straight to our in-house resume expert, Brie Weiler Reynolds, to weigh in on. Check out her responses below and be sure to reference the blog for even more resume tipsWrite a Better Resume Resume Expert Answers Your Questions1. What is the best font of resume for an experienced worker? Im 52 and looking to change my career path. I have many years of experience as an account manager but want to move to facilitator/trainer. I have done lots of facilitating and training but have never had the title. What should my resume look like?First and foremost, your previous job title doesnt necessarily matter If you have lots of experience facilitating and training, what youll want to do is make that the focus of your resume. Your headline (a line below your name near the top of your resume) should be something like Experienced Facilitator and Trainer to tell employers immediately that you have the skills theyre looking for. Heres an exampleSecondly, the first few sections of your resume, essentially the top half or third of the page, should be dedicated to keywords that showcase your most essential skills.To figure out the best keywords to use, find several job listings that youd like to apply to and start making leide of the specific language and wording they use to describe the skills and experience they are after. Then, as long as you have those skills or experiences, use that same language on your resume.Finally, also incorporate those keywords into your job descriptions. Focus your descriptions on the aspects of each job that are most relevant to facilitating and training. You dont need to list all the major responsibilities, tasks, or accomplishments you had- just the ones that tell employers how qualified you are for the jobs you want.2. Resumesone page or two? I am changing careers from procurement to web development and have a lot of work history. Current resume page one consists of development projects page two lists education, skills, professional developer organizations and experience from previous two jobs. I have drastically cut info listed under previous experience just to fit everything on two pages. Is it necessary to continue reducing all around to get to a one-page resume?The simple (and hopefully relieving) answer isno. Resumes dont need to be held to one page unless you are early in your career and dont have much experience.It sounds lik e youve got a good amount of experience to share Two-page resumes are fine, though thats about as long as anyones resume needs to be, except for very senior-level professionals or people in certain career fields like academia.For a career change resume, make sure that youre using the best keywords and language in your document to show employers you have what it takes to perform well in this new career. Heres more info on resumes for career changers3. How can I overcome age discrimination on a resume?Ive sent over 100 custom resumes with cover letters out over the last 2-years. Ive received less than a 1% response rate even acknowledging my applications. I turn 60 this year and made $175K in 2016 as an ITSM consultant. How can I overcome age discrimination?Age discrimination is an unfortunate but very real part of the employment landscape, and you are very much not alone in your experience.When it comes to your resume, there are several things you can do to make sure the document foc uses employers on the value you can bring to a job, and not just your lengthy career.Here are several things to try (and I apologize if youve already done these things If you have, then its time for the last suggestion, below).Dont list your entire career history. Focus on your last 5-15 years of experience, depending on the types of jobs youre applying for and how much experience they require.Include 1-2 short quotes from former coworkers, managers, etc. speaking to your energy, enthusiasm, and ability to learn and act quickly. We want people to focus on this, not your ageMake sure your technology skills are up to date and then put that on your resume. Include new tools as much as possible- you want people to know you like to learn new things and arent stuck in the past (two common misconceptions in ageism). Especially important are digital communication tools like IM and chat, video and web conferencing, and digital file sharing.Use the language youre finding in job descriptions v erbatim on your resume (provided you have those skills and experiences). Its vital to getting past applicant tracking systems.Find a real person to submit your resume to. Use LinkedIn to see who you know at the company and ask them to submit your resume to the hiring manager or HR. Youll likely also need to submit it online, but having someone at the company deliver it as well moves your resume to the must consider pile.Watch this excellent webinar on How to absprache with Ageism in Your Job Search featuring expert Marc Miller of Career Pivot. Lots of great tips for getting around the black hole of online applications.Finally, it sounds like you know how to customize your resumes and cover letters, which is vitally important. At your salary level and career level, I would highly recommend working with an expert resume writer who can help design an impressive, age-negating resume for you. partners with several resume writing organizations that can provide this service at a discounted rate for members Professional Resume Services, Evolution Coaching, and ThincCareers.Once you know how to write a better resume, and youve got it in tip-top shape,join to start your search for a remote, freelance, or part-time job.