Saturday, May 31, 2014

Netiquette - Eight Core Resume and Email Items to Exclude - Via Netiquette IQ


Many people have written rules and suggestions for resumes. What most neglect to mention is that many items them discuss are appropriate for email cover letters as well. I wanted to mention this because the post below refers to resumes and can, for the most part, easily be applied to email.


Job Searching Etiquette: 8 Things to Leave Off Your Resume from diannegottsman.com
14 Sep 2011 By: Diane Gottsman
If it’s time to update your resume, you’re probably thinking about everything you need to include. But it’s just as important to consider what to leave out. Resumes are designed to be succinct, quick snapshots of your experience and achievements. Your resume needs to communicate your work history and education in a concise, easy-to-read way. Too much information not only makes reading your resume a chore, but also can reflect on your professionalism and judgment.
Here are 8 things to leave off your resume:
1. Excruciating detail. For each job you’ve held, the best approach is to list your title, the name of the company you’ve worked for, the dates you were there (month and year is enough detail here) and your chief duties in the role. If you’ve been in the workforce for a while and have sufficient experience to show your chops, there’s no need to mention the job you had in high school. Keep in mind that most experts recommend keeping a resume to one page.
2. Anything that should go in the cover letter. The resume is a brief timeline of experience and accomplishments. For anything beyond that, let the cover letter do the work of adding enthusiasm, personality and further explanation where needed.
3. Explanations for gaps in your employment history. Maybe you left the workforce to care for children. Maybe you were unemployed for several months after a layoff. Maybe you took a couple of months off between jobs to travel. List your employment history as it is and be prepared to explain the situation during the interview.
(If you took time off to go back to school to get further education or a degree that is relevant to the job you’re seeking, add it to your resume.)
4. Temporary jobs of necessity. Maybe you delivered pizzas for a while after you were laid off from your last professional position. Leave off any jobs you took just to pay the bills unless they are relevant to the position you’re after now.
5. Personal details. The resume is not a place to go into your personal life – the HR director doesn’t need to know your age, your marital status and how many children you have.
6. Hobbies or “Interests”. Use your best judgment when including them. Some employers find that a quick line about your interests provides insight into the kind of person you are. For example, if you’re a runner and you know you are submitting your resume to another runner, listing that might get you noticed.  For some positions, listing roles in community organizations can be helpful. Bottom line: if an interest or volunteer position contributes to the image of you as an ideal employee for the job you’re seeking, it may be worth including. The phrase “interests” sounds more professional than “hobbies,” and keep it to one line.
7. Your political affiliation or role as a Tea Party rally organizer. Leave off any references to religious or political group affiliations.
8. Fibs. Don’t fudge on duties, titles, dates, degrees, even GPAs. Not only is it the wrong thing to do, but many such “exaggerations” can be detected with a quick check of references. Be honest. But also remember that honesty doesn’t mean listing every detail about you. You don’t have to offer up the fact that it took you six years to get your 4-year degree or that your grades didn’t exactly land you on the dean’s list in college.
Finally, be sure to leave typos and spelling errors off your resume – do not rely solely on spell check. Hire a professional to do a quick “fluff” or ask a trusted friend to give your resume a once over.  With some care and attention, every word on your resume will paint a picture of you as a viable candidate for the job you are hopeful to secure.
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In addition to this blog, I have authored the premiere book on Netiquette, "Netiquette IQ - A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email". You can view my profile, reviews of the book and content excerpts at:

 www.amazon.com/author/paulbabicki


 If you would like to listen to experts in all aspects of Netiquette and communication, try my radio show on BlogtalkRadio  and an online newsletter via paper.li.I have established Netiquette discussion groups with Linkedin and  Yahoo I am also a member of the International Business Etiquette and Protocol Group and Minding Manners among others. I regularly consult for the Gerson Lehrman Group, a worldwide network of subject matter experts and I have been contributing to the blogs Everything Email and emailmonday . My work has appeared in numerous publications and I have presented to groups such as The Breakfast Club of NJ Rider University and  PSG of Mercer County, NJ.

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