The Monster Blog

Resume Quick Tip: Reorganize Your Resume

As part of Monster Career Advice’s Update Your Resume Week, we’re featuring a daily Resume Quick Tip from Monster Resume Expert Kim Isaacs.

You can quickly improve your resume by reordering your accomplishments according to importance. Review your employment section and think about which accomplishments would most impress hiring managers. Be sure to list those first.

Additional resources:

• “Resume Dilemma: Career Change”
• “Resume Quiz for Technology Professionals”
• Resume Tips message board
• Update your Monster Resume

Resume Quick Tip: Use the Active Voice

As part of Monster Career Advice’s Update Your Resume Week, we’re featuring a daily Resume Quick Tip from Monster Resume Expert Kim Isaacs.

Add punch to your resume by using active voice instead of passive voice. If your sentences are written in active voice, they will present you as a doer and achiever. Compare these sentences to see how active voice is more concise and dynamic:

• Passive: $1.2 million in new products were sold.
• Active: Sold $1.2 million in new products.

Review your resume, and look for ways to express your accomplishments in active voice.

Additional resources:

• “Resume Readiness Quiz”
• “Common Resume Blunders”
• Monster Poll: When is the last time you updated your resume?
• Resume Tips message board
• Update your Monster Resume

Resume Quick Tip: Tailor Your Response to the Job Posting

As part of Monster Career Advice’s Update Your Resume Week, we’re featuring a daily Resume Quick Tip from Monster Resume Expert Kim Isaacs.

If you're responding to a job posting, pay attention to the information the employer asks for. Review the job requirements, desired qualifications and special requests such as salary information, and customize your resume and cover letter to address these key points. You will stand out as well as prove the opportunity is important to you.

Additional resources:

• “Race, Sex and Religion on Your Resume” 
• “Refresh Your Retro Resume in 6 Steps”
• “Rev Up Your Resume to Relocate”
• Resume Tips message board
• Update your Monster Resume

Resume Quick Tip: Emphasize Accomplishments on Your Resume

As part of Monster Career Advice’s Update Your Resume Week, we’re featuring a daily Resume Quick Tip from Monster Resume Expert Kim Isaacs.

Employers like to see you have a track record, so mention your top accomplishments early in your resume. Use your Objective section to briefly mention several key achievements, getting into the details in your Work History section.

Additional resources:

• Monster Podcast: "Resume Style Tips”
• Resume Tips Message Boards
• “Declutter Your Resume in Five Steps"
• Update your Monster Resume

Resume Quick Tip: Keep Your Kudos to Update Your Resume

As part of Monster Career Advice’s Update Your Resume Week, we’re featuring a daily Resume Quick Tip from Monster Resume Expert Kim Isaacs.

Want to make updating your resume a snap? Keep an ongoing kudos file, containing performance reviews, notes about recent accomplishments, letters of reference, awards, training and new skills developed. When it's time to update your resume, your kudos file will put your recent achievements at your fingertips.

Additional resources:

• "Resume Readiness Quizzes"   
  
• "Resume Tips by Industry"    
• Monster Poll: When is the last time you updated your resume?      
• Resume Tips message board     
• Update your Monster Resume    
  

Have You Updated Your Resume Lately?

Right after I began working for Monster, about seven years ago, my old computer went to a better place and took some important documents along with it -- like my resume. So for a couple of years, I kind of didn’t have a resume. It was like the cobbler’s children not having shoes.

One day, inspired by an article I was editing about the importance of keeping your resume up-to-date, I retrieved a text version of my resume from my boss and set out to craft a new version. After all, even if you aren’t looking for a job, it’s important to keep your resume current. Otherwise, it’s too hard to recall all the great work you’ve done, and you end up glossing over details that could help you secure the interview.

Why am I sharing this story that I find somewhat embarrassing? Because we’ve designated August 13-17 Update Your Resume Week. This time of year is prime time to be in the job-hunting game. So get your resume ready, and see what opportunities come your way.

Check out these resources we’ve put together to get you started:

• Update Your Resume Week Home
• “Refresh Your Retro Resume in 6 Steps”
• “Declutter Your Resume in 5 Steps”
• “Common Resume Blunders”
• “Race, Sex and Religion on Your Resume”
• “Rev Up Your Resume to Relocate”
• “Resume Dilemma: Career Change”
• “Resume Tips by Industry”
• “Audio: Resume Style Tips”
• Interactive: Resume Readiness Quizzes

Get Ready for Update Your Resume Week

You may be surprised to hear this, but the doldrums of the summer, namely August, has historically been a hot time for employers to view resumes on Monster. That’s why we’ve designated next week, August 13-17, as Update Your Resume Week.

Here on the Monster Blog, we’ll present a resume tip every day to help and inspire you to update your resume. And these resources provide even more resume guidance. So enjoy the weekend, and get ready to make your resume the best it can be next week.