Ep. 097: What’s Hot, What’s Not in Resumes with Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter

Your resume is probably the most important document you use when looking for a job. It offers a great opportunity to tell your story and demonstrate what you can offer an employer.

Guest expert Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter shares her top 6 list of what’s hot and what’s not in creating a great resume for today’s job market.

What’s Hot in Resumes

• Focus — Make your resume format quick and easy to read and keep it employer focused.
• What's in it for the Employer — Research pain points the employer has and integrate your strategic insights about the issue.
• Creative Problem Solving Skills — Use specifics from your background to show how your critical thinking has solved problems.
• Leadership — Display your ability to help other push forward.
• Have a Career Portfolio — Have a skimmable resume, a meatier resume, and professional profiles.  
• Value-Focused Resume — Showcase the core values you would bring to an organization.

What’s Not - And How to Fix It

• Brain Dump — Unless it directly benefits the employer, leave out the wordy details.
• Me, Me, Me —  Instead of focusing on yourself, look for ways to demonstrate that you work well on a team without minimizing your own accomplishments.
• Followership — Demonstrate your ability to take on the role of a leader when necessary.
• One and Done — It’s important to have multiple ways an employer can access desired information about your career.
• Just the Facts — Instead of listing your history, use storytelling to paint a more interesting picture of your professional career.

Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter Bio

Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter owns and operates CareerTrend.net. She is one

of just 50 master resume writers in the United States. Jacqui has crafted more than 1,500 career stories. She uses her bachelor’s degree in writing and journalism to apply a reporter’s eye to careers. Follow her on Twitter @ValueIntoWords.

Jacqui is also in the process of rolling out a do-it-yourself resume starter kit.

Ben’s Job Search Resource: Modern Career Economy

Ben’s resource this week is Down and Out in the New Economy: How People Find (or Don’t Find) Work Today, by Ilana Gershon, an anthropologist at the University of Indiana. Thanks to Find Your Dream Job listener, Russell Terry.

Find Your Dream Job Listener Question: Modern Job Search Strategies

Becky, Ben, Jessica, and Mac offer advice to Marcia Callahan from Portland, Oregon. Marcia asks,

“Is it worthwhile to drop off your resume at an office where you would like to work, or is there a more modern strategy to get in front of a hiring manager?”

These segments are sponsored by Mac’s new book, Land Your Dream Job Anywhere. The book offers practical, actionable, and proven tools to help you get clear about your career goals, find hidden jobs, and ace your next interview. Get the first chapter of this useful resource free.

Be a part of the Find Your Dream Job podcast!

• Ask your job-related question! Email it to becky@macslist.org, or leave us a message at 716-JOB-TALK, or tweet us @macs_list. If we use your question on the air, you will receive a copy of our new book, Land Your Dream Job Anywhere.
• Share your best job resource with our listeners! Send your resource to ben@macslist.org, and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job.
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Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, FreddyTrujillo.com.

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