Getting Unstuck: Writing the Right Resume – an Interview with Lynda Spiegel
“I help people explain to potential employers what their value is.”
If you uttered “Ugh, resumes. . . .” when you saw the title of this episode, you’re not alone. Developing a good resume is one of those things we love to hate. There seems to be contradictory information at every corner not the least of which is the “urban legend” that resumes can only be of a certain length.
To sort things out, we decided to go to an acknowledged authority on the subject, Lynda Spiegel of RisingStarResumes. Lynda worked in an HR capacity for most of her career before going solo as a resume and LinkedIn profile consultant. She’s looked at hundreds (thousands?) of resumes to know what works and what doesn’t – to know what helps a prospective employer answer the critical question: “Am I interested in knowing more about this person?”
How to write good resumes has changed over the past years. Listen in to find out why and how.
For Lynda’s resume Don’ts, go here.
Listen for:
• What purpose is a resume really intended to serve?
• How should resumes communicate their value proposition?
• How does Lynda recommend that you claim results?
• How have applicant tracking system software changed over time?
• How should people think differently about resumes today than they did 10-15 years ago?
• Why should you not “carpet bomb” your resume, meaning sending it to companies just to get a job? Instead, what should you do?
• What is Lynda’s advice about cover letters?
• What does Lynda mean about including “context” when detailing results and experience?
• What is Lynda’s rule of thumb about the look of a resume?
“All a prospective employer cares about are the results you achieved in previous work. Don’t make the hiring manager do the work of putting together your story. You want the resume to prompt a conversation. Leave the reviewer wanting more.”
After listening to the episode:
How does your current resume stack up against what Lynda recommends? What would you need to revise to improve it?
For more on Lynda:
LinkedIn Profile – linkedin.com/in/risingstarresumes
Website – risingstarresumes.net
Email – spiegwrite@gmail.com
Twitter – RisingStarRes