Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Do You Put Periods After Bullet Points on Resume?

Do You Put Periods After Bullet Points on Resume?As a resume writer, I see a lot of questions about do you put periods after bullet points on resume. The question seems to be the most asked and is one of the most frequently asked questions on resumes. As you may know, the practice of placing periods after bullet points is a common and preferred practice in most resumes.The reason for this is because when you are placing bullets at the end of your resume you are hoping the reader will be able to spot the section in the resume they are looking for. When you put periods at the end of the bullet points the reader does not know what you want them to pick up on. This is why most people are comfortable with this practice.There are some exceptions though. You will find, for example, many career sites and some recruitment software that you will need to use that have places to put bullets. Many software applications also allow you to insert spaces or indent the last paragraph so that the reade r can determine where the paragraph ends.One thing you may want to check when using bullet points is that the bullets are not of equal length. You do not want to place too much spacing around the bullets as this is what most readers pick up on and may interpret as paragraphs. Also, if you use too much spacing you may not be able to get the reader to read the entire bullet point so be careful about this.Another thing you may want to consider is that you should put bullets that go from point A to point B in an alternating fashion. This is important for two reasons. First, it keeps the reader focused on the 'A'B' of the bullet points as they make their way through the paragraph.Second, the only way a reader can actually read the bullet points is if he or she follows the pattern. Using alternating bullet points would keep the reader focused on one section at a time as they read the resume.So in summary, bullet points are a good idea but only if you use them properly. If you really want to be consistent, you can use periods after bullet points but try to be consistent and use the same format.

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Should You Include Your Age or Date of Birth on a Resume

Should You Include Your Age or Date of Birth on a Resume Spread the loveMost people understand that it’s illegal to discriminate against job candidates based on characteristics like age. Of course, it wasn’t always that way. Decades ago, before the first age discrimination laws were passed in the United States, there was nothing to prevent employers from considering a candidate’s age. Since that time, several laws have been passed to limit that practice.Unfortunately, however, discrimination isn’t always a conscious thing, and some employers continue to employ subconscious discriminatory practices during their hiring process. Often, this discrimination occurs during the resume process, and especially when candidates include their age or date of birth on their resumes.That begs the question: while job candidates should be as forthcoming as possible, does that mean that they should include age or date of birth information on their resumes?Should you Include Your Age or Date of Birth On a Resume?The answer should be clear: no.You dont need to include your age or date of birth on a resume if youre applying for jobs in the U.S. or Canada.(Some countries like India and Asia may require a CV where you would include your date of birth. We wrote a good post here on the difference between a resume and CV.)In this article, we’ll examine the impact of including age or date of birth details in a resume and explain why it’s never a good idea.Those Legal Safeguards Can’t Protect You Against Unintentional BiasWhile there are laws to protect you against conscious age discrimination, they offer little protection during the resume consideration process. The fact remains that many of today’s top employers prefer younger workers.That’s especially true in industries like technology, and other dynamic sectors. Older workers are often perceived as less flexible, less dynamic, and less able to keep pace with rapidly changing technologies and evolving work practices. While those perceptions may not be based in reality, they exist all the same. And that could harm you if age or date of birth information in your resume identifies you as an older worker.Since you need an interview to land most jobs, you must ensure that your resume offers no details that might invite unintentional bias. That means leaving out age or date of birth information altogether. By omitting this information, you can achieve a number of important goals:Your resume will be more focused on relevant details that demonstrate you’re the right candidate for the position.You can avoid a potential negative perception and have a better chance of landing an interview.By omitting age or date of birth details, you can help the employer focus instead on your achievements and qualifications.How to Hide Your Age on a ResumeOf course, there’s more to hiding your age than omitting age or date of birth information in your resume. After all, there are other clues that employers might use to deduce your approximate age. For example, if you include your educational graduation date, that provides a reasonable estimate of your age.The same is true if you include thirty years of work experience. Obviously, you need to carefully consider how you list every bit of information in your resume.To avoid leaving that trail of breadcrumbs, you should take the following steps:Remove your graduation year. To do that effectively, try to just focus on the names of the schools, course of study, and relevant achievements.Remove any dates for certifications, awards, or other honors.Include no more than 10-15 years of work experience on your resume. The reality is that your earliest experience is often less relevant anyway. Chances are you were using now-outdated systems and dealing with technologies or issues that are less applicable in today’s economy. By keeping that experience section recent, you can better ensure that it’s more relevant to today’s employer needs.For relevant experience earlier than 15 years ago, include a section tit led “additional experience” and simply list those experiences without any corresponding dates.Be sure to include details about your technological know-how. Just make sure that you’re listing only relevant technical prowess, and that you actually are familiar with the technology.As an older, seasoned worker, you have much to offer to today’s employers. Unfortunately, age bias is a real problem that often prevents qualified older workers from being considered for employment. By proactively eliminating age or date of birth details from your resume, you can minimize your chances of being denied for discriminatory reasons. And that will help increase your odds of landing an interview and job. Should You Include Your Age or Date of Birth on a Resume Spread the loveMost people understand that it’s illegal to discriminate against job candidates based on characteristics like age. Of course, it wasn’t always that way. Decades ago, before the first age discrimination laws were passed in the United States, there was nothing to prevent employers from considering a candidate’s age. Since that time, several laws have been passed to limit that practice.Unfortunately, however, discrimination isn’t always a conscious thing, and some employers continue to employ subconscious discriminatory practices during their hiring process. Often, this discrimination occurs during the resume process, and especially when candidates include their age or date of birth on their resumes.That begs the question: while job candidates should be as forthcoming as possible, does that mean that they should include age or date of birth information on their resumes?Should you Include Your Age or Date of Birth On a Resume?The answer should be clear: no.You dont need to include your age or date of birth on a resume if youre applying for jobs in the U.S. or Canada.(Some countries like India and Asia may require a CV where you would include your date of birth. We wrote a good post here on the difference between a resume and CV.)In this article, we’ll examine the impact of including age or date of birth details in a resume and explain why it’s never a good idea.Those Legal Safeguards Can’t Protect You Against Unintentional BiasWhile there are laws to protect you against conscious age discrimination, they offer little protection during the resume consideration process. The fact remains that many of today’s top employers prefer younger workers.That’s especially true in industries like technology, and other dynamic sectors. Older workers are often perceived as less flexible, less dynamic, and less able to keep pace with rapidly changing technologies and evolving work practices. While those perceptions may not be based in reality, they exist all the same. And that could harm you if age or date of birth information in your resume identifies you as an older worker.Since you need an interview to land most jobs, you must ensure that your resume offers no details that might invite unintentional bias. That means leaving out age or date of birth information altogether. By omitting this information, you can achieve a number of important goals:Your resume will be more focused on relevant details that demonstrate you’re the right candidate for the position.You can avoid a potential negative perception and have a better chance of landing an interview.By omitting age or date of birth details, you can help the employer focus instead on your achievements and qualifications.How to Hide Your Age on a ResumeOf course, there’s more to hiding your age than omitting age or date of birth information in your resume. After all, there are other clues that employers might use to deduce your approximate age. For example, if you include your educational graduation date, that provides a reasonable estimate of your age.The same is true if you include thirty years of work experience. Obviously, you need to carefully consider how you list every bit of information in your resume.To avoid leaving that trail of breadcrumbs, you should take the following steps:Remove your graduation year. To do that effectively, try to just focus on the names of the schools, course of study, and relevant achievements.Remove any dates for certifications, awards, or other honors.Include no more than 10-15 years of work experience on your resume. The reality is that your earliest experience is often less relevant anyway. Chances are you were using now-outdated systems and dealing with technologies or issues that are less applicable in today’s economy. By keeping that experience section recent, you can better ensure that it’s more relevant to today’s employer needs.For relevant experience earlier than 15 years ago, include a section tit led “additional experience” and simply list those experiences without any corresponding dates.Be sure to include details about your technological know-how. Just make sure that you’re listing only relevant technical prowess, and that you actually are familiar with the technology.As an older, seasoned worker, you have much to offer to today’s employers. Unfortunately, age bias is a real problem that often prevents qualified older workers from being considered for employment. By proactively eliminating age or date of birth details from your resume, you can minimize your chances of being denied for discriminatory reasons. And that will help increase your odds of landing an interview and job.

Saturday, April 11, 2020

Risks And Rewards Of Taking A Job You Dont Want - Work It Daily

Risks And Rewards Of Taking A Job You Dont Want - Work It Daily There are going to be times in your career when you NEED to take a job. Whether it’s because you need a paycheck or you just need more experience, you’re going to have to take on roles you’re less than thrilled about taking at some point in your career. But what are the risks and rewards of taking a job you don’t want? Risks What are some of the risks of taking a job you don’t want? Well, you might hate it and/or feel chained to it for the paycheck or for some other reason. It might also be a dead end job that won’t get you any closer to your goals. That’s why it’s very important to evaluate the pros and cons beforehand. Rewards The good news is that every job is temporary. You’re not tied to one role for the rest of your life. In fact, these days, you have more wiggle room than ever. According to a recent study, professionals will likely change jobs at least four times before they turn 32. So, have no fear. You’re not locked in for good. However, when you take a job, you should always be thinking about what that job can do for your career as a whole. How will it help you get to your next step? According to J.T. O’Donnell, founder and CEO of Work It Daily, if a job lets you focus on certain skill sets, allows you to work with high-profile clients, gives you a foot in the door at a company, or just allows you to break into a new industry, it will allow you to keep moving forward in your career, even if it’s not your dream job. “Think of it as a working education,” said O’Donnell. “.... Anytime a job is going to give you a skill set or an experience that you know you’re going to be able to leverage big time in the future, it’s worth it to consider taking that role for a couple of years, even if you don’t absolutely love what you’re doing.” So, when you’re evaluating the pros and cons of taking a job you don't want, make a list of both. However, keep in mind what you can get out of this role, even if it’s not your ideal job. Stuck in a job you hate? If you feel like you're not moving ahead with your career, don't see what's next for you, or just can't decide what you want to do next, you're not alone. Watch this free 20-minute video tutorial to find out how you can get out of your career rut. WATCH NOW! Related Posts Why No One Is Calling You After You’ve Applied To Over 100 Jobs Online What Your Favorite Toilet Paper Can Teach You About Job Search If Your Resume Doesn’t Have This, It Gets Tossed by Recruiters   Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!