Dear Sam: As my job search continues, I need help. I may not be getting results based on my resume or the fact that I do not have very much experience in my degree field. I am a social butterfly, and my journey has included the pursuit of a medical assistant diploma, then an associate’s degree in business, and now a bachelor’s degree in social work. I am searching for clerical positions. What am I doing wrong? – Nicole
Dear Nicole: Let me describe your resume for readers. You open your resume with an objective statement followed by an employment section. In the employment section, you present five positions, three of which have no description of your role. You end with computer and professional skills and education. Let me briefly touch on each area to get you on the right path.
Objective: Nix the objective statement and incorporate the skills you are promoting in a qualifications summary. You must immediately grab the reader’s attention and keep him or her engaged to review your candidacy further.
Employment: If you would like your positions to be seen as valuable in the evaluation of your candidacy, then you must provide details of your roles and key contributions. You have presented two years of your most recent experience with not one word about what you did. Earlier positions, where you included brief descriptions, are too brief and do not adequately represent your responsibilities and achievements.
Education: Omit high school information, leaving your three education programs presented. In the qualifications summary, be sure to relate how your varied education—and experience—uniquely position you for an administrative role in a healthcare setting. This is your calling card.
Very few competitors will have the blend of education you possess, and, when combined with your office management, medical assistant, and front office experiences, I cannot imagine a more qualified candidate to gain entry into your chosen field. Just revamp your resume to paint a more competitive picture.
Dear Sam: I have created a resume and embedded links to my website so potential employers will be able to view my training certificates, evaluations, diplomas, and lists of seminars and other presentations. I was wondering what your take is on that approach. – Patrick
Dear Patrick: My first question would be, does that add value? I question the value doing this adds to your case. The training certificates and diplomas are unnecessary. One does not assume you are falsifying information, so listing training on your resume will suffice; there is no need for someone to look at the certificate. The lists of seminars and presentations are also contained on your resume, so there is no additional value in taking the reader to a link to see the same list twice. As for the evaluations, as they are difficult to read and only a handful of each of the comments are constructive, I would lean toward pulling select excerpts out on your resume versus sending a reader to a link where he / she will need to comb through lots of comments to read a few strong ones.
Lastly, and perhaps most important, your website is very outdated. When you give someone a reason to jump off from reading your resume, the information they are pushed toward needs to be impressive, add value, and reinforce the professionalism of your candidacy. I fear you developed your website in the late ‘90s when we were all learning rudimentary web development and design. Because of this, your website will reflect poorly on your candidacy and how relevant your skills are. Granted, I know you are not teaching web design or programming, but you must always consider the impression every aspect of your candidacy will make—from online to in-person. Instead, consider adding any of these elements—that do add value—to your LinkedIn profile as media. Be sure however, that they are easy to read, of good quality, and are worth the reader’s time to stop reviewing your candidacy and look at a different document. I am confident you can create your best brand on your resume without the use of external links, and that would be my recommendation. Best to you.
