Time To Update Your College Bound Resume

Colleges want to know how students spent their free time outside of school. Do they stay involved with activities of interest or go home, sit on the couch, talk on the phone, and watch TV?

Involved students have spent time pursuing and developing their strengths and interests. They have experiences and skills that will help them contribute to the college community. A resume (or list of activities) shows colleges what students have done with their free time.

Now is the perfect time to update, or begin, a college resume. Take time to include all activities from last school year and account for summer activities. Remember that activities done the summer before 9th grade are considered part of a student's 9th grade year and so on.

What should I list? List everything! Colleges understand that students might change their interest over time or participate in an event only once. Go ahead and list the variety of things done every year of high school.

Resumes typically can be broken down into the following sections:

1. Extracurricular Activities - sports, school clubs, youth group, Boy / Girl Scouts, recreational teams, band, music lessons, theater, church choir, newspaper, debate, Young Life, academic teams, NHS, drill team, etc. This includes school, church, community, and recreational activities.

2. Honors / Awards / Academic Achievements - dean's list, honor roll, team MVP, all area team, regional qualifier, most improved, top student in a subject, Eagle Scout, Gold Key Award, high honors, state finalist, first chair, blue ribbon, etc. List all awards, honors, and academic recognition. If you don't have any or many items in this category, don't worry; make sure you have items to list in other sections.

3. Work Experience & Internships - Colleges recognize students can learn valuable lessons from work. You might learn customer skills, responsibility, and leadership by working 40 hours a week at a local fast food restaurant over the summer. After two months of clearing carts from the grocery store parking lot, you may have learned why you want to go to college and improve your job prospects!

Not all work has to be paid. Don't forget internships and unpaid experiences. It is OK to list work done for family members, but don't exaggerate to the point of lying. You may watch your siblings every day after school or work in your dad's office over the summer; these are both work. However, it would be stretching things to list household chores like walking the dog or making your bed as work.

4. Community Service & Volunteer Work - There are many ways for students to volunteer these days. The best types of service are those that let you develop your strengths, talents, and interests while helping others.

5. Summer Experiences - Because students have so much free time in the summer, it is an ideal time to take on additional projects, activities, and experiences. Many colleges offer programs for high school students to get a preview of campus life and college classes. Summer can also be a great time for you to create your own opportunity - open your own business, explore a topic of interest to you, or take one of your regular activities to a new level. Make the most of this time!

6. Hobbies & Interests - Some students are passionate about subjects which aren't offered in school or don't translate into traditional club or activity experiences. Use this part of the resume to show anything that hasn't fit into the categories above. For example, one student spent 15 hours a week rebuilding a classic car with his dad. Another student was a self-taught gourmet cook. Just because you do it for fun, doesn't mean it shouldn't be something you brag about.

It is a good habit to update your resume each semester. Keeping an up to date resume will make interviews and applications much easier.

College admission is more competitive now than ever. Get help from a former high school counselor and independent college advisor who knows the system. Megan Dorsey is a nationally recognized expert in test preparation and college admissions who has helped thousands of students earn the test scores and scholarships they need and get into the colleges of their dreams. To receive free college planning and test prep resources visit http://collegeprepresults.com/

Read more ...

Time To Update Your College Bound Resume

Colleges want to know how students spent their free time outside of school. Do they stay involved with activities of interest or go home, sit on the couch, talk on the phone, and watch TV?

Involved students have spent time pursuing and developing their strengths and interests. They have experiences and skills that will help them contribute to the college community. A resume (or list of activities) shows colleges what students have done with their free time.

Now is the perfect time to update, or begin, a college resume. Take time to include all activities from last school year and account for summer activities. Remember that activities done the summer before 9th grade are considered part of a student's 9th grade year and so on.

What should I list? List everything! Colleges understand that students might change their interest over time or participate in an event only once. Go ahead and list the variety of things done every year of high school.

Resumes typically can be broken down into the following sections:

1. Extracurricular Activities - sports, school clubs, youth group, Boy / Girl Scouts, recreational teams, band, music lessons, theater, church choir, newspaper, debate, Young Life, academic teams, NHS, drill team, etc. This includes school, church, community, and recreational activities.

2. Honors / Awards / Academic Achievements - dean's list, honor roll, team MVP, all area team, regional qualifier, most improved, top student in a subject, Eagle Scout, Gold Key Award, high honors, state finalist, first chair, blue ribbon, etc. List all awards, honors, and academic recognition. If you don't have any or many items in this category, don't worry; make sure you have items to list in other sections.

3. Work Experience & Internships - Colleges recognize students can learn valuable lessons from work. You might learn customer skills, responsibility, and leadership by working 40 hours a week at a local fast food restaurant over the summer. After two months of clearing carts from the grocery store parking lot, you may have learned why you want to go to college and improve your job prospects!

Not all work has to be paid. Don't forget internships and unpaid experiences. It is OK to list work done for family members, but don't exaggerate to the point of lying. You may watch your siblings every day after school or work in your dad's office over the summer; these are both work. However, it would be stretching things to list household chores like walking the dog or making your bed as work.

4. Community Service & Volunteer Work - There are many ways for students to volunteer these days. The best types of service are those that let you develop your strengths, talents, and interests while helping others.

5. Summer Experiences - Because students have so much free time in the summer, it is an ideal time to take on additional projects, activities, and experiences. Many colleges offer programs for high school students to get a preview of campus life and college classes. Summer can also be a great time for you to create your own opportunity - open your own business, explore a topic of interest to you, or take one of your regular activities to a new level. Make the most of this time!

6. Hobbies & Interests - Some students are passionate about subjects which aren't offered in school or don't translate into traditional club or activity experiences. Use this part of the resume to show anything that hasn't fit into the categories above. For example, one student spent 15 hours a week rebuilding a classic car with his dad. Another student was a self-taught gourmet cook. Just because you do it for fun, doesn't mean it shouldn't be something you brag about.

It is a good habit to update your resume each semester. Keeping an up to date resume will make interviews and applications much easier.

College admission is more competitive now than ever. Get help from a former high school counselor and independent college advisor who knows the system. Megan Dorsey is a nationally recognized expert in test preparation and college admissions who has helped thousands of students earn the test scores and scholarships they need and get into the colleges of their dreams. To receive free college planning and test prep resources visit http://collegeprepresults.com/

Read more ...

Time To Update Your College Bound Resume

Colleges want to know how students spent their free time outside of school. Do they stay involved with activities of interest or go home, sit on the couch, talk on the phone, and watch TV?

Involved students have spent time pursuing and developing their strengths and interests. They have experiences and skills that will help them contribute to the college community. A resume (or list of activities) shows colleges what students have done with their free time.

Now is the perfect time to update, or begin, a college resume. Take time to include all activities from last school year and account for summer activities. Remember that activities done the summer before 9th grade are considered part of a student's 9th grade year and so on.

What should I list? List everything! Colleges understand that students might change their interest over time or participate in an event only once. Go ahead and list the variety of things done every year of high school.

Resumes typically can be broken down into the following sections:

1. Extracurricular Activities - sports, school clubs, youth group, Boy / Girl Scouts, recreational teams, band, music lessons, theater, church choir, newspaper, debate, Young Life, academic teams, NHS, drill team, etc. This includes school, church, community, and recreational activities.

2. Honors / Awards / Academic Achievements - dean's list, honor roll, team MVP, all area team, regional qualifier, most improved, top student in a subject, Eagle Scout, Gold Key Award, high honors, state finalist, first chair, blue ribbon, etc. List all awards, honors, and academic recognition. If you don't have any or many items in this category, don't worry; make sure you have items to list in other sections.

3. Work Experience & Internships - Colleges recognize students can learn valuable lessons from work. You might learn customer skills, responsibility, and leadership by working 40 hours a week at a local fast food restaurant over the summer. After two months of clearing carts from the grocery store parking lot, you may have learned why you want to go to college and improve your job prospects!

Not all work has to be paid. Don't forget internships and unpaid experiences. It is OK to list work done for family members, but don't exaggerate to the point of lying. You may watch your siblings every day after school or work in your dad's office over the summer; these are both work. However, it would be stretching things to list household chores like walking the dog or making your bed as work.

4. Community Service & Volunteer Work - There are many ways for students to volunteer these days. The best types of service are those that let you develop your strengths, talents, and interests while helping others.

5. Summer Experiences - Because students have so much free time in the summer, it is an ideal time to take on additional projects, activities, and experiences. Many colleges offer programs for high school students to get a preview of campus life and college classes. Summer can also be a great time for you to create your own opportunity - open your own business, explore a topic of interest to you, or take one of your regular activities to a new level. Make the most of this time!

6. Hobbies & Interests - Some students are passionate about subjects which aren't offered in school or don't translate into traditional club or activity experiences. Use this part of the resume to show anything that hasn't fit into the categories above. For example, one student spent 15 hours a week rebuilding a classic car with his dad. Another student was a self-taught gourmet cook. Just because you do it for fun, doesn't mean it shouldn't be something you brag about.

It is a good habit to update your resume each semester. Keeping an up to date resume will make interviews and applications much easier.

College admission is more competitive now than ever. Get help from a former high school counselor and independent college advisor who knows the system. Megan Dorsey is a nationally recognized expert in test preparation and college admissions who has helped thousands of students earn the test scores and scholarships they need and get into the colleges of their dreams. To receive free college planning and test prep resources visit http://collegeprepresults.com/

Read more ...

Time To Update Your College Bound Resume

Colleges want to know how students spent their free time outside of school. Do they stay involved with activities of interest or go home, sit on the couch, talk on the phone, and watch TV?

Involved students have spent time pursuing and developing their strengths and interests. They have experiences and skills that will help them contribute to the college community. A resume (or list of activities) shows colleges what students have done with their free time.

Now is the perfect time to update, or begin, a college resume. Take time to include all activities from last school year and account for summer activities. Remember that activities done the summer before 9th grade are considered part of a student's 9th grade year and so on.

What should I list? List everything! Colleges understand that students might change their interest over time or participate in an event only once. Go ahead and list the variety of things done every year of high school.

Resumes typically can be broken down into the following sections:

1. Extracurricular Activities - sports, school clubs, youth group, Boy / Girl Scouts, recreational teams, band, music lessons, theater, church choir, newspaper, debate, Young Life, academic teams, NHS, drill team, etc. This includes school, church, community, and recreational activities.

2. Honors / Awards / Academic Achievements - dean's list, honor roll, team MVP, all area team, regional qualifier, most improved, top student in a subject, Eagle Scout, Gold Key Award, high honors, state finalist, first chair, blue ribbon, etc. List all awards, honors, and academic recognition. If you don't have any or many items in this category, don't worry; make sure you have items to list in other sections.

3. Work Experience & Internships - Colleges recognize students can learn valuable lessons from work. You might learn customer skills, responsibility, and leadership by working 40 hours a week at a local fast food restaurant over the summer. After two months of clearing carts from the grocery store parking lot, you may have learned why you want to go to college and improve your job prospects!

Not all work has to be paid. Don't forget internships and unpaid experiences. It is OK to list work done for family members, but don't exaggerate to the point of lying. You may watch your siblings every day after school or work in your dad's office over the summer; these are both work. However, it would be stretching things to list household chores like walking the dog or making your bed as work.

4. Community Service & Volunteer Work - There are many ways for students to volunteer these days. The best types of service are those that let you develop your strengths, talents, and interests while helping others.

5. Summer Experiences - Because students have so much free time in the summer, it is an ideal time to take on additional projects, activities, and experiences. Many colleges offer programs for high school students to get a preview of campus life and college classes. Summer can also be a great time for you to create your own opportunity - open your own business, explore a topic of interest to you, or take one of your regular activities to a new level. Make the most of this time!

6. Hobbies & Interests - Some students are passionate about subjects which aren't offered in school or don't translate into traditional club or activity experiences. Use this part of the resume to show anything that hasn't fit into the categories above. For example, one student spent 15 hours a week rebuilding a classic car with his dad. Another student was a self-taught gourmet cook. Just because you do it for fun, doesn't mean it shouldn't be something you brag about.

It is a good habit to update your resume each semester. Keeping an up to date resume will make interviews and applications much easier.

College admission is more competitive now than ever. Get help from a former high school counselor and independent college advisor who knows the system. Megan Dorsey is a nationally recognized expert in test preparation and college admissions who has helped thousands of students earn the test scores and scholarships they need and get into the colleges of their dreams. To receive free college planning and test prep resources visit http://collegeprepresults.com/

Read more ...

A Tale of Two Resumes: To Update or to Upgrade, What Is Your Best Solution?

Often, as an IT recruiter and career coach, I hear people say "I need to update my resume." This usually pertains to embarking on a job search and means adding new job related information since their last search. Now other individuals, information technology employees or otherwise, take a different strategy and decide to upgrade their resume which usually involves a revision of large portions to reflect their goals and career growth from in the most careful and comprehensive manner possible. Furthermore, an upgrade can be better targeted to a specific opportunity, which is where it can have tremendous value here I will briefly discuss the two resume strategies, their pros and cons, and what may be best solution for you. Now before deciding which way to go it is important to remember that a resume is one of the most important documents you will ever own, so making your best presentation possible is essential for your career fortunes.

In the hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of resumes I see in a year, I would say the majority are resume updates. They consist mainly of inserting, or tacking on, their current, or last, job into the existing structure of the resume they used in their previous search. This is a basic update; and often the least helpful. The next type of update may involve changing other parts of your resume other than just "tacking on" your last job. Here we may perhaps see additions to your skills or summary from your current job, and possibly, but least likely, going back to previous jobs to highlight those responsibilities that are most relevant to your current job.

I find if someone merely tacks on their current job to update their resume, then the resume may look like the writer either has little or no knowledge, or interest, in high quality of resume construction. Worse, this may give the impression that one is not serious about a job search or is disorganized or not detail oriented. Indications of this may be that the resume may give as much, or occasionally even more, space to jobs that were from five, ten or even fifteen plus years ago than they a give to their current position. Now, occasionally one might feel compelled to update their resume for an unforeseen, immediate need for a resume, by a recruiter...but resist this urge for a quick fix as much as possible.

Recently I received an example of such an update from a Network Engineer with excellent skills and a stable work background..He had had one position for 6 years and then a previous position for 6 months and he gave half as much space to this somewhat outdated, from a technical perspective, prior position. Also, he described his current job in the first person, which is generally not considered the best approach, while his earlier positions were described without first, or third, person references. These inconsistencies detracted significantly from what would be a very desirable job candidate. It was obvious he merely tacked on his current position without much thought of how this might look to a resume screener.

In the above mentioned example a more carefully considered upgrade would offer more complete description of their current position which didn't have that hasty "tacked on look, Also in updating the skills and the summary, and modifying the previous job description, my client would need to change the previous job descriptions reflect the current position and future interests. One thing I saw in this resume and frequently in other updates is that the tense of the verbs in the previous jobs needs to be changed from the present tense to the past tense (e.g.; from "is responsible" to "was responsible"). Luckily in this case, as the third party recruiter, I corrected all of these resume deficiencies, but often someone goes directly to the employer with a quick update they, unfortunately, think is good enough.

In an effective update or upgrade, whether it is for a secretary, software engineer, or CEO, length is always a critical consideration. Updates seldom address this issue; a good upgrade must! The content and format of the first page is most important, although two, and occasionally more, pages is acceptable to include all of your jobs. Here is where you have the greatest opportunity to attract, or repel, the hiring source. Skills, summaries, competencies, significant accomplishments, all need to be quickly accessible here on the first page. Whether your resume is scanned by software or a hiring authority, relevant skill placement and quantity can determine if your resume is acted on or discarded.

Also, in a good upgrade you should prune your previous job descriptions so that more current jobs are given more space and earlier positions display progressively less space. A good rule of thumb here is to try to think like the hiring authority, and try to impress him or her with what you have done lately not potentially lose their interest with overly verbose descriptions of what you did ten or twenty years ago. This fits into the spacing strategy, and additionally I would recommend targeting key elements of your background that, as much as possible, specifically relate to the jobs you are seeking. This may sound tedious; but it can give you a distinct advantage over competing candidates who favor an easy updating strategy. Remember, a resume is an advertisement for yourself, and the more you can draw the hiring authorities to your message the greater the probability they will buy!

For an optimum upgrade I would recommend you consider researching what the "best practices' in your industry, area of expertise, experience level. Susan Whitcomb's work "Resume Magic" and Martin Yate's "Knock em Dead" series offer exceptional upgrading, or even rewriting, advice.. Also, I recommend you particularly pay attention to formats offered that best visually represent your background and the position you are applying for. Again Whitcomb and Yate give great advice and resume templates. What is most important is that the format, particularly if you add graphics, doesn't distract, and hopefully enhances, the effectiveness of your resume. In my upgrade example the candidate paid almost no attention to critical format issues life font selection, white space, or the advantages of using a more contemporary bullet... format versus large blocks of text.

Now there are some occasions where you may need to do a total rewrite like if you are considering changing careers or you are from another country, like India, which has different resume standards. However, in these cases there are generally "chunks" of job descriptions you can transpose from the old resume to the new. Also, some of us just aren't able to put together an appealing resume, even though we may excel at what we do. In these cases I recommend that you find a highly rated resume writing service. For a few hundred dollars this might be your best solution. However, before you hire a service ask them to show you a few samples of their work that relate directly to your background and aspirations.

In conclusion, it is essential that you put a lot of thought into what your resume says about you and your background. Generally this may be all the perspective employer may know about you, particularly in this age of on-line resume submission. In most cases I favor an upgrade over an update, with an entire rewrite to be considered only as a last resort. An update can look "tacky," or tacked on, unless the previous iterations of your resume are very well crafted and are cohesive and compatible with the limited new information you add. However, even then the pruning process that is a hallmark of upgrades needs to be considered. Upgrades have more strategic value than updates because you are more likely to look at the resume as a whole and how it fits into your entire job search strategy. I know it's tempting to get a quick fix that some updates provide. However, prudence and patience is essential in writing a job winning resume.

Read more ...

Are You Wondering If It's Time To Update Your Resume or Not?

"Be prepared" is a motto that is not just a great advice for Boy Scouts; it is a great career advice as well. A perfect career opportunity can present itself anytime. You never know when a recruiter would call you with your dream job, and you want to send out an up-to-date resume.

For this reason, there are four times that you should be updating your resume:

? At least once every year.

? At any time you change your career focus.

? If you are expecting layoffs with your company.

? If you are beginning to feel dissatisfied with your current position.

1. At least once every year:

This is where most people are unable to keep up with the competitors. If a recruiter calls you with your dream job, you may find that your resume is years out of date.

You can keep your resume current by including your accomplishments every year. You should not rely on your memory to recall all your achievements in the whole year. You may overlook important achievements and contributions if you rely on your memory. You may require assistance for which a resume coach can help you by asking some targeting questions on your most recent jobs.

2. At any time you change your career focus:

If you are thinking of changing your career focus, you will be required to change your resume as well. To shift your focus away from your present job towards your new career, there are several ways to do that.

You can position yourself as a strong candidate for the particular job position, by focusing on the skills that are needed for your new career. You should be highlighting those skills that are transferable in your new resume, make sure you bring them front and center. Furthermore, you may also be required to shift your list of accomplishments to support your skills that you have highlighted. Accomplishments statements help to give credibility to your transferable skills and prove that you possess an ability to cross your industry. Well-crafted accomplishments are what can win the interview or not.

Finally, make sure you know what your audience is looking for. While shifting careers, it is essential that you know the hiring motives of your target market. A resume is an effective selling tool if you anticipate your recruiter's "wish list" for great candidates correctly.

3. If you are expecting layoffs with your company:

In today's economy, there is a need for corporate downsizing. For this reason, layoffs and losses are much more commonly seen these days. However, by keeping your resume up-to-date, you can be prepared for any worst-case scenario.

Often, candidates make the mistake of being overly optimistic, by making a safe choice of assuming that you are on the "out" list. On the contrary, it is the people who are most essential to their employers who get caught unexpectedly. You might be important or well-liked; you can get affected with layoffs. Hence, it is important that you have your resume as soon as you have any indication of downsizing on the way.

4. If you are beginning to feel dissatisfied with your current position:

If you are feeling dissatisfied with your current job, it can lead you to be frustrated, and worthless. There is no reason that you should stay in the job that you hate. With your resume up-to-date, you can respond to job opportunities right away.

Read more ...