Turn Resume Critiques into Revision Gold says TheLadders.com

This morning TheLadders.com published an article highlighted my advice for "spinning resume critiques into revision gold". In the article Lisa Vaas interviewed me and captured our conversation into these 4 points:

1. Not All Critics Are Created Equal.
   Friends and family offer resume advice which is nice - and often free - however, expert advice is worth the price. Career industry experts and resume professionals evaluate resumes on a regular, daily basis and it's their job to know what makes a resume relevant. Professionally reviewed resumes get results - giving you what you need to win the job search game!
   
   
2. Don't be Defensive.
   Resumes and egos tend to go hand in hand. The easier you can accept feedback the better chance you'll have at creating a Resume That Gets Results and Winning the Job Search Game.
   
   
3. Let Go of The Past.
   I loved my first job - answering phones at our neighborhood pizza parlor while my brother delivered the pizzas, on his bike. I was 11 years old. It's never been on my resume and it never will be. Why? Because it's irrelevant.
   
   
   
   Positions that are 10-15 years old (or more like in this case) or ones that are irrelevant (e.g. waiter in college) should be left off your resume.
   
   
4. Ask Questions.
   In my "9 Ways to Win The Job Search Seminar" participants walk away understanding the 2:1 principle. The foundation for this principle is that we have 2 ears but only 1 mouth which means we should listen twice as much as we speak. This applies in many ways to job search success and particularly to resume critiques. When it's your turn to ask questions, be ready with smart, savvy ones that take full advantage of the expert's insider secrets.
   
   I had a client recently that asked my advice on word-smithing nearly every bullet point for 2 of her positions. Smart lady.
   
   Another client, Janet, asked me how I would recommend she highlight her professional summary to draw more attention to her key accomplishments. Very savvy question - she used my language (key accomplishments) to draw me in and I ended up working with her to re-write her summary.

Lisa is a wonderful reporter and writer; I recommend reading her article on "Spinning Resume Critiques into Revision Gold".