Resumes and Executive Job Search Expert Erin Kennedy

New Articles

• How to Write an Interesting (Effective) Executive Resume
  We all know that writing executive resumes requires skill, strategy, ability to demonstrate and articulate what you have accomplished, and then get that across on paper. Your first impression needs to pack a punch -- it needs to show your leadership style and your command of the roles you have held. Seems easy, right? Well, there are a few things to take into consideration when creating an executive resume.

Guide to Effective Resumes:

• Effective Resumes Home
  If your resume has been circulating in the job market for more than a month and you haven't gotten requests for job interviews, the problem could be your resume. In this section, find articles, videos, and sample resumes to help you improve your resume.

Sample Resumes:

• Sample Resumes Home
  Susan Ireland has made these sample resumes available to help you see how you might prepare your resume. Each sample has an article explaining the fictional job seeker's problem, resolved by the resume.
• Sample Resume: "Average Joe" Job Seeker
  Eduardo Hortiz (not his real name) is a "regular guy" who wants a non-management job in customer service. He's been a customer service rep for more than 20 years and he has no plans to move out of his chosen field or up the ladder into management.

Entering or Re-Entering the Workforce:

• Sample Resume: Mom Returning to Work w/Career Change
  LaDonna Davis (not her real name) always thought she wanted to be a teacher when she grew up. After she graduated college with a BA in Education, she got a job as a preschool teacher. Then, she had a child, dropped out of the workforce for five years, and changed her career goal.
• Sample Resume: College Student
  Loretta Perkins (not her real name) is a community college student who is on course to graduate with an Associate's degree in Business Administration in May 2016. To help pay her college tuition she has a part-time sales job at a furniture store. Sadly, her employer is going out of business next month so Loretta is looking for a new job in sales.
• Sample Resume: New Grad
  When Joyce Favor (not her real name) entered college, she knew she wanted to get a degree in business but wasn't sure what area of business.

Unemployed Job Seekers:

• Sample Resume: Handling Employment Gaps
  Chin Lee (not her real name) is a human resources specialist who has an employment gap in her resume. See if you can figure out where it is ...
• Sample Resume: Older, Laid-Off Job Seeker
  James Z. Carpenter (not his real name) has had a very successful career as a Public Relations Professional. When he wrote this resume in early 2016, he faced three problems, described below, each of which he resolved in his resume.
• Sample Resume: Just Fired
  Brent Castleton (not his real name) just got fired. He had never before been fired from a job, and, at first, he was in a state of shock and his pride was badly wounded. Then, he realized he could turn his job termination into an opportunity to make a career change.
• Sample Resume: Unemployed Job Seeker with a Chronic Illness
  Sandi Peterson (not her real name) is an Internet Marketing Professional looking for a job in online marketing management. While browsing a company website she found a job post that seems a perfect fit for her.

Making Your Resume Effective:

• How to Create an Achievement Resume
  Sometimes saying less is better than saying more. Frequently a few strong accomplishments can generate more questions and interest than a page full of details. The achievement resume incorporates this concept by focusing on brevity and simplicity.
• How to Triple the Value of Your Resume Think of your resume as a piece of high-end real estate where every pixel counts. You can triple the value of your resume real estate by stating your experience as achievements instead of boring responsible-for job descriptions. Here's how:
• How to Write Your Resume for the Right Audience Your resume is about your future, not your past. Based on this principle, keep in mind while writing your resume that your audience is the hiring manager for the position mentioned in your job objective statement.

Other Special Situations:

• Sample Resume: Older Job Seeker Looks Younger
  This chronological resume is for George Benicio (not his real name), a 53-year-old job seeker who wants to continue his career as a corporate trainer. How old does he look to you, based on this resume?
• Sample Resume: Highlighting Education on a Resume
  Because his education is an important aspect of his appeal as a consultant, this sample resume for Frank Ford (not his real name) highlights a strong employment history as a Senior Management Consultant.
• Sample Resume: Non-Profit Executive with No Degree
  This chronological resume is for Eunice Graves (not her real name), a job seeker who wants to continue her career advancement to a position as director of a non-profit organization. She is highly qualified and motivated, but does not have a college degree, which could be a stumbling block. See how this issue is addressed in her resume.