December 8, 2022 - BCPL Resume Tips

Welcome back, resume warriors! We like your dedication - checking in with us during the holiday season. Brooke County Libraries have one last tip to share this year on how to make your resume shine!

Resume Tip #26 - Leave out personal details.

While it's tempting to include on your resume why you took two years off or have been looking for steady work for six months - resist!

Potential employers will ask about your personal life and/or any gaps in your resume during your interview. Don't confuse a job profile with a dating profile, though it's easy to get confused with all the online updates nowadays! "Single mom of three searching for part time receptionist work!" is not a good idea.

There may be a small section called a summary at the top of your resume template that the only acceptable place to include any personal details of your life history. Those should even so be kept short and sweet such as "Work at home mom looking to rejoin workforce at a full time capacity" or "Long time student and lover of learning ready to share my knowledge with a hand-on full time position". Make sure you make it about why you're ready for the next (or maybe even first) big job!

Yes, understanding that you took time off to care for a sick relative, nurse your own injuries or illnesses, or to raise children is an important component of who you are! 

But the reasoning behind your job history, schooling, or time off is usually irrelevant in the face of other candidates. Everyone has a personal story! Maybe your competition spent a full year backpacking through Europe whereas you extended your maternity or paternity leave. Neither possibility will convince a potential employer to call for that interview, and you can always talk about your dreams, goals, and personal life briefly at the face-to-face meeting.

That's all for today! Have a healthy, happy, holiday season; and here's to hoping for all our followers to find great jobs in the new year! 

Remember, your local library is always available for job hunt tips, resume help, and more!

 

November 15, 2022 - BCPL Resume Tips

Welcome back, workers! We're excited to give you another resume tip this month from Brooke County Libraries. 

Resume Tip #25 - Consider listing your job duties by order of importance.

When describing your previous job positions, it can be hard to know where to start! Typically, we advise our resume warriors to think about their day start to finish and walk their potential employer through those tasks and responsibilities. However, if you have a lot of work experience to describe, you should consider using order of importance.

For example, any management, supervisory, or team leading duties are a great place to start your description! That's the type of responsibility potential employers are looking for every day, and odds are, it was one of your most vital daily tasks. So, start that little paragraph out with notes like "oversaw team projects" or "consulted other staff members on their daily challenges".

Maybe you weren't a team leader, and that's okay! Were you a problem-solver or maybe worked solely on a designated duty? That's another good place to start. Consider listing items like this first - "Completed weekly spreadsheet of high dollar accounts" or "daily maintenance checks on heavily used equipment".

That's our tip for this month, folks! Check back in next month for more helpful hints regarding your resume or CV. And remember that your local library is a great place to look for help with your job search!

 

October 18, 2022 - BCPL Resume Tips

Thanks for checking in with us at Brooke County Libraries for our latest resume tip!

 Resume Tip #24 - Always use chronological order (reverse)

Your work experience, education, and volunteer and training history should all work backwards, starting from the most recent. This gives your potential employer the chance to get to know you quickly. Plus, it keeps things simple at a glance.

Sad but true, most prospective employers are busy, and they do not have time to sort through your information. You should give them the best glimpse of your qualifications by showing what you've been doing lately and then work backward. This is true regardless of whether your most recent job position is the most relevant to the new position. You will always be able to clarify your best experience, highest achievement levels, and other details during your interview. 

Also, don't pick and chose previous job positions to include. Make sure you stick to your last five to ten years of employment.

Please let us know if you have questions! We'd love to hear from you in person, in the comments, or on our social media pages. And don't forget your local library is always a great place for help with your job search.

September 15, 2022 - BCPL Resume Tips

We're sharing another resume tip this September from Brooke County Libraries! Thanks for checking in with us.

 Resume Tip #23 - Consider using a summary.

A summary can be a helpful addition to your one-page resume for potential employers. The summary should be no more than 3-5 lines or one small paragraph. This could be located at the top or bottom of the document, preferrably the top, but ensure that it does not cause your resume to go over one page.

This is an easy and brief glimpse into your experience, education, and even personality. This would be the only appropriate place to quickly mention or personal life or gaps in work history.

For example:

With ten years plus of customer service experience, I am a mother of two toddlers seeking part-time employment with a trusted company.

Or...

After a hiatus from work due to injury, I am seeking to rejoin the industrial workforce in a position where I can use my five plus years experience with heavy equipment and my applicable certifications.

Again, this should not be an introduction or a way to fill too much space on the one-page. But a quick read to give the employer an insight into your potential that may not fit into the standard resume format boxes. 

That's all for this month, folks! Please check in again in October and see if we can help you jazz up your resume or CV. And remember you can always check with local library for plenty of job hunt tips and resources.

June 15, 2022 - BCPL Resume Tips

Thanks for popping in to check out our resume tip for this month! For June 2022, Brooke County Libraries are ready to share another piece of advise.

Resume Tip #20

Don't overload the reader.

It's easy to get caught up in descriptions and examples on your one-page resume. Keep in mind, your resume should always be a simple and at-a-glance one page documentation. You do not want to have text boxes and sections all over the page. Stick to a traditional and simple format, and we assure you that you'll see results. 

The same way you don't want to babble non-stop in a job interview, you don't want to exhaust your potential employer with extra information on your resume. You want to stick to the basics. And please remember, your resume is not the place to say your favorite things about previous jobs or your reason for leaving previous positions.

The most difficult section to keep clear and concise is the work experience/job history portion. You absolutely want to give a true description of your past job responsibilities. But there's no need to give a full recounting of each day on the job. And it's easy to ramble (Oh! Then, I did this too...). Stick to the most relevant tasks to the jobs you are applying for. No one at an office will care if you took out the trash if you already have a paragraph of job duties. Unless you're applying for a position on the cleaning crew of course.

Future employers will get to know you more in your job interview. You just want to catch their eye with your resume. So, don't feel like you have to include sections such as skills, volunteer history, or extensive education details unless you are looking to fill your page or include certain details. Don't put in information just for the sake of adding information.

That's it for this month! We'll see you again in July for another tip. In the meantime, don't forget to check in with your local library during your job search. They can be an excellent resource.

 

May 13, 2022 - BCPL Resume Tips

Welcome back, resume warriors! Thanks for checking in for the May 2022 resume tip from Brooke County Libraries.

Resume Tip #19:

Don't leave out your personality!

So, this one is a little vague. Let's explain a bit better. While your resume should absolutely not read like your dating profile, it should reflect you. (No mentions of enjoying long walks and fresh flowers here, please.) In small ways, you can show a little of your personality in your resume profile.

Including sections such as skills, volunteer history, and objectives/goals can show a lot about you as a person while still being relevant to your job experiences. Showcasing your skills such as computer programs, craftsmanship, and certifications will show not just your levels of dedication but hints at your personal interests. 

Again, don't say you enjoy playing video games in your spare time. But if you've got experience with programs designing them, it may be an asset depending on the job position that you are applying for on that particular day. You should tailor your one-page resume to the job you're applying for on the daily as much as possible. Maybe you have experience with woodworking because you took a hobby class and you build furniture in your spare time. That could be a great way to set yourself apart from other construction job candidates.

Another small way to show yourself off is in the format of your resume. There are many templates available now that allow you pick fonts and colors that tip your prospective employer off to your personality. Remember the scene in Legally Blonde where she wrote her paper in pink scented pen? That's a bit much. But it did make Elle Woods memorable to her professor. 

So, while making your font pink curly swiggles will not get you a job position, feel free to select some professional but unique trim, borders, or fonts on your resume to give a hint to a potential boss of your personal style. You might bring a real flair to your next team!

That's all for now, folks! Remember to check your local library during your job search. They can be an excellent resource for job seekers.