Return-to-work resumes require thoughtful planning

Greetings, Sam

I worked in retail for the most of my early jobs before becoming a full-time mother sixteen years ago. 2014 saw me graduate with a bachelor’s degree in general studies and obtain a Human Resources Certificate through continuing education. My university’s career services prepared the resume I’ve included. Any recommendations would be very valued. — WendyGreetings, Wendy

Creating a résumé based on experience from more than 15 years ago may undoubtedly be difficult. Although the career services department helped you get off to a good start, I believe there are still some things you should work on to make your best application.Formatting that is not aesthetically attractiveThe format seems very forceful to me. That is to say, the massive blocks of black shading with white writing make the resume look very masculine and are distracting. The structure, in my opinion, does not accurately represent your personal or professional qualities.

Untrustworthy headingsWhen naming headings, I always take care to ensure accuracy and that the experiences and abilities of my clients are representative of the title. I think someone may have adhered to a template a bit too strictly in your situation. The summary at the top of your resume, which is more of a list of topics you have been exposed to during your career than a comprehensive qualifications summary, is introduced by “Areas of Expertise.” I realize this is being picky, but are you truly an authority on each of those topics? I might bring a few abilities under that umbrella if I’m working with an experienced professional, but I’m not sure whether showing the “real” you to someone is really hurting them.

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Similarly, the “Selected Accomplishments” part of your professional experience does not contain any accomplishments. We certainly want to write a marketing piece, but we want truthfulness and accuracy above all else, so be careful not to exaggerate experience.

Content—or the absence of itI am aware that a practical design is necessary, as is emphasizing experience areas rather than locations and hours of work. In order to determine whether leaving out all of the dates was appropriate—which is typically a red flag for hiring managers—I would need to know your precise dates of employment. While you were parenting your kids, did you hold any part-time jobs? Can we incorporate any volunteer work? Other than education, consider things that might be dated and represent current, pertinent experience. Have you supported any other charities or worked with the PTA to organize community fundraisers? I almost never deal with a mother going back to work who hasn’t helped out at some point while she was at home in an administrative, customer service, fundraising, or coordination role. Consider additional highlights that do not pertain to “pure” professional experiences.Furthermore, you only use three sentences to highlight the significance of your work experiences. That much more development is what I would like to see. Explain to the audience the significance of your actions sixteen years ago. The reader might disregard your entire experience if you don’t elaborate on this portion.Finally, you use the subheadings “Sales, Administration, and Customer Service” to introduce your three bullet points, although the latter has no information beneath it. Anything that is not explained has no worth. I have no doubt that you may “beef up” the material to more effectively convey the significance of the roles you held before to quitting your job. Additionally, if human resources is your goal, make the content far more pertinent to that field. Consider your experiences in a different perspective; it’s not necessarily about what you did, but rather what you did that most closely aligns with your future goals.The final line is that I believe your resume has a starting point. However, there is a lot of space for growth in order to showcase the most pertinent credentials to compete in the human resources field. I hope the best for you!

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Ladybug Design is a full-service resume writing company owned by Samantha Nolan, a Certified Professional Resume Writer. Do you have a job search question or resume for Dear Sam? You can contact Samantha at dearsam@ladybug-design.com or tune in to Ladybug Design’s weekly ‘Dear Sam Live’ session on Facebook. Call 614-570-3442 or 1-888-952-3928, or visit www.ladybug-design.com, to learn more about Sam’s resume writing services.

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