The 6-second resume scan is hogwash

By Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter Hat tip to Dawn Lennon and Dawn Bugni for unwittingly spurring me (via our chat over at Google Plus) to write this post discussing a recent survey on resumes. I admit to being highly concerned about TheLadders’ survey and the sweeping comments encouraging...

Graduate: Are You Shortchanging Your Resume Story?

By Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter A flurry of recent resume inquiries by new grads or their parents inspired my latest blog post. After investing 4+ years and 10s of thousands of dollars in advanced education and training it is natural to want to hit the ground running to conduct an effective, interview-netting...

Transitioning Your Career From Fortune 500 to a Small Business Market

image: Sean MacEntee By Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter If small firms truly DO offer the largest number of jobs (64% of net new jobs according to the U.S. Small Business Administration), then mapping a career strategy aimed that direction makes good sense. The key word here is ‘strategy,’ and an...

A Focused Approach to Shaping Your Value Story

By Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter The resume – so often misunderstood, yet so critical in helping lift a job search off the ground. As a professional resume writer, I am passionate about the value of this messaging vehicle. Unfortunately, careerists, in the thick of career transition, often become...

Is Your Resume a 3-Ring Circus?

  image: elsie esq (flickr) By Robert P. Poindexter As many of you are (based on the ratings), I find myself especially attracted to these various talent contest type programs. I wish I could say it is only because I truly care about someone whom I’ve never met making it into the “Big...

Jimmy Buffett and Your Career

image: nolimitsyachts.com By Robert P. Poindexter ‘Waiting for the sails to fill’ is a line from one of my favorite Jimmy Buffett songs. The image it conjures up can be applied to so many of the moments in life that require patience. Each time I hear this song, I am reminded of the days I’ve sat...

Don’t Be a Cliché in Your Resume

image: blog.holidays.net By Robert P. Poindexter Sunday mornings around our house are usually spent lounging about with full cups of coffee, quietly checking emails and trying to decide how to spend the day without interfering with the football game. (I’m out of commission and worthless for at least...

Executive Resumes: Unique Career Vessels

Recently I was honored when Susan Ireland, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Perfect Resume, and a friend on Twitter. asked me to contribute to a blog post about executive resumes. Specifically, she challenged me to answer the question: “What makes an executive resume different from...

Resume Writing: LESS Is ‘Not’ Always MORE

I posted the following Tweet earlier this week: LESS is ‘not’ always more: provide meaningful, MEATY story content framed in a digestible, ‘newsy’ style. Following is the backstory for that assertion: When you’re a career resume strategist, the questions of resume format,...

Selecting a Resume Writer: Trust Your Intuition

Beyond offering superior word wrangling skills, resume writers should offer strategic thinking and visioning that supports their career transitioning client’s FUTURE. A recent Wall Street Journal blog post by Alina Dizik sparked yet another passionate conversation among careers pros and job seekers...