For What It's Worth: Resumes

WSVN -- We've all heard the saying "a picture's worth a thousand words," and, for a potential employer, that picture is your resume.

Michele Tur: "You want to make a good impression from the way that you're dressed to the way that you speak, to the way that your resume presents itself."

Michelle Tur is the office manager for a busy medical practice.

Michele Tur: "We have to hire more and more people to make the practice grow and be more successful."

But before she ever sits down for a face to face, Michelle looks over the resume to see how the person looks on paper.

Michele Tur: "You want to make sure that that person is dedicated and detail oriented, and that they're qualified for their job and their qualifications and experiences matches that."

And you don't have much time to make a good first impression.

Allie Jablon: "A hiring manager is going to look over that resume in a matter of seconds and determine whether or not that candidate is worthy of an employment."

Seven's financial expert Allie Jablon says there are some real life resume blunders you should always avoid if you want a shot at that dream job.

First, remember to cross your "T"s and dot your "I"s.

Allie Jablon: "Eighty-four percent of hiring managers said that a typo is enough to remove a candidate from possible employment."

And another set of eyes is always better than one.

Allie Jablon: "Give your resume to a friend or family member to review prior to submitting your resume for employment."

Next, keep it simple: You don't need to include personal information like age, race or marital status.

Allie Jablon: "These are all things that are personal and often don't relate to the job you're applying for."

Also, remember that a resume is all about selling yourself. So make sure to highlight the info that will help you stand out.

Allie Jablon: "If you have a graduate degree or an MBA you may want to put that before your work experience, because that's a hot selling point."

And last, but not least, keep it short.

Allie Jablon: "In general, I recommend keeping your resume between 700 to one thousand words, and if you need to go over to a second page, it's not the end of the world."

Michelle agrees, and says that, at the end of the day, following these resume rules will get you one step closer to landing the job.

Michele Tur: "We want the most qualified person who would best suit the practice."

And, Allie says, never send a resume without a cover letter. That letter should point out specific skills you have that makes you the perfect candidate for the job.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Allie Jablon
www.alliejablon.com