Write a Good Resume
It is no secret that many professional recruiters and veteran employers consider most resumes to be a ‘dime a dozen’ where originality, quality and innovation are concerned. Extreme competitiveness in the current job climate means hundreds of applicants can end up vying for one or two open positions. Therefore, it is essential to write a good resume that not only showcases your job-related skills, but just as importantly does so in a manner that positions you head and shoulders above all other applicants. If you want to know how to write a good resume, you should begin by:
- Choosing the right format. This includes choosing a chronological format to showcase a continuous work history, a functional format to minimize employment gaps or less experience, or a hybrid format combining both chronological and functional formats. For many retirees with solid pre-retirement work experience, a hybrid resume works well.
- Use a complimentary design skin. Although you want to stand out, if you are going to write a good resume, you should make sure your design skin does not distract from your value adding content.
- Being concise and specific. Remember, when you write a good resume you are not writing an autobiography. Share only relevant and pertinent, job-related information, as well as numbers or percentages when applicable to tangibly demonstrate measureable results.
- Paying attention to detail. Try not to mix past or present tenses, and refrain from passive phrases. For reference, a passive phrase is “cash handling and daily bank deposits performed,” while an active phrase is “performed cash handling and daily bank deposits.” Also, be sure to double check your resume for spelling and grammar errors. It is a good idea to have another person check for you, because automatic spelling and grammar checkers can miss fine details that could be deal breakers to a prospective employer.
We welcome you to visit our resume builder page to create a professional, modern and industry appropriate resume. If you keep the these tips in mind during your design process, you will write a good resume that will help you land a great part time or temporary retirement job.
Writing a Resume for Retirees
There is no way for us to know exactly why you are looking to rejoin the job market. Maybe you have grown restless with so much extra time on your hands--or maybe, and like many retirees in our current financial climate, your current retirement income does not afford you the financial ability to make your ends meet without extra income. In no way are we here to judge, but solely to support you. This is why we are sharing every possible advantage to help you land the perfect job.
With this in mind, it is important to understand that writing a resume for retirees should take into account the fact that sometimes, retirees are prejudiced against by recruiters and employers due to not fault of your own. We know, this stinks. But unfortunately it is true. Therefore, successfully writing a resume for retirees means not only displaying your job-specific skills and work history--but also doing so in a manner that alleviates prejudicial concerns recruiters or employers might have, before they will give you a chance to prove them wrong. Writing a good resume for retirees should include:
With this in mind, it is important to understand that writing a resume for retirees should take into account the fact that sometimes, retirees are prejudiced against by recruiters and employers due to not fault of your own. We know, this stinks. But unfortunately it is true. Therefore, successfully writing a resume for retirees means not only displaying your job-specific skills and work history--but also doing so in a manner that alleviates prejudicial concerns recruiters or employers might have, before they will give you a chance to prove them wrong. Writing a good resume for retirees should include:
- Showcasing your open mindedness and teamwork attitude. Some people mistakenly believe retirees, especially of the senior and boomer generations, can be difficult to work with, or have difficulty adapting to new situations. Writing a good resume for retirees means describing your social skills and flexibility, as well as your willingness to learn new things.
- Emphasize only relevant skill-sets and stick to a ‘need-to-know’ history. If you were an accountant for 30 years, but are now applying to work part time in a flower shop, the design course you took in college years back is more important to your prospective employer than your knowledge of tax laws. Your accounting background should be included, but only for context as to why you are reliable, and not detailed in depth.
- Match your language to the industry. If you are applying to work in a technologically savvy field, employ your knowledge of industry jargon to show that your skills are relevant. This is actually something you can exploit, because younger candidates are usually dissuaded from using the same tactic. However, for retired workers, this can be a great way to demonstrate your relevance, so long as you do not overdo it!
- Address previous employment gaps head-on. Finally, successfully writing a resume for retirees means being honest with prospective employers about employment gaps. If you had a solid, stable work history before retirement, but several years have passed since your career ended, discuss what you have done in the interim to keep your skills honed. If you were a homemaker who has not held a job outside of raising a family (which we understand is about as difficult a job as there is!), then discuss skills and talents like time management, working under pressure and multitasking. You can even discuss any social involvement experience, including participation in your children’s PTA association or recreational sports organizations.
We welcome you to visit our resume examples page to get some great ideas about how best to structure and populate your resume. If you keep these tips in mind, and remain steadfast in addressing them, you will be well on your way to successfully writing a resume for retirees.
These Resume Writing Tips Can Pay Off
Following the guidance our resume writing tips provide greatly increases your chances of landing the perfect part time or temporary retirement job. Although these resume writing tips do not guarantee success, we have seen them work for many people just like you. Adhering to these resume writing tips can even help you become known by other employers who know the prospective employer you initially queried.
For example, if the employer you query does not end up hiring you, but is impressed enough with your resume, he or she might just recommend you to another employer with a job opening you are a great fit for. This might seem unbelievable, but we have actually seen it happen multiple times!
Although there are never any guarantees, following these resume writing tips can help you maximize your job search effectiveness, and give you every opportunity to achieve post-retirement professional fulfillment.
For example, if the employer you query does not end up hiring you, but is impressed enough with your resume, he or she might just recommend you to another employer with a job opening you are a great fit for. This might seem unbelievable, but we have actually seen it happen multiple times!
Although there are never any guarantees, following these resume writing tips can help you maximize your job search effectiveness, and give you every opportunity to achieve post-retirement professional fulfillment.