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3 Ways Your Resume Makes You Look Old

3 Ways Your Resume Makes You Look Old
  • March 13th, 2024
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3 Ways Your Resume Makes You Look Old

For a variety of reasons, baby boomers are staying in the workforce a lot longer. However, this demographic faces a number of challenges, including experience discrimination, an issue where baby boomers struggle to get employment opportunities because millennials have enough relevant experience to be just as valuable, but at less of a cost.

Because the pool of baby boomer employees has grown so significantly, employers are starting to change their views on the 65 and up demographic, and are at least giving them a closer look. Just because you are of a certain age doesn’t mean your resume should reflect that age!

One of the keys to staying attractive to potential employers is to not look or act out of date—in person or on paper. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use a photo on your LinkedIn profile. Profiles without pictures only make recruiters and potential employers wonder what you may be hiding. And the truth is they are going to meet you during the interview process. So there’s no reason to hide.

Still, there are many ways you can date yourself without realizing it. Here are three ways your resume can make you look old.

Having An Objective Statement

Older man on laptop updates his resume so it doesn't make him look old

Over the years, styles change. You wouldn’t wear the same suit you wore 20 years ago. Unless you’re a collector, the car you’re driving looks a lot different too. The same is true for resumes. Having an objective statement on top of the resume used to be all the rage! They were used to let employers know that a candidate had some career direction.

Today, having an objective statement on your resume makes it seem obsolete. Maybe even worse than being outdated, an objective statement implies that your focus is on you.

Big mistake.

Like most of us, employers are listening to station WIIFM (what’s in it for me?). They want to know how you can solve their problems. Removing your objective statement and creating a succinct experience summary (a list of skills at the top of your resume) updates your resume and puts the focus on what you can do for the employer.

Having An Old-Fashioned Email Address

via GIPHY

Back in the 90s, having an AOL email address indicated that you were ahead of the curve, an early adopter of new technology. That was last century. Today having an AOL email address, even a Yahoo email address, makes you look decidedly outdated.

The trendy email address to have today is Gmail. The good news is that Gmail is free and easy to join. No need to eliminate that old AOL email address—use it to keep up with friends and family.

When you do create a new email address, opt for one that sounds professional. For example, your name or a variation of your name that will look appropriate on your resume. Cutesy email addresses like talketome@ or carguy@ are best kept for personal use.

Too Many Clichés

One thing that’s sure not to impress potential employers is a resume filled with clichés. Every day recruiters get resumes from out-of-the-box thinkers and team players. Tired phrases like detail-oriented or excellent communication skills are not likely to impress anyone either. Neither are bullets that begin with responsible for or duties included.

You’re much more likely to get a recruiter’s attention by including examples that actually show what you can do. That means a resume that highlights your skills and achievements. A resume that illustrates how you saved time, saved money, generated income, etc. for a previous employer.

Will making these changes make you look 20 years younger? Not likely. Nor should you want them to, particularly if you are looking for a more senior position. But they will keep your resume looking fresh and up to date.

Remember: Your resume may be the first time a potential employer meets you. Shouldn’t it reflect someone who’s on top of their game, who’s still relevant and in demand in their industry?

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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How To Answer “Why Should We Hire You?”

How To Answer “Why Should We Hire You?”
  • August 29th, 2023
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Every time you interview, your main purpose is to convince the employer to hire you. The job search is a sales process. The hiring manager (your future boss) is the “customer,” and you are both the sales rep and the product. Why should they choose you over all the other “products” out there?

During the interview process, the hiring manager might ask you, “Why should we hire you?” Here are some tips for how you can effectively answer this tough interview question and stand out from other job candidates:

Focus On What You Can Do For The Employer

Job candidate explains why the employer should hire her in a job interview

This question is actually a fantastic opportunity for you to summarize why you’d be a great hire.

Always focus your answer on what benefits you bring, what problems you can solve, and what solutions you can provide. Never, ever say that they should hire you because you need the job or because you really want it—or anything remotely related to your reasons for wanting the job. This is your chance to connect the dots and help the employer see why you’re the best person for the job.

Think about things you know the hiring manager (interviewer) is looking for—skill sets, background, character traits, personal qualities, education, experience, or anything else that will make you successful in this role. Relate your answer to these things.

Give An Example

Job candidate answers "Why should we hire you?" in a job interview

Explain how you meet the employer’s needs and give an example to support your answer.

Your answer should be framed like this: “You should hire me because you’ve said you want someone with A, B, and C. I fit all of your requirements. I have A (say what that is), B (maybe give an example), and C (elaborate further).”

This will help you stand out from the other candidates and it gives the employer a reason to hire you.

Keep The Job Description (And Your Skills!) In Mind

Typically, this question will come toward the end of the interview, so you can refer to what you’ve already talked about, or mention something new that you know they’d be interested in. If it comes in the beginning, use the job description and your research to answer:

  • Will this job require long hours? Mention your work ethic.
  • Will this job need someone with great communication skills? Give an example of yours.
  • Will this job need someone who can learn on the fly? Tell them how you’re going to get up to speed quickly and how you’ve learned and adapted before.
  • Does this job need someone with a particular background? Mention yours.
  • Do you have the skill set they want? Talk about your skill set and how you have been successful with it.

Give them examples of what you have achieved in the past. If you haven’t done this job before, talk about similar things you’ve done or qualities you have that will make you successful in this new role.

It’s never easy to answer “Why should we hire you?” in a job interview. However, if you do these three things, you’ll be able to articulate your skills, experience, and qualifications with ease. And you’ll impress the hiring manager in the process!

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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How To End Your Week On A Positive Note
  • May 5th, 2023
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As the workweek comes to a close (for most of us), I want to share a set of habits that have become an end-of-the-week routine for me. This routine has been key to ending my week on a positive note and “teeing up” a great start to the following week.

So, how do you end your week on a positive note? As we say at Work It Daily, it’s all about creating good habits.

Consider doing these three things before you leave work each Friday:

Habit #1: Write A Thank-You Note

Happy woman ends her week on a positive note

Reach out with a quick email or (better yet) a short thank-you note expressing gratitude for those who went out of their way to help you this week.

This is literally a 10-minute exercise that has powerful results. You’ll feel great in expressing thanks and the recipient will receive a nice message to end the week on. Who went out of their way to help you this week?

Habit #2: Reflect On Your Accomplishments

Man works on a project before leaving work

Make note of what you believe were your three greatest accomplishments over the past week. Embrace the sense of satisfaction and positive emotion associated with getting these important things done.

Connect this habit with the one above. Was there anyone who contributed significantly to your three greatest achievements? Follow up or reach out to those people with a word of thanks.

Habit #3: Set Goals For Next Week

Co-workers set goals for the next week during a work meeting

What are your three most important goals for next week? Write them down before you log off or leave the office, and visualize yourself reaching those goals. Think about what it will take for you to be successful the following week.

Do you have sufficient time set aside to accomplish those goals? Who do you need to solicit for help? (Go ahead and reach out and confirm their participation before you end this week.) What is the very next action associated with each of those goals, and do you have that task clearly identified on your calendar or task list with a due date?

Give these habits a try on Friday afternoons. If you see a positive effect, add other ones that are relevant to your situation. The message here is to begin a weekly routine that will help you end the week in a positive way and help you get clarity on the most important things for next week.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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How Recent Grads Can Quantify Their Accomplishments
  • April 27th, 2022
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Quantifying your accomplishments on a resume is very important since employers do not make important hiring decisions based on qualifications only. Recent college graduates often struggle with how to quantify their accomplishments. However, accomplishments aren’t only about big numbers—anything that contributes to the company’s goals is an achievement.

How To Quantify Your Accomplishments As A Recent College Grad

Even as an intern or recent college graduate, changing a process to improve the ease or speed of a task is an accomplishment. You should be able to find some achievements from your course or work experience. It is easy to impress the interviewer with examples of increasing profits, decreasing costs, or streamlining processes.

When asked about accomplishments, don’t say clichés answers like: I got 2:1 or I got a driver’s license. Having a degree is hardly going to make you stand out from the crowd. Ideally, you would want to mention something tangible that you can measure (e.g. if you raised money for charity, how much did you raise in the end?).

As with competency-based interviews that usually focus on behavioral questions, you should aim to use the STAR technique when quantifying your accomplishments.

  • Situation: Give the interviewer some context. Describe the situation and why the accomplishment was significant. Why was it difficult to achieve?
  • Task: What specifically did you aim to achieve?
  • Action: Explain what your specific actions were to achieve that goal.
  • Result: Make sure it is specific. If you’ve saved time or money or received great feedback, say it.

If you’re still struggling to come up with something, think about whether you’ve done any of these:

  • Trained for and finally completed a marathon or other sporting achievement
  • Set up a new student society or turned a struggling one into something more successful
  • Overcome a fear by completing something you were frightened of
  • Given a presentation at an event and got over public speaking worries
  • Raised a certain amount of money for charity
  • Helped others to succeed, for example, by teaching them a new skill

Here are some examples of quantified accomplishments for recent college grads:

  • Worked as a part of a team of students who created a multi-media campaign that increased student enrollment by 45%
  • Named class representative of 5,000 students during final year at college, owing to consistently acquiring “A” grades and exceptional personal conduct
  • Streamlined 3 university admissions office procedures by introducing centralized online enrollment procedures
  • Received 8 awards for drama and music during the 4 years spent at college
  • Attained the Dean’s Award for Excellence following distinctions in 5 languages and 3 sports

You can choose a professional accomplishment that’s related to the role, such as exceeding sales targets in your part-time job, but you don’t have to—it’s more important that it’s an achievement you’re genuinely proud of.

Good luck quantifying your accomplishments on your resume! We’re here for you if you need any more help navigating the post-grad job search.

In fact, we’d love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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