Resumes For Dummies

by Laura DeCarlo

Master the art of resume writing and boost your chances of getting hired

With unemployment rates still running high, getting an edge up on the competition in your field—whatever it may be—can be an intimidating and exhausting undertaking. Luckily, Resumes For Dummies is here to serve as your life raft as you navigate the murky waters of a modern-day job search. Inside, you'll find expert guidance on writing a winning resume that will set you head and shoulders above the crowd to land that elusive interview and get the job of your dreams.

There's nothing easy and breezy about looking for a new job—whether you currently have one or not. But rather than succumbing to the panic that might convince you to hide under the covers, Resumes For Dummies arms you with the confidence you need to write a resume that will have prospective employers knocking your at your door.

Includes tips on avoiding common resume-writing mistakes Provides updates on the latest changes in the job market that you'll need to take into account when writing a resume Outlines how to approach a lay-off in a professional light Covers how to confront privacy and reputation issues in online social job search

Whether you're a recent graduate, second-timer looking for your next job, prime-timer who hasn't job-searched in decades, or the unfortunate victim of a lay-off, Resumes For Dummies takes the fear out of putting your skills on paper and sets you on the path to getting your foot in the door—and landing the job of your dreams.

Genres: Nonfiction

360 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 8, 2015

Reviews

[Neil R. Coulter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like all For Dummies books, this one is perfectly fine. As an editor, I sometimes read through books like this to make sure I'm giving my clients the best, most current advice—and it's good to keep my own resume updated.

Two issues with this book:

1. A lot of the sample resumes in the back of the book look (to me) really boring, and some look cluttered or disorganized.

2. Most of the same information, written more concisely and engagingly, is covered by The Interview Guys website, which is always current and free.

[Alison McKinley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is full of resume examples and is well written for the newbies in the resume writing sphere, such as students, for instance. If you are an experienced candidate and want to update your resume, I guess this book will be not that useful. However, there are many other ways to get your resume fixed or improved. For example, https://resumeperk.com/ editors provide a free resume review option, as well as can edit your professional cv or resume. It is a good chance to get expert assistance online, I think

[Ivy Weston · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good advice overall but the sample resumes are all so busy! I can’t imagine employers would read them. The author advocates brevity and readability and keyword scannability but the examples all have boxes, multiple sections with centering and check marks, and even bar charts. The creative-job resumes all have graphics. Wouldn’t that all mush together when scanned? So overall, a confusing book.

[Collette · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lots of example resumes and probably a good book if you are creating a resume for the first time. I personally didn’t find it that useful.

[Bernie4444 · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you think you know resumes you may be in for a surprise

This is a new look at today’s resumes. All the old resumes, theories, and targeting tricks still work. This book helps with new with dispersing and quickly modifying the target.

There are lots of things to be aware of when designing resumes. At the same time, this book will make you gutsy. Remember anything you put out on the net stays on the net. Also, you will find people asking for word format with no pictures and odd symbols or graphs. (Some people use scanning computers).

There is a nice little section called wow words that is worth noticing if you are making resumes with specific industry targets in mind.