Your resume is usually the first thing potential employers look at when evaluating your application, and it’s a crucial piece to have during the job searching process. In addition, LinkedIn profiles are becoming increasingly popular tools for professionals to network and showcase their job skills.

Whether you’re looking for an entry-level position or are someone with more experience, a resume consultation can help you create an impressionable resume or LinkedIn profile.

Document Your Job Skills and Experiences Effectively

Knowing how to effectively talk about your job skills and experiences is key when job searching. Many people just need the opportunity to interview with a prospective employer to sell themselves. Nevertheless, you may have trouble expressing your professional achievements in a written format.

Some candidates turn to resume templates — also called “cookie-cutter” resumes — to help them with their resume writing. Unfortunately, this is a big mistake. Not only are these templates boring but they also offer no guidance on presenting the unique value that you bring to the table. 

Scheduling a resume consultation with Capstone Resume Services can help you create the well-written resume you need to stand out with potential employers. Capstone focuses on a consultative approach with its clients instead of just focusing on churning out projects. When you have a consultation with Capstone, you can talk about your experiences freely and leave it to one of our certified resume writers to create your optimized resume.  

Include All Your Achievements and Innovations

As an aspiring professional, you may possess a wide array of job skills that employers desire. However, your current resume may not include the full spectrum of this important information. This could be leading you to miss out on many great job opportunities.

Prospective employers tend to focus on resumes that showcase a candidate’s achievements and personal approach to their work. Career achievements and innovations can demonstrate important strengths including problem-solving and leadership. 

Capstone Resume Services can help you create a unique resume that fully demonstrates your skills and abilities. With its consultative approach, a resume consultation with Capstone will assist you in communicating the full range of your accomplishments and defining your personal brand. 

Choosing the Right Company for a Resume Consultation

Even if you realize that you need a resume consultation for your resume or LinkedIn profile, you may be wondering how to go about selecting a resume service company. There are many companies to choose from, and it can be difficult to determine which ones are the best, and unfortunately, it can be very easy to end up working with a company that provides mediocre results for its clients.

In spite of claiming to offer professional services, most resume services companies operate using a product-based business model. Many of them won’t arrange a phone call between the writer and the client and will simply rearrange words in a different format to create a “new” resume.

Unlike most of the competition, Capstone Resume Services not only provides professional services but also takes the time to talk to you even before you make any payments. 

Effectively Communicate Your Unique Mindset and Attributes

As anyone with a little bit of job hunting experience knows, employers want to know what value a candidate brings to the table. Your resume or LinkedIn profile should be thought of as a value proposition. 

You are unique, and your resume should reflect that. Having a resume that emphasizes your special skills and abilities can help you to stand out as a candidate. If you just use a template for your resume writing, it will be very difficult to convey this important information.

Arranging a resume consultation with Capstone Resume Services will help you create a resume that properly demonstrates your value. Capstone will help you understand your unique approach to your work, as everyone works differently. This will also provide its writers with more insight into how your diverse mindset and attributes help set you apart from other job candidates.

Craft the Perfect Resume or LinkedIn Profile With Capstone

Resume consultations are very important. A well-written resume will lead to more interview opportunities for rewarding positions and careers.

Whether you are creating your very first resume or you have an old LinkedIn profile in need of an update, Capstone Resume Services has the help you need to meet your career goals. To schedule a resume consultation, contact Capstone today by calling at 650-445-5301 or request a consultation on our website.  

When you’re looking for a new job, your resume is the first thing a potential employer uses to evaluate you. Listing your most relevant skills and accompanying keywords helps your resume stand out and makes it less likely to be filtered out by an applicant tracking system. But it’s possible to write yourself out of a job by including the wrong information on your resume. ‌

So, what should not be included in a resume so that you can improve your chances of getting your dream job? To create an optimal resume presentation that makes you stand out, omit the following items:

#1 Leave Out Your Irrelevant Work History

‌If you’re applying for an entry level position or if you’re new to your chosen industry, it’s easier to keep your resume under a page. For more established professionals, it’s tempting to include every position you’ve ever had along with lengthy descriptions of each job. 

‌‌More concise yet powerful resumes are easier to scan for relevant information. When describing your applicable positions and skills, stick with more details for your most recent work history (8-10 years) and highlight transferable skills from other jobs. Potential employers want to hire you based on what they perceive your current skill set to be, and that is why your experience in the last decade is weighed the most. 

#2 Check For Grammatical Errors and Misspellings

‌Before sending your resume to any job posting, proofread it for mistakes. Keep in mind that resume language is different from prose, but blatant misspellings and grammatical errors need to be corrected. Spelling and grammatical errors signal a lack of attention to detail, and they are an easy way to weed out applicants. Any kind of spelling and grammatical errors can be a deciding factor in whether or not you get an interview. 

If you’re not comfortable proofing your own resume, have someone look it over before using it to apply for jobs. ‌Reading your resume out loud can help you restructure your job descriptions and accomplishment statements so they flow. 

#3 Don’t Add Photos

‌It can be tempting to add a headshot to your resume, but it’s not necessary. Photos take up space that can be used to show your pertinent skills. Some applicant tracking systems can’t read photos, so adding one to your resume could get it tossed before the hiring manager ever sees it. 

‌‌You likely have a professional headshot on your LinkedIn profile, and if an employer is interested in you, they will probably look there (pro tip: it helps if you include a hyperlink to your profile on your resume header). Don’t waste space on your resume, and instead focus on showcasing why you’re the best applicant for the job. 

#4 Ensure Your Formatting Is Reader Friendly

Are you using big blocks of text? Or perhaps you’re trying to include too much information to ensure you have the best chances of landing your dream position? In order to ‘wow’ your recruiter, your resume should have a friendly reader experience, and wordiness will only distract from this mission. Since most recruiters scan resumes for the right skills in a matter of seconds, the last thing you would want is to cause overwhelm and confusion.

The best course of action is to use as few words as possible to demonstrate your value as an employee. Eliminate any distractions, such as competing visuals, and ensure that there is plenty of white space that acts as a border between various positions. To ensure clarity, make sure each line logically leads to the next in terms of meaning, chronology, and 

#5 Steer Clear of Buzzwords

Although your resume should include targeted keywords that match the job for which you’re applying, steer clear of buzzwords. These are words or phrases that are overused and end up cluttering your resume. Examples of buzzwords include: 

• ‌Extensive experience
• ‌Expert
• ‌Team player
• ‌Dynamic
• ‌Hard-working
• Diligent
• Strategic
• Focused
• Passionate

‌‌This is not a comprehensive list of general buzzwords to avoid. Your resume should be tailored to your desired position and adding words like those listed above just serves as fluff or filler. Instead of peppering your resume with buzzwords, use actionable language to illustrate your skills and experience. 

‌#6 Leave Out The Objective Statement

‌Whether to include an objective statement on your resume has been a debatable topic lately. Some resume experts stand by the objective statement, while others say you can scrap it in favor of a value proposition or similar language.

‌‌If you choose to keep your objective statement, don’t be generic with it. Use this statement to summarize who you are and how you can add value to the company in your desired role. Tailor it to the position you are applying for. 

#7 Avoid Generic Job Descriptions

‌When describing your previous work experience, emphasize your accomplishments and demonstrate how you achieved results for your employer. Everyone performs differently in their roles. This is a way to show what you did in the role and approached the work. Simply including a list of duties and tasks you performed at your job doesn’t illustrate your skills. Copying a job description is bland and outdated.

‌‌Include specific examples of how you contributed to your company while doing your job. Instead of writing “responsible for managing the filing system,” use actionable language and show your results. Try: “Implemented a new filing system leading to a 20% reduction in research times.” 

#8 Your Salary History

‌Most companies don’t negotiate salary until after the first interview. Including your salary history can exclude you from the applicant pool. It can also negatively impact your ability to negotiate. If your noted salary history is lower than comparable job descriptions, the company may try to start you at a pay that is too low. 

#9 Your Personal Information

As tempting as it can be to humanize yourself to your potential employer, including personal information in your resume is definitely a no-no and can paint you as someone with weak personal boundaries. Steer clear of volunteering any information about your living address, marital status, sexual orientation, political preferences, non-professional abilities, and likes and dislikes. 

Remember, resumes are tools that don’t pitch you as a person but rather your skills as a potential asset to an organization. When it comes to connecting with a new employer, do keep the boundaries between your personal and professional life clear and focus on your skills instead of who you are as a person. Once you land that job, then you can impress everyone with your personality!

How to Stand Out With Your Resume

Having been in the industry for some time, we have seen all kinds of resume no-nos and helped correct them so that our clients’ resumes stand out and help them land their dream jobs. Over time, we’ve discovered what works and what doesn’t to maximize on their hiring success. 

Here are just a few of some of our incredibly helpful resources that can help you write a stand out resume and expedite your job search:

Common Resume Questions Answered

How to Showcase Your Individual Approach and Define Your Professional Brand

What’s the Most Important Part of Your Resume? The Answers May Suprise You

Get Your Resume and LinkedIn Profile Noticed With Keyword Optimization

Craft The Perfect Resume With Capstone

‌There are many ways to structure your resume, and your applicable skills and job titles can vary based on your desired position. You may think that your resume highlights valuable skills and shows how you can benefit a company, but it might not have the right value proposition or include correct keywords for your desired role. 

We can help you decide what to include in your resume and which items to remove. Likewise, we can polish up your value proposition and help you highlight your most relevant skills for the dream position you had in mind. Schedule your consultation today with Capstone Resume Services!

Leave Out Your Entire Work History

‌If you’re applying for an entry level position or if you’re new to your chosen industry, it’s easier to keep your resume under a page. For more established professionals, it’s tempting to include every position you’ve ever had along with lengthy descriptions of each job. 

‌‌More concise yet powerful resumes are easier to scan for relevant information. When describing your applicable positions and skills, stick with more details for your most recent work history (8-10 years) and highlight transferable skills from other jobs. Potential employers want to hire you based on what they perceive your current skill set to be, and that is why your experience in the last decade is weighed the most. 

Check For Grammatical Errors and Misspellings

‌Before uploading your resume to any job posting, proofread it for mistakes. Keep in mind that resume language is different from prose, but blatant misspellings and grammatical errors need to be corrected. Spelling and grammatical errors signal a lack of attention to detail, and they are an easy way to weed out applicants. Any kind of spelling and grammatical errors can be a deciding factor in whether or not you get an interview. 

If you’re not comfortable proofing your own resume, have someone look it over before using it to apply for jobs. ‌Reading your resume out loud can help you restructure your job descriptions and accomplishment statements so they flow. 

Don’t Add Photos

‌It can be tempting to add a headshot to your resume, but it’s not necessary. Photos take up space that can be used to show your pertinent skills. Some applicant tracking systems can’t read photos, so adding one to your resume could get it tossed before the hiring manager ever sees it. 

‌‌You likely have a professional headshot on your LinkedIn profile, and if an employer is interested in you, they will probably look there(pro tip: it helps if you include a hyperlink to your profile). Don’t waste space on your resume, and instead focus on showcasing why you’re the best applicant for the job. 

Steer Clear of Buzzwords

Although your resume should include targeted keywords that match the job for which you’re applying, steer clear of buzzwords. These are words or phrases that are overused and end up cluttering your resume. Examples of buzzwords include: 

• ‌Extensive experience
• ‌Expert
• ‌Team player
• ‌Dynamic
• ‌Hard-working

‌‌This is not a comprehensive list of general buzzwords to avoid. Your resume should be tailored to your desired position and adding words like those listed above just serves as fluff or filler. Instead of peppering your resume with buzzwords, use actionable language to illustrate your skills and experience. 

‌Leave Out The Objective Statement

‌Whether to include an objective statement on your resume has been a debatable topic lately. Some resume experts stand by the objective statement, while others say you can scrap it in favor of a value proposition or similar language.

‌‌If you choose to keep your objective statement, don’t be generic with it. Use this statement to summarize who you are and how you can add value to the company in your desired role. Tailor it to the position you are applying for. 

Avoid Generic Job Descriptions

‌When describing your previous work experience, emphasize your accomplishments and demonstrate how you achieved results for your employer. Everyone performs differently in their roles. This is a way to show what you did in the role and approached the work. Simply including a list of duties and tasks you performed at your job doesn’t illustrate your skills. Copying a job description is bland and outdated.

‌‌Include specific examples of how you contributed to your company while doing your job. Instead of writing “responsible for managing the filing system,” use actionable language and show your results. Try: “Implemented a new filing system leading to a 20% reduction in research times.” 

Your Salary History

‌Most companies don’t negotiate salary until after the first interview. Including your salary history can exclude you from the applicant pool. It can also negatively impact your ability to negotiate. If your noted salary history is lower than comparable job descriptions, the company may try to start you at a pay that is too low. 

Craft The Perfect Resume With Capstone

‌There are many ways to structure your resume, and your applicable skills and job titles can vary based on your desired position. You may think that your resume highlights valuable skills and shows how you can benefit the company, but it might not have the right keywords for your desired position. 

Capstone Resumes Services can help you decide what to include in your resume and which items to remove. We can help you highlight your best skills, schedule your consultation today. 

Did you know that many resume writing companies don’t even speak with you before they begin writing your resume? There’s no conversation beforehand about your experience, accomplishments, and goals. Chances are you won’t even know the name of the person writing your resume. They simply write it from the information you provide them and send it over to you in the form of a finished product.

At Capstone, we do things completely differently. We believe in a consultative approach to resume writing. In fact, we’ve been told it’s why many of our clients chose us – because we took the time to get to know them.

We Write Content From The Words You Tell Us

Chances are you’ve made the decision to hire a resume writing service because you know how to tell someone about your experience, but you don’t know how to put it all into a professional document. It can be challenging to reflect on your years of experience and accomplishments and then decide what is important to highlight and what can be left out. Especially if you’ve been in the professional world for a while.

That’s where we come in. At Capstone, we believe in a client-centric approach to resume writing. Unlike most resume writing companies, we take the time to have an in-depth conversation with you before we receive any form of payment at all. In fact, we don’t even begin the writing process until we’ve had a one-on-one consultation with you. Why? Because we want you to feel confident that the certified professional resume writer you are working with has a clear picture of your career history and background and fully understands your resume needs.

5 Benefits of a Consultative Approach to Resume Writing

• Strategy – During our consultation conversation, we will come up with a content strategy that ensures your resume accurately reflects who you are. Our goal is that you end the call feeling confident about the strategy we have in place.
• Understanding – If a resume writer doesn’t understand who you are, the professional experience you have, and what you’re trying to accomplish with your resume, they won’t be able to accurately showcase who you are. The only way to achieve this level of understanding is to have an in-depth conversation. We ask the right questions about your professional career experience to create new and compelling content that will make you stand out amongst the candidate pool.
• Confidence – At the end of your consultation, you should be confident in the ability of the certified resume writer who is working on your document. We will not simply be editing the resume you already have – that’s not writing. Instead, we’ll craft a new custom professional resume that paints you in the best light, showcasing your professional experience and telling a story of your achievements.
• Accessibility – As part of our consultative resume writing service, we ensure you have a way to access your resume writer throughout the resume development process. Our top priority is ensuring you feel your voice is heard and that we meet your resume needs.
• Success – We take the time to get to know you to get it right the first time. At the end of the resume writing process, we will deliver a completed professional resume that meets your needs. If needed, we provide one round of revisions to ensure you’re completely happy with the finished product. The end goal is a resume that stands out to recruiters and hiring managers, ultimately helping you land your dream job.

Capstone Resume Services specializes in a wide variety of resume services. Whether you’re looking for a professional resume, LinkedIn profile, or professional cover letter, we’re the resume writing company for you.

Ready to take the next step on your career path? Schedule your one-on-one resume consultation today!