If you’ve been thinking about submitting your resume for a free critique on this thread, please note that I am closing the offer on April 1. Resumes submitted after April 1 will not be critiqued. I will re-open this offer when my schedule gets less hectic.

Thanks for the incredible response — I enjoyed critiquing all of the resumes that were posted!

If you missed this offer, here’s an article that provides alternative resources for critiques: Top 8 Resources for a Resume Critique

Best wishes,

Kim Isaacs

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Check out my latest Monster podcast on one of my favorite subjects: How to Write a Cover Letter for Your Career Change.

No cover letter templates, please! You’ve got to write from the heart. Click here to listen to the podcast.

Best wishes,

Kim Isaacs

P.S.: I’ve been offering free resume critiques for more than a month now, and I’m about to close the offer because my schedule is getting super crazy. So if you haven’t yet submitted your resume for a free critique, hop on over to this thread and follow the instructions for posting your resume. Hope to see you there! - Kim

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How are leprechauns able to achieve such great success? With a great resume, of course. Here’s our take on a resume for Lawrence “Lucky” Leprechaun. While the resume sample was written in fun, there are some good resume writing lessons: Include a career goal, emphasize accomplishments, include volunteer activities, and downplay deficiencies (no mention of mischief here).

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Kim Isaacs

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Here’s a link to another Fox Business News segment with host Anna Gilligan. The topic is the importance of paying attention to and building an online identity that can help you advance your career. More and more employers and recruiters are using the internet to learn about potential hires, so it’s important that they find positive information about you. Don’t get left the dust because employers couldn’t find you on the internet, or worse, they find information that makes them not want to hire you.

Best wishes,

Kim Isaacs

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Resumes are my passion — I enjoy writing about resume strategies and educating people about how to create a winning resume. But I’ve found that it’s one thing to read an article or a snippet of advice that may or may not apply to you, and quite another to get customized feedback on how to improve your document. I also think that people are faced with very different challenges, and need advice that is tailored for their special situations.

Are you sending your resume out and then listening to the crickets chirp as you get no response?

Do you feel like you might be missing opportunities because your resume doesn’t “sell” your credentials?

Are you watching other job seekers get interviews and offers, while you sit by the phone and wait for it to ring?

It’s probably not you — it’s probably your resume! Don’t let that little old document stand in the way of your success. It’s worth taking the time to polish that baby up and see how your job search can change. The best advice I can give is that you should hire a certified professional resume writer to create a resume that works for you. If you’re not going to do that (but you should if you can), I’m offering to review your resume for free on on this blog post:

Free Resume Critique from Kim Isaacs, ResumePower.com

I will close this offer in the near future, so if you haven’t already done so, feel free to post your resume for a free review. If you decide to submit your resume, please follow the instructions for posting your information anonymously.

All the best,

Kim Isaacs

P.S.: Is the picture of a cricket gross? I was in the mood to bug you today, ha ha ha.

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Race, Sex and Religion on Your Resume: How Personal Is Too Personal?
by Kim Isaacs

You’re probably aware that hiring managers cannot ask discriminatory questions during interviews. But this legal protection isn’t too useful in preventing discrimination before the interview. If your resume contains personal information unrelated to your job target — your race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, etc. — you might fall victim to discrimination, even if you’re qualified for the position.

Your resume is a marketing tool designed to get your foot in the door, so every bit of information on it should be selling your value to potential employers. Follow these guidelines to ensure your resume only contains personal information relevant to your job target.

Personal Information That May Be Omitted

• Affiliations, Volunteer Work, Extracurricular Activities and Hobbies: You may leave out organization names that disclose your cultural background, religious affiliation, sexual orientation and other possible targets of discrimination. List only experiences that help sell you as a candidate for your targeted job.
• Languages: Listing your native language may reveal your nationality. Include only languages that add to your qualifications for the job. In certain cases, knowing a second language is a plus and should be included on your resume.
• Personal Information: With the exception of federal or state jobs, which may require this information, and entertainment jobs, for which personal attributes would be considered bona fide qualifications, your date of birth, marital status, nationality, etc., should be omitted.

Personal Information That Should Be on Your Resume

• Your Name: You can’t pick a new name in hopes of getting more interviews unless you have legally changed it.
• Your Employers: If you worked for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, for example, you shouldn’t hide your employer’s name and misrepresent your work history.
• Schools Attended: Even if your postsecondary school has a religious affiliation, you should include the school name in your Education section.
• Work Experience or Training in Foreign Countries: Include all work and educational experiences, as long as they are relatively recent.

Deciding What to Include

• Think About It: Will revealing the information in question highlight skills that would qualify you for the position? For example, if you’re pursuing a management position and held leadership roles with religious organizations, consider including these experiences.
• Target Your Audience: If you’re applying for a position with the American Civil Liberties Union, for instance, your resume may highlight your cultural background, involvement in related organizations and diversity-related accomplishments. If you don’t know the organization’s culture or the hiring manager’s possible biases, omit personal information that will not add to your qualifications.
• Bear in Mind the Prospective Employer’s Geographic Location: In some communities, involvement in civic or religious groups is highly desirable and including your related experience on your resume would enhance your credentials.
• Evaluate Your Personal Preferences: The this-is-me-take-it-or-leave-it attitude may leave you hungry when looking for a job in a world where discrimination still exists. You don’t want to lose a chance at your dream job because of a hiring manager’s possible biases. You may or may not report to the person once hired, anyway.

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Copyright 2008- Monster Worldwide, Inc. All Rights Reserved. You may not copy, reproduce or distribute this article without the prior written permission of Monster Worldwide. This article first appeared on Monster, the leading online global network for careers. To see other career-related articles visit http://content.monster.com.
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This article was written by Kim Isaacs, director of ResumePower.com and author of The Career Change Resume book. Visit the ResumePower.com site to learn more about resume services to jump-start your career.

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