ANSWERS TO A FEW QUESTIONS FROM THE JUNE OK CAREER CONFERENCE (PART 2 of 2)

My last column outlined several of the questions we addressed at the June Opportunity Knocks Career Conference in my sessions entitled, “How to Use Your Writing Skills to Find a Nonprofit Job.” Here are some more in that vein:

Q: How can I make my resume easy to skim?

You want to make sure you are not bombarding your reader with massive blocks of text, and that you are categorizing your experience appropriately. Use carefully selected and consistent columns, bolding, and italicizing. Think about ways you can break down large categories, such as “work experience,” into several smaller (and more skimmable) groups of related items. For example, if you are a consultant with many small gigs under your belt, group them accordingly instead of simply listing them in strict chronological order.

If you think the employer is skimming for a few specific keywords, make sure you include them. Make them stand out by starting or ending your sentences with them. You can also display them in bold type, but do so sparingly.

Q: I’m coming from a military background. Do you have any tips especially for me?

Watch out for military jargon that nonprofit folks might not understand. Translate your experience into everyday language and show how the skills you used are easily transferable. If you are not sure how to do this, describe your work to a civilian friend and find out what needs further explanation.

Q: How can I show increased responsibility at a single organization?

Start out the entry with the highest level of responsibility you attained, and then summarize how you were promoted from other job titles.

Q: How can I include my cross-cultural and travel experiences in my resume?
I
n today’s globalized world, cross-cultural experiences of any kind increase your value as an employee. If you have distinct travel, non-English language, or host family experiences, you can group them as their own category toward the bottom of your resume. If you have on-the-job experiences with co-workers of different cultures, you can mention that in the job entries.

Q: If I have a professional presence in online social networks, can that be part of my resume?

It definitely should be! You can list them as professional affiliations, and you should include the address for any of your online profiles (e.g., LinkedIn). Just watch out for any that may not be exclusively professional!

Q: I’m concerned about age discrimination. If I don’t want to list my graduation year, do I have to?

No, you don’t have to. Generally, I recommend putting dates on items in your resume from the last 15 years or so.

Q: I know that my cover letter should be only one page. But what about my resume?

The length of your resume is going to largely depend on the format you use and the requirements of the particular employer. You may be asked to fit your information into a pre-existing online form, with a restriction on the number of characters you can use.

But if you are submitting it as a PDF document attached to an email, you have a bit more flexibility. The key is to keep your resume concise, so aim for up to 2 pages. If you feel confident that the employer will continue to read past page 2, go for it. Just remember that the most important information should appear in the first 2 pages.

Q: What should I look out for when proofreading my resume and cover letter?

While your first proofing pass can be a simple computer spell-check, make sure you proofread at least once manually. I recommend printing out your piece, reading it aloud, and using a colored pen to mark your changes. Seeing your work on paper, and performing it as spoken word, can often make it much more real to you—as someone will actually read it.

Another idea is to set your computer monitor to display your document in large type, so you can see each letter up close and personal.

Read each syllable separately, and feel free to use a ruler or edge of a blank piece of paper to keep your place. After you make each correction, re-read the phrase or entire sentence to make sure it really makes sense in its new form.

Especially common are:

• Lists that don’t appear in parallel form
  
• Errors of punctuation, grammar, spelling
  
• Questionable numbers or dates
  
• Improper margins, tabs, headers, spacing, and page numbering
  
• Inconsistent fonts or other type treatments
  
• Troublesome line, paragraph, or page breaks
  

NOTE:For many more writing tips, check out my forthcoming book, Writing to Make a Difference: 25 Powerful Techniques to Boost Your Community Impact. If you pre-order right now, you will get a pre-publication discount of 15% at:http://www.dfmassachi.net/wmd.html

Dalya F. Massachi specializes in helping nonprofit professionals advance their missions through outstanding written materials. She has worked with community-minded organizations for more than 15 years: authoring countless successful marketing pieces, articles, and grant proposals; teaching popular writing workshops; and coaching professionals one-on-one.

Download her free tip sheets and subscribe to her free e-newsletter at:
http://www.dfmassachi.net
dalya@dfmassachi.net