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September 08, 2021

Is your resume out of date?

Job searching is no walk in the park.

Even without the recession, as we discussed last month, it’s become a very precarious affair. One off-comment here or a botched approach there and your prospects are toast. I’m sorry, we’ve decided to go another way. Thanks for your interest in the position.

But even just getting an interview these days is tough, making that resume and cover letter all the more important.

In order to get past the recruiters and HR denizens, those pieces of paper need to speak volumes about who you are and what you can do.

So it’s worth looking, in 2009, to make sure your resume hasn’t become as dated as The Net.

The gang at DivineCaroline.com have come up with Five Signs Your Resume is Passe, and you might be stunned at how many faux pas’ yours might commit.

Here are their five:

1. You’ve forced it to fit onto one page.
2. You list an objective.
3. You write ‘Reference available upon request’ at the bottom.
4. You attach it to your email as a Word document.
5. You list every job you’ve ever had in chronological order.

Sound familiar or what? I can recall, at a time, coming up through the ranks at school and being encouraged to perform precisely every no-no on that resume list. It was just the way things were done.

Now, concise is the name of the game. “In the olden days, the person with the most experience got the job. Nowadays, the person who’s most talented, has the most relevant skill set, and has proven to be most valuable to his or her former employer gets the job.

“If you want to be that person, make sure your resume says so. Don’t list jobs that are irrelevant to the one you’re applying for just to fill up space. Instead, expand on the jobs that are relevant. Focus on measurable achievements in each role as opposed to a play-by-play of your daily responsibilities.”

By Jason Buckland, MSN Money

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Gordon PowersGordon Powers

A long-time fund company executive, Gordon Powers now heads up the Affinity Group, a financial services consulting firm. Gordon was a personal finance columnist for the Globe & Mail for many years, has taught retirement planning...

James HaversJames Havers

James is the senior editor of MSN Money living in Toronto. He has worked for the Nikkei Shimbun (Tokyo), canoe.ca, AOL.ca, Canadian Business and other publications. Havers turned to journalism after teaching overseas.

Jason BucklandJason Buckland

The modern-day MC Hammer of money, Jason can often be seen spending cash that isn’t his with the efficiency of a Wilt Chamberlain first date. After cutting his teeth as a reporter for the Toronto Sun, he joined the MSN Money team with...