5 Tips For a Better Resume

about a year ago i wrote a piece on interviewing, now it's time to focus on the resume; because without a good resume there is no interview. over the past few months i have seen more resumes than i would like to admit and yet interviewed maybe a handful of people…that's a pretty shitty ratio. for the record i am like the fairy godmother of good deeds, i want to see everyone make it so i have actually gone back and told folks where their resumes need work. i am also infamous for having resume dates and cleaned up resumes to ensure they get noticed, so it's only fair i share some knowledge. side note i am really annoyed with some of these colleges charging all this damn tuition and not ensuring their students and grads have a killer resume. 

1. "don't judge a book by its cover" a motto that is very true when it comes to a books and people, not resumes. make sure your resume is not an eye sore, take pride in what goes on that piece of paper because that paper is representing you! make it clean, bold, and uniform. ensure that the colors, font, and spacing is consistent throughout the resume. i have come across resumes where someone probably copied and pasted a bit and some words were one font (times new roman, green, bold, size 11) and two lines later it is completely different (arial, blue, italic, size 8)…that's sloppy and is a reflection of your work. guess what happens after that…nothing, you will not get a call back! make sure to proof read,  i get it, resume writing feels like torture and once you get the last word on the page you don't want to see it again. however, if you don't go back and proof read you'll never get past the resume step! here are the most common mistakes:
   1. typos! spell check people, that red squiggly line is there for a reason. you don't even have to look it up your computer/phone does the work for you…fix it! 
   2. contact information. imagine you had a killer resume and the employer goes to the header (which should be your name and contact information) and dials your number only to find out it's the wrong number or they send you an email to schedule and interview and get a bounce back. proof read!
   3. grammar. know the difference between "to/too", "than/then", "we're/were" (ps the blue squiggly line under your words is grammar check, use it)! also, make sure you're using the correct tense when speaking about your experience - example: if it was a job you had write in past tense "-ed" and keep it consistent throughout the resume. be sure to remember those pronouns, capitalize "street, avenue, high school, university, etc".
2. "short and sweet" first and foremost a one page resume is common knowledge and a rule when submitting a resume, so show that you following directions and keep it on one page!  remember you are one of many applicants so the person reviewing your applications just wants to get the point not read your life story (save that for the interview). like most things in life it's quality over quantity so make sure that what you have on that page really showcases your skills and experience. use keywords from the job description listed because; when looking at resumes some employers are literally just scanning to find those key words then they get passed up the ladder for further review. if you don't abide by the rules (one page) when submitting a resume nobody is going to think you'll do so on the job (maybe i'm being a bit dramatic but you get my point!).
3. "mix it up" chances are your job history is pretty consistent and you're "excellent" at all of your listed skills; so it can tricky  to not sound like a broken record when listing your experience but try not to. a thesaurus will be your best friend here so you can remove the 10 "excellent" and replace with "highly seasoned" and "extensive knowledge"…see what i did there? however while you're mixing it up with your words, make sure to...
4. "keep it relevant" while it's absolutely amazing that you know cpr and can lift heavy equipment it has absolutely nothing do with that behind the desk sales job you're applying for! like i mentioned in point 2 a resume needs to be one page so make the most of the space. if you've had 10 jobs before the one your applying for only include those that are most relevant. or if you did absolutely everything at any given job (i've been there) don't have 15 bullet points figure out how to sum it up (challenging, annoying, but worth it). also, make sure your objective is relevant to the position you are applying for (the objective should be altered for every job you apply for). do not have an objective that reads you are eager to learn about the medical field and saving lives if you are applying for a position in hospitality! 
5. "sell yourself" this is your first and maybe only opportunity to get noticed. it's not necessarily fair but it's a fact so deal with it and make it work! your resume should tell a story about you, your experience, and what you have accomplished. don't just bullet point "i did this, i did that" explain what you did and how it impacted the company. for example "created a weekly sales report that was distributed company wide and increased sales by 25% within the first quarter". bam! 

again i know resume writing is comparable to getting a paper cut, it freaking sucks but there is no way around it. even if you know someone who can land you an interview they'll still ask you to bring in your resume...you cannot escape it! your resume is your first step at your dream job, it is the first encounter your future employer has with you...make it count! feel free to shoot me a message if you have any questions or need guidance. now work it! 

her story

i write to express myself, release emotions, and share my experiences for better or worse…it's raw and genuine. i have been asked several times "can i write on your site" and i wasn't sure how i felt about that until now; it's only fair that i pay it forward and allow my amazing readers a place to feel free. here is the first submission…what a brave soul. my heart is full knowing that you felt safe & comfortable enough to share your story with me and brave & strong enough to share with the world! 

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Please don’t get it twisted. I’m not an attention seeking chic looking for her 15 mins of fame, and I’m not a victim wanting justice for a crime committed years ago. I am simply me. I’d like to raise awareness for all the young women out there whom do not know it could happen to them. Or, for the women who have their own story to tell, yet can’t find a voice. Jacqueline’s raw journey with Endometriosis has inspired me to write my own tale. Please take a moment, read my story, (without judgement) tell the tale, or keep it to yourself…either way, 1 more person who knows, is 1 more person walking with eyes wide open.

I was 19, carefree, and strong. I thought nothing could break me down, scare me, or put me on pause. I was fearless. I came from an extremely strict household, I was never the type of girl that could go out when she felt like it, even with notice. I was in my second year of college, working retail, when the most amazing looking young hispanic man with blue green eyes came in. I was so shy. I had just lost all of my baby weight so I was looking cute, yet I never thought he would speak to me, but he did. He asked me for my number, and I didn't hesitate to give it to him. I couldn’t believe he was interested. We talked here and there. Never really went out, he visited me in the store a few times until finally….we decided to go to the movies. I felt on cloud nine. 

That night plans changed from going to the movies, to watching the movie in his house. “Don't worry my mom is home.” Now, I know what you're thinking…”here we go,” but hello, his mom is home….harmless. He picked me up from work, we got to his house, and right before I step inside, he tells me to wait at the door. I was confused as to why I have to wait outside, but I never thought twice about it. I heard mumbles and suddenly the door opened, he pushed me through his house, and I’m rushed to his bedroom. He puts on 8 Mile, and tells me he is going to get us drinks. So, I wait.

He comes back into the room with 2 huge tupperware “glasses” filled with nutcracker. “One for you and one for me.” Funny, I’ve never been much of a drinker, but not even half way into the movie the delicious man was literally pouring the drink down my throat. And so, it begins. I blacked out. I remember coming in and out of consciousness. The first time I woke up, he was trying to make me give him head, when I realized what was happening, I tried to use my teeth as much as possible. Then, I blacked out. The second time I woke up he was taking off my clothes and asking me if I wanted to have sex. I said no, of course, but that didn’t change anything. I had just gotten my period that night, so sex wasn’t even in the back of my mind. I remember seeing him put on a condom, (thank god) and I remember him on top of me, inside me. I blacked out again. I guess my period was too heavy, because the next time I woke up, he was trying to lead me into the bathroom. 

At this point my survival skills are trying to take over. I didn't know where I was, I didn't know how to get home, I didn't even know where my clothes or cell phone were. What I did know was that I was being forced to have sex, and that I needed to sober up as fast as possible. All I kept thinking was that I needed to get out of there. I didn't care if I ran outside naked, I just wanted to be safe. Alcohol was holding me back. I was a nursing student, and I’ve worked with doctors my whole life. I knew what could happen, I tried but I blacked out again in the tub. 

The cold water on my back woke me up, I was standing. He unfortunately was behind me, and I realized that he no longer was going to let my period get in the way…he proceeded to have anal intercourse with me. My speech was slurred so badly that he couldn’t understand a word that I was saying, I couldn’t even understand what I was saying. I threw myself down in the tub, put my finger down my throat, and made myself throw up as much alcohol as possible. The asshole got upset, he started yelling at me that he was going to leave me there and he left the bathroom, slamming the door. I wouldn’t allow myself to black out again. I tried singing, talking to myself, focusing on the bathroom tiles, crying, anything that I could think of to make myself stay awake. 

He came back into the bathroom after some time. Everything seemed to be going so slow. Every moment took what seemed years to complete. I tried to get out of the tub, almost killing myself by tumbling down on the hard ceramic floor. He wanted to take me back into the bedroom, and I refused. At this point, I’m starting to stable myself. My words are becoming more clear, and I’m not blacking out anymore, but I was still scared. I didn't want to be raped anymore. He pulled my arm, and I requested to use the toilet. As shameful as it sounds, he watched and waited as I pooped. (for lack of a better word) Maybe my period wasn’t going to stop him, but this will? 

Devil walked me back to his room, I laid down and fell to sleep. When I woke up, he was shooting a BB gun out of his window into a nearby park. I looked for all of my clothes and cell phone. I called my friend and told her that I needed a ride home. I didn't want to get into too much detail or state that I had just been raped for fear that he would take offense and hit me or worse. I asked him to give me a ride to her house and he accepted.

As I left his house, I was trying to remember everything that I saw, his house, the street name and signs. What’s funny about being raped is that for some reason you remember everything you want to forget and forget everything you want to remember. I finally got to my friends house and broke down crying. Still to this day, I’m so grateful that she took me in. We go through our tough times, but when I look back on that warm day in August, her hospitality makes me forget everything that I could be mad at her about. She sobered me up as best she could, and she drove me home. She’s kept my secret till this day, and we don't speak about it. The next day he called me in the morning. He told me that he didn't rape me, that it would be a disgrace for me to tell the police, and that his mother was in the other room the entire time…that no one would believe me. So, I believed him. I was in pain, and all I wanted was to forget and live in denial. I never said anything to the police, or my parents. 

I went from a 3.5 GPA in college, to academic probation. My GPA dropped down to a 1.3. I couldn’t work anymore. I had to quit my job, I was terrified he would show up, but he never did. The few people I confided in called me a liar, and the others didn't know what to do. So, I put myself through therapy. The icing on the cake happened a year later.

One person I confided in the most was a previous boyfriend I had. He was my first love, first everything. We no longer were together, but he always protected me and loved me. I felt safe crying on his shoulder. After a few months he wanted to rekindle our relationship, but I wasn’t ready. He called my mother one day while I was at work, and told her that I had been raped a year ago. He said that he wanted to hurt me the way I was hurting him. My mother went INSANE. Instead of supporting me, and loving me, or helping me, my mother branded me a whore. Till this day, my mother says that I wanted it and was looking for it. She even called my fiancé about a year ago, to apologize to him for raising a whore and to thank him for taking on a tainted woman. We no longer speak about that night.

It has been 9 years since I was raped, I can’t remember things about that night that I wanted to, like where the name of the street, or even the actual day in August it happened on. Yet, I have moved on and I’m in a very committed relationship. There isn’t a day that I am not reminded about what happened to me. Anything sets my memory off. The smell of alcohol, the sound of water running, even my period is a tough time. I can’t take that night away, I can't change what my family thinks, but I’ve learned to change what I think about myself. Thanks to therapy, I know it wasn’t my fault, I know that I didn't deserve that, and I got over my post traumatic stress disorder. Whether my rapist likes it or not, I’m stronger and more aware of everything. I may not be the best writer, but I hope my story sheds light on a subject that women hardly speak about. 1 in every 6 women are raped in the United States, 80% are under the age of 30, and every 2 minutes someone is sexually assaulted. This was extremely difficult to write, I’m literally shaking and in tears, but I know that it is for a good cause. If you're still reading this, thank you, you're one more person aware, one more person my voice has reached. 

heaven on earth

work has pretty much consumed my life since october maybe november with the launch of two new centers and there is not much sign of things slowing down. but i lucked out with a pretty awesome boss who walked into the office during a meltdown i was having and instructed me to book a spa day for me and colleague (on his dime). since it wasn't our money and we were highly stressed we did major research to find the perfect spa day to splurge on…our research paid off because we found heaven on earth aka aire ancient baths. from the second i stepped foot into the building i knew i was in for some serious relaxation. the lobby is rustic yet rich; with leather sofas, wood tables, giant pillars, and brick walls…oh and it smells heavenly. after checking in i was directed to the women's changing area where i was treated like royalty and handed a robe to change into…then it was off to heaven! side note: no cell phones or pictures are allowed which is what i thinks makes it peaceful and not commercial…your only focus for the 2 hour session is on yourself and your thoughts! another selling point for me is no more than 20 people are allowed in any of the 2 hour sessions so it is very quiet and never crowded, so again it's just you time! the spa area is underground and is lit only by candle light making for an incredibly relaxing ambience pair that with the tranquil music and you just have to understand why i am obsessed. aire is composed of 6 different baths (salt, power jet, hot, warm, and 2 ice baths) and my favorite the aromatherapy sauna which is a dream come true for an eucalyptus  lover like myself…i wanted to stay in there forever. all the baths were absolutely amazing so i can't pick a favorite there; however, in the moment the ice bath was torture…but paired with the hot tub it really did feel great after! you have a 2 hour session at aire and within that 2 hour session your massage takes place (30mins, 45mins, or 60mins) so when you are not getting massaged you're enjoying the baths. when the time is up you head back to the changing room where they have the best products for bathing, beauty, and grooming…they even had flat irons! as far as pricing it was comparable to many of the spas in nyc but the experience was on another level so it was worth every penny! i loved it so much that i went back with the boyfriend and this time they had live flamenco music! so if you are looking for some serious "you time" or a romantic "reconnection" or just need to feel like a baller…go to aire!