Mike Said:

Graduate School for Higher Education?

We Answered:

University of Michigan has a strong Psych Masters program

unfortunately , its hard to get a job in your field with only your BA

Yolanda Said:

Hey Libs can you smell the upcoming filibuster blocking of Obama's proposed Affirmative Action Justice?

We Answered:

People were saying the same thing about Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Tracey Said:

How can I create a resume?

We Answered:

I’ve seen several different types of resumes mentioned on career Web sites. They’re usually chronological or skills-based. Which is the better type? Should I break my resume down by skills or by the duties I’ve had at each job? Are different kinds of resumes better for different purposes?
—Chris Edwards, MCSE, MCP+Internet
Technical support analyst
Macon, Georgia
cedwards@trane.com

Chris, you sure are curious — so many questions! I’ll see if I can answer some of your specific questions and also make some general comments about resumes. Your first question has to do with the relative merits of skills-based vs. chronological resumes. Well, the standard answer applies — it depends. If you’re attempting to show the depth and length of your experience, then chronological is a better format. On the other hand, if you haven’t been doing this for very long, but have worked on a variety of systems and products, then showcase your skills.

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Let me expand on these two choices. Even if you do a chronological listing of the positions you’ve held, you should highlight the significant accomplishments or skills acquired in each. This is in addition to the description of your responsibilities in that position. Also, don’t assume that you shouldn’t list a previous position that isn’t directly related to the job you’re seeking. Of course, if you’re applying to be the CIO of a Fortune 500 company, don’t list the burger-serving experience you had in high school. But, as I’ve said before, every serious position you’ve held has taught you something that’s applicable to another situation. Your challenge is to put it in terms that will be attractive to a potential employer. Another piece of advice I’ve mentioned before — if you’re concerned about your age or someone perceiving that you’re too old, hide it — don’t put dates for your positions (or dates for your degree, certification or anything, for that matter). It might look like you’ve jumped around on a lot of jobs when, in fact, you’ve put years in at each, but these days, so what? Everyone switches positions numerous times during their career — let the potential employer find out during the interview that you took your time moving from one job to another.

Skills-based resumes present a little more challenge, in that you have to convey your ability to handle various products and situations without mentioning that you gained these skills in the college computer lab, for example. Employers are looking for knowledge, skills, flexibility and experience — if you’ve got three out of four, you’ve got a good chance, especially at an entry-level position.

As far as your other questions are concerned: Yes, different situations call for different types of resumes. If you’ve done your homework, you’ll know which is appropriate.

Let’s step back from this detailed discussion and talk about what a resume really is. Granted, it’s difficult these days to get through the hiring process without producing a resume, but if that’s the one thing you think is going to get you that new job, think again. The days of broadcasting unsolicited resumes to hundreds of firms are long gone. Even when that was popular, it wasn’t very effective. The modern equivalent is posting your resume on one or more of the dozens of job Web sites — go ahead and do it if you want, but remember three things. First, I think most of the responses you get will be from headhunters, not hiring companies; second, these systems work on the basis of “trolling for keywords,” so make sure your entries list your skills or accomplishments in industry-standard terms; and, third, your present company may be one of those trolling companies, which could result in a big “oops.”

How do you find a new position if you don’t send out a lot of resumes? I’m still a big believer in the power of networking (personal, not systems). What’s worked for me, and many others, is to establish a specialty or good reputation, then meet with people and see how they might help. One of these months we’ll do a whole column on how to get a job, but for now I hope we’ve given you some pointers on resumes. Just remember that a resume is merely an extended version of your business card — don’t expect too much from it.

Steve Crandall, MCSE, is a principal of ChangeOverTime, a technology consulting firm in Cleveland, Ohio, that specializes in small business and non-profit organizations. He's also assistant professor of Information Technology at Myers College and a contributing writer for Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine. You can contact Steve about "Building a Better Resumé" at

Alberto Said:

How can I create a reume?

We Answered:

Try using a skills-based resume format. That emphasizes your skills rather than experience, so you can highlight what you think makes best sense for jobs that you are interested in. For example, computer skills, customer service skills, etc.

Check this site out for an example:
http://www.jobseekersworkshop.com/resume…

Good luck!

Duane Said:

Sotomayor was a liar (she vowed to uphold gun owners rights); is Kagan a Liar too?

We Answered:

kagan believes the constitution changes over time,with that attitude she should be kept off the bench. since words have meanings and those meanings don't change,unless your a liberal . she disagrees with so many past decisions,she has same background of far left like obama and emanuel and the likes,don't let her fool you with her chuckles,she is evil and the republicans would be wise to keep her off the court