Pongo Resume

Today, Pongo Resume celebrates its sixth anniversary. To show our appreciation, here are links to the six most-read blog posts from the Pongo Blog. May they help you land the job you're looking for!

1. Top 3 Resume Formats: Which One Is Right For You?
   
   Quick! Name the top three resume formats and who should use which one!
   
   Just kidding. If you knew the answer, there'd be no reason for this post. And if you're a Pongo subscriber, you don't need to know, because the Resume Builder automatically chooses the best format for you based on the information you provided when you registered. But if you're trying to create a resume on your own, or simply want to know the difference between chronological, functional, and hybrid resumes, then this post is for you. 
    
2. 4 Easy Steps to a Powerful Resume Objective
   
   Despite its name, your resume Objective is not supposed to state your objective. At least not exclusively. Like every other part of your resume, the Objective should demonstrate the value you can bring to the employer. Don't waste valuable resume space with a generic Objective about wanting "…a challenging opportunity in a growth-oriented company," or a self-centered wish list for "a fun and creative position in a firm that will respect my unique ideas." Use it to sell yourself! 
    
3. Top 10 Things to Not Put in a Resume
   
   With apologies to David Letterman, here's a list of the top 10 things you should not put in a resume, followed by possible responses from employers – well, more likely kept to themselves.
    
4. 5 Ways to Screw up Your Cover Letter Greeting
   
   You probably think the greeting of your cover letter (the "Dear..." line) is pretty simple. After all, it has only four little parts:  the Dear, the Title (Mr., Ms., Dr., etc.), the Last Name, and the Colon [:]. How can you screw that up?
   
   Ah, we have our ways. In fact, there are at least five common mistakes people make in their cover letter greetings, any of which might affect their chances of getting an interview. Are you guilty of any of these?
    
5. How to Email Your Cover Letter the Right Way
   
   The best post topics come straight from real job seekers. And this idea came from someone who had just gone through the whole job-search process. She had two questions: "What's the best subject line for an email in response to a job ad?" and "Should you attach the cover letter to the email, or copy and paste it into the body of the email?"
    
6. Resume Objective or Summary: You Need One, but Which?
   
   Should you lead your resume with an Objective or Summary that briefly describes your skills and background? In a word, yes. However, if you were to poll 10 recruiting experts on this question, you might get 10 different answers. That's because so many Objectives and Summaries are just plain bad. If they’re properly written, they can be the hook that pulls the reader into your resume.

Read any of the six that interest you and share your thoughts in a comment! Happy job hunting/career managing/everyday work-life balancing to you and yours!