Resume Lessons You Can Learn From Your Dog

May 24

Meet Arlo

Hey, friends! I’m Arlo, the husky / lab mix, and I’m sharing my resume tips. If you’re new here, my mom, Olivia, or as some call her - The Resume Fox - helps many professionals with their resumes.

I act as an official mascot and oftentimes *loud* participant on her resume calls. What can I say? I’m part husky and can howl if I want to! To the clients whose calls I’ve interrupted - I’m sorry, but not *that* sorry.

What could a dog know about resumes?

I’ve learned a thing or two about resumes since my mom started this business officially in 2021, and while she was preparing to launch in 2020. When I was just a little puppy, she and I would strategize resume services, write content for her website, and plan for her big launch in February 2021. Since then, I’ve participated in hundreds of calls with her resume clients, often chiming in with a husky “AAH-ROO!” to share my invaluable advice. I’ve acted as a not so silent participant in these calls and learn how to make resumes impactful.

Arlo’s Resume Tips

Some things are meant to be LOUD!

Like your name and contact information.

Both of these should be at the top of your resume. The goal is for your reader to contact you. So make those loud and proud on your resume.

Bark your heart out.

5 treats are better than 3 treats.

Quantify your experiences!

If you have 5 treats (or 5 project go-lives), you should say you have 5 (or have completed 5). And you can learn more about quantifying on your resume from my mom here.

Oh, and you should definitely share those treats with me.

Use buzzwords

Some of my favorite buzzwords are “treat,” “camp,” “chicken,” and “Cici” (my grandma).

If you’re in marketing, some of your buzzwords might be “email campaigns,” “SEO,” and “digital channels.”

You can work buzzwords into bullet points like this:

Promoted brand consistency and engagement across all digital channels, website, auxiliary sites, social media, and email marketing.
Established SEO and other strategies to promote easy discovery and navigation to stories through consistent website updates, Google Analytics, and Google Search Console tracking.
These words will help perk up your reader’s ears *(see picture for an ear-perking example).*
And they will also be picked up by ATS (applicant tracking systems). *But, more on that later…*

Education is important

My resume has all my K9 training experience. We’ll leave out the part about running off to chase birds during our session…

But you should definitely put your education on your resume!

Use this format:

Degree, School

Like this:

Bachelor of Business Administration, Human Resources

Loyola University Chicago

And leave off your graduation year unless you graduated within the last 2-3 years, or you anticipate graduating soon.

Certifications

If you have any relevant certifications, include those in a separate “Certifications” section. Let your education shine on it’s own.

Be prepared

You never know when you might need a doggie bag (or a resume).

Have your resume on hand for any surprises!

This is where my mom comes in…

If you want a professional resume written by a recruiter who reviewed more resumes than she can remember, The Resume Fox is your girl. With 8 years of recruiting and hiring experience, my mom launched The Resume Fox to create resumes that share professionals’ talents, skills, and interests. Her process is personalized through a “resume interview” where she asks questions about your experiences, industry specific resume recommendations, and wordsmithing from a recruiter who knows what others are looking for. Plus, if you’re lucky, you’ll hear from me during your resume interview.

Interested? Want to learn more? Contact me. My mom can help you out!