by: Crisanne Kadamus Blackie, NCCC
Reprint From:
The Business Monthly, September 2000
Writing your resume is not an easy process but is one that can be easily learned and mastered. Think about all of the times in your life that you have been excited and energized by the activity you were doing. Can you name a few of them? Is there a pattern? Can you imagine being paid for doing one of these energizing activities? If yes, then you are ready to take a critical look at your occupational future and how you can market yourself to the fullest degree. Being critical of your resume, which is a description of your product, is a key component; don’t be afraid to take a new look.
Setting the Stage:
As you review ask yourself do I want to read my resume? If no, then do you think an employer wants to read it? Often resumes that are several pages and utilize a paragraph format with little direction are difficult and boring to read. An employer does not have time to sort through all of the details, tell the reader what he/she needs to know. The easier your resume is to follow, the better. Many readers will only give your resume 30 seconds of time so it needs to be clear.
Make yourself stand out positively. Don't provide a reason for an employer to screen you out. Mistakes in your resume can lead to you being screened out, especially if your mistake provides a different message than your intent. For example, a simple typo can change driver to diver.
Your resume is designed to indicate how you can solve problems. Jobs exist because there are problems to be solved. Your resume is your opportunity to convey what problems you want and like to solve and why you are the best person to solve these problems.
Format Options
Prior to writing the content of a resume, you need to determine and understand some specific information about format options. There are several ways to layout a resume. The whole idea is to identify the way that markets you best and is in the format that the employer wants. Let’s review the options.
Traditional Paper Format
As technology increase in the workplace so does the way employers receive information. Some employers want to receive resumes in a traditional paper format, others prefer a scannable or electronic format; both of these will be discussed later.
Let’s assume that the employer wants a traditional paper resume. The first question is how long should my resume be? For most positions, with the exception of academics, two pages is your limit. One page is often best.
The actual layout may vary as well. A chronological resume is a chronology of your work history. It states where you have worked. Choose this format when you have a strong work history in the specific field you want to pursue. If you have a scattered work history or gaps in employment, then this is not the best format for you. Remember, the name of the game is to market yourself in the best light.
Another option for a layout is a functional resume. This format is skills based, listing your specific skills and documented evidence of performance. A functional resume does not link skills or accomplishments with a specific job therefore your experiences are mixed together. This benefits the job seeker who has all of the skills to perform a specific job but has worked in different fields. The focus becomes on the skill set you have to offer. The drawback of this format is that employers find it difficult identify exactly what you did at which position.
The third option is a blend of the above two, called combination. This format allows you to identify specific skills as well as link them to employment. For example, utilizing a title in your resume such as “related experience” or an occupation specific title such as “marketing experience” helps to focus the reader on the skills and positions you want to highlight and provides a solid work history.
Scannable Format
Some employers are scanning resumes instead of keeping hard copies. What this means to the job seeker is a slight variation in format. When an employer scans a resume it becomes part of their system and your mailed copy is no longer reviewed. When a position is open, an employer will do a key word search in order to identify the potential candidates. If your resume does not contain the key words it will not be flagged. This necessitates a new strategy. Some people will choose to have a key word index at the top of the resume listing industry specific words and synonyms for job titles.
Ask an employer who scans resumes, how their scanner works so that you can use the appropriate font. It is always safest to use Times New Roman and highlight with bold or *. Some scanners will scatter or misinterpret underlines and bullets. The last thing a job seeker needs is to have a scanner read a bullet as an "o" creating an unreadable word.
Electronic Resumes
Applying for jobs over the Internet requires a new resume writing technique. Several software programs exist to walk you through this process. Each screen will prompt you for information about your work history, education history and skills. Upon completion, you can save your resume to a disk and then e-mail it to companies as an attached file.
Format: An electronic resume is done as a text file. Use a traditional font like Times New Roman without any underlines, italic, or bullets. E-resume software programs will ensure appropriate formatting.
Key Words: Many companies who accept resumes electronically will search for job qualifications by looking for key words. If these "key" words do not appear on your resume, your resume will not be identified even if you are qualified. E-resume software programs prompt you for specific key words.
Confidentiality: By accessing jobs through an electronic bulletin board or posting your resume on the Internet, your information is fair game to all and may be identified by your current employer. If you do not want anyone to know you are searching for a job, don’t send a resume electronically. Keep in mind that if you e-mail from work, your employer has a record of your transmission.
Writing Your Objective
The objective on a resume serves to focus the rest of your resume content. It is through an objective that the problem you want to solve, (remember we are looking for opportunities to solve problems not looking for a job), is stated. Objectives with a lot of fluff are worthless. Some of the best examples of the fluff are from real life resumes. The question is how do people come us with this stuff?
Example: A challenging position working with people at a growing company.
What does this tell the reader? How many of you want to work in a non-challenging position at a failing company with absolutely no people contact?
How do you write a solid objective? First identify the problem that you want to solve. Then write a sentence or two that conveys confidence in knowing what problem(s) you want to solve. Use the following example to help you with this process.
Using our sample objective as part of a case study, here is what might happen:
Q1. Can you describe the type of environment in which you want to work?
A1. The client stated that he would like to work in an office setting at a small growing company where there are few routine daily activities.
Q2. In reflecting on your current and previous positions, what type of activities did you enjoy the most? (This may give you some hints as to what problems you want to solve)
A2. The client stated that he enjoys helping people to clarify a problem and moving that person to resolution. Also, he likes to develop a plan to resolve problems.
Q3. Clarify specific phrases, like working with people, what exactly does that mean? In defining the phrase you may actually be able to write a more specific objective. Avoid subjective statements; stick with the objective.
A3. The client stated that working with people means to work with internal customers around technology and office procedures.
New Objective: To evaluate and streamline employee's use of technology systems and office procedures resulting in increased time efficiency and productivity.
If this is the final version, then the resume contents need to support the objective with concrete quantifiable results. You should always write an objective whether or not you will actually put the objective on your resume. This process will help you to focus your job search goals.
The Resume Core
One favorite piece of extraneous information was a resume with the title Professional Resume at the top. The first question to this client was did you happen to bring your unprofessional resume with you? Of course not, and yes, that was a ridiculous question however it drives home the point of not using valuable space on your resume for meaningless items. Every word on your resume needs to be of utmost importance in the support of your objective.
Following an objective, one needs to determine the order of supporting information. This is fairly straightforward. If your work history provides the most support for your objective then it should be your first major category. If education is your greatest asset, then it becomes your first category. The order of your resume categories (employment history, education, skills, achievements, presentations and publications, community service, memberships etc.) should be in the order that markets yourself most effectively.
Resume Categories
Skills or Career Highlights
Many individuals with a strong employment history will begin the resume with a skills or career highlights section. This section is a summary of one or two line statements of key skills or projects that support your objective. This is not the place to describe every detail and waking moment you ever had, instead it is a quick overview of what you have to offer. Some examples include:
·Supervised a department of 10 customer service representatives
·10 years of experience in budget maintenance, reporting and reconciliation, and
payroll development
·Reduced expenditures by $100,000 through the implementation of a computerized check scanning system
Your skills or highlights section should intrigue the reader to read on.
Employment History
It is through your employment history that more information is given. In this section you list your job title, employer, location and dates of employment followed by your summary of what you accomplish as it relates to your objective (chronological and combination formats). The implication here is that you need to dissect your job responsibilities and target them to your objective; not listing everything you do but instead picking and choosing the most relevant. As you review what you have written, ask yourself:
· What key responsibilities or accomplishments have I had that support my objective?
· What is the key action word that describes my accomplishment?
· Can I quantify my accomplishment? Try to quantify as much as possible, this provides the proof of the value of your accomplishment.
· Is your resume written in a paragraph format or using bullets?
Paragraphs, especially long ones (over 3 sentences) are difficult to read, make it difficult for the reader to quickly focus on the key issues and tend to make your resume appear overwhelming. Using strategically placed bullets will guide your reader’s eye through the resume and assist them with identifying key points and makes your resume sound more confident. Many individuals will utilize a combination of bullets and paragraphs.
If you are using a functional resume format list only employer, location and dates of employment in employment history. Actual accomplishments will be listed in a skills section that should be before your employment history.
Now it is time to take a critical look. As you review the content of your resume, especially your employment history, it is important to get to the core of the matter. The following tips will help you to streamline your resume content:
· Refer back to your objective; does every statement support your objective? If not, decide if it is necessary to have it in your resume.
· Has the information already been said? If yes, then take it out.
· Did the activity happen long ago? Keep your information current especially if you are in a technology field.
· Is the information too detailed? The purpose of your resume is to get you an interview not to interview for you.
· Keep to 1 page if at all possible and 2 at most. Your reader may not have the time or the interest to devote to reading a 3 or more page resume.
· Make sure to “cut to the chase”… Ask yourself a: does the reader care about this information? And b: does the reader understand the information?
· If your reader is in your field, you may use industry specific jargon.
Education
As you review your education section you need to determine if your education makes you more marketable. If yes, then make sure to highlight your education and degree. If your education is not a strong point for you, consider combining it with other trainings, continuing education, workshops etc. into a category called Education and Training. There is no need to include elementary school and include high school if that is your highest degree or if it makes you more marketable. For example, if your postsecondary education was completed out-of-state and you want to return back home, then include high school to show your local affiliation
Other Items of Interest
Are there other things about you that are interesting that you have not included thus far? Maybe you are involved in community service or have hobbies that support your objective. Just because you may not have been paid for an experience does not mean it is not valuable. For example, a person is applying for a finance position and maintains the accounting records for a local fire department. The volunteer experience is directly related to the position the person is seeking.
Your hobbies may also set you apart. If you are a wildlife biologist, you may list your activities as fishing, hiking and canoeing. Although these may be obvious interests, it may convey your familiarity with the local environment and may provide an icebreaker with the interviewer.
Before you apply, check out the company’s mission. A company that is an environmental advocate may be interested in the fact that you organized a volunteer clean-up the beaches day or that you participate in local environmental education projects. What you have to offer an employer and the skills you bring to solving problems come from many different resources, not just formalized training.
References
The people you select as your references should be those whom you feel could market you most effectively in regards to the position for which you are applying. List your references on paper separate from your resume but on your resume stationery. This allows you to change your reference list. You may have a pool of five or six references that you will draw from. Usually you only need to provide three references therefore you can choose the most appropriate. You should keep in contact with your references because you want to be able to give your references warning of an upcoming call and suggest items or messages you want them to give on your behalf. Preparing your references is another component of your personal marketing plan and should not be ignored.
Printing Tips for Traditional
Resumes
Now that both your format and content have been selected, you are ready to go to print. Here are a few tips to facilitate that process.
· Type your resume on a word processor. This will allow for easy and last minute editing.
· Set your margins for one inch, all the way around. This gives plenty of extra space for the interviewer to write plus it provides a nice frame for your resume.
· Choose a bond paper in a conservative color or one that reflects your field of work. Resumes are often photocopied; gray tends not photocopy well.
· You can add some character to a resume by carefully selecting your fonts. However, remember not to make yourself standout for the wrong reasons. It is better to be too conservative. Before you stray from Times New Roman, double check to see if your resume will be scanned. Some scanners will be limited in which fonts they can scan.
· Graphics can add a great deal to your resume. Make sure that the use of graphics adds to not distracts from your resume. Also make sure that your graphics can be scanned.
· Use a 12-point font. A 10-point font makes your resume becomes more difficult to read.
· Check for a watermark in your paper. When you hold your paper up to the light you will see a word or an imprint in the paper. When you can read the word correctly, this is the right side of the paper. The right side is the side on which you want to print. This is a detail that many forget but if you print on the wrong side of the paper, your ink may flake off in the fold, distracting from your overall professional look.
· Make sure to type the envelope and your cover letter. Make sure to spell the addressee’s name correctly.
· If you do have more than one page, your name and (page 2 of 2) should be at the top. You may want to add (page 1 of 2) at the bottom of your first page.
· Proof read, proof read, proof read! Do not rely on the spell checker to detect your errors. Ask someone else to proof your resume.
Concluding
Thoughts
Remember that your resume is a marketing tool used to get you the interview. During your interview, you have the opportunity to provide the detail of your accomplishments. Always write your resume yourself, in your language. It is very embarrassing during the interview, if you cannot explain exactly what a particular phrase means. Finally, everyone has an opinion to share. The bottom line is that you need to feel comfortable with your resume.
For resume review and development assistance call 1-800-608-5644
email a career specialist at Promising Futures; Info@PromisingFutures.com
or visit our web page at http://www.PromisingFutures.com