The Two Truths of Resume Writing

Truth Number 1: no matter how talented or experienced you are, you can’t look for a new or better job without a concise, specific and effective resume

Truth Number 2: writing a resume is only slightly more enjoyable than a root canal

If you realize that a great resume can be your ticket to getting the exact position you want, you will be able to muster some genuine enthusiasm for creating a real masterpiece.

Your resume is a tool with one specific purpose: to win an interview. Like a response to a Request for Proposal (RFP), you want to ensure that the content of your resume addresses the needs of the employer. Your objective is to supply a resume that shows you have successfully performed and produced results in the capacities required and that you are qualified for a face-to-face interview.

Again like an RFP response, the selection committee will quickly and without bias, need to read a compelling reason to take the time to meet with you face to face.

The most successful resumes are those focused on key and quantifiable accomplishments. Accomplishments and achievements differentiate the average performer from the one that simply performs their job description. An effective resume demonstrates that the candidate truly delivers results.

At best, a reader will only skim through your resume so avoid losing the resume skimmers by distracting them with unnecessary detail, wordiness, generic statements and information that is too high-level. The reader is looking for performance statements.

If a candidate has more than 10 years experience, ensure that the resume is a MAXIMUM of three pages of relevant content. Edit out any information that is not applicable to the role the resume is addressing.

Avoid "job description" filler or low value content and focus on personal accomplishments. Job descriptions are the reason a person is paid a base salary. Accomplishment statements will describe how a sales person earned their commissions or what outstanding results a manager contributed to earn their bonus.

In today’s job market a resume built on simply a job description is not competitive. Job descriptions provide the reader with a list of functions and no results. A potential employer is not interested in what was expected from you – they want to know how well you performed against those expectations. Example – “Managed six direct reports” is a job description. “Increased sales by 14% in twelve months by leading a team of six inside and outside people to exceed sales forecasts” is an accomplishment statement.

Please be aware that hiring managers are only interested in viewing resumes that are written in reverse chronological order.

Resumes must begin with your most recent employment and work backwards.

A functional resume, one that groups skills and abilities, frustrates the reader because they do not know when or where you performed the results. It also includes far too much duplication of information.

Checklist for your resume. Make sure you have included:

1. CAREER OBJECTIVE - one sentence explaining what kind of work you wish to do.
2. PROFESSIONAL PROFILE - A brief three to four sentence overview / summary of who you are and what you offer the potential employer.
3. EMPLOYMENT HISTORY - reverse chronological order. If you have held more than one position at a company, list them separately with dates.
4. Include all awards, recognition and accolades. If you have several, list them in a separate section entitled AWARDS & RECOGNITION following your employment history section.
5. EDUCATION - is always listed AFTER your work history. Recent graduates/students list their education before their work history. Make sure you include dates. Post graduate degree is listed above all of your "continuing education", training, seminars, courses, etc.
6. LENGTH OF RESUME - if you have less than ten years experience, two pages is advised. With more than ten years experience you never exceed three pages. If your resume is very long it will not be read. Edit it to include only the information that is relevant to the position for which you are applying.
7. Bullet points get read - paragraphs do not.
8. DO NOT use first person pronouns - I, my, mine, we, us, our, etc.
9. Use a consistent verb tense to begin each of your accomplishment statements - preferably past tense - Exceeded, Increased, Oversaw, Won, Achieved, Led, Acted, etc.
10. Maximum of three pages

On another note -

One of the most common mistakes we see in resumes at the managerial and executive level is the omission of context in professional experiences.

Why is context important in your resume?

1. Whenever you make a resume reader work hard to figure out your potential value and fit, you are likely not going to benefit.

2. Resumes are selling documents and context at the company, role, and career path levels can be additional arrows in your quiver.

3. Fit is a subtle but important thing. You are helping highlight where you do indeed fit through context.

When you leave the reader of your resume guessing who your employer was (industry/sector, ownership (public, private, family business, etc.) size, market position), the chances are that they won't guess. They will just move on to the next resume.

If you have worked with recognizable names, market leaders, etc. use that to your advantage. If you haven't, make sure that you sell your past employers. If the person hiring doesn't know and therefore doesn't value where you worked, then you have a big problem.

You also want to place your role in the context of the company you worked for. A Marketing Manager, for example, might have reported to a Sr. Marketing Manager, a Director of Marketing, a VP, or even the President. That same marketing manager might be one of several marketing managers or the only marketing person in the company. It is vital that you place your role in context.

The best resumes demonstrate a theme, or thread through the candidate's career path. That the various experiences and education add up to someone who knows where they are going. That the work experiences add up to a story that explains why the candidate made certain choices, and more importantly, why they are here today being interviewed for this opportunity.

Resume submissions can be sent directly to either Wendy Melvin or Janis Strathearn.