After 15 years of working for the same company, you suddenly find yourself on the market. Or perhaps you are interested in changing industries, have recently graduated from college, find yourself returning to work after a lengthy absence, or are simply looking for a change; whatever the reason, you find yourself in need of a resume. As companies tighten their belts and the market shifts from an “employee-centered” to an “employer-centered” environment, it is now more important than ever to have a resume that successfully represents your knowledge, skills and experience.
Where to Begin
Start by gathering any annual reviews, core competencies or job descriptions you may have for the positions you’ve held, then start making a list. Don’t expect to cover everything in a first draft, just brainstorm. List the company name, job title(s), approximate dates of employment for each role and some of your job duties. Get everything down on paper. Now that you’ve got it all together, what do you do with it?
Writing the Resume
Primary components of a resume are:
1. Executive Summary or Profile
2. Summary of Qualifications or Achievements
3. Professional Highlights or Work History
4. Education/Certifications/Licenses
5. Memberships in any Associations/Organizations (avoid references to religious or political affiliations unless you are applying for a position where this would be a plus)
6. Volunteer Work (optional)
Career Change in the Same Field
Karen has worked for Dr. Jones for five years. She started off as his receptionist and eventually moved into the office manager position. Previously she interned for a small medical practice while she was wrapping up her ROP courses in medical office management. In Karen’s case, a chronological resume is the easiest and most appropriate format. Karen will be able to detail not only her skills and experience working for the respective doctors, but her ROP coursework as well. In this particular case, Karen is able to capitalize on both her work experience and class studies to create a resume that shows both progression and skill growth.
Industry Transfer or New (or Returning) to the Job Market
A highway patrol officer may not seem like an appropriate candidate for a field sales position, but by categorizing her skills under Management, Client Relations, Administrative and Training, we can see that she has the necessary skills that would “transfer” to a career in sales.
A quick word of warning, functional resumes are often viewed with trepidation as the employer or recruiter may wonder what the candidate is trying to hide. However, recently I had the opportunity to design a resume for an assistant school principal. In her particular case, the school district specifically requested a behavioral science based resume, which required a functional format and included a mission/values statement as well as a plan of action for the first six months in the position.
Next Steps
You’ve chosen your resume format and have started detailing your skills and past experience, but how do you transfer your previous experience into quantifiable skill sets that would catch the attention of a future employer? If all else fails, ask for help. As a recruiter, I receive resumes from a variety of resources including resume blitzing, personal contacts and advertising. Due to the quantity, I can only devote about 30-60 seconds to each resume. The candidate needs to catch my attention immediately and show me that they meet at least the minimum requirements for the position I’m recruiting for before I move on to the next one. As the Director of Business Development for an e-Commerce company, I would expect to see at a minimum, how many contracts were negotiated, how much business was brought in, the type of clients, operational expenses and management responsibility. In other words, what has the candidate accomplished that could be transferred to (and bring value to) the client I’m recruiting for.
After six years of recruiting, I’ve seen thousands of resumes. As a resume writer, in the past three years, I’ve written more than 500 resumes. Like many other experienced resume writers, because of the sheer volume of resumes and job descriptions we view on a daily basis, we are often in a better position to provide insight into areas of your resume that are weak or may be unnecessary. But beware exaggerated promises of guaranteed interviews. Resume writers should be viewed as developmental editors who will take your resume and help you rework it so that it successfully represents whom you are and what you can offer to a future employer.
Triple A
Peter Gregory, of Confidential Global Search, an executive search firm, looks for a Triple A candidate. When Peter reviews a resume and speaks with a candidate, he looks for three things – Achievements, Ability and Attitude.
Achievements
Show your successes and your track record. Your resume should clearly show what you did (or do) within your respective role(s). If you are a programmer, did you develop any products? If yes, what was the product designed to do? What role did you play? Who is the client base? Did you complete the product within the allotted timeframe (or sooner)? Did you come in within (or under) budget? Keep in mind that your achievements not only need to show your track record, but show what you’re capable of doing within another organization.
Ability
Briefly detail your abilities in your summary and then expand upon it in your resume as you show your progression of skills and experience. Ability also entails how and where you learn new skills. Do you seek out employer sponsored training, classes or self-training? For someone who is new (or returning) to the job market or transferring industries, take into consideration your coursework, projects, volunteer work, hobbies … anything that would take the skills you learned and transfer them to the position you are seeking.
Attitude
Your resume is necessary to get you that initial phone call or interview, but what happens next? You have to sell yourself. Time to show that you are the person behind the resume. It is imperative that you be (and show) self-confidence in your abilities and be able to explain why you can do the job (and back it up with examples).
Check and Recheck
Once you’ve completed your resume, whether you developed it on your own or with the assistance of a professional, review it for clarity, grammar, spelling, structure and formatting. After all, even the best of us can miss something and since you want to put your best foot forward, stop to make sure your shoe laces are tied first.
Finally
A resume should never be treated as a finished work that can be shelved upon completion or hiring by your dream employer. As you evolve, so should your resume. Whether you keep it constantly up-to-date or dust it off every once in a while, make sure you keep abreast of the types of positions out there, research what employers look for in candidates and above all, attitude. Even if you think you cinched the interview, if you aren’t confident in your abilities, it will come out during the interview and the interviewer will pick up on your hesitation and you may not get that call back you were expecting.
