A resume is a condensed format of personal achievements and qualifications. It is the initial communication with a potential employer. A good resume is the first step in identifying and pursuing a career opportunity. The most important consideration when drafting a resume is to determine whether it will create the desired impression on a recruiter, enough for him to schedule an interview.
A resume is essentially a mode of communication between the candidate and the employer. It is expected to effectively communicate the candidate’s achievements and strengths. The resume should be planned and documented in such a way that it highlights every important detail that is relevant to the job at hand. It should make available, at a glance, a complete picture of the candidate and the special skills and abilities he has to offer the organization.
Differentiate Yourself
There is a difference between a resume for a sales job and one for a management position. In order to make the resume effective, the candidate should highlight his areas of interest, achievements, skills and abilities, in line with the job being applied for. While a salesperson should emphasize sales volume and targets achieved, an academic should emphasize his academic achievements and special honors received. The abilities and special achievements should be highlighted in a way that the candidate’s profile and the job requirements match perfectly.
Making An Impression
The most significant part of a resume is the top quarter. This part offers details on the identity of the candidate and his professional qualifications at a glance. A powerful headline helps in defining and distinguishing a candidate from others. The headline should be followed by information on special skills and expertise that makes him suitable for that particular position. The headline and details should be job specific and easily modified. The personal details furnished should be complete, leaving no room for a lapse in communication if you are chosen for the job.
Market Yourself
Marketing yourself and selling your ability to execute the duties assigned to the best of your ability is very important and should be kept in mind while drafting the resume. A candidate should be able to promote himself. After highlighting the academic and other achievements, you should sell personal achievements that distinguish you from the other contenders. Your efforts that highlight the leadership qualities in you should be mentioned. Knowledge of regional or foreign languages adds value, especially if the job involves national or overseas travel.
The Last Opportunity
The cover letter is an opportunity to impress the employer with your writing skills. The cover letter should be drafted in a way that it markets your abilities and suitability for the position. It should be a sincere effort to offer your services to the organization and should provide a brief snapshot of what you have to offer.
Your resume provides you with an opportunity for an interview with the employer. You should address your resume, complete with a cover letter, to a particular person rather than just a department. This ensures that the resume reaches the person in charge of recruiting, rather than in the in-box of a department. It is also the safest way of making sure that the resume and enclosed photocopies, if any, are not misplaced.
January 16, 2010
How To Strengthen Your Resume
Ten Quick Steps To A Great Resume
Depending on how your resume looks, hiring managers will either be turned off or want to meet you. A resume is usually their first contact with you. A great resume will give a strong first impression.
1. Having a three to five sentence summary at the top of your resume is much more effective than having an objective. You can use the career summary to sum up your skills and experiences. For example: “Supply chain manager with global experience in leadership, implementation, and project management. Skilled in…” Let them know up front who you are and what position you’re seeking.
2. Do you have several years of work experience? Move the Education section to the end (after the Experience section) so that you can showcase your work experience. (If you are preparing a resume for academia or research, then follow the resume formatting rules for your profession.)
3. Create a text version of your resume for posting online. That way if you post your MS Word resume and the formatting is lost, you won’t have to waste time reformatting your resume.
4. Check job ads for the types of jobs you’re applying for. See what keywords they use in their job descriptions and include those keywords in your resume. If the company uses software to scan resumes for keywords, you’ll ensure your resume won’t be screened out before it gets to a hiring manager. This is where the summary really comes in handy. You can add those keywords to the summary and increase your chances of having your resume selected.
5. When preparing your resume, use action words such as “leveraged,” “led,” “coordinated,” “managed,” etc. Words like, “participated” give the impression that you were on the sidelines, and not actively involved in the project. Don’t just say you were responsible, show the results. Were there any cost savings for the company? Mention them. Was your project completed ahead of schedule? Say so. Did your project lead to increased efficiency? Show the percentages.
6. When describing your current and past positions, only list the strongest accomplishments – the ones that will make a prospective employer contact you for an interview. Don’t include every function you performed on the job. Consider what accomplishments you would be looking for if you were the hiring manager, and what responsibilities show that you can handle the duties of the position you’re seeking.
7. Your resume should not include positions you held more than 10 years ago, unless they are relevant to the position you’re looking for now.
8. Keep it simple. Three pages maximum for management or executive resumes; two pages for all other resumes for corporate positions.
9. Don’t forget to check spelling and grammar. Saying you were the “lead” on a project is different than saying that you “led” the project. For grammar and word choices, do a search to find sites on the web that will answer your questions about grammar and punctuation.
10. Create different versions of your resume if you’re searching for more than one type of position. For example, you may want to apply for Business Analyst and Technical Writer positions. In one version of your resume you can include accomplishments and skills that relate more to being a B.A. In another version you can include accomplishments (and publications) relating to your experiences as a Technical Writer.
Copyright © 2007 Deborah A. Bailey, Writing Services Central, LLC
January 15, 2010
The Pitfalls of Unsolicited Resumes
Your mind is set on a company and a position that you want. This could be your dream job, but the company is not hiring. Before crossing your fingers and submitting your resume, consider the some of the risks that accompany your unsolicited resume. Your initiative in pursuing your dream job may actually sabotage your employment search.Unsolicited resumes are those received by a company when no employment openings are available. These resumes carry some baggage that will not benefit you in the job search. Despite your best intentions, an unsolicited resume has little chance of landing you an interview. Unsolicited resumes carry some stigma for a number of good reasons, but we limit this discussion to three.1. Unsolicited resumes are an irritant to Human Resource personnel when the company is not hiring. The HR staff has a multitude of duties aside from those related to hiring. They will not spend time examining resumes for positions when the company is not seeking employees.
2. These resumes are seldom read, but go straight into a file for a specified period of time before finding their way into the shredder and finally the recycle bin. When the company is hiring, H.R. will begin from a pool of current resumes rather than from a file of stale unsolicited documents. Unlike wine, your resume does not improve with age.
3. Calling the HR office to follow-up on your unsolicited resume may tag you as a “stalker.” This slang refers to unwanted calls from individuals seeking employment when the firm is not hiring. These people are in effect, “stalking” the company while waiting for an opportunity that does not exist. You may feel that you are showing tenacity in seeking employment. It is much more likely you are alienating yourself from those in the hiring process.If you have been searching for some time, you may begin to feel frustrated and perhaps a little desperate. It is natural to feel that way and many people have experienced those feelings. But, do not allow your feelings to provoke you into rashly submitting a batch of unsolicited resumes. This practice is unproductive and will set you up to feel worse when your “shotgun” approach fails to produce calls from excited hiring managers eager to schedule an interview.
Landing the right position requires strategy, timing, skill, and a little bit of luck never hurts. But, those who properly prepare often make their own luck and that is your goal. Map out an effective job search strategy that will work for you and your circumstances. There is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but there are effective job search strategies that will work for you. Develop your job search strategy and you are going in the right direction.
January 11, 2010
Create a Resume That Comes Alive
More often than not, resumes are your first introduction to an organization – giving them the responsibility of persuading the reader to want more. It is common for individuals to agonize over writing a resume and more often than not the finished product looks more like a career obituary or personal statement than a first class ticket to your dream job. A resume is an advert, an advert that introduces an individual, their career achievements to date and predicts how they will perform in their next role.
With only one resume out of every 200 leading to an interview, it is important to ensure that yours is the one that gets noticed. There are a number of key tips to writing a resume that will come alive in the readers’ hand, read on to find out more.
Step 1 – Research
Before starting to write your resume you need to do some preliminary research so you can tailor it to the jobs that you wish to apply for. Writing a broad resume can exclude you from specific positions that you apply for.
o What do I want to do? Research job specifications, websites, industry press.
o What makes me the best candidate for any job? Research job specifications, websites and industry press to discover the types of candidate’s organizations are looking for. Use this research and speak to people within the industry to draw up a list of your skills, characteristics and experience that makes you the best candidate for any job.
o Select the jobs that you would like to apply for
Step 2 – Write your primary job objective (this gives the reader incentive to read on)
An XX position in an organization where YY and ZZ would be required.
Step 3 – Write your summary
Using the research and brainstorming create a summary that articulately matches your skills and experience to the job requirements.
o A short phrase describing your profession
o A statement of broad or specialized expertise
o Use 2/3 additional statements
o Breadth & depth of skills
o Unique mix of skills
o Special or well documented accomplishment
o Awards, promotions or superior performance
o 1 or 2 professional or appropriate personal characteristics
o Add in the sentence you created in Step 2
E.g. Solution focused and driven human resources executive with eight years experience in strategic management and large scale recruitment projects. The national lead for retention policies within a large healthcare provider that has lead to a 15% reduction in turnover among nurses nationwide. Seeking a senior HR management role that offers extensive project work.
Step 4 Resume Format
Now you have your job objective and summary, choose what format of resume best suits your type of job search. There are 3 main types of resumes:
Chronological – This is the most common. It is a chronological listing of your work experience with the most recent first. It is best for:
o People who have practical work experience without long periods of unemployment and minimal job / industry changes.
o Individuals who have shown growth within a single professions
Functional – This resume format focuses on skills, credentials and accomplishments. It highlights what the strengths are rather than when / where they were developed. The main formatting difference is that after the job summary / objective you list your professional or business skills and successes, followed by a list of the positions held. It is best for individuals who:
o Have lots of job experience and many jobs
o Are just entering the work force with no / little track record
o Are just pre-retirement and have lots of work experience
o Are returning after a period of absence (return after maternity/paternity leave or long term sickness)
o Are changing careers / do not have consistent career growth
o Are Military personnel seeking civilian jobs
Combination – This resume format is a combination of the chronological and functional types. It is best for individuals who:
o Are advancing in the prospective careers and have an established track record they want to keep.
Step 5 Success Stories
Whatever format you choose you still want to include between 2-5 professional success stories for each role you have had. A useful method to help you create a strong resume is the mnemonic is CARS. For each job held think of Challenges you faced, Actions you took, Results or outcomes and finally Skills / Strengths that this showed you have. Using this story to create a sentence that speaks to how successful you were at your previous role. Remember to refer back to the words used and requirements detailed in the job description and use them where necessary so your resume is tailored to the hiring manager’s specific requirements.
E.g.
C – We needed to recruit 10 nurses before the opening of a new hospital ward in 4 wks time
A – Worked with team to create a shorter recruitment turnaround time, created a Team Leader specific to the project and negotiated the buy in of senior managers to sign off new recruits.
R – Recruited and trained all 10 within the 3 weeks, reducing the predicted $500k agency spend.
S – Negotiation, team leadership, meet deadlines, motivation, intuition and creative problem solving.
Resume – Successfully managed a team that recruited 10 nurses, expedited their training and start date in order to meet a 1 month deadline, saving the hospital a predicted $500k in agency spend.
Step 6 Education & Publications
Enter in reverse chronological order after your work experience and accomplishments.
The only time you put education directly under the summary would be:
o Recently graduated
January 7, 2010
Resume Formats – Deciding What One to Use
It might seem like all resumes are the same, but after you have read a few, you will discover there are actually some massive differences. The format you choose can be the deciding factor between getting called for a job interview or sending out more copies of your resume.
There are many aspects that separate an attention-grabbing resume from an unsuccessful resume. Many job seekers make the mistake of thinking that the layout of the resume is unimportant. The reality is that the layout of your resume is almost as important as the information you include. There are three popular types of layouts you can choose to use. I would estimate that at least 90% of the resumes created are either set-up using a chronological resume format or a functional resume format. The third is the combination resume format that is use is some cases, but is growing in popularity.
A Chronological Resume Format
When you write a chronological resume, you will want to make sure your employment and educational accomplishments are listed in chronological order. The key is to put your most recent experiences on top and work your way down. The reason most prospective employers prefer a chronological resume to a functional resume is because it makes it easier for them to access your background and qualifications. It lets them see how quickly you have progressed, and how long you stick to employment commitments or shows if you have got laid off frequently or fired. It also shows immediately if you have any gaps in your work history. It is also a benefit to many job seekers because it can highlight impressive organizations where they worked and if their work history is solid and shows progression this is an added benefit. The downfall to some job seekers is… if their job history is not perfect it will show every gap or time periods where they didn’t progress within their career.
A Functional Resume Format
The second type of resume that you should know about is called a functional resume. Instead of listing your employment and educational history in order, when you are drafting a functional resume, you will want to turn the focus on your skills set instead of employment history. When you create a functional resume, the aim is to draw attention to the highlights you have experienced that are relevant to the position you are seeking. It includes skills-based, categorical sections, this helps to determine if you are qualified for the position.
Functional resumes are commonly used when a student is seeking an internship, a stay at mom or dad entering the workforce, or by someone who is interested in making a career change.
A Combination Resume Format
The third type of resume that you might want to consider is a style that incorporates both the chronological and functional resume format. This type of resume is appropriately called a combination resume, and it is becoming increasingly popular. The reason professionals are starting to use a combination style is because it gives them the freedom to draw a prospective employer’s attention to their skills, while also showing they have a strong educational and employment history.
Once you have decided on the type of resume you want to produce, ensure that all the information is clear and concise. Additionally, do not overload your resume with information otherwise it will ruin your chances of getting an interview – remember to save some details for the interview.
January 1, 2010
Writing a Resume for a Career Change
One of the hardest decisions you will probably encounter during your professional career is either a change in position or a change in occupation. Many people think the safe decision is to stay in your current job or line of work, which is the place where you know what to expect and where you feel secure. On the other hand, many feel they will have no idea what to expect if they secure a new position. The whole process can be very intimidating, making it a difficult choice and for this reason many procrastinate.
When you are considering a career change, you have to also think about how it affects the people around you. This could be something that may affect your entire family, your financial situation, and maybe even where you live. Before you take the leap, make sure that you have considered all of the possible effects it will have on your life. It is a great idea to make a career change, but make sure you begin the process by being informed.
Many think the worse part about changing your career path is how you will rewrite your resume to target the newly desire position in a way it will appeal to a potential employer. The good news is that rewriting your resume doesn’t have to be an intimidating experience – the key is to find transferable skills.
The internet is an excellent source for finding information and advice about drafting your resume as well as making a career change. Not only will you find information, you will also find that there are numerous resources that will make the resume writing process considerably easier and more enjoyable. The problem is that the sheer amount of information you find can be overwhelming. When you are looking for advice about how to draft your resume, be careful about the advice you take, and use your common sense.
When you are drafting your resume you should know that there are two basic elements you need to know. Firstly, you need to list the things that are going to look the most promising; things that you have learned about your new career and your transferable skills. It is up to you to prove that you will be able to adapt to the demands of your new career.
Before you start to write your career change resume, set some time aside and do some research about the career that you are considering. The more you know about what you hope your new job will require, the more you can target your resume to meet your potential employer’s expectations.
Your transferable skills are proficiencies that you will be able to use in a variety of fields. Take time to think about what skills you have that will transfer to the position you desire. Transferable skills may include excellent communication skills, budgeting, strong management skills, staff development, customer relationship management, adaptability, project management, or organizational skills. If you research job postings and description and discover what they are looking for and identify what skills you have that coincided. After this make a list of how you have used those skills, like success stories. This uncovers relevant accomplishments… what did you do in the past that would relate to the new line of work.
One of the most effective career changing tactics is to network, network, network. Individuals in your network will have the ability to assist you in job leads, provide advice, and give you essential information about the business.
Changing careers doesn’t have to be difficult or stressful. The key is to start with a targeted resume and cover letter that highlight your transferable skills and accomplishments.
December 23, 2009
7 Ways to Update Your Resume
There used to be a “job for life” but now it is more common to change jobs and companies every 2-3 years, and to change careers several times in a working life. In a fast paced job market it is important to keep your resume up to date and ready to send out if opportunity arises. Here are 7 ways you can keep your resume up to date and stay on top of new technologies being used for recruitment.
1. Keep a Master resume but make each application specific. Use your Master as a template each time but ruthlessly cut out irrelevant content for each application. Create a copy of the master and then cut out the sections that don’t apply or summarise large blocks into sections with relevant information. Highlight the skills and experience most applicable to the job near the beginning of the document. List any specific projects, skills, awards or experience you have gained that are relevant for the role.
2. Use active language to describe your role e.g. Developed, Managed, Gained, Sold. These words force you to assess exactly what you did and make your achievement stand out. Make your experience positive even if you had a difficult time. You will find that you have learnt something useful from every job. Don’t avoid long absences if you had time off for having children, or to travel or study. Include this time with the benefits and skills it has given you that can help in this job.
3. Use a professional layout as first impressions count. Most applications are now done on email with an attachment or through online forms. Make sure your fonts and page layout are easy to read with enough white space to read easily on a computer. Don’t shrink your font size if you want to cram more information in. Either cut down on your content, or add extra pages. Save the final version into PDF format for online resumes so that formatting doesn’t change on download. There are plenty of freelancers online who can do this if you can’t. Check out Elance.com and get it professionally done.
4. Create an online professional resume at LinkedIn.com. This is fast becoming the website to post your resume, get referred and find jobs at the group pages. You can load a full resume or attach a document, presentation or link to where you have posted your full page. Make sure you include a recent professional photo as this gives a good impression. As many employers search online now, Google yourself and make sure that all your online hits are professional ones. If you have a personal website, make sure it is also professional.
5. Make the details count. Make sure your contact details are up to date and include an email address and mobile phone number. Check page numbers, margins and headings to ensure consistency. When emailing your resume, make sure you include your name in the filename e.g. JohnSmith_Resume.pdf so it doesn’t get lost on download.
6. Update your references. In a technological world, it is easy to fake qualifications, so recommendations are still important. Take off old referees and include your most recent ones with updated contact information. You can also collect references in writing or by email, or ask people to post a recommendation on your LinkedIn page or website.
7. Get someone else to read your resume. It is a sales document and needs to get attention. Therefore you need to say what is special about you and ensure you are highlighting your most important skills and qualifications. Many people do not “blow their own trumpet” well, so have someone else tell you what to change and improve.
7 Ways to Update Your Resume
There used to be a “job for life” but now it is more common to change jobs and companies every 2-3 years, and to change careers several times in a working life. In a fast paced job market it is important to keep your resume up to date and ready to send out if opportunity arises. Here are 7 ways you can keep your resume up to date and stay on top of new technologies being used for recruitment.
1. Keep a Master resume but make each application specific. Use your Master as a template each time but ruthlessly cut out irrelevant content for each application. Create a copy of the master and then cut out the sections that don’t apply or summarise large blocks into sections with relevant information. Highlight the skills and experience most applicable to the job near the beginning of the document. List any specific projects, skills, awards or experience you have gained that are relevant for the role.
2. Use active language to describe your role e.g. Developed, Managed, Gained, Sold. These words force you to assess exactly what you did and make your achievement stand out. Make your experience positive even if you had a difficult time. You will find that you have learnt something useful from every job. Don’t avoid long absences if you had time off for having children, or to travel or study. Include this time with the benefits and skills it has given you that can help in this job.
3. Use a professional layout as first impressions count. Most applications are now done on email with an attachment or through online forms. Make sure your fonts and page layout are easy to read with enough white space to read easily on a computer. Don’t shrink your font size if you want to cram more information in. Either cut down on your content, or add extra pages. Save the final version into PDF format for online resumes so that formatting doesn’t change on download. There are plenty of freelancers online who can do this if you can’t. Check out Elance.com and get it professionally done.
4. Create an online professional resume at LinkedIn.com. This is fast becoming the website to post your resume, get referred and find jobs at the group pages. You can load a full resume or attach a document, presentation or link to where you have posted your full page. Make sure you include a recent professional photo as this gives a good impression. As many employers search online now, Google yourself and make sure that all your online hits are professional ones. If you have a personal website, make sure it is also professional.
5. Make the details count. Make sure your contact details are up to date and include an email address and mobile phone number. Check page numbers, margins and headings to ensure consistency. When emailing your resume, make sure you include your name in the filename e.g. JohnSmith_Resume.pdf so it doesn’t get lost on download.
6. Update your references. In a technological world, it is easy to fake qualifications, so recommendations are still important. Take off old referees and include your most recent ones with updated contact information. You can also collect references in writing or by email, or ask people to post a recommendation on your LinkedIn page or website.
7. Get someone else to read your resume. It is a sales document and needs to get attention. Therefore you need to say what is special about you and ensure you are highlighting your most important skills and qualifications. Many people do not “blow their own trumpet” well, so have someone else tell you what to change and improve.
December 22, 2009
7 Steps to Writing a Door-opening, Job-winning Resume
The U.S. unemployment rate has recently jumped to a 14-year high. At the same time, we are being told to prepare for a long, drawn-out recession. If you are currently in the job market or expect that you may be in the not-too-distant future, you are certainly aware that the job market is fierce. But even in the fiercest of job markets, hiring continues. The challenge, of course, is to get YOUR phone ringing and to get YOU in the door to interview for these positions.
Now, more than ever, you MUST find a way to stand out and to break ranks with all the other candidates in the hiring line. Your resume–your first introduction to those with the power to hire you–doesn’t merely have to be good, it has to be incredible.
Professional resume writers work with thousands of job seekers, each one an individual, yet all with one thing in common: they need a resume that will make them stand out from their competition, promoting themselves as THE best solution to an employer’s needs.
While every single one of these job seekers is unique, professional writers know the secrets to creating attention-getting and job-winning resumes that get results even in the most competitive of job markets.
How do they do it? The truth is that the best resume solution and strategy is often as unique as the individual client. But, to develop those solutions, there are seven steps that the best professional resume writers carefully think through prior to tackling any new resume writing project for a client.
As you work on developing or refining your own resume — as you try to come up with ways to transform your background into a job-winning resume — it may be helpful for you to work through the same seven steps.
Step #1 – Know your goal
What is your current career goal? What profession? What industry? What professional level? Knowing your objective and your goals for a job search is the foundation of not just your resume, but of your entire job search.
Unless you know where you are going, you will have no idea what the focus of your resume must be and you won’t have a clue how to begin writing it. Don’t expect a busy employer to figure it out for you.
Your resume must have a precise focus and it must convey that focus in five seconds or less. If it doesn’t, it will be discarded. It is that simple. Every word and element of your resume must support your focus.
Step #2 – Know your audience
Now that you know your goal, you are in a position to begin thinking about the recipients of your resume. What are the expectations and requirements of a candidate for the job you are targeting? What are the problems that a person in your ideal position is likely to be faced with? In what way will the company profit from having an exceptional performer in the position you are targeting?
Remember that the person doing the hiring has problems that they are hoping their new-hire will solve. What are those problems? Do they need to increase sales? Reduce costs? Increase productivity? Improve efficiency? If you clearly identify the problems of your target audience, you can construct an entire resume focused on how you are the ideal candidate to solve them.
An employee is an investment, and if you create a resume that proves you have VALUE to offer and will produce a better RETURN on that investment than the next guy, doors will swing open to you.
Step #3 – Know your competition
Who is your competition in the job market? What qualifications might they have that you don’t have? What qualifications might you have that they don’t have? For most situations, I’m not referring to specific individuals. Obviously you wouldn’t want to violate the privacy of any specific person competing for the same type of job. But, there is definite value in trying to define your competition in generalities. What types of qualifications does the typical candidate have for the job you are targeting?
Knowing your competition is a key part of Step #4…
Step #4 – Clearly identify any challenges or problem(s) that your resume must address
Okay. Now that you know where you are going, know what your audience is seeking, and know what your competition brings to the table, you are ready to fully define the problems that your resume must overcome.
Some of those problems might be obvious. Work-history gaps, concerns about age discrimination, and multiple job changes are among the most common. But, you may have identified others. Are there key qualifications you are lacking? Educational requirements that you don’t quite meet? Ways that your experience doesn’t quite stand up to your competition? Whatever those problems might be, make sure you define them. In the next step, we will begin to solve them.
Step #5 – Be willing to throw the rules out the window and think outside the box
Now, take everything you have ever learned about resume writing and forget it. Well, maybe not everything, but at this point you definitely do need to begin thinking creatively and strategically.
Remember that a resume is essentially an advertisement – a personal sales pitch. Resumes are NOT autobiographies! They are marketing documents meant to sell you as the ideal candidate for a position. Everything about the content, the structure, and the design of your resume should be strategically and selectively included, excluded, highlighted, or de-emphasized.
Always be meticulously honest, but be willing to think outside the box and present your background in a format and structure that will be most flattering to you in relation to your career goal.
Do you want to be one of a kind? Or do you want to be one of many?
Your resume is meant to make you stand out and shine. You will NOT achieve this by following some rigid template that doesn’t have the flexibility to showcase your unique qualifications.
Step #6 Differentiate yourself
When you considered your competition in Step #3 did you also identify exactly what it is that sets you apart from your competition in the job market? If not, now is the time to think about that.
Infuse your resume with your differentiating personality, passion, and expertise. This is probably THE most important factors that makes a resume stand out. So many resumes are terribly generic and cookie-cutter. They are boring, read like a job description, and all look the same.
Your resume should emphasize your differentiators and distinguishing qualifications rather than just the baseline qualifications that are common and expected in your profession. Additionally, it isn’t enough to tell a reader that you have certain abilities; you must show them through examples of achievements. Prove impact! Forget about cliches and jargon. Soft skills are often important, but even those should be backed up by specific accomplishments that illustrate them.
Step #7 – Reframe, reposition, reformat, and redesign
It is really all about how you frame and position your experience, your achievements, your educational background, and any other qualifications. Once you get to this step, you are ready to begin writing your resume. Take what you know about the expectations of your target audience, combine this with your understanding of the competition, your differentiating value add, examples of your past achievements, and the problems you defined in Step #4, and start writing your resume.
Perhaps you are making a career change into a completely new profession. Much of your past experience is transferable, but this might not be immediately obvious to the resume recipient. How can you “reframe” your past experience to selectively emphasize the transferable skills and de-emphasize those that will no longer be relevant?
Is there a qualification you are lacking for the position you are targeting? Perhaps some other experience you have had has helped you to develop this qualification in a non-traditional way. How can you “reposition” that experience to illustrate the qualification in question?
Maybe you are returning to a career path that you veered away from ten years ago. Your recent experience is not as relevant as your past experience. What opportunities do you have to “reformat” your resume to bring the older skills to the forefront?
Or maybe you have a couple of big gaps in your work history. Can you think of a way to “redesign” your resume to take the visual emphasis off of the chronology/dates of your experience and place it instead on your achievements and results?
If you aren’t sure what the best resume writing strategy is, create several versions and ask your friends and family for feedback before choosing the one you use in your search. And, if you get stuck, don’t hesitate to consult with a professional. Professional resume writers can often provide solutions that you would never have thought of on your own.
December 20, 2009
Resume Writer – Does Your Career Hunt Need a Boost?
Hiring a resume writer can serve as a boost to your career search, but do you need one? If you ask a writer, the answer will no doubt be one sided. If you apply for jobs only to never hear back from the hiring manager, a writer will tell you that you need professional help. Before you hire a writer, however, you should think about the following:
Read over your resume. There could be spelling and grammatical mistakes that you’re not aware of. These are a huge turn off to potential employers. Take a moment to think about the language that you used. Can you change the wording to make it sound more professional?
Is your resume relevant? If you are in the midst of a career change, your resume may not be relevant to the position you are applying for. Trim away experience and qualifications that do not qualify you for the job you are applying for. A mixed resume is confusing to employers. Show them why you are qualified for the job by highlighting pertinent experience only.
Find ways to make your resume stand out from others. Highlighting your accomplishments is a great way to do this. Woo your future boss and show them why you are a great hire.
If you are still unhappy with your resume, you may want to consider hiring a resume writer. A professionally-polished resume may get you noticed, but it is not a guarantee of employment. Hiring a writer can be expensive as well. So, you should always weight the benefits against the drawbacks before you hire a writer.
Before you hire any writer, you should be sure of their qualifications. There are many people that say they can do the job, but can they? Always ask for writing samples and a fee structure outline ahead of time. Look for a service that has a flawless reputation. You may also want to select a professional that offers additional job seeking services as well.
If you need help finding a writer, start with the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). This association can provide you with a list of writers and an outline of their qualifications. All of the writers listed are certified and meet industry standards. If you choose not to use this service, be sure to research any writer or company that you plan to hire. Hiring a resume writer is not a task that should be taken lightly. It’s your money and your career on the line. Make sure that you get what you pay for.