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How to Construct a Dynamite Resume
Presented
by The David Anthony Group
By
Bill Radin
©1998
Innovative Consulting, Inc.
Career Development Reports
In a perfect world,
no one would need a resume.
The
candidates most suited to a particular job would simply be summoned forth
to interview, based on their reputation and word of mouth referral.
Employers
would carefully make their hiring decisions based on the candidates’
verbal account of their past performance, without regard to any kind of
written documentation.
And
companies would grow and prosper, having selected only the best and
brightest from a large pool of qualified talent.
Right.
And now the reality:
•
Employers are so
inundated with resumes, it often takes weeks, or even months to sort
through them all to identify
the candidates they deem qualified.
•
Despite the
administrative headaches and delays caused by processing resumes,
companies rely heavily on the resumes they receive to screen for potential
candidates.
•
Given the choice
of two candidates of equal ability, hiring managers will always prefer to
interview the one with the most artfully constructed and attractive
resume.
•
For that reason,
candidates with superb qualifications are often overlooked. And companies
end up hiring from a more shallow pool of talent; a pool made up of those
candidates whose experience is represented by powerfully written, visually
appealing resumes.
Of
course, many of the best candidates also have the best resumes; and
sometimes, highly qualified candidates manage to surface through
word-of-mouth referral. In fact, the referral method is the one I use to
present talented people to my client companies.
But
unless you can afford to rely on your “reputation,” or on the
recommendation of a barracuda recruiter, you’ll need more than the right
qualifications to get the job you want -- you’ll need a dynamite resume.
In
today’s competitive employment market, your resume has to stand out in
order to get the attention of the decision maker and create a strong
impression. And later on, when you meet the prospective employer face to
face, a strong resume will act as a valuable tool during the interviewing
process.
Truth
in Advertising
In
addition to providing a factual representation of your background, your
resume serves as an advertisement of your availability.
Although
there’s no federal regulatory agency like the FDA or FCC to act as a
watchdog, I consider it to be ethical common sense to honestly and clearly
document your credentials. In other words, don’t make exaggerated claims
about your past.
The
best way to prepare a dynamite resume is not to change the facts -- just
make them more presentable. This can be accomplished in two ways: [1] by
strengthening the content of your resume; and [2] by enhancing its
appearance.
Remember,
your resume is written for the employer, not for you. Its main purpose,
once in the hands of the reader, is to answer the following questions: How
do you present yourself to others? What have you done in the past? And
what are you likely to accomplish in the future?
Ten
Keys to a Dynamite Resume
To
help you construct a better, more powerful resume, here are ten overall
considerations in regard to your resume’s content and presentation:
[1]
Position title and
job description. Provide your title, plus a detailed explanation of your
daily activities and measurable results. Since job titles are often
misleading or their function may vary from one company to another, your
resume should tell the reader exactly what you’ve done. (Titles such as
account manager, business analyst, and internal consultant are especially
vague.)
[2]
Clarity of dates
and place. Document your work history accurately. Don’t leave the reader
guessing where you were employed, or for how long. If you’ve had
overlapping jobs, find a way to pull them apart on paper, or eliminate
mentioning one, to avoid confusion.
[3]
Detail. Specify
some of the more technical, or involved aspects of your past work or
education. Have you performed tasks of any complexity, or significance? If
so, don’t be shy; give a one or two sentence description.
[4]
Proportion. Give
appropriate attention to jobs or educational credentials according to
their length, or importance to the reader. For example, if you wish to be
considered for a position at a bank, don’t write one paragraph
describing your current job as a loan officer, followed by three
paragraphs about your high school summer job as a lifeguard.
[5]
Relevancy. Confine
your curriculum vitae to that which is job-related or clearly demonstrates
a pattern of success. For example, nobody really cares that your hobby is
spear fishing, or that you weigh 137 pounds, or that you belong to an
activist youth group. Concentrate on the subject matter that addresses the
needs of the employer.
[6]
Explicitness.
Leave nothing to the imagination. Don’t assume the resume reader knows,
for example, that the University of Indiana you attended is in western
Pennsylvania, or that an “M.M.” is a Master of Music degree, or that
your current employer, U.S. Computer Systems, Inc., supplies the fast-food
industry with order-taker headsets.
[7]
Length. Fill up
only a page or two. If you write more than two pages, it sends a signal to
the reader that you can’t organize your thoughts, or you’re trying too
hard to make a good impression. If your content is strong, you won’t
need more than two pages.
[8]
Spelling, grammar,
and punctuation. Create an error-free document which is representative of
an educated person. If you’re unsure about the correctness of your
writing (or if English is your second language), consult a professional
writer or copy editor. At the very least, use a spell-check program if you
have access to a word processor, and always proofread what you’ve
written.
[9]
Readability.
Organize your thoughts in a clear, concise manner. Avoid writing in a
style that’s either fragmented or long-winded. No resume ever won a
Nobel Prize for literature; however, an unreadable resume will virtually
assure you of starting at the back of the line.
[10]
Overall appearance and
presentation. Select the proper visual format, type style, and stationery.
Resume readers have become used to a customary and predictable format. If
you deviate too much, or your resume takes too much effort to read,
it’ll probably end up in the trash, even if you have a terrific
background.
Resume
writing can be tricky, especially if you haven’t done it before. I
suggest you write several drafts, and allow yourself the time to proofread
for errors and ruminate over what you’ve written. Practice, after all,
makes perfect. If you have a professional associate whose opinion you
trust, by all means, listen to what he or she has to say. A simple
critique can save you a great deal of time and money.
I
worked with a candidate recently who had the most beautifully written
resume I’ve ever seen. When I asked him about it, he said that he
sharpened his skills by writing and rewriting his wife’s resume. After
he got the hang of it, he worked on his own -- and kept revising it on a
monthly basis.
Building
a Stronger Case
To
get the most mileage out of your resume, you’ll want to emphasize
certain aspects of your background. By doing so, you’ll present your
qualifications in the most favorable light, and help give the employer a
better understanding of your potential value to his or her organization.
You
can build a stronger case for your candidacy, by highlighting the
following areas of interest:
•
Professional achievements of particular interest to your reader.
For example, if you’re in sales, the first thing a hiring manager will
want to know is your sales volume, and how it ranks with your peers. If
you’ve won awards, or reached goals, let the employer know. If you’re
in management, let the reader know the number of people you supervise, and
what their titles are.
•
Educational accomplishments. List your degree(s) and/or relevant
course work, thesis or dissertation, or specialized training. Be sure to
mention any special honors, scholarships, or awards you may have received,
such as Dean’s List, Cum Laude, or Phi Beta Kappa.
•
Additional areas of competency. These might include
computer software fluency, dollar amount of monthly raw materials
purchased, or specialized training.
•
Professional designations that carry weight in your field. If
you’re licensed or certified in your chosen profession (CPA, CPM, or PE,
for example), or belong to a trade organization (such as ASTD or ASQC), by
all means let the reader know.
•
Success indicators. You should definitely include anything in your
past that might distinguish you as a leader or achiever. Milestones such
as Eagle Scout, college class president, scholarship recipient, or
valedictorian will help employers identify you as a potential winner. If
you worked full time to put yourself through school, you should consider
that experience a success indicator, and mention it on your resume.
•
Related experience. Anything that would be relevant to your
prospective employer’s needs. For example, if your occupation requires
overseas travel or communication, list your knowledge of foreign
languages. If you worked as a co-op student in college, especially in the
industry you’re currently in, let the reader know.
•
Military history. If you served in the armed forces, describe your
length of service, branch of service, rank, special training, medals, and
discharge and/or reserve status. Employers generally react favorably to
military service experience.
•
Security clearances. Some industries place a premium on clearances
when it comes to getting hired or being promoted. If you’re targeting an
industry such as aerospace or defense, give your current and/or highest
clearable status, and whether you’ve been specially checked by an
investigative agency.
•
Citizenship. This should be mentioned if your industry requires it.
Dual citizenship should also be mentioned, especially if you think you may
be working in a foreign country.
In
a competitive market, employers are always on the lookout for traits that
distinguish one candidate from another. Not long ago, I worked with an
engineering manager who
mentioned the fact that he was a three-time APBA national power boat
champion on his resume. It came as no surprise that several employers
warmed up to his resume immediately, and wanted to interview him.
Resume
Objectives
Most
employers find that a carefully worded statement of purpose will help them
quickly evaluate your suitability for a given position. An objective
statement can be particularly useful as a quick-screen device when viewed
by a manager responsible for staffing several types of positions.
(“Let’s see; accountants in this pile, programmers in that pile, plant
managers in that pile...”)
While
a stated objective gives you the advantage of targeting your employment
goals, it can also work against you. A hiring manager lacking in
imagination or who’s hard pressed for time will often overlook a resume
with an objective that doesn’t conform to the exact specifications of a
position opening. That means that if your objective reads “Vice
President position with a progressive, growth-oriented company,” you may
limit your options and not be considered for the job of regional manager
for a struggling company in a mature market -- a job you may enjoy and be
well suited to.
If
you’re pretty sure of the exact position you want in the field or
industry you’re interested in, then state it in your objective.
Otherwise, broaden your objective or leave it off the resume.
Summary
or Chronological?
Your
resume can be arranged in one of two basic formats: summary or
chronological.
[1]
The summary (or
functional) resume distills your total work experience into major areas of
expertise, and focuses the reader’s attention on your accumulated
skills.
[2]
The chronological
resume presents your skills and accomplishments within the framework of
your past employers. (Actually, it should be called a reverse
chronological resume, since your last job should always appear first.)
Although
the information you furnish the reader may essentially be the same,
there’s a big difference in the way the two resumes are constructed, and
the type of impact each will have.
My
experience has shown that the chronological resume brings the best
results, since it’s the most explicit description of the quality and
application of your skills within a specific time frame.
The
summary resume, on the other hand, works well if you’ve changed jobs or
careers often, and wish to downplay your work history and highlight your
level of expertise.
If
a prospective hiring manager is specifically interested in a steady,
progressively advancing employment history (as most are), then the summary
resume will very likely work against you, since the format will seem
confusing, and might arouse suspicions as to your potential for longevity.
However,
if the employer’s main concern is your technical or problem-solving
ability, the summary resume will serve your needs just fine.
Either
way, you should always follow the guidelines mentioned earlier regarding
content and appearance.
Beware
of Artificial Fillers and Additives
So
far, we’ve talked about ways to enhance or adjust the content of your
resume. Now let’s look at what should be left out, or at least
minimized.
[1]
Salary history or
salary requirements. I’ve never heard one good reason to mention your
past, current, or expected salary. If you see a classified ad that says,
“Only resumes with salary history will be considered,” don’t believe
it. If your resume is strong enough, you’ll be contacted. Once
contacted, be forthright.
[2]
References. If you
have high-impact or well known professional references, fine. Otherwise,
“References: Available Upon Request” will do just fine. Avoid personal
references like your minister or your attorney, unless they happen to be
Billy Graham or Sandra Day O’Connor.
[3]
Superfluous
materials. When submitting a resume, avoid enclosing such items as your
thesis, photos, diplomas, transcripts, product samples, newspaper
articles, blueprints, designs, or letters of recommendation. These are
props you can use during your interview, but not before. The only thing
other than your resume that’s acceptable is your business card.
[4]
Personal
information. Leave out anything other than the absolute essentials such
as, “Married, two children, willing to relocate, excellent health.” By
listing your Masonic affiliation, right-to-life activism or codependency
support involvement, you could give the employer a reason to suspect that
your outside activities may interfere with your work.
Not
long ago, we received a resume from a candidate who felt the need to put
his bowling average on his vita. I guess he thought that kind of information might improve his
chances of being interviewed. Would I show his resume to an employer? No
way.
Remember,
the greater the relevancy between your resume and the needs of the
employer, the more seriously your candidacy will be considered.
The keys to a dynamite resume are
complete, accurate content and
appropriate, professional appearance.
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