Tried and True Resume Tips

My regional newspaper has focused on one job searcher each weekday, matching them up with a local career counselor to get some advice.  It amazes me how similar the advice is and how much it centers on the resume.  Before I share the common wisdom I culled from this daily column, I think it's important to first clarify the purpose of the resume.

A resume can't get you the job, although it can kill it for you if it has typos, grammatical errors or is simply too long.
The resume does not take the place of the interview.

The purpose of the resume is to whet an appetite.  It serves as the script for the interview.  It helps you convince yourself that you have skills and experience to showcase.  To some extent, this last piece is critical as the act of putting together a resume requires the job seeker to do some self analysis and self acknowledgment necessary to conducting a successful campaign.

Whet an appetite means just that - to create interest, to entice the reader to meet with you to learn more.  The resume is not a 'tell all' document.  When someone shows me a resume in 9-point type running three pages, I can almost guarantee them they are shooting themselves in the foot.  No one has the time to read a book.  While there is a range of opinion about the exact length of time you have to grab the reader's attention ranging from 5 - 30 seconds, you need to make the resume easy to read and you want your key skills and accomplishments to pop!

In today's world, a friendly computer is often screening resumes to match key skills against a job.  Make sure the skills reflected in a job description are prominent on your resume.

Your resume is the script for the interview as it's the prompt for what most interviewers will ask.  Don't highlight something you hate to do.  You can't interview with enthusiasm when you are talking about the least favorite part of your last job.  Bullet point your accomplishments and put them in the order in which you want to talk about them.  Make sure the accomplishment, project or responsibility that really makes you shine is your first bullet point.  If you bury your best stuff midway down a list of 10 bullets, you may never get a chance to showcase it.

When I ask someone what his or her strengths are, I generally get a puzzled look.  When I ask someone what their weaknesses are, I get a laundry list.  Assessing your skills and highlighting them on your resume is a critical exercise because it helps you position you for yourself.  The first person who needs to sign on as your fan is you.  Take the time to examine your successes so you can comfortably talk about strengths.  Make sure you have at least one bullet that demonstrates each strength or attribute in your profile.

An objective or no objective?  Most objectives read something like this - 'Seeking a managerial position in a growing company that will enable me to use my skills and experience.'  And who wouldn't?   If you're going to include an objective, you must be clear about what you want to do and what you bring to the lucky organization that hires you.  I generally recommend rolling the objective into a Professional Summary or Profile.  The profile is your opportunity to paint a picture of who you are, your skills and attributes.  Use language like proven, demonstrated, and known for to highlight these skills and attributes.  For example, 'Demonstrated analytical, communication and relationship building skills' OR 'Proven ability to attract and retain customers'.  Be ready to back these statements up with accomplishment bullets in the body of the resume.

Each accomplishment bullet should begin with an action verb, not 'I am responsible for', rather Manage, Analyze, Design, Develop, etc.  In fact, if you find yourself using the word 'I', you are probably speaking your resume versus putting it in resumespeak which, albeit is not proper English, but allows you to convey what you do without a list of I's and better highlight your skills.   When spell check tells you you're using sentence fragments, you know you're on the right track.  You can Google action verbs for resumes and you'll get a number of sites.  One I find particularly useful is www.quintcareers.com.  You'll find not only action verbs, but also resume samples and sample cover letters on that site.

Another way to use an action verb or attribute list is to go through it and check every term/verb that resonates with you or represents something you're good at.  Go back and circle the top five.  These verbs should be prominent on your resume.  If they are not, you're describing someone other than you.

Don't list interests and hobbies on your resume.  Something that interests you may turn off a future employer.  And, in that they're not job related, it's not really something to emphasize on your resume.

Do list volunteer activities and leadership roles outside of work.  In today's world, volunteering is viewed as a positive thing.  Be careful not to go overboard.  Select the few volunteer activities that support those communication skills or your ability to build a strong team.  Listing too many volunteer activities can leave an employer wondering when you'll have time to come to work.

We all know you'll supply references if asked, so there is no need to waste a line on 'References furnished upon request'.

Last of all and most important, proof, proof and proof again.  Use some of the tips I outlined in my last post.


Ask for feedback on your resume from some trusted colleagues, friends or former managers.  At some point stop asking for feedback.  You need the opinion of others, but not to the point where it's making you crazy and you put off starting a search because you are continually revising your resume. Once you're comfortable with what you read like on paper, post on several job sites, go to a job fair, network into someone.  With your resume in hand, you are ready to hit that job market!