An Effective Resume

Today I’m posting the essence (somewhat abridged) of an email to a friend who asked for a review of her resume. It just may be helpful to you. I’ll soon post a resume sample that illustrates these points.

“I had a little time today to take a look at both the job description at XYZ Company and your resume.  Here are some observations – your resume will need to reflect your own way of expressing yourself, so I won’t actually make the changes, but only suggest.  We can dialog back and forth as you go, if you wish:

• You need a clear Objective statement, targeted to this position. Be specific (see attached sample). As an alternative you may consider a “title” for yourself – see http://hr-jobs.theladders.com/career-advice/how-to-craft-attention-getting-resume-title - good advice along those lines.

• Your Professional Profile section is strong and reads well, though it is a bit “long” (see attached sample). Employers do not initially read resumes beginning to end - they will spend typically perhaps 15 to 30 seconds on a resume, to get a first impression of fit. If that is not evident, you may not make the cut. Be sure the content will give you maximum traction for this particular position, with this particular hiring manager.  That implies focusing on the stated requirements, i.e. providing your key attributes (experience, skills, knowledge, personal attributes and qualities) in context of this position.

• After that you need to demonstrate that what you stated in summary about yourself is indeed valid. You do that through accomplishments and results statements. A resume is the tool to market you to the employer for this position.  But the employer wants to get a feel for how well you performed, what you achieved, and what results you produced, not just what you did.  Accomplishments describe the successful application of your competencies. They provide insight about your motivation, commitment and degree of expertise. And they indicate a level of performance that you have already achieved, and therefore should be able to repeat and build on for a new employer. Again, see the attached sample..

• Do not use months in your work history.

OK, now about the cover letter. The cover letter is a vehicle to connect you to the employer company and the position through your resume. The resume tells about your qualifications. The cover letter serves to underscore why this company, why this job, and some key points the employer should pay particular attention to, about you.

There are essentially 3 things an employer looks for in a candidate:

• Can she do the job (skills, experience, knowledge, etc.)

• Will she do the job (strong work ethic, attention to detail, organization, etc)

• Will she fit (does your personality, outlook, style, social skills, etc. mesh well with those of the company?). The cover letter, through its content as well as your style, is an opportunity to convey this aspect – by confirming what specifically attracted you to them, and by stressing some of the relevant aspects of your approach to things.”