We Judge Ourselves by What We Feel Capable of Doing

RESUME WRITING

Developing the Document

"We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing,

while others judge us by what we have already done."

-HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

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YOUR RÉSUMÉ

"We don't need more strength or more ability or greater opportunity. What we need is to use what we have."

-BASIL S. WALSH

Your résumé functions as an advertisement of yourself. It is an effective way of marketing and packaging yourself for the job market. It is a promotional tool that presents you at your best. The content of your résumé must arouse the curiosity of the reader. It must make the reader want to meet you.

A good résumé will enable you reaffirm in writing, on paper, your positive qualities, skills and characteristics. A good résumé presents supportive information that justifies your job objective. By stating your work-related accomplishments, responsibilities and qualifications, you document your capabilities.

This documentation also gives you greater insight and self-understanding. It helps you outline and organize your skills. As a result, you feel more confident when presenting yourself in job interviews.

SELLING YOURSELF

Effective résumé writing utilizes good marketing strategy. Taking a strategic approach to writing your resume will ensure there is a good reason and sound logic behind every choice you make in developing this important document.

Your résumé is a thirty-second commercial about you. You are the product. Your résumé is the advertisement. Your résumé is a sales brochure. You are the product it is trying to sell. Your résumé is one of your key sales tools. It emphasizes the advantages and benefits of using your services. Your résumé presents, promotes and publicizes you... by grabbing attention... by sparking interest.

"A résumé is the best way and largely the only way to disseminate important information about yourself. It is a personal advertisement. A portrait of you in writing. Just as a picture is worth a thousand words, so a résumé speaks eloquently in your behalf."

-BURDETTE BOSTWICK

"A résumé is what nearly everyone you approach in your job search is going to ask you to send them before they take any action on your behalf. You can think of it as the driver's license of job hunting: You can't go anywhere without it. What it is, in short, is a one or two page summary of your work history, educational background, and work-related personal qualifications. Its fundamental purpose is to give prospective employers a convenient and reasonably efficient way to determine, at a glance, if you warrant a closer look."

-MAX MESSMER

ABRIDGED EDITION

Your resume is a sales brochure not an owner's manual. It is an overview. It is a brief summary. It's the abridged edition or the short version. It should be concise, compact and condensed. Short and succinct. A good resume does not provide detailed information. It is not an official document of your life. It does not review your entire existence on earth. It is not an account of every job you've ever held. It is not your job history or life story.

FIRST IMPRESSION

Your résumé represents you. It acts as an ambassador in your behalf. It is a calling card. It is used to initiate contact. It is oftentimes the first impression an employer has of you. It is up to you to make this first impression count. Your résumé is also a reminder. After an initial meeting or after an interview, your résumé serves as a record, and provides positive support for your personal impression. It helps the interviewer remember you.

DOOR OPENER

Your résumé does not get you a job. Your résumé only gets you an interview. An interview gets you a job. Your résumé should prompt the employer to exclaim, "I want to meet this person!" All you want is a chance to tell your story in person. Your résumé opens the door, but it does not close the sale.

CHOICE CUTS

The information on your résumé should be positive, selective and relevant. Keep your presentation short and full of spark. Your résumé should be a concise statement of what you've learned from past experiences and how they will help a future employer. Your résumé must project a positive image. It must fit both you and the circumstances. Most importantly, your résumé must appeal to the reader. Target your résumé to the specific needs of the employer who is currently reading your résumé. Insure that everything on your résumé is relevant to the job for which you are applying.

SPECIAL & UNIQUE

Your résumé should present information that clearly differentiates you from everyone else. What is it about you that only you can offer? What makes you special and unique? What makes you stand out? What separates you from the rest? What are your distinct attributes? In what ways are you better than your competition? Employers aren't looking for the "same old résumé." They're looking for something special. To grab attention and spark interest, your résumé must go beyond the standard, typical, everyday, "run-of-the-mill" résumé.

JOB APPLICATION

Your résumé can be used to supplement information when filling out a job application. Sometimes it can even replace a job application. However, do not mistake your résumé for a job application. A job application contains all the information about you that the employer wants to know. Your résumé contains all the information about you that you want to tell the employer. A job application is a standard official form created and controlled by the employer. Your résumé belongs entirely to you. Your résumé is your opportunity to present yourself to the employer in your own words, on your own terms, in your own way. While your résumé and the job application should not contradict each other, it is important to remember that they greatly differ in the way they present you on paper. You have complete control over the information in your résumé. You may describe yourself in any manner you see fit. You may include or exclude any detail you choose.

RÉSUMÉ WRITING

Résumé writing is a fine art. It is not an exact science. There is no one right way to write a résumé. There are no rigid rules for designing or composing a résumé. You should feel comfortable and confident that you can develop a résumé that is right for you... one that is tailor-made for you... one that fits your own specific background and goals.

You don't have to brag, lie, misrepresent or exaggerate on a résumé. But, you should describe your experiences and abilities as positively as possible without excessive use of superlatives. Avoid cuteness, cleverness, and fluff. Don't ever say anything negative or irrelevant about yourself on a résumé. Every element of your résumé must say: "I am a perfect match!"

A résumé is an individually designed document that summarizes your background. It is intended to demonstrate your fitness for a particular position. It focuses on the most attractive and applicable aspects of your background. If needed, convert job descriptions to generic (or civilian) language and translate your experience for the reader. Emphasize transferable skills.

Tell what you've learned, not only what you've done. Provide evidence of skills, not just duties. Make sure your resume conveys what you have to offer, not what you want. Don't tell employers what you're looking for, tell what contributions you can make.

Write clearly and simply. Stay away from fuzzy, vague or sweeping statements. Use short, direct, active phrases, rather than complete sentences. Do not use narrative language. The collective descriptions of duties, responsibilities, achievements and skills should read like a list rather than a paragraph. Statements should begin with action verbs. Avoid personal pronouns (I... me... my...) and articles (the… a… an…). Keep punctuation to a minimum (Periods are usually not necessary). Keep it brief. One page resumes are best.

Make it visually appealing. Use wide margins and easy-to-read type. Balance blocks of text with white space. Be consistent in your format.

Support all activities and responsibilities with results and accomplishments. Emphasize transferable skills. Use statistics and quantifiable language whenever possible. Use positive language. Keep the reader in mind.

RESUME FORMAT

Your résumé should have a clean, well-balanced and professional look. Keep it simple. Regardless of format, the contents should be organized in a way that makes the résumé easy to read. Margins should be even. The format should be consistent. Make proper use of white space, skipped lines and indentation.

The categories you choose should be appropriate for the amount and type of experience you have. Use only one font, but vary the treatment of that font throughout the résumé for emphasis (bold, italics, capitalization, size).

Creating your own format is better than borrowing a standard format, provided your format organizes your experience and skills in a way that effectively and appropriately markets you to the employer.

THREE STEP PROCESS

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1 / RAW MATERIAL

Brainstorming is the beginning of effective résumé writing. Start the creative process by gathering together a large pile of notes. This great mass is the raw material from which your résumé will emerge. Collect as many notes as you possibly can. The more notes you have, the better. From these rough notes will come the finished work of art. Brainstorming and notewriting will help you remember, recall and recapture forgotten moments of glory that employers love to hear about. Try to dredge up and recollect all your past experiences. As you call to mind specific details, jot them down.

List every company or organization you've ever worked for. Every job you've ever held. All your job titles. Dates and locations. Descriptions of all your duties and responsibilities. Special projects. The skills you utilized. The skills you learned. Your accomplishments.Don't limit your brainstorming. Experience comes in a variety of forms. Paid or unpaid. Fulltime or parttime. Temporary or permanent. Seasonal work. Volunteer. Freelance. Self-employed. Internships. It all counts!

List all your educational background. Every school you've ever attended. Dates and locations. All your diplomas, degrees and certificates. Major, minor and elective coursework. Any additional training. List your formal education. List any outside education also.

As you brainstorm the raw material for your résumé, do not to exclude anything. Jot down all your activities. Extracurricular activities. Membership in clubs. Volunteer projects. Community service. Church involvement. Military service. Professional organizations. Hobbies. Don't forget your awards and honors. Distinctions. Achievements. Scholarships. Special commendations and recognitions.

For now, go for quantity. You will eventually turn 10 pounds of raw material into about one pound of high quality résumé.

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2 / ROUGH DRAFT

The second step to effective résumé writing begins when you have decided you are finished with your brainstorming and are now ready to begin sifting through the raw material you have generated. Your goal in this phase of your résumé's development is to organize and outline your notes and then begin writing a rough draft. Part of the sifting process involves evaluating the items you are considering for entry into your résumé. Look at each item and determine whether or not it will become part of your résumé based on the following criteria.

1.Job is in your field

2.Duties are relevant

3.Skills are transferable

4.Experiences can be described in a positive way

As you evaluate each item, remember to be highly selective. Choose only those items from your past experience that have a positive and relevant bearing on your present pursuit. You have the option of discarding or retaining any item.

The rough draft that emerges from this stage of your résumé writing process is the result of your evaluative and organizational efforts regarding each item from your collection of raw material. Your rough draft should be an informal outline that more or less resembles the résumé you will end up with.

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3 / FINISHED PRODUCT

In the final stage of the production of your résumé, you will need to polish and refine the document so that it is verbally and visually appealing. It is in this stage that you create your format, select your categories and choose from among a variety of emphasizing techniques.

Your format may categorize your experience by chronology or by function. A chronological format lists your experience historically, with the most recent experience first (reverse chronological order). A functional format emphasizes skills and accomplishments.

Your categories may include any of the following.... Education... Accomplishment... Awards & Honors... Experience... Activities... Skills & Capabilities... Employment... Memberships... Professional Profile... Community Involvement... Leadership.

Utilize emphasizing techniques for impact and easy reading... Bold Letters... Italics and Script... Indenting... Capital Letters... Bullets and Dashes... Font Size Variations.

Proofread for correct spelling and grammar. Check for typographical errors. Don't use abbreviations or technical jargon. Use generic terms.

Don't include a photograph. Don't list references... Save them for the interview and only if requested. Don't include personal data. Don't mention age, race, gender, religion, nationality, or lifestyle.

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FINISHING TOUCHES

You should have your résumé printed on high quality paper.Your envelope should match your résumé paper. A personal cover letter should always accompany your résumé. It should be printed on the same matching high quality paper as your résumé. Never staple your cover letter to your résumé.

COVER LETTER

Your résumé should always be accompanied by a well-written one-page cover letter. Your cover letter should be written in standard professional business letter format. Produce each letter individually. It should be a personal letter, addressed to a specific individual, at a specific company or organization, and making reference to a specific job. Avoid salutations that sound too impersonal or too general, like "Dear Sir" or "Dear Sir/Madam" or "To Whom It May Concern."

Your cover letter should be written in proper business form. Your cover letter must effectively promote your candidacy. You must communicate your value to the prospective employer in an understandable, brief and positive way. The letter should be single spaced. Use active rather than passive voice. Edit carefully, double-checking for spelling and grammar.

Your cover letter must be employer-centered, targeted towards a specific job. Tell what you can contribute. Tell what it is you have to offer. Match your qualifications to their needs. Express an interest in learning more about the job and the company. Cater to the employer's perspective, address the needs of the employer, and evoke a desire to learn more about you.

Your cover letter should be personal. Address it to a specific individual with his or her correct title and business address. Do not use generic, mass-produced, all-purpose form letters. Tailor and target each cover letter for each unique job situation.

Your cover letter should contain these three main ideas, presented in three short paragraphs...

1.State your objective and mention the job position by specific title

2.Demonstrate how your qualifications, skills and experience relate to the job

3.Express an interest in learning more about the company and ask for the interview

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MICHAEL LEBEAU 2007