Iss. 2/26/05

Creating The FasTrak Resume

The FasTrak resume format is specifically designed for use whenever the client sees a situation such as an article or news event that indicates someone with his/her talent can be of help, and is used by itself without a cover letter. The broad left margin of the page is designed to allow the client to pen a short, personal note to the hiring decision-maker (“Hello Frank, The attached article caught my attention …”, etc.), in lieu of a cover letter. And it’s greatest potential is in getting past the “gatekeeper”. That is, the penned personal note implies the client knows the hiring decision-maker, making it more likely that the gatekeeper will pass it directly to that person. Admittedly, this goes against traditional resume convention for that polished, professional look with a cover letter. BUT IT SERVES ITS PURPOSE IN GETTING THEIR ATTENTION!

The FasTrak resume is normally mailed, hand-delivered, or even faxed. It is NOT emailed as an attachment because its format is specifically designed for the client’s personal note in longhand. Similarly, one can underline or use a yellow highlighter to visually denote anything else within the content that is a direct match for or aligns with the employer’s needs.

  • Create and Open a one-page resume*** as a new MS Word or WordPerfect document.
  • Depress File, click Page Setup, and change margins to: Top 0.7”, Bottom 0.7”, Left 3.7”, and Right 0.7”; click OK.
  • Save the document (Save As) in MS Word or WordPerfect as a Word Document with a .doc file extension.
  • Re-open the document and edit the top of page 1 to match the attached example here. Note that the top 1/3 (approx.) of the resume is left-justified (or aligned left), while the remainder of the document is fully justified.
  • Essentially no content is deleted from the original one-page resume; this is simply a format change in how the resume looks, and to accommodate your personal, penned notes.
  • It is recommended the page 2 break occurs at Career Summary, rather than within a paragraph (see example attached here). Top and bottom margins may need to be adjusted further, or perhaps font size. Never reduce font size below 10.5, nor greater than 12.

See the accompanying example FasTrak resume included on the following pages. Disregard its content, but rather review it for its finished look and section formats only.

EXAMPLE FasTrak RESUME

(pen personal notes in the wide left margin)

Marshall J. Fortney

723 Brookside Circle, Santa Barbara CA 92351

(905) 555-1212

CFO / VP – Finance / COO

$228M P&L / Turnarounds / Start-Ups / M&A

Strategic Planning / Sales and Marketing

Global Multi-Site Operations / Due Diligence Enterprise Divestitures / Business Units Sold

Seasoned top executive with demonstrated successes building and leading profitable business operations, ranging in market presence and scope from startup to Fortune 250. Expertise in major turnaround results, sales and marketing, operations, strategic planning, P&L administration, and mergers and acquisitions.

Proven bottom-line impact in product marketing and management, market positioning and penetration, corporate restructuring, systems implementation, funding acquisition, and overall growth in financial performance. Directed sales of major business unit divestitures, returning up to $8.4B in assets. Accelerated promotions across career through multiple executive levels of responsibility.

MS, BS-BA, Stanford University, concentration in Finance and Accounting. Other grad courses, Loyola University.

SELECTED PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Directed acquisitions of two major enterprises valued at $17B, for AMF Companies, various AMF Bowling Divisions. Successfully closed / relocated, converted, and consolidated operations worldwide. Installed a new corporate accounting system. Returned profitability of 30% operating cash flow, within five years.

Raised $1.8B of $3.1B for Technology Solutions’ growth. Increased sales 83% over 4 years, 50% in 2002-2004. Major market penetration with industry-leading products, two major marketing efforts within one year. Settled 3 major legal disputes, significantly reducing legal expenses. Developed a 5-year business plan and led corporate relocation out of state.

Led due diligence for acquisition of $229M business at Technology Solutions.Saved $4.3M, revising old and implementing new plans for health and other insurance coverage. Implemented new financial reporting system, increasing profitability and providing reports on operating results. Resulted in $4M increases to bottom line net income.

Fortney Page 2

723 Brookside Circle, Santa Barbara CA 92351

(905) 555-1212

CAREER SUMMARY

President, Technology Solutions Corp. 1999 to 2004. Total operations responsibility for product management, hiring, logistics, supply / distributor agreements. Responsible for company vision and business growth with new products. Responsible for developing and executing business plan. Span-of-control to 752 through 12 executive-level direct reports. P&L oversight to $17B. Expense budget oversight to $1.7B. Reports to Chairman of Board.

President, North American Marketing. 1995 to 1998. Total operations responsibility (sales and marketing, production, quality control, information systems, customer service, market research, and financial reporting). 28-state region accountability, all functions/departments. Span-of-control to 344 through 7 executive-level direct reports. P&L oversight to $228M. Expense budget oversight to $42M. Reported to owner and Board of Directors.

Vice President / COO / CFO, Bradley, Inc. 1993 to 1995. P&L responsibility for operations, budget preparation, supervision of all management personnel. Maintained relations with outside sources including bankers, attorneys, and insurance companies. Responsible for administration, retirement plans, and customer relations.

Vice President / CFO / Treasurer / Controller, AMF Companies. 1987 to 1992. Responsible for managing corporate office, budget preparation, hiring / supervision of all staff, departmental P&L oversight, consolidations, downsizing, and treasury. Developed financial reporting processes.