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The Art & Science of Resume Writing
©2005, Pat Kendall, NCRW

In the New Millennium job market, your resume has to do more than simply outline your work history -- it needs to be a strategically developed personal marketing tool. Here are some practical tips that will make your resume more effective and more appealing to employers.

Targeting

Most employers prefer to hire specialists, not "jacks-of-all-trades," so it's important to create a targeted resume -- one that focuses on a specific skill set. One of the best ways to project your targeted skill set is to include a KEYWORD SUMMARY or PROFESSIONAL PROFILE at the top of the resume. If you have a diverse background and multiple skills, you'll need to prepare different versions of your resume to meet the requirements of each job target.

Keywords

To get employers' attention in the online job market, your resume must include the right keywords. In short, the keywords listed in employers' job postings must be "convincingly" incorporated into your summary statement and job descriptions. The easiest way to do this is research the job market, find 3-5 positions that represent your ideal job, then build your resume around those keywords. It's more work to do it this way, but it will pay off handsomely!

Sequencing

Since you only have a few moments to get potential employers' attention, the sequence of your information is critical. For example, if you have recently earned a college degree, your Education section should be placed near the top of the page. If your education is less impressive than your experience, place it at the bottom. If you have limited experience, you may want to include volunteer work or other activities that demonstrate organizational ability, leadership qualities, and other transferable job skills.

Accomplishments

Your resume should prominently highlight achievements and awards related to your career or recent academic performance. Employers are naturally attracted to high achievers (i.e., those who are willing to go the extra mile), so don't hesitate to describe your accomplishments or involvement in special projects. If there was ever a time to toot your own horn, this is it!

Resume Strategy

Deciding which type of resume is best for you can be a difficult task. These are the basics:

The CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME is the standard, traditional format. It focuses on employment history and presents your work experience in reverse chronological order. This type of resume is ideal if your job listings are impressive, your employment history is linear, and your current position is directly related to your job target. Because of their straightforward nature, resumes with chronological work histories are typically favored by recruiters and hiring managers.

FUNCTIONAL RESUMES focus on transferable skills and de-emphasize individual positions, job duties and employment dates. Functional styles are frequently used by job seekers who have "holes" in their work history or want to make a career change. Their use should be carefully weighed, though, as some employers consider them less credible than resumes with blow-by-blow employment histories.

For many, the best approach is a COMBINATION RESUME with a functional summary and a chronological work history. This strategy is advantageous for most job seekers, and if done properly, allows employers to quickly see how your background qualifies you for the position. A combination resume also provides additional flexibility if you have multiple job targets, as the summary can be rewritten and slanted toward the skills you want to emphasize.

Resume Production

Resume writing is similar to other forms of writing: it requires proper planning, editing, rewriting, proofreading, and more editing. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts! After you've completed writing and editing, double-check all data, run it through a spell checker, and make sure the format is consistent. The next step is design and layout -- and whether you like it or not, appearance does count! Make sure it looks right.

In a Nutshell...

Aim for a specific job target and be selective about the information you include.
Include a power-packed Qualification's Brief at the top of the page. Summarize your key selling points so that employers can quickly see what you have to offer.
Research your job target before preparing your resume and be sure to build the resume around keyword skills requested in potential employers' job postings.
Make sure your resume actively sells your qualifications by focusing on accomplishments and quantifiable results.
Emphasize specific experience (and contributions) that support your job target.
Include plenty of active verbs (managed, coordinated, planned, implemented, directed, initiated, conducted, completed, recommended, etc.). But don't get carried away with pretentious language -- use a simple, straightforward writing style.
Strategically organize your categories so that the most relevant, most impressive information is listed at the:
... top of the page
... beginning of each category
... beginning of each job description
Demonstrate transferable skills throughout your resume: verbal and written communication, organization, leadership, planning, aptitude for learning, adaptability, creativity, resourcefulness, and problem solving and so on.

In short, your resume should be a strategically organized "personal brochure"-- a document that summarizes your experience and highlights your achievements. It should present your skills, capabilities, and strengths in the best possible light without resorting to overstatement or exaggeration. Your resume gives you one chance to make a first impression. What are you saying about yourself?

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