September 15, 2006

Focus Your Resume

This week brought evidence of the value of a clear resume focus.

I worked with a client who wanted to leave one industry and move into a very different one. The work would be the same and the two industries actually have a lot in common once you understand how they work, but you wouldn't know that on the surface.

Luckily for me, this client knew not only the field he wanted to work in, but also the specific company he was targeting. He gave me the website URL and links to to some of their media coverage.

Once I understood their strategy and their organizational values, it was easy to position my client effectively, and show them why they should pay attention to him.

Yesterday, he dropped me a note to let me know that the President of the company contacted him within 2 hours of receiving his resume, and he has a series of interviews scheduled for next week.

Of course, it's not always possible to focus quite this intently on just one company, but the lesson is clear - if you understand your target audience, you have a very good shot at crafting a message that resonates with them. And if you're applying for a specific position, there's no reason not to adjust your resume to appeal to that company.

Posted by Louise at 09:39 AM | Permalink

June 28, 2006

Nice Words from Heather

I just finished a resume for Heather at Dream Big Coaching. I wouldn't normally tell you that but Heather wrote about it in her own blog, so I figure she won't mind. I loved all the praise Heather heaped on me, but that's now why I'm telling you this (No. Really. It's not!)

I liked this part of Heather's post:

Getting the information to the writer that she needed to create a killer resume was not easy for me. You may recall me whining quite a bit about this in my post.

But now that I have my new top-quality resume in hand, I feel somewhat like a proud mother with my newborn baby. Sure, it took some work on my part to get this kid out, but who cares about that now!

There's no way on earth that I could have crafted a resume as effective as my new one. This is crystal clear to me now. I could no more have written this resume than have built my own house or have landed a plane at the airport. This is because good resume writing is a specialized skill that takes training, experience, a particular knowledge of recruiting and marketing, and plain ol' talent to do well.

I can write, and I've seen about one bazillion resumes in my career, neither of which means I can create a top-notch resume. Especially my own top-notch resume.

You don't have to hire me to write your resume - indeed, our services won't be for everyone - but you should consider hiring someone. If an experienced career coach can't write a compelling resume for herself, what makes you think you can?

Posted by Louise at 02:21 PM | Permalink

February 21, 2006

Honesty's the Best Policy

The resignation of David Edmondson, CEO of RadioShack, has revived the age-old conversation about whether it's OK to lie on your resume. According to News.com the practice is much more common than we might think. Unfortunately, this site links to the awful Fake Resume Guide, a website I refuse to link to again, which actually recommends lying on your resume.

See Louise Kursmark's excellent post on Career Hub for alternative strategies for polishing up your resume while remaining truthful.

Honesty is always the best policy. Just ask David Edmondson.

Posted by Louise at 07:01 PM | Permalink

January 18, 2006

Resume Stigma?

I just finished a resume for a client who had a question I hadn't heard before. He wrote:

I love the resume you created, but it almost looks too good. Is there a stigma associated with having your resume professionally written?

Good question. And - as with most things in life - there's no definitive answer. There are probably HR professionals and recruiters who don't like the idea of professional resumes, perhaps feeling that your resume should reflect who you really are without any polishing up. But on balance, I'm guessing that there are many, many more recruiters who don't like bad resumes. And folks, most resumes are bad. They really are! I rarely see a resume that captures the essence of the person who created it, or that clearly communicates potential value-added.

Unless you can create a resume that makes a compelling case for an interview, you really shouldn't worry about whether a professionally written resume will look too good. After all, wouldn't that be a nice problem to have?

Posted by Louise at 01:32 PM | Permalink

January 07, 2006

The Fake Resume

This might be one of the dumbest (and most damaging) things I've seen in the world of resume writing. Recruiter Illuminati dug up the fake resume guide.

Hopefully most job seekers will be smart enough not to take resume advice from a guy who thinks 'fool proof' is spelled 'full proof.'

Posted by Louise at 10:43 AM | Permalink

December 12, 2005

It's Just a Brochure

I've just spent a challenging few hours adding lots of lots of detail into the resume of a client who insists on telling prospective employers everything there is to know. I gave this client my best advice - and now I'm sharing it with you.

Your resume is a brochure, not the product catalog. You cannot communicate everything there is to know and you shouldn't try. Instead, you should try to communicate the key selling points. Why should a company hire you? What problems will you solve for them? How can you show you have solved these type of problems in the past?

As you add more and more information, ask yourself whether that piece of information will help secure an interview. If not, leave it out.

Busy and over-worked hiring managers will thank you for keeping it brief and to the point.

Posted by Louise at 05:17 PM | Permalink

November 24, 2005

No Functional Resumes

Back when I worked in HR, I used to toss functional resumes on the "no" pile without even trying to figure out if the person was going to be a fit.

A "functional" resume is structured based on skills sets rather than career chronology and it's a favorite tactic for covering up an undesirable background, lack of experience, major gaps in employment, or any other problem.

Which is why I always threw the resumes on the 'no' pile. I knew the candidate was trying to hide something from me and I couldn't be bothered trying to figure out what it was.

So, don't waste time sending out functional resumes. They just annoy recruiters and don't get you any closer to your goal. If you have a problem with your background or want to make a career change, hire a professional resume writer to help you craft something that will work for you. Trust me, a functional resume isn't the answer.

Posted by Louise at 09:42 AM | Permalink

October 30, 2005

You HAVE to Focus!

This weekend, I received two emails from potential clients who don't understand how to market themselves. One has experience as a teacher, but has also worked as a graphic designer. She asked me to create a resume that would work for both teaching and design jobs.

Her email was followed by one from a senior executive who wants a resume that works for senior-level roles as well as clerical positions because he's considering dropping out of the 'rat race'.

I declined both projects. I am good with words, but I'm not a miracle-worker. Both these people need at least two resumes. Who knows, they may need more.

Your resume is an advertisement aimed at your target audience. It must show how you can meet the needs of potential employers. That means you need a clear idea of who those employers are and what they're looking for. Schools can't possibly be looking for the same qualities as design agencies. Companies look for one set of skills in senior executives and a completely different skillset for junior roles.

Do you have a clear focus? And if you have several different goals, do you have several focused resumes? If not, you have some writing to do.

Posted by Louise at 05:43 PM | Permalink

October 21, 2005

What's the Problem?

Do you know what potential employers are worried about? Do you understand their needs? When you submit your resume, do you know what business problems they are trying to resolve by filling that particular position?

If the answer is no, don't apply. Nobody hires a new employee just to fill an empty office - they hire a new employee to meet a need, solve a problem, or capitalize on an opportunity. How can you convince someone that you are the answer to their problems if you don't understand what those problems are? (And how can you know that you really are the answer, if you don't understand the problem?)

Delving into a company's situation before you submit your resume isn't the easiest or quickest approach, but it's the one that gives you the greatest chance of success.

If you're struggling with your resume, download our free guide to resume writing for more pointers.

Posted by Louise at 07:03 PM | Permalink

October 19, 2005

It's Not About You!

I just received a resume from a potential client who is looking to move from administrative work into management of some sort. Her resume begins:

OBJECTIVE: To obtain a middle/upper-level management position with responsibilities including problem solving, planning, organizing, and managing budgets.

She then goes on to detail her administrative responsibilities.

I can predict with 100% certainty that this resume will bring her no success whatsoever. The problem? It's all about her.

She wants to move from administration into management, but the stranger reading her resume has absolutely no interest in her career goals or her desires. None! Even if he/she is an otherwise caring person. All the reader cares about is: how will you solve the problems I'm currently facing?

This candidate needs to refocus her resume. First, she needs to identify exactly what type of management position she's seeking. Then she needs to understand exactly what's required of people who hold that position. She also needs to understand why employers hire for that position (what problemns are they solving). Finally, she needs to rewrite her resume so that every single word shows why her previous background makes her a perfect fit.

If you're sending out resumes without much success, ask yourself whether you have clearly addressed needs of potential employers. If every word of your resume isn't aimed at solving problems, you need to rewrite.

Posted by Louise at 08:58 AM | Permalink

October 16, 2005

Refining your Message

Imagine you have been charged with marketing a new product or service. How effective would it be to spend a couple of hours pulling together a sales brochure by yourself, mailing it out to hundreds of miscellaneous companies and then sitting back waiting for the phone to ring? How about if you also posted the brochure online?

Chances are that you wouldn't generate much revenue with this strategy, which is why marketers spend time defining a sales message for their products and then crafting a strategy to reach a carefully targeted audience.

Amost everyone looking for a job is following the first approach. They’re creating ineffective advertisements (resumes), posting them online and waiting for interviewers to call. Which means that anyone who defines a target audience, develops a clear message about how he/she can solve problems, and finds creative ways to get attention, will have a huge advantage.

Is your job search strategy as effective as it could be?

Posted by Louise at 04:24 PM | Permalink

October 09, 2005

Are You Showing or Telling?

There's an old fiction writer's adage - "show don't tell." This means that the author should allow the reader to draw conclusions from carefully planted 'clues', rather than explaining everything. Instead of saying a character "felt sad", for example, the writer should describe actions and facial expressions that demonstrate sadness.

I've been thinking a lot about 'show don't tell' this week. I've been doing some market research and it's very apparent that there's a lot of "telling" going on in my industry. Everyone spends a lot of time explaining why a professional resume is important and why you should choose their particular service over another. After traveling to many, many websites, I began to feel how potential clients must feel -overwhelmed, confused and still not sure what makes one service any better than another. Why? Because everyone is telling and no one is showing.

Which got me thinking about how all this applies to resumes and the job search process. One of the most common words you'll find in resume introductions is the word 'innovative.' And yet the people who describe themselves this way often do nothing innovative in their job search. They don't have a personal website. They don't market themselves in an exciting or unique way. They create a resume (sometimes using a template) and then they post it on Monster and apply for some jobs. Not all that innovative, is it?

So, how can you stop telling and start showing.

Posted by Louise at 06:03 PM | Permalink

August 23, 2005

Design Matters

I was recently asked to critique a resume for the Washington Post's Sunday careers section. The resume they sent was lacking in strong content, but it also suffered from bad design. Here is a snippet from the article:

Design is an important but oft-neglected part of an executive résumé, Fletcher said. "Just as with an advertisement, design can either reinforce your sales message or work against it." Here, there's too much bold type and not enough white space, as well as a font and layout that don't reflect her seniority; a more classic look would work better.

Fletcher advised, "Many executives overlook the importance of résumé appearance because they tend to be very action- and result-oriented, but it's important to pay attention to this aspect of your résumé because it really does make a difference in how you are perceived."

Take a look at your current resume. Is it balanced? Is there a nice use of white space? Is it easy to skim through quickly? Is the formatting consistent?

If you're not sure whether your design is working for you, take a look at some of my before and after resume samples to see what your resume should look like.

Design really does matter.

Posted by Louise at 11:28 AM | Permalink

August 06, 2005

Lose the Objective

Many people still begin their resume with an objective statement. In this opening statement, they tell the employer what they are looking for ("seeking an opportunity to use my sales skills with a growing company"). My question is always: Why?

Why should the employer - a total stranger - care about your objective? She shouldn't, and she doesn't!

Instead of an objective, change the focus. Start with a Value Statement.

Something like: "Sales Manager with 10 years experience in the widget industry" or "Marketing Executive who drives double-digit revenue gains."

Decide what makes you most saleable to your target employers, and then lead your resume with that information. It's so much more effective to share your value rather than your personal goals.

Posted by Louise at 12:33 PM | Permalink

August 05, 2005

Successful Resume

Blue Sky Resumes was featured in the Wall Street Journal's career section this week, although our company was not named. Yes, we are the "New York-based resume writer" whose work helped Kathy Whitlock secure her new position despite the fact that she was looking for a US job while living in Madrid, Spain.

Kathy's experience is a true testament to the power of a well-written, strategically focused resume in combination with an effective job search strategy.

Posted by Louise at 12:45 PM | Permalink

July 21, 2005

Professional Help?

Today I talked to a prospective resume client who was unsure about investing in a new resume. She was looking for reassurance that her money would be well spent and she wasn't really sure about the value I could add.

I find these conversations difficult because I have no desire to be pushy, or "sell" something that isn't wanted. On the other hand, I believe fervently in the value of professional career marketing materials and I want to make sure the prospect understands that value.

We don't handle our own dental work, or try to fix our own cars if we're not trained to do it, and yet most people think they should be able to write their own resume. I see a lot of resumes and I can tell you that 98% are less effective than they could be. I very rarely see a resume that I can't improve, and when I do, I usually find it's been written by another professional.

If you view resume writing as simply cataloguing what you've done, it may be hard to see the value of hiring an expert. But if you understand that resume writing is another form of marketing, and that it's really not very different from marketing a product, you can start to appreciate the value of working with a professional.

When I work with my clients, I can quickly see the most compelling way to structure their resume. I can see how to mitigate their weaknesses and highlight their strengths. I can develop a communication strategy that will most appeal to their target employers.

If you can do that for yourself, you don't need the help of a professional, but if you have any doubts, you should invest in a professionally prepared resume from a top-notch service. The ROI is amazing.

Posted by Louise at 05:25 PM | Permalink

July 04, 2005

No Cribbing!

I don't know how many people copy someone else's resume, but I can tell you that the percentage is quite high. If you have ever thought about taking someone else's resume and just inserting your own information - DON'T!

A resume is a marketing document. Imagine taking an Apple iPod TV advertisement and then substituting a box of cereal for the iPod. It wouldn't work and neither does 'borrowing' someone else's resume.

I recently received an email from a potential resume rewrite client. He had been referred by a former client and wanted a price quote for "touching up this resume." When I opened the resume, I saw that he had taken my client's resume and replaced her career details with his own. The problem was that her resume was designed to maximize her strengths while minimizing some glaring weak spots in her background. Since she and he were different people with completely different work experiences, her resume didn't work for him.

This is not to say that you shouldn't look at other resumes to get ideas - you should and you must. But then you must choose a structure and page layout that highlights what is unique and saleable about you - not someone else.

To learn more about writing a great resume, feel free to download my free resume writing guide.

Posted by Louise at 09:09 AM | Permalink

June 12, 2005

Less Is More

It's very common for people to write too much in their resumes. While I do NOT subscribe to the idea that a resume should be no more than one page long, I do believe that it should be as concise as possible.

Remember that your resume is a brochure, not a catalog. If the reader likes what he/she sees, you will be able to fill in the details in an interview.

But how do you know what to leave out? When I'm writing a resume for a client, many things go into that decision but my rule of thumb is this: Will that information help me get an interview? If the answer is yes (for example, the fact that you cut 10% from your company's office supply costs by implementing a central purchasing policy) then you should include the information. It the answer is no (for example, the fact that your GPA was 3.8 15 years ago) leave it out.

Omit technical details and stick with this formula: Challenge (what was the problem?), Actions (overview of what you did) and Results (what was the business impact of your work?).

If you have many great accomplishments, choose to include only the most impressive. Your resume is just an introduction and less really is more.

Posted by Louise at 02:44 PM | Permalink

June 06, 2005

Uniquely You

In a recent post, Curt Rosengren discusses the importance of knowing what makes you special. He writes in the context of people exploring new career paths, but the same ideas apply to career marketing.

People often dismiss their accomplishments or special talents. A recent resume client told me: "I don't want to boast about bringing all my projects in on time and under budget - that's what I'm supposed to do." And yet, the same client was intently focused on the fact that she didn't have an MBA. For her, this far outweighed her skills.

When you are conducting a job search, it's essential to know what makes you different from your competition because your unique skills and experiences are what make you valuable to potential employers.

Curt writes:

Look back over your life. What do you do uniquely well? What comes naturally for you that doesn't come naturally for everyone? This might take some thinking, because we often assume if it's easy for us, it's easy for everyone.

To that I would add the following questions:

- What words do others frequently use to describe you?
- When are you happiest at work?
- What types of issues/problems/opportunities do others bring to you?

Knowing the answers to these questions will help you write a great resume, create strong cover letters and make your case effectively in interviews because you really are different from all the other people applying for the same position.

Posted by Louise at 03:45 PM | Permalink

June 03, 2005

Playing to Strengths

I recently worked with Paul, a mid-level client who was concerned about his inability to stick with one company or project for more than a year.

"I have to stop jumping around," he told me, "but the problem is that I get bored once the initial excitement wears off. Then I need to move on to something new."

As I always do, I challenged Paul to stop beating himself up and asked him to try going with the flow. At 29, it's unlikely he will change dramatically, so we can assume that a love of new challenges and a need for constant stimulation are part of his personality for good.

If he moves onto a new company, we can be pretty sure that he'll want to leave that job within a year or two. The excitement will fade and he'll start to beat himself up all over again.

The only solution is to accept and embrace that part of his nature - after all, it's the part that gives him the energy and creativity needed at the start-up phase of a project.

Once he recognized his perceived weakness as a strength, Paul was able to see that he'd feel most at home in a consulting-type role where he is required to jump from one challenge to the next. Some people really struggle with consulting because they need to feel committed to one company/project for the long-term, but Paul is definitely not this type of person. He is now in talks with several web-based consulting companies and is energized by the types of projects they have discussed with him.

I see Paul as living proof that our greatest weaknesses are often our greatest strengths when viewed in another light.

Posted by Louise at 02:53 PM | Permalink

May 23, 2005

Student Resumes

As many students approach graduation and other start to look for internships, many are faced with the issue of writing their own resume – sometimes for the first time. No one likes to write a resume, but I think students worry more about this than more experienced job seekers.

If that’s you, don’t worry - it doesn’t have to be intimidating if you understand the goal of your résumé - to generate interest and interviews. It doesn’t have to get you a job and it doesn’t need to cover your life history. It simply has to pique the interest of the reader and answer the only question he cares about: will this candidate add value to my company?

If you focus your résumé on answering this question effectively, employers will be interested to meet with you. It really is that simple.

Of course, in order to demonstrate your value, you need to know what potential employers are looking for. Start by researching job postings that interest you. Look for frequently-mentioned requirements. Ask experienced professionals what they consider important when they make hiring decisions. Read professional publications and websites related to your target industry. Once you know what is important to employers you can create target your résumé to address those issues.

Many students and recent graduates worry that they don’t have enough experience to create a compelling résumé. Don’t be concerned. Once you start to really think about your background, you’ll be surprised at what you can talk about. The content of your résumé will be determined by your own unique experiences, skills and background but – as a general guideline – you should include:

Positive personal characteristics
Technical and computer skills
Coursework relevant to your desired profession
Educational accomplishments (include your GPA if it’s over 3.0).
Skills and experience gained during internships or summer jobs
Other related accomplishments (design awards, recognition, winning competitions etc.)
Work History (include unpaid work if it relates to your target positions).

The key is to emphasize those things that demonstrate how you will add value and to leave out those things that don’t.

Many people are surprised to learn that résumé design is just as important as content, but it’s absolutely true. Research suggests that your résumé has less than 20 seconds to make the right impression, so it must be eye-catching and easy to read. To get ideas for layout and structure, go to the library and study the résumé books specifically written for students. All contain examples of professionally-written résumés and will help you decide on the best approach. Don’t use one of the pre-loaded MS Word templates. There is no better way to make sure you look like everyone else!

As you work on your résumé, bear in mind your reader’s basic concern: will this candidate add value? If you answer effectively by highlighting relevant skills, personal characteristics and accomplishments, your résumé will open the right doors and generate interviews.

Posted by Louise at 05:09 PM | Permalink

May 01, 2005

Targeting Your Resume

Prospective resume clients often ask me whether I think they need more than one resume for different career goals. My answer is always a resounding YES!

If you want to be a marketing manager in a small or start-up company, you need a resume that appeals to that audience - for example, you'll need to highlight your ability to think on the spot, to make quick decisions under pressure, to take the initiative, and to work with a very limited budget. But what if you also want to consider brand manager positions with larger companies? They will be looking for very different skills and abilities and just won't be impressed with your "start-up" resume. So, you should create a second version which clearly highlights a different set of skills and experiences.

At first I didn't understand why people assume that one resume can work for all situations, but I came to believe it's because many people see a resume as a strictly factual history, rather than a marketing document.

Once you understand that you are marketing yourself (as opposed to describing yourself) you can decide whether you need more than one resume. They key is to analyze and understand the needs of your audience and then write a resume that shows why you can meet those needs.

Note that I am NOT advocating exaggerating or lying about your experience - rather I am suggesting that you structure your resume to emphasize your strengths and minimize any perceived liabilities.

If you're looking for a job, review your career goals and ask yourself whether you need more than one resume to make the maximum impact on your readers. Researching your audience and then crafting a targeted message will dramatically improve your response rate.

Posted by Louise at 11:40 AM | Permalink

April 09, 2005

Focusing Your Resume

I just finished a resume makeover for a client who perfectly illustrates one of my golden tenets of resume writing: Know Who You Are.

Most people see resume writing as simply listing their career history, but this is such a shame. A truly effective resume - one that communicates exactly who you are and what you have to offer - will immediately generate lots of interest in your target audience.

My client (let's call him Brett) is an HR executive. He has extensive experience in small and mid-size companies that are experiencing massive change. He's done it all - start-ups, rapid growth, downsizing, mergers, and company liquidations. That means he's flexible, able to cope with rapid change, talented at managing through troubled times, willing to work in an unstructured environment - and someone who can be relied upon to quickly put all the necessary procedures, systems and structures in place. These are Brett's selling points.

But there are also some things Brett is NOT - he's not a Fortune 500 guy - he's never had that experience and he'd probably feel stifled in a big company. He's always been the lead guy and has had to figure things out on his own - he's never had the budget for expensive consultants and he's never worked with a truly leading-edge HR organization. This means he may not be up-to-date on the very latest in the HR field.

Therefore, Brett should target his search on the types of companies who will find his experience especially valuable - small or mid-size companies who are experiencing (or plan to experience) change. Lean, entrepreneurial, fast-paced organizations who need a strong leader to help them get to the next level.

His new resume openly states that he's an expert at 'change leadership' and emphasizes start-ups and turnarounds in the positioning statement. All the way through the new resume, I emphasized Brett's experience in building teams, establishing HR policy for the first time, aligning HR with business goals and managing organizational restructuring. I want CEOs of mid-size organizations to be *wowed* by Brett's resume - and it doesn't matter that larger organizations won't like it, because he doesn't want to work for them anyway. Deciding what to include and what to omit became easy once I knew Brett's value proposition.

If you're not getting a great response to your resume, ask yourself whether your resume conveys exactly who you are and what you have to offer. If not, rework until the document is sharply focused. It's a little scary to narrow your focus ("what if I miss a great opportunity?") but the more specific you are in your resume, the more people will react positively. I promise!

Posted by Louise at 04:45 PM | Permalink

March 30, 2005

Keep it Simple!

Today I'm working on a resume for a talented Business Development executive. His resume is filled with accomplishments and numbers. The sentence structure is good and the layout is professional. So why did he need to hire me? Because despite all that, the resume makes very little sense to anyone working outside his company. Here's just one example:

Designed supply chain localization scenario to reduce inbound logistics cost for preferred casting plant site by $145 million. Identified $20 million supply chain cost advantage for preferred plant site.

I think that means that my client saved over $165 million for his employer by finding better ways to do things ... but it's pretty hard to wade through all those words to get the point.

It's my experience that people who can write well in other situations suddenly get overcome with wordiness when they start to write a resume. This is because resume writing is a weird experience - it feels as though it has to be formal. It feels as though you should use long words. Suddenly, you drop your personality altogether and become someone else. Someone you wouldn't want to have a beer with!

Don't.

Your resume can and should reflect your personality, your voice and your choice of words. It should be easy to read and understand at a glance. The recruiter or HR person reading your resume may not be intimately familiar with the industry jargon you use every day, or they just may be tired of wading through words! Make it easy for them.

Test your resume now by asking friends and family to read it and tell you what it means. If they don't understand, you need to simplify ...

Posted by Louise at 09:52 AM | Permalink

March 17, 2005

Writing a Great Resume (2)

In part 1 of this article I talked about the importance of knowing what companies are looking for. But it's equally important to know what you have to offer - what makes you stand out from the crowd? Everyone has something or some combination of things that they do exceptionally well – a unique value proposition if you like. To write a great resume, you need to identify and communicate this clearly.

Think about it this way ... if you can’t quickly and clearly explain your value to potential employers, how can you expect them to see it?

Who Are You?

I put my resume clients through a rigorous process of self-reflection. I ask them to answer probing questions about their successes. I challenge them to develop compelling stories - challenges faced, actions taken, results achieved, lessons learned. I ask them to recollect what others say about them. During this process of reflection, patterns emerge and these patterns form the basis of the client’s unique value proposition.

If your performance reviews have always referred to your ability to organize projects, and some self-reflection shows that you’ve always done well when brought on to challenging projects late in the game – and if you’re happiest when you're asked to come in and save the day, we just identified your unique value proposition!

To identify your own promise of value, take yourself through this same process or reflection and discovery.

- Look for the recurring themes in your career.
- Think about the most frequent compliments you have received
- Identify the times when you were the happiest in your job
- Think about your greatest successes

Once you have identified your strengths, choose 1-3 attributes or skills that will resonate with your target employers (based on what you know about their business issues and challenges.) Now focus every word of your resume on highlighting those skills and attributes.

- Highlight them in a strong headline
- Emphasize them in the profile or skills summary
- Write about specific, quantifiable accomplishments that demonstrate those key skills and attributes.

Don't be tempted to include everything - that would be a book, not a resume! Just focus on those few key messages, and you'll be amazed at the improvement in your resume.

Posted by Louise at 04:16 PM | Permalink

March 05, 2005

Writing a Great Resume (1)

If you found this blog via our professional resume writing website, you'll know that effective and creative resume writing is my passion. I founded my company to help people market themselves effectively, but I know that lots of people either can't or don't want to hire a professional resume writer.

That's why I've decided to write about the process of resume writing over the next few weeks. My goal is to take you through the same process our writers go through when we work with a client - from developing the initial strategy, to writing the content and finally, creating a design and page layout that works for you.

Resumes that get the best results all share 3 common characteristics:

1. Every word is focused on answering the employer’s only question: what’s in it for me? (What quantifiable benefits will the company gain from hiring you?)

2. The resume communicates what is special and unique about the individual - his or her "personal brand." Great resumes set you apart by showing what you bring to the table that others don't.

3. The resume design supports the message, communicating key points quickly and clearly. Research shows that resumes are initially scanned for less than 20 seconds, so getting your point across quickly is critical.

To assess the quality of your current resume, compare it to these criteria. Ask yourself:

- Have I shown employers that I will add value?
- Have I communicated what sets me apart from others in my field?
- Is my resume easy to read and pleasant to look at? Do key points jump off the page, or is some important information buried deep in the resume?

If you answered "no" to any of these questions, stay with me over the next few weeks as we work through the process of creating a much stronger document.

Let's focus first on writing a resume that answers the employer's critical question: What's in it for me? If you rework your resume so that it clearly shows your ability to meet the needs of potential employers, your phone will start to ring. If you’d like to know how your resume stacks up, check it against these 4 rules of resume writing. If it’s missing even one of these elements, you have work to do ....

1. Tell them what they want to know ... Don’t begin your resume with an objective statement that describes your desires and career goals. Even the most caring manager simply doesn’t care what you are looking for. (Hopefully) he’ll care about your needs once you work for him, but for now, it’s all about him! So, replace the objective statement with a powerful summary that shows how you will add value to his company. Show him that there is a clear fit between your skills and his needs by describing your value to his business.

2. Focus, Focus, Focus... It’s critical to communicate a clear and succinct message about the value you bring – and to target that message to your target positions/companies. This may mean that you need more than one resume. For example, if you have strong knowledge of more than one industry, you should consider writing different resumes for each one. This allows you to clearly demonstrate your value by emphasizing the aspects of your expertise and experience that match the employer’s needs, and minimizing those that don’t. Your resume focus should be consistent throughout. If you state in your summary that a key strengths is your ability to launch successful new products, then give examples throughout your resume. Eliminate any information that doesn’t support your clear and compelling message.

3. Show Them the Money! You must present evidence that you add value. Too many job seekers focus on job responsibilities, but describing achievements is much more powerful. Job responsibilities are simply those things we are supposed to do. Achievements show what we actually did and they are a powerful way to show your ability to make a difference. If your resume shows that you have solved problems, made things more efficient, added revenue or saved money, people will want to meet you. When possible, quantify your accomplishments. Tell the reader how much time was saved by your new idea, or how many additional customers were signed up.

4. It’s not what you did, it’s why you did it! In order to really appreciate your achievements, the reader needs context. If you tell the reader that you “increased brand awareness by 12%,” he may be quite impressed, but if you tell him that you “reversed a four-year decline and increased brand awareness 12% in the first year,” he can now truly appreciate your accomplishment. Try to provide context in each position description instead of just describing your responsibilities.

If you follow these guidelines as you create the content for your new resume, you can be sure that employers won’t have to ask: what’s in it for me?

In Part Two, I'll tell you how to identify and communicate your personal brand, so that potential employers know what makes you different from all the other people chasing the same position. Meantime, be sure to download my free guide to resume writing .

Posted by Louise at 02:10 PM | Permalink

March 02, 2005

Is Your Resume Too Modest?

I am currently writing a resume for a senior executive from the entertainment world. She's a great lady with a fascinating background, but she had a hard time telling me about it . I ask my clients to talk a lot about the impact they've made on former employers so that I can write a really powerful resume, but Lisa just can't do this. At one point during  a long phone call, she said "This is AWFUL! I never talk about myself this way."

I understand modesty and sometimes I applaud it (sometimes!) but not in this context. Writing a resume is like selling a product - you have to tell the employer why he or she should hire you and you must relate that back to money. I don't care if you're the CEO or the entry-level executive assistant ... you're there to help the company make a profit and your resume must show how you'll do that.

If you're currently looking for a job, pull out your resume and read it with a really critical eye - make sure it clearly conveys how you will help the company make money. (Need help? Download my free resume writing guide)

If you're not looking right now, take a tip from me and start to record your accomplishments as they happen. When it's time to write a resume, you can pull out your notebook and quickly find details of all the great work you did.

You wouldn't try to sell a product without telling everyone how great it is ... so don't try to sell yourself without doing the same.

Posted by Louise at 03:22 PM | Permalink