God do I hate resumes.
Distilling your entire career into one page?
Maybe two pages if you have over 5 years experience?
12++ pages if you're a C++ Developer?
Creating a first impression on paper?
Engaging an audience of one from a sea of other resumes?
You have a 30 second window to convince the reader to spend another 30 seconds reading more. And don't get me started on cover letters.
The problem is there are no silver bullets, golden rules or magic tricks. Anyone that tells you they exist is selling you something. Your resume is ultimately only as good as the pair of eyes reading it.
The biggest favor you can do for yourself is abandon the old rules, start fresh and create a document you're proud of. That way you're at least assured to please your most important critic, yourself.
Let's tackle this practically speaking. You're more likely re-writing an existing resume than you are writing a resume for the first time, right? Wrong.
Every time you think it's worth your time to write a new resume, WRITE A NEW RESUME. Don't slap a bandage on the old one. If you add a new paragraph every time you complete a new position your resume is going to sound iterative. Like a collection of snapshots. Unrelated, unstrategic, where's that next resume again...?
If it's time to update your resume, it's time to re-evaluate your goals, reflect on how you've evolved and apply all of that to your resume. BTW, if you haven't grown in your last role?
That might explain why you're looking for a new job.*
From there, redefine the purpose of your resume.
Your resume is NOT about the work you've done.
It's about the work you want someone to hire you TO DO.
Your resume is a marketing piece; your annual report, your homepage, an iPhone app all about you.
You need to aim this tool at the right audience and orient it to meet their needs. You know what this means? You're not just writing a resume. You're writing multiple resumes.
Most job searches include a variety of roles. If yours does not, see above.*
Do you want to create a blanket resume that encompasses all of your experience or do you want to create a line of sight right through your career that leads the reader to the conclusion, This person solves my problem! If you carpet bomb with your resume you're going to get the sloppy results that follow.
One final thought. Tie everything to revenue that you possibly can. In this economy, more than ever, you want to help the employer see how you've enabled your previous employers to either generate or save money whenever possible. These numbers are often available to you; most folks just don't think to collect the data.
If you're a designer and you brought projects in ahead of a deadline with fewer revisions, how much money did that save your client?
If you're a copywriter, how did enrollments increase after your brochure was shipped?
If you're a project manager, how did your procedural adroitness impact the bottom line?
If you can insulate your already impressive experience and skills with some impressive numbers you make a critical double impression. First, look at the money you saved/generated for your last employer, wow! Second, this candidate was savvy enough to think to include this information, now that's impressive...
Lastly:
I assume you have references available upon request, if not.*
No one cares what you did in high school, no one cares about your hobbies and interests, no one wants to see a picture of you on your resume.
That's why they have Facebook.
That's a whole other story.
Distilling your entire career into one page?
Maybe two pages if you have over 5 years experience?
12++ pages if you're a C++ Developer?
Creating a first impression on paper?
Engaging an audience of one from a sea of other resumes?
You have a 30 second window to convince the reader to spend another 30 seconds reading more. And don't get me started on cover letters.
The problem is there are no silver bullets, golden rules or magic tricks. Anyone that tells you they exist is selling you something. Your resume is ultimately only as good as the pair of eyes reading it.
The biggest favor you can do for yourself is abandon the old rules, start fresh and create a document you're proud of. That way you're at least assured to please your most important critic, yourself.
Let's tackle this practically speaking. You're more likely re-writing an existing resume than you are writing a resume for the first time, right? Wrong.
Every time you think it's worth your time to write a new resume, WRITE A NEW RESUME. Don't slap a bandage on the old one. If you add a new paragraph every time you complete a new position your resume is going to sound iterative. Like a collection of snapshots. Unrelated, unstrategic, where's that next resume again...?
If it's time to update your resume, it's time to re-evaluate your goals, reflect on how you've evolved and apply all of that to your resume. BTW, if you haven't grown in your last role?
That might explain why you're looking for a new job.*
From there, redefine the purpose of your resume.
Your resume is NOT about the work you've done.
It's about the work you want someone to hire you TO DO.
Your resume is a marketing piece; your annual report, your homepage, an iPhone app all about you.
You need to aim this tool at the right audience and orient it to meet their needs. You know what this means? You're not just writing a resume. You're writing multiple resumes.
Most job searches include a variety of roles. If yours does not, see above.*
Do you want to create a blanket resume that encompasses all of your experience or do you want to create a line of sight right through your career that leads the reader to the conclusion, This person solves my problem! If you carpet bomb with your resume you're going to get the sloppy results that follow.
One final thought. Tie everything to revenue that you possibly can. In this economy, more than ever, you want to help the employer see how you've enabled your previous employers to either generate or save money whenever possible. These numbers are often available to you; most folks just don't think to collect the data.
If you're a designer and you brought projects in ahead of a deadline with fewer revisions, how much money did that save your client?
If you're a copywriter, how did enrollments increase after your brochure was shipped?
If you're a project manager, how did your procedural adroitness impact the bottom line?
If you can insulate your already impressive experience and skills with some impressive numbers you make a critical double impression. First, look at the money you saved/generated for your last employer, wow! Second, this candidate was savvy enough to think to include this information, now that's impressive...
Lastly:
I assume you have references available upon request, if not.*
No one cares what you did in high school, no one cares about your hobbies and interests, no one wants to see a picture of you on your resume.
That's why they have Facebook.
That's a whole other story.
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