Hot Resume Ideas for a Chilly Job Market

The resume is universal. The resume remains as the information most likely to be seen first by a potential employer. The vast majority of companies, large and small, old and new, continue to ask for the resume as the indicator of whether or not they will take time to meet with that individual for employment consideration. Even when individuals meet each other socially, if they find they have a common professional bond that could lead to future employment - despite strong, immediate chemistry - the potential candidate is nearly always reminded to "send the resume."

Get on the radar screen. The strongest resumes are written from the "here's what I'm bringing to the party" perspective rather than "I need a job." The latter resume is written in hopes that the recipient reads at least the first 1/3 of the first page; the former intrigues the recipient to the extent that they read the document in its entirely, not once, but perhaps twice, because it is clearly not the work of an average employee. Did you see that? Employee, not "jobseeker". Why is that significant? Because an employee is really what they are looking for, but the daily inundation of "average" resumes tends to keep expectations low. Your resume intent is to bring the following thought to the mind of a hiring manager or search consultant: Is this individual a player in my field I need to know? Your resume is then read a second time to see if something can be extracted to fit into an immediate opening because they believe it would be a talent coup to bring you aboard. Savvy hiring managers and search consultants take these opportunities to network by inviting the candidate to an informational interview. See, the informational interview can work both ways. If the right position becomes available, the time-consuming ritual of "first interview" or "pre-screening" of has already been completed. You have a better chance of being on the radar when something does become available.

Let's go...

Inspiration. "I need a job." "I hate my job." "My boss sucks." "That lay off package was a joke." "What company downsizing email?" "Hmmm, maybe I could do better." "I'm not actively looking." Even if you're not actively looking, have at least the framework of the resume prepared at all times, because you never know. Tweak the resume, but don't over-tweak. Tweak, and let it rest overnight.

Content & Layout. This decision has pretty much been made for us by the resume powers-that-be, and in that sense, it's the easiest. But because of this same reason, it's also the most difficult, i.e., the goal is to stand out, and that's always a challenge. So the content is going to include such things as a chronological listing of places you've worked, your job titles and responsibilities, your education and/or certifications, and a summary of your qualifications. The layout is the way you choose to arrange and organize your information. "References furnished upon request" = "The End"

Start with the basics - name and contact information. After that...

Professional Statement. One theory is that the kind resume officially starts between the contact information and the qualification summary/accomplishment highlights with a one or two-line Professional Statement that sums up and differentiates what you do.

Examples: "A Project Manager with special expertise in trade management systems in both established and start-up environments, and with proven ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical partners at the senior management level." Or "A Senior Executive with a fifteen year history of implementing profitable Business Development initiatives in commission-driven financial services sales environments, whose team-oriented leadership model consistently reduces employee turnover."

Objective. The Objective is optional. If you wish to include one, here are the basics:

First of all, always word the Objective in terms of how the potential employer will benefit, not what you want out of the job. Instead of stating that you want to work with a "company that offers career growth", try "a challenging opportunity where I can apply my proven Business Development skills to increase the bottom line of a fast-paced software sales organization." Secondly, CUSTOMIZE the Objective for individual positions. The generic Objective looks mass-produced, and that's unappealing. Hiring managers, search consultants and other employment professionals should believe that you created this resume especially for their specific opportunity.

Areas of Special Expertise or Profile. This is another optional section that can be included in the resume. If you decide to go with "Areas of Special Expertise", use bullet points. The Profile can be written in paragraph form (if it's five sentences or less) or in bullet point format.

Qualification Summary or Accomplishment Highlights. This should consist of a minimum of three, and preferably no more than ten, "bullet points", each describing an accomplishment in terms of results. For example, instead of "Implemented a trade match system", try "Implemented a trade match system which reduced processing time by over 50%, and resulted in the elimination of overtime expenses for the entire business unit, saving in excess of 10K per month."

At this point, you can be anywhere from 1/3 to a 2/3 of the first page of your resume, depending upon how many years of business experience you have. As a general guideline, the resume is ideally two to three pages long for candidates with approximately five or more years of business experience. Although a succinct one-page resume is fine, do not feel compelled to confine yourself to just one page (unless you are a recent grad or have less than five years of work experience). It is appropriate for executives, as well as mid and upper-level managers, to have a resume that is two pages long (a shorter one may give the impression that your written communication skills are not as strong as they should be.)

Professional History. This section includes the company name, your job title, and the dates of your employment.

If you have what is considered a stable work history, i.e., a tendency to stay with a company for at least three years or more, be sure that information stands out clearly. Longevity with one company, especially showing an upward progression in responsibilities, is valuable experience.

On the other hand, if you are a consultant and contractor, one suggestion is to highlight your versatility. Short-term engagements are fine, especially when presented as vertical knowledge moves. The less downtime between engagements, the better it looks on your resume. Think about how to present your history as a chosen career path.

Hiring managers, search consultants and other employment professionals are reading anywhere form 10 - 100 resumes per week. Provide the following information to help put your experience into context for them:

A short description of the company, the department or division you were in, and one to two sentences tying them together functionally. You can even include the number of employees and the financial size of the company. This information is very helpful in determining the type of corporate experience you have.

Include the different job titles, the responsibilities of each, and the dates - yes, even within the same company. For instance, if you have been with a company for five years, you definitely want to show that you were learning and taking on heavier responsibilities during this time. Perhaps you started out as a Client Services Rep and are now Managing Director - illustrate the progression.

Technical Information. There are several different ways to incorporate your technical knowledge into your resume. Technical knowledge is important, and does need to be showcased. Here are a couple of suggestions:

In a Technical Summary, you can list all of the applications, operating systems, etc. in one place. You may wish to indicate skill levels. You can also list the technical information in terms of how it was used or the company where it was utilized.

Another option is to include individual Technical Summaries or "Tools Used" as a sub-section under each company or project.

Speaking of sub-sections, if there is a particular job skill or type of experience you want to highlight, you can always create your own sub-sections. The resume, while being made of basically the same components, is your individual document.

Education. Does the Education section go before or after the Professional History? An MBA, Master's Degree, or higher can above the Professional History. If you have gone to an Ivy League or top school in your field, by all means, list this before the Professional History section. Technical certifications or licenses specific to your field deserve top billing as well. Alternatively, technical certifications can be categorized in the Technical Summary. A new graduate should include academic information first, and detail any coursework that pertains to the professional field of interest.

Year of graduation: To include or not to include? This is a potential can of worms. Why? Well, an interviewer cannot ask how old you are. Age discrimination is unacceptable, yet we do hear about it from time to time. Leaving out the year of graduation can give the impression that you are hiding something - even though it's nobody's business how young or old you are. One suggestion is to include the year of graduation, while detailing work history to an approximately twenty-year cut-off date, or whenever it was you started in your field. You can consolidate experience prior to that date by including something like: "1971 - 1981: Various marketing roles of increasing responsibility with both large and small companies." Or "1971 - 1981: Positions held included receptionist, executive assistant, bookkeeper, and accounts payable supervisor." Or you can still elect to omit the year of graduation, and/or organize information according to relevant business experience rather than by year.

The Always Controversial "Other Interests." Some people say do, others say don't. Some say the rule of thumb is "if it's controversial, leave it out." Sound advice. But keep in mind there are different definitions of controversial. On the other hand, similar personal interests can catch the attention of those who are reviewing the resume. And while Professional Affiliations definitely look good up to a point, don't include so many that questions may arise as to the time you will have to devote to a new job. One suggestion is to include just a few, neutral points to establish you as an individual without raising controversy. "Cooking" is neutral. "Time travel" might raise an eyebrow.

Extras that set you apart...

Business cards. You may wish to have business cards that include your contact information and the "Professional Statement" as described above. If you are between jobs, you should seriously consider doing this.

Thank you cards - make friends with snail mail. Each time you meet with someone regarding your job search, send a handwritten note or short typewritten note with your signature thanking the person for taking time for you. Unfortunately, this courtesy is overlooked all too often. At the absolute minimum, thank the person by sending a short and personalized email.

Distribution. Put on your "Sales and Marketing Hat". Think of your resume as a brochure or presentation describing your unique experience and skills as a business enterprise. If you haven't already, create a page online and post your resume there. You never know who is looking for what. From a hiring perspective, Internet sourcing does not necessarily mean trolling the advertised resume databases. In fact, many search consultants stay away from giant resume banks where candidates post their resumes "publicly." On the other hand, an online resume as a "private" web page is an excellent tool for the passive job seeker. And let's face it - we're all passive job seekers when it comes down to it.

©2001 - 2002 Recia Larson, The Kind Resume. Reprinted with permission.