Craft a Winning Resume 2017 A Step-by-Step Guide to Write with Impact, to Beat Screening Software, and to Focus Your Job Search
Gordon S. Worth
Craft a Winning Resume 2017 A Step-by-Step Guide to Write with Impact, to Beat Screening Software, and to Focus Your Job Search
Craft a Winning Resume 2017
By Gordon S. Worth
Copyright Š 2017 by Gordon S. Worth All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Table of Contents: Introduction Master the Basics -
Purpose of Your Resume Ready-Made Templates Avoid the Generic “Spam” Resume How to Approach Resume Writing Fundamental Do’s and Don’ts
Navigate the Digital World -
What Is ATS? Tips for Beating ATS When Writing Your Resume
How to Start Your Resume -
Personal Statement Skills / Expertise
Work Experience -
Format Show What You’ve Done Gaps in Resume
Education and the Rest Education Other / Extracurricular Section References Conclusion
Appendix -
Sample Resume Action Verbs for Your Resume
Craft a Winning Resume 2017
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INTRODUCTION So, I’m guessing you’re on the hunt for a new job. Aren’t we all at one time or another? Whether you like it or not, the internet has been a charm and a curse. You see a posting on an online job board and you decide to apply. Unfortunately, you are also competing against guys from Sydney, Singapore, Seattle and Sunderland who saw the same job posting. Welcome to the digital age. As a result, your resume has to be more focused and more attuned to the vagaries of searching online than ever before. First, let’s start with terminology. For the sake of this book, I’ll be using the term “resume” throughout, though for the most part around the world, it’s interchangeable with “CV.” We live in a global world, so let’s not get stuck on words. I know, I know, the terms aren’t always used in exactly the same way in the US as elsewhere. In the US, a CV is often the term used for academic, education, scientific or research positions applications. These can run to 1520 pages long, with details on presentations, publications and so on.
Craft a Winning Resume 2017
But this book targets a broader job-seeking audience. It’s aimed at 21st century job hunting in a globalized world. Ok, now let’s provide some context. It’s important to appreciate the fact that there is no one universal approach to writing resumes. Different styles and formats can have the same impact. You also always have to adapt your output to the relevant audience. Maybe you were hoping this book would provide an exact template that works in all circumstances—a guaranteed homerun that will allow you to kick back and start drinking champagne with mermaids, a blueprint to tick all the boxes. Nobody should ever promise such things. It should be about improving your chance of success. Hopefully by a lot, but improving nonetheless. This book is there to provide a
workable approach to improve the quality of your existing resume or to give you the tools to write a decent one from scratch. Hopefully, it will provide you with the awareness of where you have gone wrong in the past. You might find some of the information basic and obvious. Yep, some of it will be. But common sense isn’t always common practice, and it’s important you consistently consider best practices and start with the right foundations. I am a career coach by training, but I also write resumes, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles for a UK resume writing company. I also provide specialist support for those looking for roles in the finance industry through my site: Banking CV Writer. (If you’re looking for an internship or graduate scheme at an investment bank, this could be for you.) So, I’ve seen and written my fair share of resumes. I’m going to walk you through how to construct a resume in an impactful way. I’ve included a sample at the end of this book for you to think about as an approach on how to write one.
Craft a Winning Resume 2017
But please don’t view this as the one and only way to approach resume writing. Learn from the principles and then adapt them to your style and circumstances.
MASTER THE BASICS Purpose of your resume Why do you need a resume in the first place? Essentially, it’s a marketing document that spotlights your strengths, skills, experience and accomplishments. It gives any future employer a brief snapshot of what you have to offer and your ability to deliver. Obvious, right? So, why do so many people struggle to get noticed? The trouble is not everyone writes their resume to sell what they have to offer as efficiently and effectively as possible. The keyword here is “sell.” It shouldn’t be just a laundry list of tasks you did in your last job. It should reflect your past achievements and suggest what you are capable of achieving in the future. Remember, the goal is to earn you an interview—not a job, but an interview. You must market yourself well enough for recruiters to be dying to speak with you. If possible, your resume should also reflect the world we now live in. We live in an increasingly digital world, where the forces of technology and globalization are changing the way in which businesses operate. For example, does your profile show how you are still relevant in the world of automation? Have you stayed up to date with technologies that have changed how your business operates? Or are you still tied to a world based on the declining world of manual labor? Keep this in mind.
Craft a Winning Resume 2017
Your resume is also there to dovetail with your professional online presence, notably your LinkedIn profile or personal blog and your cover letter. According to a study by TheLadders, an online job-matching service, recruiters spend an average of six seconds reviewing an individual resume. In other words, there’s not a lot of time to make a good impression. That’s why it’s worth investing the time.
Ready-Made Templates There are a lot of good templates you can find online. For a small fee, you can knock up an attractive, all singing and dancing, even professional-looking resume.
Sites that allow you to customize their templates for your own purposes include: • • •
ResumUP Visualize.me Kukook
A word of caution: Just because the design of your resume looks good, it doesn’t mean it will be effective. Sure, it can make a good first impression if you hand it to a recruiter. Beware of style over substance. If the quality of the writing makes no sense, how it looks will make no impact. What you don’t want to do is put a fancy dress on a pig. Plus, as will be discussed later, your bigger issue is how well a computer reads your resume rather than a human being. Even worse than these kinds of templates are the lazy, copy-pasting, off-the-shelf ones you find online. You know the type. You find a site with a resume for an “Account Executive” already written for you, and you pretty much lift the format and narrative word for word. You and everyone else…. Way too many candidates use these templates without taking any time to tailor them to the role or the audience. This is the internet and we all have access to the same information. Imagine how HR officers feel when dozens of resumes land on their desks written with exactly the same (poor) wording and format!
Avoid the Generic “Spam” Resume
You also can’t think in absolute terms. You may think your resume looks great, but how does it stack up against others? You’re not going to be the only person perusing the job posting. You probably won’t have much of an idea as to how the competition compares, unless everyone is using the same template and wording. Make your resume looks as good as it can for each application, in the knowledge that others are trying to do the same. All of this might feel like a bit of a drag. But it’s necessary. Suppose you want a job as an account executive. Imagine how different your resume should be if you are applying for the role across a range of very different business models: auto dealerships, advertising firms, hospitals, banks, funeral parlors…
Craft a Winning Resume 2017
You’ve probably heard this before, but it still needs to be reiterated. You should always be prepared to adapt your resume to each application. In other words, one size does not fit all when you are job hunting.
Don’t be surprised if you’ve sent out the same generic resume in response to 50 different job adverts and haven’t had a positive response. In cruder terms, you are essentially using the same pick-up line on anyone who walks through the door. It’s hardly going to make them feel special! There are simple ways in which you can adapt your resume without having to re-write the whole thing. These will be touched on later.
How to Approach Resume Writing Just to reiterate, there isn’t one definitive approach for resume writing. For any number of reasons, you may well be nailing interviews with a poor resume. Maybe the company doesn’t have a sophisticated screening system, the HR officer might have resonated with something you wrote down, or perhaps there were very few competing candidates with the right skills. You also shouldn’t expect a 100 percent strike rate if you do spice up your resume. Sadly, companies may still fail to see the brilliance you have to offer. Perhaps they have chosen to recruit internally. Or maybe they decided not to hire someone after all. There’s a chance the Finance Department killed the budget. It might not be down to you. None of this detracts from the fact that you should be looking to improve your odds. You can’t just leave it to chance and guess work. You’ve got to control what you can control: the quality of your resume.
Craft a Winning Resume 2017
While there’s no one single magical resume style that works for everyone, there are always universal standards to keep in mind. You will need to stress different strengths and characteristics at different stages in your career. For example, if you are a new graduate with little in the way of work experience, focus more on relevant education and extracurricular activities. If you are seeking to move into a managerial role, it makes sense to highlight times in the past where you have led people or projects.