I'm self-motivated, well-organized, a hard worker, and in every job I've had, I've always been willing to make sacrifices to get results.
If you have trouble coming up with a comment you're comfortable with, some terms and phrases that might apply to you are given in the lists that follow.
For example, if you want to stress your competence, here are some words or phrases you might use:
Don't neglect these lists. You'll want to refer to them when you're sending out covering letters. And you can use them to give you some ideas on how to present yourself in job inter-views.
Job Objectives
All things considered, you're better off omitting this section from your resume, even though many job books suggest that you include it. I was never swayed one way or the other by what candidates wrote here; more often than not, it sounded forced and stiff. Some objectives, however, did make my Resumania file, among them:
I prefer informality like wearing sport shirt and sandals for footwear in the summer. I prefer setting my own pace. When things get slack, I like the right to walk out and get a haircut during working hours.
I want a position with a company where there is absolutely no drinking. I would consider performing civic activities where all expenses were paid by the employer
The main problem with listing an objective is this: if the objective is too general, it doesn't mean anything; if it's too specific, it could limit your chances for jobs that don't fit the stated objective but nonetheless might be right for you. The only time I recommend putting an objective on your resume is if you are tailoring the resume for a specific company and a specific job. Otherwise, omit it.
Special Situations
Your background could reflect anticipating all the various problems that can crop up when you're writing a resume, but here are some of the more common problem situations and the best way to respond to them -- problem of one kind or another that complicates the putting together of your resume.
Your Personal Data Isn't Favorable
You feel that your age-either being too young or too old- could hurt your chances; put it at the end of the resume. Try to make your resume longer than one page so that the "personal data" section doesn't appear on page one. Perhaps, by the time the resume reader gets to your age, you'll have already earned yourself a closer look. The same holds true for marital status. Our surveys show that being divorced these days is no longer the obstacle it may have been years ago, but it could still pose a problem for you. You could, of course, omit any reference to your marital status and leave it at that; but the omission could serve to draw attention to it.
If You Didn't Finish College . . .
Not having graduated from college isn't as much of a problem once you've already been in the work force for five years or more, but it could be a strike against you if you're young. The only thing to do is put your education at the end. Also, expand on it by listing any business-related courses you might have taken.
If Your Record Includes Too Many Jobs . . .
One solution is to use the so-called functional resume form in which you summarize your work experience in terms of job categories and not in the standard chronological order. A better approach is to highlight your present-or last job-and give it substantially more space than each of the others. If you have enough significant things to say about this last job, you could devote a separate category in the work experience section in which you summarize your responsibilities in the other jobs you've held.
If Your Last Job Isn't as Saleable as an Earlier One . . .
A common problem: There are a couple of ways to deal with it. One is to fudge somewhat the order in which you list jobs, tucking the dates into the body of the work experience section so they're not as noticeable. Another way is to list jobs in the proper order but give the most space to the job you feel is more saleable.
If You have a One-Company Record . . .
No problem here at all. Simply show the name of the company on top of the experience section and under it list a chronological history of your employment with that company, citing recent position first, and stressing accomplishment. In other words, handle it as if the jobs were with different companies.
If you have a One-Industry Record . . .
This is only a problem if you are looking to change industries. One solution is to produce two resumes: One that mentions your industry and mentions the names of employers. The other that does not mention your industry, but includes dates and broad descriptions of the employers. Both, of course, detail your work experience.
Getting It Printed
Everything about your resume is a reflection of you. This is why the resume must not only read well but look as good as possible. Unless you are a professional typist with access to a typewriter with an attractive, businesslike typeface, don't type the resume yourself. I consider myself a much better than average typist and I would never dream of typing the final draft of any resume I wrote. Once you get it typed (and double-no, triple check it for mistakes), take it to a copy center and have it run off offset. Don't use one of those library copying machines that gives you poorly printed copies on oily paper. Have your resume printed on a bond paper of at least 60 lb. weight. You may have to go to a stationery store and deliver it yourself to the copy center, since most centers copy on cheaper grade papers. Stick to a standard &V2 by 11, and keep it simple. Some job counselors advise using a pastel shade or a textured linen kind of paper, but I much prefer a simple white, off-white or ivory heavy bond paper.
What You Should Do About References
First of all, leave them off the resume. References are important, but not that important, and for a logical reason. Every interviewer knows that you're not going to refer your potential employer to anybody who isn't going to say nice things about you. Then again, you never know. I remember many years ago interviewing a young man for a job as office boy. The only reference he gave was his mother, so I called her. "Well," she said, "Jimmy will be a good boy once he gets a decent job." With a mother like that, you don't need enemies.
References are particularly important if you're getting fired. As long as you've maintained a reasonably decent relationship with your boss, you can still usually count on a reference letter from her or him (it may even help assuage the guilt of having to fire you). It's an accepted practice to draft such a letter yourself, then have the boss look it over. Some people might prefer to write their own references, so give your boss the option. In any case, never take a reference letter into an interview with you, and use any reference as sparingly as possible.
Resume Samples-The Bad and the Good
Two resumes follow describing an executive accountant. The first suffers from many of the problems common to poor resumes, yet I have seen hundreds with the same kinds of errors, typos, misspellings, construction, sequence and content. The second represents the way a resume should read and look.
Let's review some of the problems on the first resume:
- General appearance. The first resume doesn't make you want to read it. It's too crowded and too wordy, and it is filled with errors.
- First person. Never put a "Mr." in front of your name on a resume. Eliminate as much as possible the use of the first person "I."
- "Objective" My view is to eliminate it. It tends to be too limiting, producing fewer interviews. If you insist upon including objectives, make sure they are not too restrictive. One time objectives are useful is when you are pinpointing the resume to one job at one firm.
- Personal Data. Far too much detail here. On a good resume, this section rarely takes more than two lines. The candidate here should have left his Social Security number off, too.
- Hobbies. Too many, although I've seen three times as many on some resumes.
- Memberships. Everything's fine until the mention of memberships in the Admiral's Club and the Ambassador's Club. In case you are unfamiliar with them, one is owned by American Airlines, the other by TWA. They're used by frequent travelers. The only qualification for admission is the ability to pay the dues.
- Education. Stick to the highest level of education, unless the lower level offers a unique credential. Education should be shown in reverse chronological order, with the most recent first. This applicant is a college graduate-a fact buried in the middle of less important education. He also happens to be a CPA. I know this because of his memberships. This is not shown anywhere on the resume in my revision, I show it twice. Once on the top, after his name; and the second time on the line after his college education.
- Experience. It should be in reverse chronological order, the most recent job listed first. To simplify the resume, and to concentrate on the most important facts, I left off his jobs while working his way through college. But if this person was entry level, or almost entry level, I would show employment while attending school.
- References. Unnecessary for the resume, since they would be made available at an interview for an interested hiring executive.
A resume" that is doing what it's supposed to do will accomplish the following: (1) show that you contribute to whatever job you take; (2) show, implicitly, that you are organized, ambitious, and goal-directed; and (3) convey an overall image of you that says to the person reading the resume1 you deserve a closer look. Your resume will, or won't, do these things on the strength of how you present your work experience, on the tone and readability, and on its overall look.
I like to call a resume that accomplishes all of these objectives a "positive" resume. Many resumes I've come across have been positive in one area-contribution perhaps-but not in other areas. The most successful resumes, according to research our company conducted for over five years, are those that are positive on all three fronts. Take the time you need to stress your work experience within the framework of accomplishment. Take the time you need to put together your resume in an organized and attractive format. Spend the extra money it takes to have it typed and presented in the most attractive manner possible.
Resumes count. They get you into the interview situation! And as I've been saying all along, in so many words, you can't hit a home run until you get up to the plate.
