A resume is a snapshot of your qualifications as they match the needs of a particular position. And a snapshot is one thing, not two. Your resume's only goal is to prove that you're worth the time that an interview takes. It will have to communicate your value points and experience within 20 to 30 seconds. If it asks the reader for more time, it may instead get time in the wastebasket.
Your Resume Is Usually Read by a Stranger about a Stranger
The reader's interest level is often low as the page is unfolded; it is even lower as two pages are unfolded. In this day of junk mail and paper overload, the reading, not to mention the assimilation, of two pages of single-spaced text is a rare occurrence, even a phenomenon. Page two rarely gets read because readers know that the older, less-pertinent information resides there. Also many readers feel that if you can’t say it on one page, you are not a concise communicator. Why run the risk of encountering one of these two-page resume haters when you won’t alienate anyone with one page.
You may be thinking; "But I have twenty-five years of experience in the field. How could I possibly put all that on one page? It's an injustice!" Sorry. On paper, you are more interesting to yourself than you ever will be to anyone else. Besides, the reader rarely cares about in-depth details of your early career years. Your most recent years usually are most important, and need description. For example, if you are now General Manager at Ace Gear Company, a detailed description of your prior years as Assistant Manager, Manager Trainee, and Clerk won't be of interest to the reader. You need only show that you advanced through these levels and list key accomplishments in these positions.
Build your resume the way a skilled writer would build a short story, with every word playing an essential role toward communicating the story's central message. Any superfluous words will weaken the power of the message. If you force yourself to think about the value and connotation of each word you put down, you'll build a resume with integrity. You'll build a resume that makes a strong, cohesive and focused, one-page statement about why you're worth interviewing. If something in your background is obvious, irrelevant, or pulls the reader the wrong way, leave it out! If you are in doubt, ask yourself the question; "Does putting this in strengthen my case in any way?"
Give the reader an appetite for meeting you. A good one-page resume will leave the reader with just enough of a taste to be hungry for more, rather than with a case of two-page indigestion.
Winning Move #2: They'll Ask Four Questions of Your Resume-Make Sure You Have the Answers
Answering the following four questions in a fully persuasive way will greatly increase your odds of developing a winning resume. These questions are the crucial elements of the resume formula, Answering them will not only give you the material you need for building a strong resume but will also prepare you for networking and interviewing.
Question #1: What do you want?
That's your Objective. Don’t struggle or agonize over this. It's a simple question to which employers want a simple, specific answer. The most common objectives are the most damaging. Example: "To obtain a challenging, growth-oriented position within a dynamic organization that can utilize my skills." What did that say about what position you want? Nothing. Skip the gobbledygook. Besides, who doesn't want a challenging, growth-oriented position in a dynamic company? Would anyone want the opposite; a boring, dead-end position in a failing company? Tell them what you want as it fits what you feel they need. Change your objective for different markets, if you have to-it's not a problem with today's word-processing technology.
Examples of objectives:
- Administrative Assistant, Marketing Department
- "C" Language Computer Programmer
- Head Nurse
- Elementary Teacher
- Senior Auditor
Question #2: Why are you qualified to do it?
That's the Summary or Qualifications section. Answer, in sufficient form, why you’ve qualified to accomplish your objective. That should be simple. Ask yourself why they should hire you. (You’ll need to get ready for that one at the interview anyway!) Summarize the answer. You might say:
- Seven years of direct experience in...
- Extensive relevant study and degree in...
- Comprehensive knowledge of pertinent regulations of...
- Recognized leader in district performance for...
- Significant technical capabilities in...
Question #3: Where have you done it?
That's the Experience section. The reader wants to relate to the experience you’ve had. Identify the company in its most relevant light. If it's not a recognizable company, write a line about its high points. Build it up. On the resume, the reader will often equate your value with that of your employer. Example:
Not-known Corporation, Boston, MA, a fast-emerging company in the field of plastic extrusions, with 35% yearly growth and numerous Fortune 1000 accounts.
Question #4: How well have you done it?
That's the Achievement section. This is where you should put in your most thought and effort. Think about what you did for each employer to make that company better. It could be a big thing or something small. But it should be enough to show value. Did you have an idea that was implemented and has saved the company money? Were you promoted several times as a result of consistent contributions? Were you given highly rated reviews, and why? Were you selected out of numerous employees for a key program or training? Bullet these points separately from and after your job description:
Recruiting Manager-Technical Temporaries (1987-present) Direct overall operations of two locations, maintaining full sales, P&L, and budget responsibility ($12-$16 million). Hire, train, and manage section managers and staff. Review productivity of each section to maintain positive fill ratio, increase in percentage of markup, and a steady flow of qualified applicants/clients. Initiate and coordinate the recruiting of qualified applicants. Establish and maintain tracking mechanisms. Prepare and evaluate ongoing training programs in sales and recruiting areas with managers and sales reps.
Key Achievements:
- Took charge of an eroding $11-million division, and, in concert with sales manager, increased sales to $14 million in 12 months. Sales increased each month for 13 months over prior period.
- Direct a division that has billed up to 18,000 hours/week and sent more than 500 applicants out on assignment on a weekly basis.
- Initiated an industry-first technical training program that enhances our clients' marketability and verifies their skills.
- Built and retained a 22-person recruiting staff with very low turnover.
Of course, you can say all you want about yourself in your resume, but it's still you who's doing the talking about you. This is unsettling because, no matter how factual your summary, it still appears as a self-assessment and can be tough for the reader to swallow. The only outside reinforcement of your abilities comes from that one weak line: "References Available upon Request." Since you're not asked to produce references until after the interview, this impotent line does little and takes up valuable space at the bottom of your resume.
Don't despair! You can bring the power of "written legitimacy" to your resume. If someone else for whom you've worked has written highly of your performance, splice it into the resume. It will empower that piece of paper almost to the point of self-propulsion! It catches the reader's attention. It's very rarely done (I think I invented the idea). And it works! It works because someone else in a position to know is saying you're great.
