Your Offering Statement
This is a somewhat different approach from that which you may be accustomed to seeing and using or from what you may have read about. Instead of saying what you are looking for; get the reader's attention by saying what you are offering him or her. You might, for example, say "seven years experience in" and then summarize your strongest functional areas.
Keep in mind that what you offer in your statement must match what this employer may want to buy. If you list five functions and don't mention the one the employer has in mind, you reduce your chances of being hired. Whatever you want to do for that employer, has to be in your offering statements. And you have to show elsewhere in the resume that you are qualified to do it even if you are changing careers.
For example, if I were developing an offering statement for myself, I would not use the word "teach," nor would I use the phrase "government-testimony coaching." The first is too broad; the second, too narrow. Instead, I might say "coach people at all levels in all aspects of presenting information and responding to questions."
That statement defines what I do and what I would like to continue to do throughout my career. Note that I said "coach" rather than "help," which would not have been specific enough. Note also that I said "at all levels" rather than "executives," which would have been too limiting. Examine the resource materials you have developed to describe your own background and objectives. Review such questions as Who am I? Where am I headed? What do I want to do with the rest of my career? And where do I want to do it?
If you have difficulty formulating the phrase, you might go back to the part of your "retirement speech" in which you say what you hope to be most remembered for. Reflect on that for a moment. It should either describe what you want to be doing or get you thinking in that direction.
Your offering statement replaces the traditional seeking entry. Remember that potential employers are not nearly as interested in what you want as in what you can do for them.
Resumes
You have clearly defined your strongest selling statement, the lead paragraph of your resume. You may also want to include it in your letters. It might not appeal to everyone, but if you tried to write it more generally, you could end up with something so vague it would appeal to no one.
Now you can consider the rest of your resume. As you develop your resume by following one of the formats described here, consider how you can highlight your supervisory skills, your task-oriented skills, and your people skills. Essentially, there are only three types of resumes, plus a composite format, that executives and managers need to know about; they are the chronological, the achievements, and the functional.
CHRONOLOGICAL FORMAT
In the chronological format, the emphasis is on the sequence in which you did things, which makes your employers, functions, and accomplishments subordinate. In reverse calendar order, it lists all the positions you've held, starting with your most recent one.
This format is generally chosen by people who have held no more than five major career positions and whose chronology shows a series of advancements or promotions throughout their careers.
If you decide to use the chronological format, but your former titles are not particularly impressive, here's a variation that may help you: Where the format calls for highest title achieved, don't record your title. Instead, write down your responsibilities and describe how you met them. Underscore the words that describe your functions. Allow them to substitute for a title.
Although the chronological form is traditional for resumes, it may not be your choice if you have held a number of positions, some of them for two years or less. It is also not necessarily best for individuals at managerial and executive levels for several reasons: It is dull. It doesn't sell. It fails to emphasize values. With its focus on dates, it tends to downplay your supervisory skills, your accomplishments, and your ability to work well with others.
ACHIEVEMENTS FORMAT
The achievements-oriented resume is most useful to those who can document major accomplishments on the job or who have outstanding achievements to their credit, particularly when the chronological format would offer no special benefits or advantages. When you develop an achievements resume, you emphasize your accomplishments and subordinate the where and when. Make certain your resume does not limit you in the eyes of potential employers by giving undue weight to the context of your achievements. If there is a risk that an achievements resume might portray you too narrowly, describe each achievement in a way that will show how it could apply to a broader area.
FUNCTIONAL FORMAT
In a functional type of resume, you describe what you do well and would like to continue to do. You might want to use this format when your chronology of employment would not show you to your best advantage, as when you had too many jobs, held the jobs too briefly, or had employment gaps you would rather not explain in the resume itself.
The functional resume helps to showcase the kinds of things a candidate can do. It is especially useful when the position requires someone to be skilled in several functional areas. Be sure to describe each function in terms of your supervisory, task-oriented, and people skills.
Use the functional resume if you have strong skills in your field. If, for example, you are in the public relations field and are strong in financial relations, press relations, program development, and technical communications, you have four strong functional areas-specific areas of performance within your career specialty-to list in your resume. Review the worksheets you developed in the preceding chapters and record the information for your own field.
The functional resume is particularly useful to someone whose accomplishments are not easily demonstrated on paper. It is a positive way to put the emphasis on capabilities and job functions rather than on years in a position or on measurable achievements on the job.
COMPOSITE FORMAT
The ideal resume would, of course, combine a diversity of functional skills, stellar achievements, and a solid chronology, but that is not realistic for most people. Executives and managers, who have either strong functional skills or solid achievements, but not both, may benefit from the composite resume. It is also a good format if you are changing fields because it enables you to feature broad skills, varied employment experience, and the specific functions you have performed. If that is your situation, consider combining your functional skills and your achievements to make both more appealing.
The composite resume must be tailored to the individual according to his or her specific needs, problems, and interests. For example, it might emphasize the functional format but include specific accomplishments in connection with or contributions toward the success of the company. Another composite resume might feature the chronology but focus on the tasks performed.
