What makes a good Resumé?

Resuming my thoughts on resumés

Over the past months I have contacted HR officers, former colleagues, former employers,  friends, mentors and websites. I wanted to know the best way to "sell" myself.  After 18 years in one work-place, and 25 years in the same profession,  I found myself in a new city, facing new challenges and having to reinvent myself.  I am nowhere near the end of my journey, but I have reached and passed some significant road-markers. The next four entries in my blog aim to bring some clarity to what makes a "perfect" resumé. The starting point is this- There is no such thing as the perfect resumé. 

A resumé that excites one professional may only get a cursory glance from another. Some will recoil in horror at a detailed nine-page document and others will tut-tut at a stripped down bare-boned two-pager. Some will be looking for the personal touch that singles you out from the crowd, whereas others will consider that "show-boating" and not what a resumé is about. Some cultures will be running for cover if they see any personal details. They will be thinking "Litigious" and "Show me to my lawyers" while others will be going, "ah, that explains why he left his previous position" or "that's why they suddenly moved to a new location." Some will "ooh and aaah" at your clever layout, while others will shake their heads as they parse their way through screeds of applications, waiting for their app to highlight the key phrases and skills they seek. Some prospective employers still insist on a hard copy snail-mailed or couriered to them. Others will shriek in disbelief at how thoughtless you are being by killing trees and clogging their in-trays.

Upcoming blog entries will cover the following topics:

1. Different professions demand different types of resumés.
2. There are steps you can take to ensure your resumé actually gets read.
3. Your resumé will most likely be read, recommended or discarded, by a non-human.
4. Resumés should be tailored to the position. 

1. Different professions demand different types of resumés.

When you apply for a job, read carefully. Never, ever assume that your resumé will be the best fit for every job you're applying for. Think to yourself, "What are they after?" because it will vary. Some will want:

• a person who aligns with a clearly defined skill set 
• someone who is experienced
• a person who will know their way around the role

whereas others will be looking for

• someone who can grow with the role
• a person who is willing to learn, develop and redefine the role as their tenure develops
• a self-starter who will look for ways to add value to the company by innovation and initiative.

By now, most of you will be familiar with the position that comes with an attachment of a job description that is highly prescriptive. You read through, highlight, and match the key points with your skills and experience.  Meanwhile, other employers may give only general indications as to what they expect. They may talk about self-starters, employees who show initiative, and people who will redefine or grow the role over time.

So, read carefully! Take notes, matrix your skills against the key points of that job description, and make that resumé resound. Remove any experiences that are irrelevant. When you feel you have a good match, state your skills, and give some details.  Get on-line and examine different resumé templates. Hloom is one site with 283 free resumé templates. It's a fantastic starting point. From creating an ATS-friendly resumé to allowing your creative juices to freely flow, Hloom has something for you. Be sure to check out their resumé writing guide too.

I love job descriptions that use bullet-points. Even if they don't give a detailed description of what the role entails, those bullet-points enable the reader to do a mix and match.

My next post will contain some helpful ideas that will ensure your resumé gets the highest possible chance of being looked at by a human!

In the meantime, don't forget to keep that towel handy! At the time of writing, only 121 days are left until the next Towel Day.