RESUME WRITING

Don't be modest. Many of us are hesitant to put down just how much we have done, or how good we are. We grow up being taught not to brag, but this is your chance! A resume is like a sales prospectus, and you are the product. The resume gets you the sales interview, and then it's up to you to close the sale. Make sure you don't leave out the good stuff.

Talk about what you've done that shows how good you are. The statement: "Effectively managed a diverse population of 30 computer professionals to become a cohesive working team" is effective; "Am excellent with people and have great managerial skills" is not. "Consistently exceeded sales targets by 30 to 50 %" is effective; "Am very good at getting a lot of work done" is not.

Keep it honest. You want to say as much as you can that's positive about yourself, but remember, if the resume works it will get you an interview with someone who will probably be looking right at it during that interview. Don't ever put in anything you can't defend, justify or comfortably explain.

Presentation IS important. While the content of your resume is the most important thing, the visual appearance can make a big difference. If your resume is packed with great information, but appears crowded and hard to read, a busy executive might just not take the time to go through it with the care it deserves. Unfair? Of course, but this is the real world. Use indentations, bullet points, and lots of white space. I like to put two or three short to medium sentences with each bullet point, although sometimes one impactful statement will stand alone.

Use the appropriate amount of space. If you've been in the work force for five years, and are applying for your second job, using a two page resume would not be helpful. No one wants to look through a lot of padding. On the other hand, if you've been working for twenty years and have lots of experience and several jobs, trying to compress it into one page will never do you justice. In that case, forget the so called "experts" that say to put it on one page, and use the space you need to get the job done right (and get the job!). This is especially true if you have a difficult situation such as changing careers, or a scattered work history. The number of one page resumes I do is about equal to the number of two page resumes, with an occasional three page resume at the executive level.

Functional versus Chronological. If you're on a simple career path, and your last job is the most relevant experience to your next, a standard chronological resume is generally best. This lists your employment from last first, and puts your experience under each employer. However, if you are changing careers, going back to something you used to do, or have a scattered work history, then a functional resume will probably serve your needs better. This kind lists your achievements first, dividing them into about two to four categories, and then puts your employment afterwards with relatively little comment. If your resume is more than one page (and most functional resumes are), be sure the most relevant sections for your new position are on page one.