So you read my post about “The Cover Letter”. You’ve spent a little time thinking about yours. Now what? Let’s get down to the meat and potatoes… The Resume. Here are some major points I have found to be of value over the last ten years.

The Resume

1. The Format Counts!

When it comes to your resume your book will be judged by your cover. It is important to make sure that your resume looks appealing. We’re talking aesthetics. After all, that’s all employers have to go on initially. You can be the best employee, the best person even. How will they know that if your resume stinks?

Clean, crisp and concise. The length of your resume is industry specific. It is normal for a Doctor or Vocational Expert to have a three page Curriculum Vitae. However, if you work in Retail or Customer Service, you should try to limit your resume to one page. No matter the length, it should still be clear and concise. The font size should not be smaller than 10pt. The font style should not look like Wingdings. There should be no more than two font styles. Bullet points, Italic, and Bold fonts have a place but keep it simple and easy to read. Having said all of that, don’t misunderstand me. Professionalism does not eliminate creativity. There are plenty of ways to set oneself apart on paper. But you shouldn’t need distractions to get attention. It might make for a good laugh, but not a phone call.

I know we live in an electronic age but it is important to see your resume on paper. Not only do most employers still prefer printed resumes, but believe it or not your resume looks different on paper. Print it out and look at it as if you’re reading a book. Make sure the content is centered. Make sure the font is an appropriate size. Make sure the bullets are properly in place and italicized and bold words are properly formatted. Make sure the dates are all formatted in the same manner. Make sure every “T” is crossed and every “I” is dotted. If you only view your resume electronically, you are likely to miss something important. Furthermore, the employer will often times have or request a printed copy at the time of interview. You want to see what they see.

2. The thesaurus is not your friend:

I cannot tell you how many times I have seen the thesaurus over-utilized. While it is great to have a broad vocabulary, it shows when you rely too heavily on the thesaurus. It becomes even more painfully obvious at the interview when you speak with the potential employer. The way you read on paper should be equal to your background and your vocabulary. Of course you want to “enhance” yourself. But there is a fine line between enhancing, embellishing, and bold faced lies! If you don’t ever use the words on your resume or if you have no clue how to spell them, eliminate them.

3. Color and graphics:

Color and graphics are industry specific. But generally speaking, for corporate “nine to five jobs” in the United States – DO NOT include photos, graphics, or color of any kind unless specifically requested to do so. I took an International Business class in college. I was taken aback to find out that it is commonplace in several countries to include a photo with a resume submission. I have since seen it sporadically among resumes I reviewed (mostly with people from other countries). If you are from another country, I totally understand. If you are not – and now that you have read this – please stick to black and white, sans photos. I know that your intentions are honorable. You might think “Oh, I can make it stand out if I use this red font or that royal blue background”. But it reads as unprofessional and distracting. If you research your industry and it is the norm – by all means; go for it! I haven’t done enough analysis across varying industries to say otherwise. I am speaking about your general employment ad and application.

4. Know the difference between Qualifications and Skills:

This one may be up for discussion… as I haven’t met many managers who feel as strongly as I do about it… but I urge you to consider it. There is a difference between skills, qualifications, and traits. The Dictionary of Occupational Titles outlines both the skills required for each job and the length of time an individual usually spends acquiring such skills. If I am in doubt about whether something is a skill or qualification, or I find that I have more qualifications than skills (students entering a new industry, I am talking about you!), the rule of thumb that I employ is to create a section entitled “Skills and Qualifications”. That way I can include all items. I also use the following questions as a guide:

Skills: something you had to be taught to perform, whether on the job or in school
What training have you received that will be an asset for this employer?
What education or certification do you have that will be an asset for this employer?

Qualifications: attributes, traits, qualities, that set you apart
What things are you gifted in?
What things have you won awards for (in the workplace)?
What things do you have the most experience in?

You don’t want to list “provides good customer service” as a skill. That is totally subjective (employers define what constitutes good customer service to them). I know what some of you are saying… Customer service is a skill because not everyone can do it! I agree. But what you’re referring to is your subjective definition of “good” customer service. Suppose you called somewhere and the representative was rude. You conclude that the representative doesn’t have good customer service skills. How do you know that’s not the training they received?

Bottom line, if you have received an award or taken more than an 8 hour training session on customer service – then include it. But if your idea of customer service is answering the phone, smiling, or making eye contact with someone, forget it. Giving good customer service is more or less a function of one’s personality, a quality. Some are people-oriented and better at customer service than others. But everyone can perform it. It is not a skill that sets you apart from others. Things like this can be talked about in the interview. You have the opportunity to point out that you enjoy people and are customer service oriented. It will also show in the way you communicate with the interviewer. Skills are things like “CPR & First Aid Training”, “Medical Billing & Coding”, “PHR Certification”. These are things that require training or coursework. Not everyone can perform these functions. Skills require specific training and generally take more than one day to learn. Qualities or qualifications give you an advantage in the workplace. They are things like working well in cross functional teams, being punctual, serving the community for over 1000 hours, or giving excellent customer service.

5. The job description:

Are your only job tasks faxing, filing, answering phones, and making copies? My 12-year-old nephew can do that. Why should an employer hire you then? It is likely that you do much more than that. This can be a very difficult section to lay out on your resume. I even struggled with it at times. I came up with a cheat sheet. I look at job postings (even ones I may not be applying to). I look at their job descriptions and what they are seeking from candidates. I use those descriptions in my resume – only the ones that apply to me of course. Not only does it help outline job functions but it can also be an effective tool for knowing the lingo and meeting the needs of your industry. Instead of faxing, filing, and copying, I might say “Responsible for performing all office functions and responding to the needs of a fast paced environment”. We all know what goes on in an office – not to minimalize the work. But faxing and making copies can’t be the only tasks listed on your resume. Suppose you’ve only worked in offices. Is your job description the same for each one?

Also, your employer (or former employer) should have a description of your job. Ask them for a list of your job duties if you can. Be tactful so as not to alarm them. If that won’t work ask yourself these questions – How large is our organization? What goes on in my environment? What is my role? Do I have more responsibilities? What do my customers need from me? What does my employer need from me? What equipment do I use to perform my job? Do I complete any reports? Does anyone report to me? That’s what needs to be listed in your description.

6. Second pair of eyes:

Don’t have someone else write your resume for you. It shows when you get to the interview. The same tone on your resume is the tone the employer expects to see in person. Instead make your best effort to complete your resume on your own and send it to a friend or two to review with you. They will likely see things you don’t see. It is preferable to send it to someone who has a hiring background, but any pair of eyes will do.

7. Last Looks:

Make sure you know what’s on your resume. The copy you give at the interview must be the same one you initially submitted. It must be clean and wrinkle free. The information must be accurate and up to date. Be honest. Be forthcoming (within the realm of professionalism). It is the worst thing to be caught in a lie or confusion about what you have written on that document. The resume’s job is to get you in the door. The good news there – getting in the door is the hard part in today’s climate given of the amount of competition.

Perhaps you’ve considered all of this. Getting in the door is not your problem. Do you get calls and interviews all the time but never land a gig? My next post will be for you. We’ll talk about the interview.