A reader, Brian, asked if I could blog more on job topics given the amount of people looking for new work in the current state of the economy. I am not a human resources consultant or pretend to be an expert on job-hunting by any stretch of the imagination but I will convey some personal experiences for you on this topic. Hope it is helpful. I am out of my depth but here goes nothing (anything for my dear readers!)…

I have the privilege for volunteering for a charitable organization in a volunteer advisory role. Only one problem- they need a resume for me (which either speaks to the growing sophistication of the charity industry or the fact some crazies have volunteered in the past and they need to screen prospects). I haven’t written a resume since 2003. I have been either self-employed or hired into management after being their lawyer (my resume was basically my track record as their lawyer)- I haven’t looked for a job in over 5 years. So I dusted off some old resume guides, looked up some resources, got a bunch of precedents, spoke to some job seekers and here are three things I learned about writing effective resumes (which I do not remotely pass off as my own).

1.Convey value and not just a mere listing of assignments and task

I have read the best resumes answer the question: (i) challenge; (ii) action; and (iii) results (taken as a whole, CAR) rather than a mere listing of tasks. I will give you an example. Pretend Liz is a project manager for a IT company who specializes in security issues. A plain-vanilla resume would state:

“Coordinated successive internal and external teams in addressing security issues for an application service provider.”

Pretty factual right? Unfortunately, you have to sell yourself from all the other job seekers so my resume guide tells me to rearrange these facts to show the challenge,  show your action and list the result (which is an accomplishment). Thus, re-write the above job description to:

“Rectified 12 mission critical and 25 ancillary security breaches for an application service provider client [the challenge] by supervising a team of 5 in undertaking a comprehensive diagnostics review, re-coding and patches using leading edge programming language and market leading testing [the action], resulting in 90% less breaches over one year, delivered 10% under-budget. [the result]

Does it sound very salesy? Of course it is, the whole point of a resume is to get you an interview so you have to differentiate yourself from other job seekers by proving value- whether it is saving money, making money, improving customer experience or increasing productivity. You can prove value by listing your assignment and tasks. You have to show how these assignments and tasks helped the company by using the CAR method of resume writing.

2. Good resumes tell good stories

When I was in undergrad, we had someone come into our class and speak about her job experiences having “only” a B.A; she had made into management of a consulting company at quite a young age and was an impressive person all around. The one thing that always stuck in my mind is  her advice that a good resume tells a  good story. A low-paying or dead-end job isn’t a resume killer if there is some link to the next job or, and this surprised me, taking a year off to hike around the world is not a resume killer.

Her point was that a dead-end job (I remember she used the example of a retail job) is not a resume killer if you highlight aspects of the job that got you the next one. So, a retail clerk at the Gap could highlight all the customer service and human aspects of the position as a bridge to their HR clerk position. Or, taking a year-off to travel the world, isn’t a resume killer if you highlight you learned new languages and cultures during your travels (very important in our global economy).  The key again is not to just say “here’s a description of a dead end job” but highlight aspects that bridged you to the next job and so on.

3. Put your best foot forward

This sounds obvious but lead with aspects of your professional career that fit into the job. This tip a legal head-hunter taught me. She said when you are a junior lawyer, put your schooling first and all your academic achievements first. As a junior lawyer, you know nothing (and the law firms know this) so you have to sell that you are smart and you will learn what you don’t know. The more senior you get, the more you play up the files and transactions, lawsuits you have been on since the law firms don’t really care where you went to school but what skill set you have acquired and whether you can bill until you drop dead.

If you are a first-time job hunter for an entry level job, it is important to impress with schooling since most applicants don’t have a wealth of experience to draw on either so tell them how smart you are first and foremost (degrees, awards etc. go first). For most, that is all you have to differentiate you.

If you are young and applying for a job one or two levels above you, don’t lead with schooling since it tells the employer how young you are. Instead, lead with the work you have done and tuck the schooling part last. Most employers actually don’t read much past the first page anyways.

Look at this way- it is like going on a first date; you bring the “A” game don’t you and don’t save the good material for the 2nd or 3rd date because there may not be a 2nd or 3rd date. Move the best stuff to the top of the resume.

…yes, its a big sales job but you are selling yourself. No one else is going to do it for you. Good luck. Anyone else care to share resume tips?