Creating A Resume Doesn't Have to Hurt!

Think of creating a resume as one step in a specific campaign (and "campaign" is really a great word for this! After all, you are launching an advertising campaign - for yourself!)

So, what I mean is that I'd like you to think of the process as one step in your overall campaign of find and landing a new job. And to do this, let's start with the end in mind (I borrowed that term from Dr. Stephen Covey, from his "7 Habits of Highly Successful People" book), and work backwards.

As an example, let's call the campaign: "Landing My Great New Job."

The campaign will have several steps. If the last step is actually "landing my great new job," what comes before it? Probably you saying, "When do I start?" And before that, you heard, "You're Hired!"

Before that, you had to have sent a thank you note to the interviewer (which you did immediately after you had the interview... right?) :)

Before that, you were called to the interview, which happened after the recruiter was absolutely smitten with your resume which stood out from all the others...

...because before that you had completed a lovely, concise, information and benefit-packed resume...

...which you developed after you gathered and organized all your pertinent information.

(If I could figure out how to show you this in a flow chart, I would! - I'll try to do this in my Effective Resume Writing blog soon!)

So, you can see where actually creating a resume is merely one step - and all those steps now sound doable, don't they? If it still feels like a daunting task, visit www.CreatingAResume.info for additional help.

Let's move on.

Time to sharpen your pencil, put on your thinking cap, and bring out all your files (maybe not quite as many files as the introductory photo shows!), facts, and figures about who you are personally, and professionally.

Quick note: Keep in mind that an employer is looking for a match - not only for the job - but for the team as a whole. He or she isn't hiring your skills - rather, he or she is hiring a person. And, when you are creating a resume, you must be able to blend aspects of who you are as a person into the mix as well.

So, begin thinking about who you are as a person. Cheerful? Energetic? Do you smile a lot? (Think about how important that would be in any position dealing with clients or the public - gee... sounds like just about ANY job!)

Gather all facts about any accomplishments you can list. Quantify your accomplishments (I discuss this in my Resume Writing Help lens.)

When creating a resume, you'll need to separate your "accomplishments" from your "qualifications," so keep a separate sheet of paper for each so that you don't confuse the two.

You've likely heard this from others: Don't exaggerate. When you put together all that you've done, and couple it with facts about who you are as a person, you won't need to exaggerate! Stick to the facts - be clinical about this!

You'll obviously need to include some employement history, so be sure to compile this information (including dates, highlights of the positions you held, and other pertinent info) before creating a resume. Don't wait until you're sitting at the keyboard to try to remember everything.

Once you've given the information gathering portion of this project a few hours or days, separate it all into some categories.

Try to separate things and write it all down as though you were answering these questions (in bullet format, always!) - and you may think of additional questions:
1) What job are you looking for? (Remember - thanks to the marvels of the computer, you can - and should - target your resume so that it matches the specific position you're looking to fill.)
2) What can you do specifically that will benefit the employer if you are hired? (Hint: If you can "answer the ad" or job posting using words they use, that's a plus!)
3) What qualifies you for this position? (Qualifications category)
4) What have you done that you consider an accomplishment or highlight? (Accomplishments category)
5) What makes you unique, different from others who might be applying that could be seen as a benefit? (e.g. Are you bi-lingual? Have your opinions been published?)
6) What are your specialties? (e.g. If you're a chef, do you have any particular dishes people rave about? If you're a carpenter, is there any type of structure where "your special touch" always shows or brings compliments?)

I'm sure you can think of lots more!

Have a look at www.CreatingAResume.info if you want a great tool that will really help you as you move forward.

When creating a resume for others, I have a general outline that I like to use - but, of course I won't use every category for every resume. For example, if I'm working with a young, inexperienced worker, we may not have an "Accomplishements" section.

But, there is no reason why we cannot have a "Qualifications" section or a "How I Can Help Ajax Coffee House" statement. (Ahem... Did you notice what I just said there? Where I specifically mentioned the company name I'm applying to? Don't you think that Ajax Coffee House will pick up on that? I do.)

So, although I rarely use the term "Objective" I do use a "How I Can Help..." type of statement. I've also used "Skills that can help Ajax Coffee House..." or "Skills that will benefit Ajax Coffee House..."

I also use "Summary of Qualifications" and "Selected Accomplishments."

I'll often sub-categorize below - for example, under "Summary of Qualifications," I might have a sub-category such as, "Wide range of writing experience..." and have my bullet points pertaining to writing experience below that. Another sub-category might be "Outstanding communications skills..." with bullet points to highlight those skills.

So, how might that look? I made up a "sample" outline, and attempted to photograph it while holding it - so the picture is a bit off kilter - but hopefully you'll see what I mean. :)

You'll obviously need an "Employment History" or "Related Employment History" section.

So, you'll probably wind up with some or all of these:
- Statement of How You and/or Your Skills will Benifit XYZ Company
- Summary of Qualifications (or Summary of Skills)
- Related or Selected Accomplishments
- Selected Other Experience (depending on your situation - for example, if you are an accountant, you may have done some consulting or tax work for different businesses.)
- Education

Notice I do not mention references? Many people do, but it is a given that you will need to provide references. If you find you REALLY need to fill out the page, you can put it in. How does this sound? "References: Outstanding references will be provided." :)

Check out www.CreatingAResume.info for a lot of information on creating a resume as well. And thanks for tuning in!