How To Write A Resume

The digital age is characterized by some factors that affect how to write a resume.

They are

1.Information Overload
2.Impatience

Unless you're the only person in the world who can do your job, there always seems to be too much competition.

At best, a resume can get you the the interview. It's your presentation that will ultimately get you the job.

The Junk Mail Principle

But in the impatient age of information overload, unless your resume can quickly answer the employer's unstated question, you're out of luck. That unstated question is "Why should I bother talking to this person?"Answer the question quickly or you're "history".

People read the mail standing over the trash can. They throw away anything that looks like "junk mail" for the most part unless they're instantly interested.

"Interest" is half timing and half creativity if you ask me.

If your resume is being sent because you are responding to a help wanted posting, in theory the timing is in your favor.

What's left is to get your resume past the hundreds of other resumes asking for the employer's attention.

So change your mindset.

Think of your resume as a "direct mail" piece that is designed to answer one question fast.

The question it's designed to answer is your potential employer's question: "Why should I spend my precious time even talking to this person about working for me?"

In direct marketing that's called the WIIFM question. "What's in it for me?"

The Newspaper Principle

That's why you want to write a resume that gets to the point.

What do I mean by that?

Let me use another metaphor, this time from the newspaper industry.

The answer to the potential employer's question should be above the fold.

In the newspaper that means it's one of the first things your read not tucked away at the bottom of page 3 in a footnote. (I don't even think most resumes should be over 1 page, but that's another story.)

Summary:Your resume is designed to get you an interview. Think like a marketer and try to anticipate and answer your customer (potential employer's) questions with your resume.Answer "What's In It For Them?". Answer the question fast. Keep your answer "above the fold"


More follows, so keep reading below. You're about to see the only resume book I recommend at this point in your journey to start "thinking like a marketer" instead of a job hunting victim.

This is the computer age, but some people make a resume they think will stick around as long as Rodin's "The Thinker".

That's crazy.

In a world where the average worker will have multiple careers and is expected to be a lifelong learner, you should get it into your head that the resume you send to respond to a job listing today has met it's lifespan.

By the time you send another resume tomorrow, it may change.

Why is that?

Because you probably have a variety of skills and abilities and experiences. One set of skils/experiences/training will be more valuable to some employers than to others.

You must highlight what matters to the employer you're contacting.

That's why your resume may change daily.

It's not that you're dreaming stuff up or "padding your resume". That's wrong. Get some real skills if you don't have any. But don't sell yourself short either.

Back on topic: By changing your resume as needed, you're simply focusing your resume to answer the questions each new potential employer "asks".

If I ask you about what the weather is going to be over the weekend and you talk about the rising cost of pork bellies on the Chicago Exchange, I'll think you're nuts. It's no different with resumes except you usually can't see the potential employer grimace as they ask themselves "what the heck?".

So...

1. Have a folder on your computer marked "resume".
2. It's ok to have a "template" with basic facts about you already lined up.

3. But don't send this as a finished resume until you tweak it to answer your potential employer's questions first. Then save it as a unique resume.


Tip: Most people just save their resume as "resume.doc"

Save your resume by your name, job position, and maybe even the date to set you resume apart from the zillions of others that are sent in as "resume.doc".

E.g. save it as Smith-Programming-March-2007.doc

OK, so how do you know what questions your potential employer has?

It's in the job posting.

If your varied carreer has included time as a garbage collector, Medical Doctor, and travel photojournalist and you're applying at a hospital... what do you emphasize? Duh.

If you've have a "Master Gardening" designation from the agricultural extension agent in your county and have spent time on the front desk of a motel... what do you say if you're applying for the garden shop position at Home Depot?

In this case I think you'd promote the "Master Gardenin

If you have Microsoft Word, you have all the free resume templates you'll ever need, but some employers may not be able to open them they're so fancy.

Ideally the resume you create will be able to be saved as an .rtf file which means the fancy formatting isn't there to mess up a potential employer's ability to read what you send.

Now people are searching all over the internet for "free resume templates" as if there's magic in the template.

A good template may be good if you need a different look for your resume, but if you're seeking a free resume template in search of some magic order of contents, there is none!

Really, there's no law that says what you have to include as long as you answer enough of your employer's questions to get the interview.

But after your contact information at the top, how much is that? Do you put your education, employment history, or skills first?

My answer: Put whatever you believe the potential employer needs to know about you to grant you the interview.

Did you get that?

THE ORDER ISN'T IMPORTANT.

What's important is whether you can prove you can do the job well enough to get the interview.

That's all.

Here's how to prioritize if you think "but it's all important".

Rate the content "A","B","C" in your own mind.

Put the highest priority items "above the fold"...i.e. in the top half of your resume page.

Items of lesser importance should go farther down.

Should you go over one page?

I'd suggest two at most. Normally one should suffice.

But what will make or break the deal are the items on the top half of the first page.

What if you just have too much good stuff and you're sure something on the second page is "good too"?

Distill.

After your contact information, put a summary or distillation of the main points you'll reference below.

Summary: Prioritize what you write. Present it in the order that answers the potential bosses's questions. Reserve the top half of the first page for your contact information and the information that puts your skills and experience in the best light.

Most people can find all the resume templates they want in Microsoft Word or Word Perfect under "templates".

But suppose you want to do something unique because of the severe competition you expect.

Here are some ideas you can try. They are sure to set you apart from the "competition". Warning: they may seem too cute to some prospective bosses... but since most resumes are treated like "junk mail" anyway... what have you got to lose?

The key is to communicate in a form that your potential employer recognizes as "personal communication" or "business communication".

If you use some simple software templates to make a resume in the form of a greeting card which can be mailed in a card sized envelope, to the potential employer by name... it will be perceived as a greeting card or invitation. Be sure to say "traditional resume and references available upon request".

If you're seeking a high paying job or possible consideration as a consultant, perhaps you can buy some promotional advertising to include with your resume. Pens with your name and phone imprinted on them. You could put one in the envelope with a traditional resume and get the "lumpy mail" curiousity factor going for your resume... and your pen will likely be kept.

One insurance agent made proposals to architects or engineers on blueprints... that's a form of communication they understood as important. Consider that if you're trying to get a job in that field.

If you want a doctor to hire you, could you put your resume in the form of a prescription?

I've seen medical transcriptionists submit resumes in the format of a Doctor's History and Physical Form.

What communicates in terms your prospective employer understands?

One reason people don't get interviewed as a result of their resume is simple - they have few skills! Skills require either hands on experience or training.

As a result, you may be wondering if you can receive a free government training grant for your college or technical school training in the United States.

That depends on the training available in your area.

Here is a tutorial I've written to help you learn if you qualify for this. It's called How To Get A Free Government Education Grant

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.