Let’s face it the last time you visited your resume was when you applied to that high school job that paid less then a sweat shop. Now you’re about to graduate college and see how out of date it is.
Where do you start? Re-write the objective statement? Play with the different fonts?
Negative Batman. Start over.
The resume has changed significantly in the past 3-5 years and your old 100 point resume assignment isn’t going to cut it. When re-creating your resume you have to think of the end in mind.
“When this lands on the recruiter’s desk what is he/she going to think?” How can my piece of paper signify my skills and traits?
Writing a resume isn’t a Wednesday night project, it takes weeks of brainstorming and writing, utilizing the best words to describe what you’ve done. Not only does the wording have to be consistent, but the overall language from each description. I like to use the S.T.A.R approach when writing key pieces in resumes. This is an example from
Situation or Task Describe the situation that you were in or the task that you needed to accomplish. You must describe a specific event or situation, not a generalized description of what you have done in the past. Be sure to give enough detail for the interviewer to understand. This situation can be from a previous job, from a volunteer experience, or any relevant event. Action you took Describe the action you took and be sure to keep the focus on you. Even if you are discussing a group project or effort, describe what you did -- not the efforts of the team. Don't tell what you might do, tell what you did. Results you achieved What happened? How did the event end? What did you accomplish? What did you learn? |
I’ve attached my resume that I’ve recently finished. I like to keep it updated with new accomplishments and projects. Here are some things I changed and did different then my previous resume.
- Revamped the styling. I utilized InDesign to re-create a better look and feel.
- Dropped the “Objective” statement. The recruiter knows what you’re applying for, that’s why everything is online.
- Focused on the STAR approach. Explain as much as I can in every bullet point.
I’m challenging you to pull out your resume and see if it really signifies you and your work. Challenge yourself and ask questions around each statement you write.
-JG-
-JG-
I like this post, but one thing I was taught differently was to talk about what you accomplished by listing what the end result was and then describing how you got there.
ReplyDeleteE.g. Supported the facilitation of the analysis of global and regional underwriting guidelines for portfolio analysis and capacity guides by summarizing key aspects in spreadsheets.
Obviously there are different ways to do your resume and sometimes they are tailored to the employer if you have an inside knowledge through an internship or something and know how they like to see a resume written.
Good start to your blog. Keep it up.