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CHAPTER 3 Resume Power: Getting the Most from Your Resume

Y our resume is a main focal point for much of your job search. In many ways, the success of your job campaign is dependent on its impact

and effectiveness. Writing your resume is not something you will want to leave to chance.

Whether you are e-mailing it to a hundred search firms, responding to a want ad in the Wall Street Journal, posting it on an Internet job board, e-mailing it to an employer, using it as a networking tool, or simply handing it to a hiring manager at the time of a job interview—your resume is the key marketing tool by which you are marketing yourself. So, it needs to be good.

A successful job search demands an outstanding resume. If your resume is bor- ing or run-of-the-mill, it will be quickly buried in the masses, and your job candidacy will likely never see the light of day. On the other hand, if it is well designed and carefully written, your resume will immediately seize the reader’s attention, stimulate interest, and present a compelling case for the employer to meet you and, later, to extend an offer of employment.

A Snowflake in a Blizzard The need for an outstanding resume was recently driven home to me during a conversation with a close friend who has been in the executive search business for a number of years. At the time we had been discussing job search on the Internet and the importance of a good resume when attempting to compete in this environment. The following is the analogy he used as a way of visualizing the level of resume competition when using this medium:

Imagine you are standing outside in a blizzard, during white-out conditions, and are looking up at the sky. There are millions upon millions of wind-driven snowflakes coming down in sheets of

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C o p y r i g h t 2 0 0 6 . J i s t P u b l i s h i n g .

A l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d . M a y n o t b e r e p r o d u c e d i n a n y f o r m w i t h o u t p e r m i s s i o n f r o m t h e p u b l i s h e r , e x c e p t f a i r u s e s p e r m i t t e d u n d e r U . S . o r a p p l i c a b l e c o p y r i g h t l a w .

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R E S U M E P O W E R : G E T T I N G T H E M O S T F R O M Y O U R R E S U M E

white. Now, imagine these are resumes, and yours is only one of them. This is what it is like for your resume to compete on the Internet.

To me, this was a great way to visualize the intensity of this competition, and to make a strong point about the need for a solid resume. Unfortunately, this visual is closer to reality than you might initially think! Consider the following: A few years back, when employers simply ran a single classified ad in the employment section of a single newspaper, such as the Cleveland Plain Dealer or the Philadelphia Inquirer, they might have received a hundred resumes or so. Now, posting the identical ad on an Internet job board or two, at a fraction of the cost, can easily generate several thousand resume responses. Think how this alone reduces your chances of getting that job.

The Internet allows the employer to instantly reach a huge global audience. There are no more geographical boundaries. A single ad can literally reach millions. Moreover, employers may choose to supplement their Web advertisement by simul- taneously searching one or two of the huge online resume databases (some of which contain more than a million resumes), looking for “just the right candidate.” Your resume is now among a cast of millions—that single snowflake in a blizzard of white.

In order to put this into more tangible perspective, consider the following. At the time of this writing, the popular Internet job board Yahoo! HotJobs boasted more than 20 million registered job seekers (most of whom had posted resumes on the site). Many of these people could be searching for the same or similar job as you. Moreover, CareerBuilder, the second largest job board, states that “millions of unique visitors” visit its Web site monthly, many of whom have posted their resumes for viewing by employers. Now, consider that, beyond Yahoo! HotJobs and CareerBuilder, there are an estimated 40,000 job and career sites on the Internet, and you begin to get some idea of the magnitude of the challenge you face.

Considering the extent of today’s competition and the huge numbers involved, resume writing is not a process you can afford to leave to chance. Designing the right resume can make all the difference in the world. It will determine whether your candidacy rises to the top or sinks to the bottom of the stack.

Today’s Resume—A World of Change How long ago did you write your last resume? Was it three years ago? Five years ago? Perhaps 10 or more? If so, you are likely in for a few surprises! While you were sleeping, the world has changed! The digital world of the Internet, coupled with extensive use of “talent management software” by employers to screen resumes, has greatly changed the world of resume design. So, if it’s been a while since your last resume, you might want to throw away that old, standby resume book and start anew. You have a lot of new things to learn.

Diverse Viewpoints—Who Is Right? When it comes to resume writing, perhaps one of the more difficult challenges fac- ing you is getting sound, professional advice on resume design from those who

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C H A P T E R 3

“really know.” Who are these experts? It seems these days, everyone has an opin- ion on resumes. Just ask!

Couple this need for sound resume advice with the need for solid writing skills and, for some job seekers, you have a recipe for “anxiety attack.” For even the best of writers, the task of writing one’s own resume can be a challenge. And, for those who don’t have the best writing skills, the very thought of writing a resume is enough to send chills up the spine and cause dry palms to sweat!

What should I put in it? What should I leave out? How long should it be? Should it be electronic or paper-based? How should it be worded? Should I e-mail it to the employer or send it by snail mail? These are but a few of the many questions likely rattling around in your head.

To make matters worse, there is a huge diversity of opinion out there. Just go onto the Internet and have a look. There are thousands of pages on the subject of resume writing, and almost as many views on the “right way” and the “wrong way” to do it. What to believe? Who to believe? Where to start?

This chapter provides well-researched answers to these and other questions con- cerning resume writing. It is based not solely on my own experience as a seasoned career consultant and former Fortune 100 staffing manager, but also on the results of a large survey of employment professionals. These observations and recom- mendations are further refined through individual discussions with some of America’s top corporate staffing and employment managers.

Who else could be more authoritative on this topic? These human resource and staffing executives are the same professionals who screen each candidate’s resume and determine who gets interviewed and who gets screened out. They certainly know the topic well. They read resumes by the thousands—and yours will be one of them!

So let’s blow away the myths and the fog and see what these experts have to say.

The SHRM Survey A few years ago, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) con- ducted a survey of some 582 human resource and staffing professionals on the sub- ject of resumes and cover letters. Here are some key observations from this study:

■ Seventy-four percent (74%) prefer the “reverse-chronological resume” over other formats.

■ Ninety-nine percent (99%) consider a “detailed job history” important to resume effectiveness.

■ Ninety-one percent (91%) find a two-page resume acceptable, with some preferring it over a single-page resume.

■ Sixty-two percent (62%) prefer that a resume not exceed two pages. ■ Eighty-nine percent (89%) prefer that a job seeker provide a stated objec-

tive in some form.

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R E S U M E P O W E R : G E T T I N G T H E M O S T F R O M Y O U R R E S U M E

So, this data suggests that job seekers should adhere to the following universal cri- teria when developing their employment resumes:

■ Use a “reverse-chronological” format (which I explain later in this chapter). ■ Include some form of job objective statement (the type of position you seek). ■ Utilize a two-page format. ■ Provide a detailed job history.

Advice from Top Corporate Staffing Executives Although the SHRM survey is quite useful in addressing questions concerning resume style and format, it provides limited insight into resume content. In order to address the matter of content, I therefore discussed this topic with a select group of top cor- porate staffing executives, to see what their recommendations were on this subject.

Discussions with this group were very beneficial. Especially helpful was Virginia (Ginger) Moore, Director of Staffing—Global Outsourcing for Unisys Corporation in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, who gave generously of her time to discuss this topic in some depth. Here are some key findings from these informal discussions.

Make It “Results” Focused Rather than “Activity” Focused Modern resumes need to be focused on “results,” not “activities.” Simply provid- ing a description of your position (functions you managed/performed, principal accountabilities, size of staff, and so on) will not suffice. Instead, today’s employ- ers want to know about your accomplishments. What problems did you tackle, and what results did you achieve? Results provide “tangible evidence” of perfor- mance. Activity statements or simple job responsibility descriptions provide no such evidence, and leave employers guessing about your ability to use your talents to make meaningful contributions.

Show Your Personal Impact Resumes need to spell out your “personal impact.” Don’t simply describe yourself as a member of a team that produced a significant accomplishment. State what you personally contributed to this effort. What specific contribution did you make? What value did you personally add to this end result? Your resume needs to make this distinction. The employer is not hiring the team. They are hiring you!

Recommended Resume Styles There are essentially two recommended resume styles, both of which are accept- able to the professional employment community. These are the reverse- chronological resume and the skills-based functional resume. Although it is clear that the reverse-chronological resume is preferred, there are times when the skills- based functional resume is the recommended format.

Note: You can purchase a summary of the full SHRM resume and cover letter survey report directly through the Society’s Web site at www.SHRM.org.

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C H A P T E R 3

So that you can understand the difference between the reverse-chronological for- mat and the functional format, I will begin with a brief comparison of the key components of these two formats. Additionally, I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both resume formats, so that you can decide which style best suits your needs. I will follow this discussion with a detailed description of the key com- ponents of each of the two resume types so that you will know how to construct one and what to include in each section.

To make the job easier, I’ve included a sample of both reverse-chronological and functional resumes for your reference (see figures 3.1 and 3.2). Spend a few moments looking over these two resume samples. This will help you better visual- ize exactly what I’m recommending. As they say, “A picture’s worth a thousand words.”

Comparing the Two Resume Types A brief comparison of the two sample resumes (reverse-chronological and func- tional) illustrates that the key components are as follow:

Reverse-Chronological Resume Functional Resume

Heading (name, address, etc.) Heading (name, address, etc.)

Qualifications Summary Qualifications Summary

Skills Profile Skills Profile

Professional Experience (detailed job history) Major Accomplishments

Education Work History

Education

As this comparison reveals, the first three sections of both resume styles are iden- tical. They both start with a Heading, followed by Qualifications Summary, and then a Skills Profile. From this point on, however, they differ.

In the case of the reverse-chronological resume, the next component is the Professional Experience section. This is the heart of the reverse-chronological resume. As you can see from the sample resume, this section provides a detailed history of each position you’ve held, arranged in reverse-chronological order. This includes a brief description of principal job accountabilities, followed by a bulleted list of key results or achievements. The focus of this resume style is on jobs.

In the case of the functional resume, however, the next resume component is titled “Major Accomplishments.” Unlike the reverse-chronological resume, the focus of this resume style is on functional skills rather than on specific jobs. So, as you can see from the sample resume, the resume lists four to five major skill areas each fol- lowed by a list of specific accomplishments related to the highlighted skill area. The focus of this resume is on skills, not jobs. In fact, as you will notice, the Work History section does not appear until the final page of the resume.

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R E S U M E P O W E R : G E T T I N G T H E M O S T F R O M Y O U R R E S U M E

Linda A. Johnson

435 Boston Road [email protected] Phone: (614) 877-9437 Appleton, WI 21811 Cell: (614) 866-9087

QUALIFICATIONS SUMMARY

Seasoned Procter & Gamble lead project engineer with 8 years of experience in the successful engineering design, installation, and startup of towel and tissue paper machines. B.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan. Expert in wet-end forming equipment design. Hold 2 U.S. patents.

SKILLS PROFILE

Paper Machines Engineering Design Wet-End Design Towel Machines Tissue Machines Transpiration Drying Sheet Formation Pulp & Paper Yankee Dryers Paper Converting Paper Finishing Charmin Tissue Paper Machine Installation Paper Machine Startup Machine Design Project Management Control Systems G.E. Motor Controls

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE PROCTER & GAMBLE 2003 to Present

Lead Project Engineer (2005 to Present) Report to Engineering Project Manager. Lead team of 12 project engineers and 55 contract personnel in the engineering design, installation, and startup of a $150 million tissue paper machine and allied converting equipment at the Appleton, Wisconsin plant.

� Completed paper machine design phase in record time (delivered 2 months early). � Modified existing forming section design, resulting in the award of 2 U.S. patents. � Controlled project costs resulting in $2 million savings in Phase 1 of project. � Assisted in resolving major labor dispute with contract workforce, avoiding costly project delay. � Redesigned automated control systems application, resulting in savings of $1/4 million. � Led engineering design and successful installation of novel transpiration dryer section on time. � Headed cross-functional team responsible for evaluation of new paper converting equipment. � Initiated use of new project planning software, improving planning and project cost control. � Built and led high-performance work team, achieving high employee morale and efficiency.

Senior Project Engineer (2003 to 2005) Reported to Lead Project Engineer. Supervised project team of 6 professionals (1 designer, 2 engineers, and 3 technicians) in the successful redesign, rebuild, and startup of the wet end of the #5 paper machine at the Winslow, Maine, plant.

� Redesigned and successfully installed wet-end section of #5 paper machine (a $25 million capital project) on time and 5% under budget ($1/4 million savings).

� Led cross-functional team (engineering professionals and operating technicians) in highly successful machine startup, achieving all production and quality benchmarks in under 6 weeks.

� Facilitated team project planning meetings using group problem-solving techniques to shorten project delivery time and contain costs.

Figure 3.1: A sample reverse-chronological resume.

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C H A P T E R 3

Linda A. Johnson Page 2

WILSON PAPER COMPANY 1999 to 2003

Senior Project Engineer—Converting (2001 to 2003) Reported to Plant Engineering Manager with responsibility for the engineering design, installation, startup, and troubleshooting of towel and tissue paper converting and finishing equipment at the Appleton, Wisconsin plant.

� Engineered and successfully installed the Prince Towel paper converting and finishing line ($18 million capital project) on time and within budget.

� Rebuilt Shop Towel bagging line with resultant savings of $1 million annually. � Engineered and successfully installed TSI 2000 control system on #4 tissue converting line,

reducing machine downtime and saving over $1/2 million in labor costs annually. � Automated warehousing distribution system (a $32 million project), reducing warehouse labor

costs by 20% ($3 million annual savings).

Project Engineer—Paper Mill (2000 to 2001) Reported to Paper Mill Superintendent. Responsible for all engineering troubleshooting and maintenance in support of an 800 ton per day, 4-machine papermaking operation.

� Installed preventive maintenance program, with scheduled online servicing, reducing machine shutdown time by 20% ($2 million annual savings).

� Initiated predictive maintenance plan, allowing just-in-time parts replacement and reducing machine failure and non-scheduled downtime by an estimated 10%.

� Assisted Senior Project Engineer in the successful startup of the #3 paper machine.

Engineer (1999 to 2000) Entry-level engineering position. Provided assistance to senior engineering staff in a wide range of engineering projects in papermaking and converting operations.

EDUCATION

B.S., Mechanical Engineering University of Michigan, 1999 Dean's List Student (4 years)

Wilson Scholarship Award (3 years)

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

2 United States Patents (Paper Forming Devices)

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R E S U M E P O W E R : G E T T I N G T H E M O S T F R O M Y O U R R E S U M E

Figure 3.2: A sample functional resume.

Linda A. Johnson

435 Boston Road [email protected] Phone: (614) 877-9437 Appleton, WI 21811 Cell: (614) 866-9087

QUALIFICATIONS SUMMARY

SKILLS PROFILE

Procter & Gamble Project Management Wet-End Design Towel Machines Tissue Machines Team Building Sheet Formation Pulp & Paper Yankee Dryers Paper Converting Paper Finishing Charmin Tissue Paper Machine Installation Paper Machine Startup Machine Design Engineering Design TSI Control Systems G.E. Motor Controls

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Project Management—Paper Machines

� Led project team (12 engineers, 55 contractors) in the successful engineering design, installation, and startup of $150 million Beloit twin-wire forming paper machine, on time and under budget ($4 million savings).

� Managed $35 million redesign and rebuild of #4 paper machine wet end, increasing machine speed by 25% and improving quality of sheet formation ($5 million annual savings).

� Spearheaded project team that successfully replaced #3 tissue machine instrumentation and control systems, reducing annual labor costs by 22% ($2 million annual savings).

� Led cross-functional team (engineering professionals and operating technicians) in the successful startup of the new, 250 TPD #6 paper machine, beating all operating and quality objectives within 6 weeks of machine startup date.

� Built and motivated several high-performance, cross-functional work teams, providing key leadership in both engineering and operations startup environments.

Project Management—Paper Converting

� Led team of 3 engineers in the successful design, installation, and startup of a complete tissue converting and finishing line (project completed 1 month ahead of schedule and $120,000 under budget).

� Managed project team in the reengineering and rebuild of Gordon Towel converting line, increasing machine speed by 30% and reducing labor costs 15% ($1 million annual savings).

� Directed design team in the complete redesign of the Tailor Tissue converting and finishing line, completing project ahead of schedule and demonstrating potential cost-saving of about $1.3 million over initial design proposal.

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C H A P T E R 3

Linda A. Johnson Page 2

Engineering Design

� Designed entire wet end of the #5 paper machine (a $30 million project), resulting in a 20% increase in machine speed and improved sheet formation. (Awarded 2 U.S. patents.)

� Redesigned the dryer and after-dryer section of the #4 paper machine, reducing steam requirements by 30% and increasing paper machine speed by greater than 10%.

� Designed the complete Wilson Towel paper converting and finishing line to include cutters, slitters, winders, and gluing and packaging operations (a $25 million project), meeting all deadlines.

� Designed full instrumentation and control system for an $18 million rebuild of the Stay-Dry Diaper line, scheduled to go online in 6 months.

Team Building

� Trained, facilitated, and led cross-functional team (engineering and operations personnel) in the successful startup of the #5 paper machine.

� Trained, developed, and led more than 6 different engineering project teams, meeting or beating all project deadlines, and with an estimated $16 million in cost savings to my employers.

WORK HISTORY

PROCTER & GAMBLE 2003 to Present

Lead Project Engineer (2005 to Present) Senior Project Engineer (2003 to 2005)

WILSON PAPER COMPANY 1999 to 2003

Senior Project Engineer—Converting (2001 to 2003) Project Engineer—Paper Mill (2000 to 2001) Engineer (1999 to 2000)

EDUCATION

B.S., Mechanical Engineering University of Michigan, 1999 Dean's List Student (4 years)

Wilson Scholarship Award (3 years)

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

2 United States Patents (Paper Forming Devices)

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R E S U M E P O W E R : G E T T I N G T H E M O S T F R O M Y O U R R E S U M E

So the key difference, as you can see from this comparison, is that the reverse- chronological resume shows a clear connection between jobs and accomplish- ments, whereas the functional resume does not. Instead, the functional resume focuses on functional skill areas and related accomplishments, but deemphasizes specific jobs, which are not shown until the second page of the document.

As illustrated by the same resumes, the final section of both resume formats is Education.

Which Style Should You Pick? Both resume formats are quite acceptable; however, as you saw from the SHRM survey, the preferred style is reverse-chronological. As you will recall, this survey showed that 74 percent of respondents prefer the reverse-chronological resume over other resume styles. So, with a few exceptions, the reverse-chronological for- mat should clearly be your style of choice.

To be sure that you select the right format for your specific situation, however, let’s take a more in-depth look at the strengths and drawbacks of each of the two styles. Let’s first examine the reverse-chronological resume format.

The Reverse-Chronological Resume Format: Strengths and Drawbacks Key characteristics of the reverse-chronological resume style, including strengths and drawbacks, are as follow:

■ Highlights companies. Because company names are highlighted and stand out in this resume style, using this format is advantageous if you have worked for well-respected companies that are known leaders in their field.

■ Highlights job/career advancement. Because job titles and dates are promi- nently displayed, it is to your advantage to use the reverse-chronological resume format if you have had good career progression. A reasonable his- tory of promotions and advancement provides prospective employers with tangible evidence of your past productivity and value.

Note: Conversely, this could work to your slight disadvantage if your past employers are lesser known, have a poor reputation in the industry, or are known to lag significantly behind in the adoption of modern practices and technology.

Note: Lack of career progression and advancement is not of concern if you have worked in a technical field and have a history of solid contribution. However, you will probably not want to use this format if your job history shows a “downhill trend.” This might suggest that your career has peaked and you are no longer as productive as you once were.

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C H A P T E R 3

■ Highlights job stability. Because employment dates and job chronology stand out, you might not want to use this style of resume if you have a spotty employment record. It will enable the employer to easily see a his- tory of many jobs in a short time interval, or gaps in employment dates. This might raise concerns about your past performance and job stability.

■ Connects jobs with specific accomplishments. The reverse-chronological resume makes a direct connection between jobs and specific accomplish- ments. Employers, for the most part, want to know what you accomplished in specific positions—especially in positions that are similar to their own and in the same industry. The functional resume does not make this connection.

■ Highlights recent results. What have you done lately? Employers like to see what significant contributions you have made recently. They are less inter- ested in achievements from 10 and 15 years ago. The reverse-chronological resume allows the employer to make that determination.

The reverse-chronological resume is a great format to use if you can demonstrate some good achievements in recent years. However, if this is not the case, and most of your significant achievements occurred much earlier in your career, you might want to consider using the functional resume format instead.

From the discussion thus far, you probably already have a pretty good idea which format to use. However, let’s now take a look at the functional resume format.

The Functional Format: Strengths and Drawbacks Key characteristics of the functional resume format, including strengths and draw- backs, are as follows:

■ Highlights key functional skills. The primary focus of the functional resume format is on key functional skills and their related accomplishments. This style of resume therefore allows you to highlight your strongest skill areas, drawing immediate attention to them. This can be an advantage if the skills you choose to highlight are those that are considered most critical to job success.

Note: Job stability is of much less concern if you have been working in an industry or occupation where high job turnover is commonplace. For example, high turnover or employment gaps in engineering project management, aerospace, and information technology is considered normal and would not raise undue concern.

Note: You will probably not want to use the reverse-chronological resume format if you haven’t worked in your target industry or occupation for quite some time. This is also true if you are making a complete career change into an entirely new occupation or industry. In both cases, you will want to use the functional format.

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R E S U M E P O W E R : G E T T I N G T H E M O S T F R O M Y O U R R E S U M E

■ Connects key skills with results. This resume format does a good job of connecting key skills with specific accomplishments. In doing so, it not only draws attention to these key skills, but also provides the employer with “evidence” of your skill level and proficiency by making the direct connec- tion between the highlighted skill and specific achievements or results. This is perhaps the strongest argument for using the functional format.

■ De-emphasizes spotty work history. This style of resume is recommended if you have a spotty work history. If you have had several periods of unem- ployment, extended unemployment, or a recent, prolonged period of under- employment (employment in jobs that are sufficiently below your skill level), these issues are immediately evident to employers if you use the reverse-chronological resume format. In such cases, you will want to use the functional resume and first draw the employer’s attention to your key skills and accomplishments before revealing your employment history.

■ De-emphasizes job stability issues. This resume format is recommended when you have had a history of frequent job turnover. If you have had a number of positions, of short duration, in a relatively short time span, the functional format is clearly the recommended resume style. Using a reverse- chronological resume in this instance would highlight this issue and cause many employers to move on to the next resume. When using the functional format, the intent is to draw the employer’s initial attention to your key skills and accomplishments, thereby generating interest, before revealing employment history.

Note: You will not want to use this resume style if your strongest skills are not relevant to your target position, or if you lack any critical skills, because it will draw attention to their obvious absence. You will also want to remember that most employers prefer the reverse-chronological resume format because they want to connect skills and accom- plishments with specific jobs and industries (especially similar jobs in the same industry as their own).

Note: Again, however, the majority of employers (74%) prefer to see a detailed job his- tory showing the direct connection between specific jobs and their related accomplish- ments. They especially want to know what you did in those jobs that are most like the one they have to offer. The functional format does not provide this linkage.

Note: Seasoned employers are sometimes suspicious when this format is used and may immediately go to the second page of the resume to check your work history.

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C H A P T E R 3

■ Recent results and accomplishments. If you haven’t accomplished much of substance in recent years, or your most significant accomplishments occurred much earlier in your career, you will want to go with a functional resume. Unlike the reverse-chronological resume format, the functional for- mat allows you to position your most relevant accomplishments “front and center,” on page 1 of the resume.

By now, you should have enough information about these two resume styles to make a clear choice. If for any reason you remain undecided, however, I recom- mend that you use the reverse-chronological resume because the majority of employers prefer this format.

The balance of this chapter provides a detailed description of each of the two resume formats, so that you will understand exactly what they require in terms of both layout and content. We will first begin with the chronological resume. So if you will be preparing a functional resume, skip this next section and move directly to the section entitled “Preparing a Functional Resume.”

Preparing a Reverse-Chronological Resume Before beginning discussion of the chronological resume, spend a minute or two to carefully review the sample resume in figure 3.1. Reviewing this resume shows that it is organized into the following major sections and sequence:

■ Heading ■ Qualifications Summary ■ Skills Profile ■ Professional Experience ■ Education

The following sections explore each key resume component in detail, and in the order shown on the resume sample, so that you will understand what is required in its development.

Heading The content of the Heading section is evident. It includes your name, address, phone numbers, and e-mail address. In addition to home telephone, the heading should also include a cell phone number, provided that you are able to take tele- phone calls during the day without tipping your hand to your boss or fellow employees who may be within earshot of your workstation or office. Do not include your current work phone number.

Note: As with spotty work history, seasoned employers are sometimes suspicious when the functional format is used, and therefore may immediately jump to the second page of the resume to review work history.

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R E S U M E P O W E R : G E T T I N G T H E M O S T F R O M Y O U R R E S U M E

Qualifications Summary The Qualifications Summary immediately follows the resume Heading. It provides a concise, one- or two-sentence overview of your principal job function and indus- try experience. It can also include one or two other major qualification highlights such as name of a prestigious school from which you graduated, unique language skills you possess, or brief statement of a major accomplishment.

A typical Qualifications Summary might read as follows:

Skills Profile The Skills Profile, which immediately follows the Qualifications Summary, is sometimes called by other titles, such as Skills Summary, Core Skills, Core Strengths, or Core Competencies. Regardless of title, the Skills Profile is a list of key job-relevant skills or skill areas that are crucial for performing the target posi- tion. The Skills Profile is either written in narrative form or presented as a simple listing. I recommend using a list because it is much easier for the employer to quickly scan and spot keywords that are relevant to the qualifications sought. The narrative presentation is also quite acceptable and is used frequently.

When developing your Skills Profile, include important skills or skill categories that are widely recognized as core skills and competencies required for successful performance of your targeted position. Avoid listing any extraneous skills that are unrelated to the work you are seeking.

When choosing key skills for inclusion in this resume section, stick to nouns or noun phrases. For example, if you are seeking a position as a control systems engi- neer, you might include such nouns or noun phrases as control systems design, G.E. control systems, motor controls, computer controls, instrumentation, and so on. Or, if you’re seeking a position as a business development executive, you might include such skill areas as joint ventures, channel partnerships, mergers and acqui- sitions, due diligence analysis, and so on. When employers perform a keyword search to screen resumes, they invariably use nouns or noun phrases as the focus

Qualifications Summary Accomplished senior-level financial executive with 10 years of Fortune 100 and major international consultancy experience in the chemical and petrochemical industries. Harvard MBA. Trilingual: English, French, and Spanish.

Qualifications Summary Seasoned senior project engineer skilled in the design, installation, and suc- cessful start-up of paper machines in the consumer products industry. Led three major machine installations ($100+ million range) with consistent deliv- ery on time and under budget. M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Tech.

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C H A P T E R 3

of their searches. Therefore, by using these in your resume, you greatly increase the probability of a match.

As you develop your Skills Profile, avoid overusing subjective self-descriptions such as “outstanding” team leader, “highly-strategic” manager, “dynamic” execu- tive, “results-oriented” professional, “exceptional” interpersonal skills, “strong” project-management skills, and the like. These, and others like them, are subjec- tive qualities that serve no real purpose in the modern resume. They are meaning- less! In fact, corporate recruiters often read these descriptions with skepticism, wondering whether the person who walks through the door for an interview will look anything like the resume description. Experience has shown that this is usu- ally not the case.

If you are going to include personal traits or qualities at all (and you should), make sure that they are truly relevant to the job. Ask yourself, “Are these traits and per- sonal characteristics truly essential to performance of the job? Are these the per- sonal qualities most employers would universally agree are essential to a high level of performance?” If not, discard them! They are of no value and simply take up precious resume space.

Moreover, avoid using such overused, hackneyed expressions as “team player,” “strong leadership skills,” “excellent interpersonal skills,” “excellent communica- tor,” “hardworking,” and the like. Everyone uses these same old, shopworn expressions and they are now perceived as hollow and worthless.

Use your Skills Profile to showcase job-specific functional areas in which you have expertise, techniques you have mastered, tools you have used, equipment you can operate, special knowledge or skill areas in which you excel, and so on. For exam- ple, a senior project engineer working in the paper industry for a consumer prod- ucts company that manufactures facial tissue, toilet tissue, and paper towels might use the Skills Profile section to list the following as hard-skill areas in which he or she is competent or excels:

Note: I have provided a more comprehensive discussion of keywords, and how best to select them, later in this chapter. Read this section carefully before completing the Skills Profile section of your resume.

Project Management Machine Design Paper Machines

Wet End Design Transpiration Drying Machine Start-Up

Control Systems Yankee Dryers Towels

Facial Tissue Toilet Tissue Capital Projects

Machine Installation GE Controls Paper Company

Pulp and Paper Industry T.A.P.P.I. Cost Control

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Or an Internet marketing executive, for example, might include the following job- relevant skill and competency areas in his or her Skills Profile:

On the other hand, a manufacturing operations or production manager might show the following hard-skill categories in his or her Skills Profile:

By viewing these examples, you can clearly see the focus on using noun and noun phrases. These are the same kinds of keywords employers will use when searching for qualified persons to fill the positions highlighted in these examples. Note how easy it is to spot job-relevant key qualifications in the list format.

Tip: This example uses the term “re-engineering” as well as “process re-engineering.” Because digital resume screening often tallies the number of times a particular skill area is mentioned in the resume and prioritizes resumes on this basis, such redun- dancy is actually beneficial. Additionally, the employer might elect to use “process re- engineering,” which might eliminate the candidate who used only “re-engineering.” I recommend that you use several different name variations for the same skill area so you are not automatically bypassed because you used only a single word to describe an important skill area.

Internet Marketing Lead Generation Channel Partners

Online Acquisition Affiliate Management Vendor Management Programs

ROI Metrics Strategic Partnerships Business Development

Advertising Online Media Buys Financial Reporting

Budgeting Cost/Benefit Analysis Sales Channels

Market Strategy Competitive Analysis Account Penetration

Process Improvement Production Control Inventory Control

Re-engineering Process Re-engineering System Improvement

Change Management Cross Functional Teams High-Performance Teams

Self-Directed Work Teams Lean Manufacturing Juran Quality Improvement

Process Malcolm Baldridge QS/ISO Optimization

Cycle Time Reduction Six Sigma Quality Production Planning

Cost Reduction Continuous Flow Manufacturing

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C H A P T E R 3

Professional Experience The Professional Experience section of your resume is the guts of the chronologi- cal format, and is critical to the resume’s impact and success as a marketing docu- ment. It is here that you either make the sale or lose out to the competition.

In this resume section you have the opportunity to showcase your major accom- plishments and provide the employer with “evidence” of your skill proficiency and ability to make relevant contributions. If your resume is to be compelling and have meaningful impact, as the centerpiece of your overall job search, you will need to spend some quality time making sure that this section is exceptionally well written.

Modern interview theory is based on the concept that “the best predictor of future performance is past performance.” If a job seeker has been highly productive and a strong contributor in past jobs (particularly those of a similar nature to the employer’s opportunity), the likelihood is high that this behavior will continue in the future. So, employers focus heavily on this section of the resume, looking for evidence of a consistent pattern of productivity and contribution when performing this type of work.

As you can see from the sample resume, the chronological resume presents job his- tory in reverse-chronological order. It begins with the current or most recent posi- tion and then sequentially lists each position held, going back in time, so that the last position shown on the resume is the first job you held.

While studying the sample resume, take particular note of its layout and format- ting. Additionally, you will note how capital letters, bold print, bullets, and white space have been used consistently throughout the resume to create good visual sep- aration of the various resume components, making it visually pleasing and very easy to read.

When viewing the sample resume, you will notice that the company name is in cap- ital letters and is highlighted using bold type. Company employment dates, as illus- trated, are positioned at the extreme right margin of the page and are also highlighted in bold type. Job dates, on the other hand, are positioned immediately adjacent to the job title and are enclosed in parentheses. Separation of dates, in this fashion, thereby avoids any confusion as to which dates are company employment and which dates pertain to specific jobs you’ve held at the same company.

Immediately following each job title is a brief job description that spells out your reporting relationship and principal job accountabilities. As shown, you can easily accomplish this in a single sentence.

Following the job description, highlighted with bullet points, is a list of approxi- mately four to eight major accomplishments or results you’ve achieved. Although to some it might seem laborious, it is extremely important that you spend quality time recalling those specific accomplishments that the prospective employer will see as both meaningful and significant. This is where some extra effort on your part will have a huge payoff.

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R E S U M E P O W E R : G E T T I N G T H E M O S T F R O M Y O U R R E S U M E

When citing key accomplishments, start each such accomplishment statement with a verb (for example, managed, directed, built, and so on) followed by a specific end result. Note how this has been done on the sample resume.

An extensive list of key verbs is provided in table 3.1 for your reference and use. When selecting a verb, pick the one that best describes exactly what you actually did. For example, did you “manage,” “lead,” “direct,” “coordinate,” or what?

Not every result can be measured quantitatively, but where it can, it is a good idea to include a quantitative measurement to convey the magnitude of the change or improvement, especially if the result represented a significant improvement. For example, note the difference in impact between the following two result statements:

■ Implemented process-improvement program.

■ Implemented process-improvement program that resulted in a 30% cost reduction ($2 million annual savings).

As you can see, a quantitative results statement has far greater impact on the reader than a simple results statement that excludes a quantitative dimension.

When you plan this section of your resume, make sure that you first list those accomplishments that are most significant and will have the greatest impact on the reader. Then, organize the rest of your accomplishment statements in order of descending priority based on their significance or impact. Adhere to the old adage, “Lead with your strength.”

Table 3.1: Example Verbs for Your Accomplishments Statements Accelerated

Achieved

Acquired

Acted

Adapted

Addressed

Administered

Adopted

Advised

Allocated

Analyzed

Answered

Appointed

Appraised

Approved

Arbitrated

Arranged

Assembled

Assessed

Assigned

Assisted

Attained

Audited

Authored

Avoided

Balanced

Beat

Began

Bid

Blended

Brought

Budgeted

Built

Calculated

Capitalized

Catalogued

Chaired

Championed

Changed

Chose

Clarified

Classified

Closed

Coached

Co-founded

Collaborated

Collected

Co-managed

(continued)

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C H A P T E R 3

Combined

Commenced

Communicated

Compiled

Completed

Computed

Conceived

Conceptualized

Conducted

Confirmed

Consolidated

Contracted

Controlled

Converted

Coordinated

Counseled

Created

Critiqued

Crystallized

Customized

Defined

Delegated

Delineated

Delivered

Demonstrated

Deployed

Designed

Determined

Developed

Devised

Diagnosed

Digitized

Directed

Discovered

Dispatched

Doubled

Drafted

Drove

Earned

Educated

Enhanced

Enlisted

Entered

Envisioned

Established

Evaluated

Exceeded

Executed

Expanded

Facilitated

Focused

Formed

Formulated

Founded

Functioned

Gained

Generated

Grew

Guided

Halted

Handled

Headed

Held

Helped

Hired

Identified

Implemented

Improved

Increased

Initiated

Installed

Instilled

Instituted

Instructed

Integrated

Interpreted

Introduced

Invented

Investigated

Invigorated

Issued

Joined

Jump-started

Laid

Launched

Led

Leveraged

Litigated

Lowered

Maintained

Managed

Marketed

Mentored

Merged

Met

Monitored

Motivated

Moved

Negotiated

Networked

Opened

Optimized

Organized

Outlined

Overcame

Overhauled

Overrode

Overruled

Oversaw

Participated

Partnered

Penetrated

Performed

Piloted

Planned

Positioned

Predicted

Prepared

Presented

Prioritized

Processed

Produced

Programmed

Projected

(continued)

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Education The final section of the standard or core resume is typically Education, although, as you will see, there are some additional optional sections that may or may not be added to the resume.

There is occasionally some question as to where this section of the resume belongs. Does it belong on the first page, or on the last page of the resume? The answer is, “It depends.”

If your education is relatively recent and from a highly regarded school, and your job experience is relatively light, I recommend that you position Education on the first page of the resume, immediately following the Qualifications Summary. On the other hand, if your recent work experience is particularly strong and directly related to the position for which you are applying, Education is best positioned after Professional Experience. This becomes a judgment call, however, and it will depend on which credential (education or work experience) is more marketable in the context of the position for which you are applying.

As shown on the sample resume, the Education section is relatively straightfor- ward. It includes degree earned, school, date of graduation, and any scholarships or honors earned. If you are a new or recent graduate, it might also show

R E S U M E P O W E R : G E T T I N G T H E M O S T F R O M Y O U R R E S U M E

Promoted

Proved

Provided

Published

Raised

Realized

Reallocated

Received

Recommended

Recovered

Recruited

Redesigned

Reduced

Reengineered

Reevaluated

Reformulated

Refueled

Rehabilitated

Renegotiated

Replaced

Repositioned

Represented

Researched

Resolved

Restored

Restructured

Retained

Reversed

Reviewed

Revised

Revisited

Revitalized

Salvaged

Saved

Scheduled

Screened

Secured

Selected

Served

Shaped

Shortened

Simplified

Sold

Spearheaded

Sponsored

Stabilized

Staffed

Started

Streamlined

Strengthened

Structured

Supervised

Supported

Surpassed

Systematized

Tamed

Teamed

Took

Trained

Transformed

Transitioned

Tripled

Updated

Utilized

Validated

Won

Wrote

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C H A P T E R 3

activities in which you were involved, as well as any leadership positions you held while on campus.

Miscellaneous Sections Although I have covered the typical sections of the standard or core resume docu- ment, you need to understand that your resume is essentially a marketing docu- ment and needs to include any other information that is relevant and helps to “make the sale.” This is again a judgment call, and you should make it based on the relevance or importance of this information to the industries and companies that you have targeted.

If you are a research scientist, for example, you would probably want to list any patents you hold, scientific books or papers you have published, technical presen- tations you’ve made, and the like. Additionally, if you have held leadership posi- tions in your professional society or trade association, you might want to include a section titled Professional Affiliations, in which you list positions you’ve held and the dates. Moreover, if you have received specific licenses or certifications in your field, you would want to include these under a resume section titled Professional Licenses and Certifications. Or, if you have taken a number of courses that distin- guish you in your occupational specialty, you could list these in a special section titled Relevant Courses and Training.

The Need for a Plain-Text Version Although you should use the paper version of your resume for resume mailings, job interviews, and networking, you will also need an electronic (plain-text) ver- sion of it for use in various Internet job search activities. As you will see in the next chapter, however, you can very easily convert your paper resume to an electronic format.

The Keyword Conundrum I’m sure you’ve heard by now about the importance of using keywords in your resume. Because of the huge number of resumes pouring onto employer Web sites through myriad sources (such as direct application, major job boards, search firms, print ads, and the like), employers have been forced to use computers to do the ini- tial screening. Without it, they would be buried alive! The process used for this electronic screening is known as “keyword search.” It is believed that more than 80 percent of all resumes processed by employers are now electronically searched for job-specific keywords before a human ever sees them.

What Are Keywords? In reality, keywords are any words for which an employer digitally searches resumes, as the means of identifying qualified candidates for a given job opening. More specifically, keywords are typically nouns or noun phrases representing specific areas of skill or competency that the employer feels are important to job performance. You have just seen several examples in the Skills Profile section.

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Although these examples are right on target, keywords can fall into any of several categories including the following:

■ Industry names (for example, chemical process, pulp & paper, automotive, electronics, and so on)

■ Company names (usually the names of competitors or prized customers) ■ Business functions (for example, finance, accounting, engineering, law,

packaging, and so on) ■ Job titles (for example, engineer, physicist, project manager, plant manager) ■ Job levels (for example, supervisor, manager, vice president, and so on) ■ Job functions (for example, production planning, scheduling, salary admin-

istration, and so on) ■ Product names/types (for example, digital cameras, corn flakes, satellites,

whiskey) ■ Services (for example, consulting, financial planning, contracting, nursing,

and so on) ■ Certifications/licenses (for example, CPA, RN, MD, PE, and so on) ■ Educational level: (for example, Bachelor’s, Master’s, Ph.D.) ■ College major: (for example, English, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics,

Physics, and so on) ■ School name (for example, Harvard, Princeton, Penn State, University of

Alabama, and so on) ■ Professional skills (for example, machine design, architectural drawing,

heart surgery, and so on) ■ Equipment experience (for example, forklifts, cranes, computer control sys-

tems, furnaces, and so on) ■ Techniques (for example, behavioral interviewing, statistical process con-

trol, and so on) ■ Buzzwords (for example, customer focused, high-performance teams, chan-

neling, and so on) ■ Traits/characteristics (for example, aggressive, self-motivated, creative, dili-

gent, detailed, and so on)

As you can see, the possibilities are numerous. The challenge, however, is to choose the right keywords, so that your resume will float to the top of the stack.

Winning at “Keyword Roulette” So, as you can see, you are being forced to play “keyword roulette.” It’s a life-or- death struggle. Choose the “wrong” words, and your candidacy is dead in the water. Pick the right words, and you’re the grand prize winner! So, your career is now in the balance. It rests on your ability to carefully select just the right

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C H A P T E R 3

combination of keywords for use in the Skills Profile section of your resume. (Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?) So how do you play these odds and still come out a winner? Is it possible to stack this deck in your favor? Absolutely! Here is what you do and how to do it.

Study Employment Ads Go onto a large Internet job board (such as Monster, CareerBuilder, or Yahoo! HotJobs) or use an Internet job aggregator (such as Indeed.com, Simply Hired, or Jobster) and conduct a job search for the type of position you are seeking. Print several of these ads and lay them on the table in front of you. Then, using a high- lighter, highlight the nouns and noun phrases (the key skill and competency areas) displayed in each of these ads.

Now, list these nouns and noun phrases on a sheet of paper. Then, as these same skill areas are repeated from ad to ad, simply put a check mark beside the keyword each time it appears in an ad. Repeat this process for a couple of dozen ads. (Hint: Take special note of any skill areas that seem to be emphasized repeatedly. Words like “must have,” “preferred,” “highly desirable,” and so forth should give you a clue.)

Now, step back and have a look. Obviously, those skill and competency areas that have the greatest number of checkmarks are the ones that most employers are seek- ing. You can consider these skills to be the universally valued skill set that most employers consider important to successful job performance. These, then, are the same words you will want to list in the Skills Profile section of your resume. You can bet these are the same ones employers will be using as keywords for resume screening purposes.

Job Descriptions Try doing a similar analysis using job descriptions. Take a look at your own job description as well as those of professional colleagues who hold the same job as you. Again, go through and highlight nouns and noun phrases and perform the same analysis as in the preceding section.

If you are unable to access a physical job description, try pulling up some job descriptions using Internet search engines. Simply type your job title (and varia- tions of it), along with such terms as “job description,” “job responsibilities,” “skills,” “competencies,” “key skills,” “core skills,” “core competencies,” and “core skills and competencies.” Be sure to put quotation marks around any two- word terms to ensure that the search engine finds just the pages that include the two words used together. In most cases, you will find what you need.

Note: Although it will take longer, you can do the same thing using newspaper ads.

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Professional Associations Some professional organizations have done studies to identify the core skills and competencies required for successful performance of various types and levels of positions within their profession. This information may be readily available on the association’s Web site. If not, call the association and inquire whether this infor- mation exists and how to access it.

Company Web Sites Check out company Web sites, particularly those companies in which you are espe- cially interested. In addition to your target job, study other company job listings for particular themes or trends. Are you seeing some of the same candidate quali- ties and traits continuously repeated across a variety of the ads? This might sug- gest a certain kind of profile that the company feels is most compatible with its culture or business strategy. Also read the company’s annual report and select press releases looking for similar themes. If you are seeing a consistent trend, you might want to incorporate these as keywords in the resume you send this firm.

So, as you can see, this is not quite the game of keyword roulette I mentioned ear- lier. There are some intelligent ways to play and win this word game. It just requires a little extra work on your part. But it can have a huge payoff.

Repetition Counts! This is one of the few times that repetition really counts. When employers use dig- itized computer scanning to select resumes, the software not only looks for certain keywords, but will often count the number of times these keywords appear in the resume document. The greater the count, the higher the probability that the resume will be selected.

Therefore, when writing your resume, you will want to repeat these keywords numerous times throughout the body of the resume document so that you increase the odds of having your resume selected as one of the finalists and positioned clos- est to the top of the stack.

Additionally, you need to be alert to the use of synonyms (words having the same meaning). For example, the words “recruiting” and “staffing” mean the same thing as “employment.” Employers use these terms interchangeably. The same is probably true of certain keywords you will be using in your resume. Be aware of these synonyms and alternate using them throughout the resume.

Likewise, if you are using acronyms such as JIT (just-in-time), SPC (statistical process control), or SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), you will

Tip: Don’t overuse keywords, however, to the point that it is nonsensical or hilariously obvious that you are trying to load up your resume just so that it will be selected. Although such a tactic might impress a computer, it will not be very impressive to the human being that will be reading your resume. Overdoing this trick could well rele- gate your resume to the “dead bones” pile, so use this tactic wisely.

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C H A P T E R 3

also want to use the full name, in addition to these abbreviations, to be sure you have all of your bases covered.

Preparing a Functional Resume As previously discussed, there are times when you should choose a functional style resume over the reverse-chronological format. By now, you have probably made that decision.

Before I provide a detailed description of the functional resume format, take a few moments to study the functional resume sample in figure 3.2. Take particular note of the general resume layout as well as specific sections and the sequence in which these sections appear in the document.

Reviewing this sample resume shows that it is organized into the following major sections, in the order shown:

■ Heading ■ Qualifications Summary ■ Skills Profile ■ Major Accomplishments ■ Work History ■ Education

I will describe each of these resume sections so that you understand what is required in each and how it is best developed and written.

Heading As with the reverse-chronological resume, the content of the heading section is obvious. It includes your name, address, phone numbers, and e-mail address. You should include your cell phone number as well, unless doing so could a cause an embarrassing or compromising situation. You would certainly not want your boss or a co-worker to overhear you discussing the possibility of a new position with a different employer.

Qualifications Summary The Qualifications Summary follows the resume heading and provides a concise overview of your functional and industry experience. Sometimes it might also be used to highlight a unique qualification, such as a degree from a well-known school, a unique skill, or an exceptional accomplishment. The following is an example of a typical Qualifications Summary.

Qualifications Summary Creative Procter & Gamble packaging design engineer with 10 years of experi- ence. M.S. in Packaging Engineering, Michigan State. Awarded four (4) U.S. patents.

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Skills Profile The Skills Profile immediately follows the Qualifications Summary. Other head- ings you might use for this section include Core Skills & Competencies, Skills Summary, Key Skills, Core Strengths, or Core Competencies. Regardless of which title you use, the Skills Profile contains a listing of key skills or skill areas consid- ered vital to job performance. It can be written using either a narrative or a sim- ple list format. Employers might have a slight preference for the simple skills listing because it is easier to read and also makes it easier to spot specific skill areas for which the employer has a preference.

The Skills Profile is designed to highlight important skills or skill categories that are readily recognized and universally accepted as critical to successful job perfor- mance. When preparing this skills listing, you will want to avoid including unre- lated skills that are not relevant to the position for which you are applying, as these distract rather than add value to the resume.

As emphasized earlier, when selecting key skills for inclusion, I strongly encourage you to use nouns or noun phrases that represent particular areas of strength or competency. This is because when employers use a keyword search to screen resumes, they typically use nouns or noun phrases as the basis for their searches. They are searching for concrete things, such as company names, specific job titles, specific skills, names of specific business functions, names of specific technologies, specific methods or practices, and so on. They are focused on searching for con- crete things rather than descriptive phrases comprised principally of adjectives.

Avoid overuse of subjective self-descriptions such as “charismatic” team leader, “highly motivated” manager, “solid” producer, “results-focused” professional, “outstanding” communicator, “strong” contributor, and the like. These expres- sions, and similar ones, are subjective qualities, which, from the employer’s per- spective, are essentially meaningless. Recruiters pay little or no attention to such subjective self-evaluations, and, in fact, often joke that the candidate who walks through the door seldom resembles the superlative description contained in the resume. Subjective self-descriptions of this type are simply not believable. They add no value and only take up precious resume space that you could utilize more effectively.

If you feel compelled to include personal traits or qualities at all, make sure that they are truly job-relevant. Ask yourself, “Are these traits or characteristics really important to performance of the job? Are these the traits most employers would

Qualifications Summary Wharton MBA with three years of portfolio management for Western Asset Management, a leading bond investment company with more than $500 bil- lion under management. Recipient of Top Trader Award three years running.

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universally agree are critical to a successful job performance?” If not, eliminate them. They add nothing of value to the resume.

Be sure to especially avoid use of certain overused, hackneyed expressions. For example, everybody is a “team player,” has “strong leadership skills,” has “excel- lent interpersonal skills,” is a “good communicator,” is “hardworking,” and the like. If you feel you must use such subjective descriptors at all, restrict their use to the cover letter rather than include them in the resume document. Conserve valu- able resume space for displaying key accomplishments or other important qualifi- cations that have real meaning and value to the employer.

In place of these meaningless self-descriptors, you are better served by including only non-subjective “hard” skills in your Skills Profile. Use nouns and noun phrases to list job-specific functional areas in which you have expertise, techniques you have mastered, tools you have used, equipment you can operate, special knowledge or skill areas in which you excel, and so on. For example, a financial executive might list the following “hard” skill areas as areas in which he or she has strong expertise:

On the other hand, a telesales account executive working in the field of fund- raising might show the following hard skill categories in his or her Skills Profile:

Or, a director of business development might list the following skills in his or her Skills Profile:

Financial Management International Finance Mergers

Acquisitions Capital Financing Debt Reduction

International Taxation Financial Planning Asset Leveraging

Capital Acquisition Financial Analysis Risk Management

Shareholder Value Cash Management Strategic Financing

Call Center Management Subscription Fulfillment Sales/Marketing

Financial Management Inventory Management Account Development

Fund-raising Donor Base Building Relationship Building

Donor Benefits Market Analysis Team Building

Partnership Management Channel Partners Competitor Analysis

Joint Ventures Market Analysis New Market Identification

Due Diligence Negotiations Marketing Strategy

Capital Funding Acquisitions Mergers

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Major Accomplishments The Major Accomplishments section of the resume is really the “guts” of the func- tional resume. The purpose of this section is to highlight your major achievements and accomplishments in the key skill areas that you highlighted in the Skills Profile. Employers will read this section carefully in search of hard evidence that you not only possesses the key skills required of the position, but that you can also use these important skills to achieve the results expected of the person in the position.

The basic premise on which modern interviewing and employment selection the- ory is based is that “past performance is the most reliable predictor of future per- formance.” So, if a candidate is skilled in the right areas, and has used these skills to continuously achieve significant results in past jobs, the likelihood is that this pattern will continue into the future, after the candidate has been hired.

When preparing this section of the resume, begin by selecting four or five key skills from the Skills Profile to highlight. I strongly recommend that you choose these skills areas carefully and that you choose those considered most critical to overall job success. Moreover, when listing them on your resume, position them in order of their relative importance to performance success, going from most important to least important.

The “Winning at ‘Keyword Roulette’” section earlier in this chapter provides an excellent process for deciding which primary skill areas (keywords) you might want to highlight. There are certain skill areas most employers recognize as essen- tial to successful performance of your targeted position. You will want to include these among the skill areas you choose to highlight.

Once you have chosen those key skill areas you want to highlight, list at least three to five (or more) specific accomplishments or results you have achieved for each skill area. A quick look at the sample resume in figure 3.2 will give you the right idea.

Each key accomplishment or results statement should begin with a verb (for exam- ple, leveraged, launched, consolidated, expanded, reengineered, and so on) fol- lowed by a “quantitative” result. Some examples of good result statements are the following:

■ Consolidated two divisions into a single unit, reducing headcount by 32% ($5 million annual savings).

■ Funded new venture in record time, raising over $.5 million in 3 days.

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A listing of commonly used verbs is provided on page 47 for your reference. When selecting a verb to introduce your result statements, try to be as precise as possi- ble. Select the verb that most accurately depicts the action you took. For example, did you “lead,” did you “direct,” did you “supervise,” or did you “coordinate”? Which verb most precisely represents the action you took?

As cited earlier, not every achievement can be measured quantitatively. If possible, however, where you cannot furnish an exact measurement, try to ascribe an approximate measurement. For, example, it is okay to say you improved some- thing by “approximately 30%” rather than simply stating that you improved it. This is especially true when the improvement was a significant one. Certainly the addition of the words “approximately 30%” has far greater impact than not including this particular qualifier.

Education The Education section of the resume is relatively simple and straightforward. It includes degree earned, school, and date of graduation. It may also include any scholarships awarded and honors earned. If you are a recent graduate, the resume should also list any campus activities in which you were involved, as well as cam- pus leadership positions you held.

Miscellaneous Sections Because the resume is intended as a marketing document, you might want to include additional sections beyond the Education section, if doing so will enhance your overall qualifications in the eyes of the employer. The decision whether to add such sections should be based on the relevance of this additional information to the industries and companies you have targeted.

If you are an engineer or other technical professional, for example, you should probably list any pertinent patents you hold, relevant papers you have published, technical presentations made, and the like. In doing so, you might want to title this section “Publications and Patents,” “Professional Achievements,” or some other appropriate heading. Additionally, if you have held leadership positions in your professional society or trade association, you might want to include a section titled Professional Affiliations, in which you list the dates and positions held.

Moreover, if you are licensed or professionally certified in your field, include this information under a section titled Professional Licenses and Certifications. Or, if you have taken a number of special courses that serve to uniquely qualify you for the position you seek, you might want to include a listing of these courses under a special section titled Relevant Courses and Training. This is especially true if this additional training is well recognized in your profession and would cause you to

■ Reduced manufacturing costs from $4 per unit to $3.50 ($300,000 annual savings).

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R E S U M E P O W E R : G E T T I N G T H E M O S T F R O M Y O U R R E S U M E

stand out from other job seekers with who you must compete. However, avoid list- ing courses that have no relevance to your targeted position. Such extraneous information is essentially meaningless to an employer, and may cause the employer to wonder about your judgment.

The Need for a Plain-Text Version Although the resume formats described in this chapter are ideal for use in the job interview, for a direct-mail campaign, and for networking, you will also need a plain-text version of your resume for use on the Internet. Fortunately, the formats covered in this chapter are fairly Internet-friendly and can easily be converted into a plain-text (ASCII) resume version, as you will see in the next chapter.

Chapter Summary

Key points to remember when designing an effective resume are the following: ■ Choose the resume style (either reverse-chronological or functional) that best

markets you to your target employers. ■ Remember that most employers (74 percent) prefer the reverse-chronological

resume format over other resume formats. ■ Use the standard format and resume sections recommended in this chapter.

They are those with which employers are most familiar and comfortable. ■ Make effective use of universally accepted keywords throughout your resume

to increase the probability that your resume will pop to the top of the stack when it is scanned by a computer.

■ Be sure that your resume is “results focused,” not “activity focused.” Employers are looking for your achievements, not a job description.

■ When describing results you achieved, be sure to include quantitative descrip- tions that illustrate the magnitude and importance of your accomplishments.

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