Resume

Hopefully you have heard of a resume.  Maybe you have put one together.   A Google search of "how to write a resume" yields tons of resources.  Here's my perspective and tips.

Purpose  

The purpose of a resume is to briefly tell the story of you and make the reader want to learn more. 

The Reader's Perspective

I remember writing versions of my resume and thinking the reader would read every word in detail.  I spent a lot of time dwelling over exact word choice and formatting.  This is a good thing.  You want to present well.  But also recognize that the reader (example: Hiring Manager) is likely to spend less than a minute (yes 60 seconds!) skimming your resume when they first get it.  Someone may sit down to interview you and literally start looking at your resume for the first time right then.  People are busy.  That's how it is.  With this in mind, make sure your resume is focused.

Format  

You want your resume to be "skim friendly".  This may not be true if you are applying for a job in the publishing or other writing industry, but for most everywhere else, you want something that can be absorbed quickly.  Good ways to accomplish this are:

• One page only.  There is no reason it needs to be more than one page, especially early in your career.  You have to be selective in what you present.  If there are a bunch of scientific publications that you feel you have to include, have it be an attachment (ok, a second page) that can be reference.  I did this after I was a broker and wanted to list the deals I had worked on.  It turned out to be a helpful thing to talk about during the interview after we had reviewed my resume.  For the vast majority of you in the first few years of your career, one page should be your goal.

• Have a "Summary & Objective" statement.  This could be a couple sentences that say (i) what you are looking for and (ii) what skills you offer.  Here's what I wrote on my resume years ago: "A highly motivated professional with 5 years experience in strategic analysis, project management, and asset development.  Seeking a position with a real estate development or design/build firm that is leveraging the advances in sustainable and ecological design to the benefit of all its stakeholders."  If that's all the reader takes the time to read, at least they know the punch line.  If you don't add a statement, the reader is trying to figure out your background and goals themselves.  Some may say the statement can limit your options.  Fair point, but there is no reason not to have a couple versions of your resume that you send out in different situations.

• Education first.  If you are early in your career, list your education before your experience.

• What to list for Experience?  "One page you say...I barely have enough for half a page!"  I recognize that it is hard to get work experience if you have none.  You will have to be creative at what you list on your first resume.  Ideas of what to include: (i) internships, (ii) any sort of leadership in a club or group, (iii) volunteer activity, (iv) college level athletics, and (v) anything else that you spent a lot of time on.  Try to list things that demonstrate your interests and drive.

• Use bullet points, bold font, etc.  I hate reading a resume with a bunch of run on sentences.  Be concise and make it skim friendly.

• Make it look good.  By this I mean that you want your resume to actually look balanced on the page.  Page attention to formatting.  Your resume may be the first time someone sees an example of your writing. 

• No spelling or grammar errors.  

• Add additional interests.  Maybe you are a mountain biker or you love birdwatching or you are passionate about a certain genre of books.  List it at the bottom of your resume.  This can provide the reader a more casual subject for the two of you to talk about in the beginning of the interview.  I often begin an interview with a subject from this section.  It helps both parties relax before getting into the details.

• Tell a story.  Ideally you want your resume to tell the story of how you got to this point.  Use revisionist history.  Look back at your history and see the themes.  This will form your story that you then turn into your resume. 

Be You

Remember that it is your resume.  Whatever you decide, it should feel like an authentic presentation of you.

How To Learn More

• Dig into my other writings on the job search process on The Search page.

  • Better understand your own skills and where you will be successful at Roles.

  • Check out my writings on various industries and departments at the Industries page.