Resume advice: You are cool, nifty, and successful (now prove it)

For several years I worked in human resources (HR), and in that time I learned a few things I wanted to pass along to you, dear reader. First and foremost, your resume, or curriculum vitae (CV), is an extension of you. It opens doors, and gets you closer to that magic answer you seek: Yes.

Free yourself from the burden of thinking up a neat idea. Instead, keep it clear and linear; use words that illuminate the cool, nifty, successful person you are.

Use strong words. Powerful action verbs tell a story about your good ideas, how well you play with others, and that you complete the job with satisfaction. Examples:

·         Initiated a filing system that created more efficiency

·         Managed a group of welders for catalytic-cracker repair;
numerous good-safety awards

·         Delivered consistent five-color production work to New York and Hong Kong offices

Don’t make the reader work too hard. Keep your employment dates in a vertical row. If there was a time when you weren’t working, that’s OK. Describe how you put that time to good use, be that job searching, volunteering, changing careers, etc.

·         Jan 07 – Mar 09 – Current job

·         Apr 03 – Jan 07 – Previous job

·         Mar 99 – Mar 03 – Previous job

Get it read. I write to you in the easy-to-read Arial font. Bodoni looks cool, but it’s hard to read. Use fonts that are clear from a distance, big enough to read (for example, 11 pt) and that can withstand being scanned.

Look at me. There are many opinions and common practices for using pictures of you in a resume. Indeed we live in a globalized world, so keep in mind who will be looking at your resume.

Next Friday – more resume tips. Tell your friends!

 - Ed