Resume Power: How to Draft a Winner

by Karen Alphonse, Vice President, execSearches.com

Many candidates wonder, in hiring situations where personal contacts and networking count so much, does a resume matter at all? In our experience, it does. Having a well-crafted summary of your professional achievements will always stand you in good stead -- even if you are lucky enough to receive an offer based solely on personal recommendations. The day will come when you will need to present yourself to others carefully and concisely. What better summary could there be than an executive caliber resume? As you work on your resume, a few simple guidelines will help to ensure that the final product is market-ready.

BE CAREFUL

Format, spacing and spelling are very important. We have seen quality candidates screened out because of clerical errors in their resumes. We have also seen excellent candidates reinforced by their crisp, correct presentations. Grammar plays a critical role here. Even if you think your resume is perfect, have two or three colleagues review it. You might be surprised at the number of minute errors that may come to light. This includes irregular spacing, different-sized hyphens, capitalization, italicization, page numbers and indentation. Take the time. Make sure that the product representing you in the marketplace is nothing less than perfect.

CHOOSE A FORMAT CONSISTENT WITH YOUR CAREER GOALS

If the leaders in your field prefer a particular format, use that format if your next career step puts you in their arena. You don't want to be a trend setter in this regard. Similarly, if junior executives in your field use a particular font and format, select something different if you are targeting a role at the executive or middle management tier. Your choice of format, font and paper, will speak volumes about how well you have done your research and about how seriously you seek a promotion. If you cannot find a template to use as a guide, do a bit of research and identify a format and style which you find to be professional and impressive. Use this as your template.

No detail of your paper presentation should go without analysis.

BE HONEST

This is linked to being careful. Pull out your old diplomas, certificates and awards. Make sure that your resume reports dates, majors, concentrations, and graduation years with complete accuracy. Don't guess or fudge it. A Master's Degree in Public Affairs is not the same as a Master's Degree in Public Administration. When in doubt, place a call to your college, graduate school or high school to confirm tricky details. By all means, get the information precise.

If there is an event, absence or gap which you think needs explaining, err on the side of presenting your information briefly and accurately. Make any needed explanations elsewhere. Keep your resume uncluttered and direct. For example, if you took time off from work to have a baby, tend an elderly relative or to deal with a personal crisis, choose a format which will de-emphasize the gap, without misrepresenting the facts. Explain the event, gap or absence in person, in your cover letter, or by phone. Do not misrepresent the facts -- whatever strategy you may choose. You only lose credibility when you report incomplete or inaccurate information about your professional history. You ultimately gain stature by being honest. Focus on making your resume as concise and as truthful as possible.

PROMOTE YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS

Every one likes to hear about success. Draft your resume so it honestly reflects the many professional successes you have had. If you were the first to successfully write a grant, include this achievement. If you received an important department award, refer to it. If you doubled the budget, expanded the program or built important new funding relationships, report these accomplishments, in detail, without being wordy.

COMMUNICATE YOUR ENERGY AND ENTHUSIASM

A good resume will give the reader a sense of past achievement, present satisfaction and future goals. It will move. It will have energy. Your leadership skills, ability to work with others and enthusiasm for your mission should jump off the page.

Get others to read your resume. Solicit their feedback. Does your resume seem to reflect a professional on the go? Or, does it chronicle past achievement without any sense of your likely next moves or future goals? Is it a litany of dry achievements and awards? Or, does it capture your unique commitment to your mission and to the organization for which you work? Without a sense of direction, energy and movement, your resume will probably wind up on the stack of those waiting for a positive response. With energy, direction and a clear commitment to success, your resume will invite others to meet you, to chat with you and to invite you to become a part of their team.

by Karen Alphonse, Vice President, execSearches.com