FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE important. Editing polishes your content and helps it deliver a greater punch.
The recruiters and hiring authorities who need to read and respond to your resume just hate the mind-numbing grind of it all. It’s an activity that makes the eyes tired and the mind wander, so your resume needs to be visually accessible, as we have already discussed. Next, you need to make sure the words you use make sense, read intelligently, and pack a punch by speaking directly to your customers’ needs.
You can assume that anyone who reads your resume has an open position to fill and is numb from reading resumes. Understanding exactly what this feels like will help you craft a finished resume that is most readily accessible to the tired eyes and distracted minds of recruiters and hiring authorities.
Imagine you are a recruiter for a moment. You read resumes for a good part of the day, every day. Today, you have just completed a resume database search and have twenty resumes to read. Now, if you didn’t do this when I suggested it earlier, go read six resumes from the sample section without a break. Really try to understand each one, but don’t spend more than sixty seconds on each.
Three things will happen in sequence: first a ringing in the ears, followed by fuzzy vision and an inability to concentrate. After about fifteen minutes at this, you’ll realize why your focus on relevant content, clear layout, and compelling language for your resume are critical for getting it read and understood … and why those headlines are so appreciated.
While Knock ’em Dead resume layouts and templates are based on common sense and market-response monitoring, you are still free to customize layout. As a rule of thumb, the information most relevant to your candidacy should always come first. For example, when you have no experience, your degree might be your strongest qualification, so put it front and center. As experience increases with the passage of time, in most professions your education can become less important. This is why you will usually see education at the end of a resume, unless the job or the profession’s particular demands require it up front. (There are some professions—medicine, education, and the law, for example—where essential academic and professional accreditations tend to be kept at the front of the resume. Bear this in mind if you work in one of these professions.)
However, the resume template you choose isn’t sacrosanct; you can customize the layout to suit your needs. For example, you might decide that moving languages, special training, or other information typically found at the end of the resume increases the strength of your argument when placed first. If that makes sense, go ahead and do it.
Go through your chosen template and transfer the information you developed earlier, and almost immediately, you have a resume that begins to look like a finished product.
Sentences gain power with action verbs. For example, a woman with ten years of law firm experience in a clerical position had written in her original resume:
I learned to use a new database.
After she thought about what was really involved, she gave this sentence more punch:
I analyzed and determined the need for a comprehensive upgrade of database, archival, and retrieval systems. I was responsible for selection and installation of “cloud-based” archival systems. Within one year, I had an integrated, company-wide archival system working.
Notice how verbs show that things happen when you are around the office; they bring action to a resume. Note that while they tell the reader what you did it and how you did it, they also support the branding statements that can open and close your resume.
Now look at the above example when we add a third party:
I analyzed and determined the need for a comprehensive upgrade of database, archival, and retrieval systems. I was responsible for selection and installation of “cloud-based” archival systems. Within one year, I had an integrated, company-wide archival system working. A partner stated, “You brought us out of the dark ages, and in the process neither you nor the firm missed a beat!”
Now, while the content is clearly more powerful, the sentences are clunky, too wordy, and need tightening.
Space is at a premium, and reader impact is your goal, so keep your sentences under about twenty words. Always aim for simplicity and clarity:
• Shorten sentences by cutting unnecessary words.
• Make two short sentences out of one long one. At the same time, you don’t want the writing to sound choppy, so vary the length of sentences when you can.
You can also start with a short phrase and follow with a colon:
• Followed by bullets of information
• Each one supporting the original phrase
See how these techniques tighten the writing and enliven the reading process from our law firm example:
Analyzed and determined need for comprehensive upgrade of database, archival, and retrieval systems:
• Responsible for hardware and software selection.
• Responsible for selection and installation of “cloud-based” archival systems.
• Responsible for compatible hardware and software upgrades.
• Trained users from managing partner through administrators.
• Achieved full upgrade, integration, and compliance in six months.
• Partner stated, “You brought us out of the dark ages, and neither you nor the firm missed a beat!”
Notice in this example that by dropping personal pronouns and articles, the result is easier to read. It also speaks of a professional who knows the importance of getting to relevant information fast.
Recruiters and hiring managers know every trick in the book; they’ve seen every eye-catching gimmick, and they’re not impressed. Two of the biggest mistakes amateur (and professional) resume writers make is using:
1. Big words; in an effort to sound professional you end up sounding pompous and impenetrable.
2. Adjectives; when you use adjectives to describe yourself (excellent, superior, etc.), the recruiter will often discount them, muttering, “I’ll be the judge of that.” You’ll see examples in the resume section, but notice that the use of superlatives is kept under control and backed up with hard facts.
The goal of your resume is to communicate quickly and efficiently, using short sentences and familiar words; they are easy to understand and communicate clearly and efficiently. Remember: Short words in short sentences in short paragraphs help tired eyes!
The voice you use in your resume depends on a few important factors: getting a lot said in a small space, being factual, and packaging yourself in the best way possible.
Sentences can be truncated (up to a point) by omitting pronouns—I, you, he, she, it, they—and articles—a or the. Dropping pronouns is a technique that saves space and allows you to brag about yourself without seeming boastful, because it gives the impression that another party is writing about you.
“I automated the office”—becomes, “Automated office.” At the same time, writing in the first person makes you sound, well, personable. Use whatever works best for you. If you use personal pronouns, don’t use them in every sentence—they get monotonous and take up valuable space on the page. Use a third-person voice throughout the resume, with a few final words in the first person as a closing brand statement at the end of the document to give an insight into your values. You saw an example of a functional resume with just such a personal tone that worked almost magically for its owner.
Using the third person and dropping pronouns and articles throughout the body of the resume saves space and gives you an authoritative tone.
The rule used to be one page for every ten years of experience, and never more than two pages. However, as jobs have gotten more complex, they require more explanation. The length of your resume is less important than its relevance to the target job. The first half to two-thirds of the first page of your resume should be tightly focused on a specific target job and include a Target Job Title, Performance Profile/Performance Summary, Professional Competencies, and perhaps Career Highlight sections. Do this and any reader can quickly see that you have the chops for the job.
If you are seen to be qualified, the reader will stay with you as you tell the story. Given the increasing complexity of jobs, the length and depth of your experience, and the need for data-dense resumes (which are overwhelmingly rewarded in database searches), it is idiotic to limit the length of your resume on the basis of outdated conventions from before the age of computers, let alone the Internet.
The worst—the most heinous crime of all—is to cram a seasoned professional’s work history into tiny font sizes to get it onto one or two pages. Why? Here’s a flash from reality: If you are a seasoned professional with a real track record requiring a complex skill-set and are climbing the ladder of success, it’s likely your readers are also successful, seasoned professionals. Use tiny fonts and you annoy everyone whose eyesight has been weakened by prolonged computer use, and that means everyone. Busy senior managers simply won’t read your resume because it speaks to poor judgment and communication skills, both of which are mandatory for seasoned professionals.
Let form follow function with your resume. If it takes three tightly edited pages to tell a properly focused story and make it readable, just do it.
What’s the alternative? Leaving stuff out means your resume is less likely to get pulled from resume databases or sell the recruiter on your skills when it does get read.
Assuming your first page clearly demonstrates a thorough grasp of the target job, you can feel comfortable taking that second and third page, if necessary, to tell a concise story. In the resume sample chapter, you’ll see examples of justifiably longer executive resumes, requiring greater length to convey a concise message of ability in a complex job.
Worrying too much about length considerations while you write is counterproductive. If the first page makes the right argument, the rest of your resume will be read with serious attention. A longer resume also means that much more space for selling your skills with relevant keywords and more opportunities to establish your brand. However, you should make every effort to maintain focus and an “if in doubt, leave it out” editing approach.
If you have more than twenty years under your belt, many older skills from the first part of your career are now irrelevant. On the whole, the rule of one page for every ten years is still a sensible guideline. The bottom line is that your resume can be as long as it needs to be to tell a concise and compelling story. I have never—ever—heard of a qualified candidate being rejected because her resume exceeded some arbitrary page count; it just doesn’t happen.
As you write, rewrite, edit, and polish your resume, concentrate on the story your resume needs to tell. You can keep this focus in mind by regularly referring to your TJD, and then layering fact and illustration until the story is told. When the story is complete, begin to polish by asking yourself the following questions:
• Are my statements relevant to the target job?
• Where have I repeated myself?
• Can I cut out any paragraphs?
• Can I cut out any sentences?
• Can I shorten two sentences into one? If not, perhaps I can break that one long sentence into two short ones?
• Can I cut out any words?
• Can I cut out any pronouns?
If in doubt, leave it out—leave nothing but the focused story and action words!
Resumes are written in layers. They don’t spring fully formed in one draft from anyone’s keyboard. They are the result of numerous drafts, each of which inches the product forward. As I was writing this edition of Knock ’em Dead Resumes, we worked with a public relations professional on her new resume. She did a complete resume questionnaire and TJD, and an initial resume layout template. Before we were finished, we had completed eight different versions, each evolving until we had a great finished product. It took about two and a half weeks, but then generated eight interviews in a week, proof again that 50 percent of the success of any project is in the preparation. You can see three of the eight evolving versions of this resume at the end of Chapter 2.
Check your resume against the following points:
• Are your name, address, phone numbers, and e-mail address correct?
• Is your contact information on every page?
• Is the e-mail address hyperlinked, so that a reader of your resume can read it on his computer and reach out to you instantly?
• Do you have a target job title that echoes the words and intent of the job titles you collected when deconstructing the target job?
• Is this followed by a short, one-sentence branding statement that captures the essence of the professional you? Only make brand statements when you really have something to brand.
• Does it give a concise synopsis of the professional you as it relates to the target job?
• Does the language reflect that of typical job postings for this job?
• Is it prioritized in the same way employers are prioritizing their needs in this job?
• Is it no more than five lines long, so it can be read easily? If more, can you cut it into two paragraphs or use bullets?
• Does it include reference to the transferable skills and professional values that are critical to success? If they don’t fit here, make sure they are at least in the core competencies section.
• Is all spelling and capitalization correct?
• Are there any other keywords you should add?
• Do you have experience in each of the areas you’ve listed?
• Can you illustrate your experience in conversation?
• If you included a Career/Performance Highlights section, do the entries support the central arguments of your resume?
• Is your most relevant and qualifying work experience prioritized throughout the resume to correspond to the employers’ needs as they have prioritized them?
• Have you avoided wasting space with unnecessarily detailed employer names and addresses?
• If employed, have you been discreet with the name of your current employer?
• Have you omitted any reference to reasons for leaving a particular job?
• Have you removed all references to past, current, or desired salaries?
• Have you removed references to your date of availability?
• Is education placed in the appropriate position?
• Is your highest educational attainment shown first?
• Have you included professional courses that support your candidacy?
• Is your work history in chronological order, with the most recent employment coming first?
• With a chronological or combination resume, does each company history start with details of your most senior position?
• Does your resume emphasize relevant experience, contributions, and achievements?
• Have you used one or more third-party endorsements of your work if they are available and relevant?
• Can you come up with a strong personal branding statement to end the resume? One that supports the focus and story you have told? Perhaps read your resume and decide which combination of your transferable skills are most relevant, and come up with a statement of how this selection of transferable skills allows you to perform in the way you do.
• Have you kept punch and focus by eliminating extraneous information?
• Have you included any volunteer, community service, or extracurricular activities that can lend strength to your candidacy?
• Have you left out lists of references and only mentioned the availability of references if there is nothing more valuable to fill up the space?
• Have you avoided treating your reader like a fool by heading your resume, “RESUME”?
• Have you substituted short words for long words?
• Have you used one word where previously there were two?
• Is your average sentence no more than twenty words? Have you shortened any sentence of more than twenty-five words or broken it into two?
• Have you kept paragraphs under five lines?
• Do your sentences begin, wherever possible, with powerful action verbs and phrases?
• Have you omitted articles and personal pronouns?
Incorrect spelling and poor grammar are guaranteed to annoy resume readers, besides drawing attention to your poor written communication skills. This is not a good opening statement in any job search. Spell checkers are not infallible. Check the spelling and grammar and then send your resume to the most literate person you know for input on grammar and spelling.
At www.knockemdead.com, our resume service offers a grammar, syntax, and spellcheck by a professional editor who also understands resumes. We will vet your resume and return it to you in thirty-six hours with tracked changes and suggestions. You need some distance from your creative efforts to gain detachment and objectivity. There is no hard-and-fast rule about how long it takes to come up with the finished product. Nevertheless, if you think you have finished, leave it alone, at least overnight. The next day, read your TJD document before reading your resume: then you will be able to read it with the mindset of a recruiter and see the parts that need tweaking.