One resume does not necessarily fit all situations. Take for example someone who wishes to change careers, but does not have any specific work history to go with that change. How do you re-orient your resume so that it can show you in the best light, yet maintain credibility and still be an honest snapshot of your work?

The key is to emphasize those core skills which demonstrate your expertise in the ‘new career’ you want. Instead of putting together a typical chronological resume listing all of your jobs and responsibilities, change your strategy and put together what is known as a functional resume that highlights your strengths as they relate to your career change.

After reviewing hundreds of resumes, I usually come across a personal objective at the very top of the resume. A personal objective is a statement telling an employer what the job seeker is looking for in the way of an employment position.

Here is a typical example:
Professional looking for a challenging position which effectively utilizes my skills and allows me to progress.

Employers and recruiters are not interested in a job seeker’s personal objective, because it focuses on the requirements of the job seeker rather than the needs of the employer. Your personal objective may be an honest statement and may help you gain clarity about your career goals, but it is irrelevant to the employer. Rather than a personal objective statement, start your resume with a summary profile (your positioning statement).

A summary profile clearly and concisely describes your value to a company. Here is an example:

Hard working and results-oriented senior manager with successful experience handling multiple projects in fast-paced environments.

This example of a summary profile gives an employer a clear picture of you and what value you add. Remember when being considered for employment by a hiring manager, it is all about what value you can bring to the organization, how you can help that hiring manager meet goals, reduce costs or expand the business.

The next time you revise your resume, you might consider including your summary profile!

Recently, I saw a gentleman who did not disclose any dates on his resume. It turns out that he had a medical condition that prevented him from working for several years. He did not want this lapse in employment to hinder any job opportunities.

Any recruiter reviewing his resume would surely question the lack of employment dates, and perhaps disregard him as a possible candidate. My advice to him: put the dates back on the resume and explain the lapse in employment within the body of your cover letter.

Your resume provides an employer with a first impression of you. It is the window into how professional you are, how well you communicate, and how much energy you typically put into any kind of work you do. To a potential employer, the time and care you have taken to develop a well-written resume is a demonstration of the kind of effort you will make in any job situation.

When you are finished with writing your resume make sure to check for the following: typos, grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Your attention to all of these factors tells an employer how much effort you will put into your job, and how important even the smallest detail is to you.

Make sure to proofread your resume over and over. When you think that it is perfect, ask others to read it just to make sure that there are no mistakes. Incorrect spellings or improper grammar will lead the reader to believe that you are lacking in these skills, or even worse that you did not care enough to take the time to proof read your work.

From time to time, I volunteer at job expos to provide helpful feedback to job seekers about their resumes.

At a recent job fair, I spoke to one job seeker who was skeptical about including anything in his resume that sounded like he was ‘marketing/selling’ himself.  Over several minutes I tried (with no success by the way) to explain that a resume is more than just a listing of employers. It is a job seeker’s ‘sales tool’ that concisely highlights the value he/she can bring to any organization.

With that said, the one key thing that is often left out of a resume is the job seeker’s accomplishments. Everyone always includes the activities they perform.   What really demonstrates your value to a hiring manager are your accomplishments. If you were able to achieve results in one organization in the past, you will do it again. Hence ‘past performance is the best predictor of future performance.’

Be sure your accomplishments/achievements are included in your resume

Several weeks ago I worked with a client on his resume. He had about 20 years of experience and insisted on a one page resume. His friends and co-workers told him that his resume should fit on one page. Not true!

Hiring managers spend 10 to 25 seconds looking at a resume, and do not care if it is one or two pages in length. What they do want is a visually-appealing, easy-to-read resume that provides critical, key information. A resume needs the right amount of white space, and a good resume design to set the job seeker apart from all the other resumes that flood a hiring manager’s desk.

Here’s a good guideline to follow: if less than 5 years of experience one page may due and if more than that consider two pages. Your resume is your ‘marketing’ brochure so make sure it is reader-friendly and compelling regardless of length!

Very often I get asked if it is really necessary to include a cover letter with a resume. Usually clients ask is it really all that important to even bother writing a cover letter, how long the cover letter should be, should it be tailored for each prospective employer, and so on. In this article I want to clarify the importance of a cover letter and how to make it work for you.

Is it all that important to have a cover letter?   Yes.  The cover letter is a great way to begin the process of selling your value to a prospective employer. It is like the wrapping on the package. It encourages the hiring manager to want more information about you, and encourages the hiring manager to seriously review your resume.  Additionally, the cover letter allows you to clarify information that could not be included in your resume eg. why you wish to transition into another field of work.

How long should the cover letter be? It is best to keep a cover letter to one page with 4 or 5 brief paragraphs that highlight your accomplishments and what value you bring to an employer. It is okay to use bullet points for emphasis as long as the whole resume is not in bullets (boring to read). Short chunked up paragraphs are the best and easiest to read. If you use bullets, use no more than 3 to 5.

Should the cover letter be tailored specifically to the position and each prospective employer? Yes. Make sure that the information you include is specific to the company and the position. Whenever possible reference a challenge the company may be facing and how your qualifications can help. This shows that you understand the company’s issues and how you might solve problems for them.

Cover letters should not be long detailed explanations. In today’s world, clear crisply written cover letters with pertinent and specific information will catch the attention of a hiring manager. When writing your cover letter sound confident and able to provide solutions to the employer’s specific challenges.

Why is it important to think about your resume when you have a good job, the economy is  healthy and you are in a career you enjoy, located in a place you love. Because, change is inevitable.

Whether you decide to make a change or the company you are working for decides to restructure its organization, you must be ready, and the best time to work on your resume, make the necessary updates and revisions is when you are secure in your job, not pressured by the stress of a job search.

A great resume has a professional look with the right punch, personality and purpose. Your resume is your very own sales brochure. It is the best way to market your talents, skills and core competencies. Whether you are still in the job you love or are ready to move to another career, the right resume is a must have!