Table of Contents
Introduction 4
1. Resume Dos and Don’ts 21
2. Resume Preparation 28
3. Putting It All Together & Writing Your Resume 46
4. Resume Samples 98 About the Author Louise Fletcher is the President and Co-founder of Blue Sky Resumes.
Louise loves to help make job searching fun—yes, fun!— and effective. She co-founded Blue Sky Resumes in 2002 after a career as an HR executive in such industries as music, video games, fashion, and advertising. A word nerd at heart, Louise developed the Blue Sky resume approach, has written a series of job search and career guides, and has been a featured expert for Oprah Winfrey Magazine, The Washington Post, and The Ladders, among many other publications. In her spare time she paints and cooks. She also gardens, with results that can best be described as mixed.
The Blue Sky Guide to Job Search is one of a series of guides designed to give job seekers all the tools they need to succeed in today’s competitive job market.
You might also like… The Blue Sky Guide to Job Search Discover how to find – and win – the best jobs, often before anyone else knows about them! We’ll walk you step-by-step through eye-opening strategies that help you bypass job boards and uncover hidden opportunities.
The Blue Sky Guide to LinkedIn Did you know LinkedIn is the #1 business networking site in the world? With this guide, you’ll learn how to use it to increase your visibility, find the best jobs, and learn what businesses want, before the interview.
The Blue Sky Guide to Job Search Letters Learn how to write a cover letter, thank you note, or email that gets results! With detailed instructions and tons of real-world examples, I’ll show you exactly how to write letters that make a great first impression. Introduction
hances are your resume doesn’t get the response it deserves. If you’ve already started a job search, you’ve probably become C disillusioned by how few employers bother even to acknowledge your applications.
If this is you, you’re not alone – there are millions of resumes floating around in cyberspace. The job market is more competitive than ever, and Internet job boards and computer resume databases have made it harder than ever to stand out.
Or perhaps you haven’t actually started looking yet because you’re completely stuck when it comes to describing yourself on paper.
If that describes you, you are also not alone. Almost all of us struggle when it comes to marketing ourselves effectively. We don’t know how to strike the right tone, we have thorny career issues we’re not sure how to address, or we just plain don’t know how to get started.
Writing a resume is one of the most challenging aspects of a job search, but it’s also one of the most important. Your resume speaks for you when you’re not
4 there. If it’s saying the right things, you’ll get interviews. But most resumes are not saying the right things and, as a result, the entire job search process can become frustrating, confusing, and a source of enormous stress.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way.
It’s not you, it’s your resume! I haven’t met you but I’d be willing to bet that your current resume doesn’t do you justice. I’m confident of this because I’ve seen tens of thousands of resumes over the years and very few of them accurately represented the human beings who wrote them.
You have a set of skills, experiences, and personality traits that make you unlike every other person applying for the same position. You have made an impact on past employers with new ideas or improved processes or better customer service or higher sales.
But you’ve done more than that – you’ve contributed in countless ways. Perhaps you’re the guy everyone comes to for creative ideas. Or the woman whom co- workers rely on for IT help. Maybe you’re the most determined member of any team, or the most innovative, or the most reliable, or the one who always gets handed the problems other people can’t solve. You might be the person who makes everyone else laugh, or the leader who can inspire teams even in the darkest days, or the admin assistant who makes it possible for your bosses to take vacations for the first time in years.
When you send in a resume for the perfect job, it can be baffling to not receive a response. After all, you know you can do that job! You have every qualification they asked for. Why are they rejecting you out of hand?
But that’s the thing … they’re not rejecting you. They can’t reject you because they don’t know you! What they are actually rejecting is the version of yourself presented in your resume.
If you get that presentation right by creating a document that conveys your unique background – and why it makes you the perfect fit – in a compelling and easy-to-read format, you will find that interview invitations start rolling in.
In this guide, I am going to teach you exactly how to do that, step-by-step and with lots of real world examples to give you ideas and inspiration.
5 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Who is this guide for? The principles I am going to teach you are universal. I write resumes for people at all levels, from recent graduates to senior-level executives, and I use this same approach for all of them. The content of an executive resume is obviously very different from the content of a resume for a recent graduate, but the method for creating that content is exactly the same. No matter what level you’re currently at, or what level you want to get to, this resume writing system will work for you.
Different countries and cultures have different approaches to resume writing, and I am not an expert in them all. But if you live in the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, or New Zealand, this approach to resume writing will work for you.
Why I wrote this guide Before starting my own resume writing business, I spent 15 years working in HR. Over that time I hired thousands of people, from entry-level to senior executives, and I saw that a select group of people succeeded in marketing themselves effectively while most failed to make the most of their skills and experience.
The truth is that most of the resumes I received were just plain awful. They didn’t give me the right information, they didn’t present it effectively, and they didn’t use the right keywords to show up in database searches.
Seeing the opportunity to help people stand out among all these terrible resumes, I started my own resume writing service. Using my knowledge of the hiring process, I was able to write resumes that appealed to HR managers, recruiters, and hiring managers. As the business grew by word-of-mouth, the workload grew too much for me and I developed a system to train other writers to do the same.
I truly get satisfaction from my work. I love hearing from clients that they sent out their new resume and immediately began to get phone calls. I love getting the emails telling me they landed a great new job.
But there’s one downside to what I do. Many people can’t afford the fee for a top quality professional resume.
Over and over again, I watched people choose lower-priced services to save money, or use ‘quick’ online systems promising a great resume in just a few minutes. Inevitably they were disappointed with the results, and it bothered me to think I wasn’t helping them create the future they deserved.
6 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing That’s when I decided to write my series of Blue Sky Guides – to share my resume writing and job search systems with anyone who needs help to get more interviews and better job opportunities.
When I first released a version of this guide, I wasn’t entirely sure if it would work. Would people be able to apply my principles to their own resume and get results? But four years later, the results are in. Very few weeks go by without emails from people who bought this guide, or one of our other Blue Sky Guides, and whose job search has turned around as a result.
The reasons this resume writing system works so well are: 1. It’s grounded in a very solid philosophy. 2. I take you step-by-step through the whole process with lots of real-world illustrations, so that you’re never lost for ways to apply my ideas to your personal situation.
Before we dive in and start working, let me explain more about the ideas behind the program so that you will understand why you’re doing the things you’re going to be doing.
The philosophy behind this guide My resume writing system is based on the premise that looking for a job is like marketing – only instead of selling a product, you are selling yourself.
Just as with marketing, you are trying to persuade strangers to pay attention to you. Just as with product marketing, you have to show them why they should care about you by showing them how they will benefit. And just as with product marketing, you have only a very short time to get their attention and communicate your core message.
Anyone who works in marketing will recognize elements of my system because they closely relate to the ways companies brand and market any service.
As you work through the modules, you’ll be developing a solid understanding of:
The needs and concerns of your target audience.
What you – and only you! – can offer them. (I call this your ‘unique value proposition.’)
7 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing How to put that value proposition into words.
How to structure and format your resume so that your value is obvious at a glance.
In short, my goal throughout the program is to teach you how to understand and communicate what makes you uniquely valuable.
How does the program work? If you’re a little uncomfortable with the idea of marketing yourself as you would market a product, you’re not alone. Most of us were taught not to boast when we were children, so when we sit down to write a resume, we feel awkward and unsure of how to present ourselves in the best possible light. Many people even get writer’s block.
The resulting resume is usually a stilted, lifeless document that doesn’t represent the real person who wrote it.
My system has been designed to help you avoid writer’s block, overcome your modesty, and write a compelling resume that truly does represent the real you.
That’s because we start by not writing a resume.
That’s right – a resume writing system that doesn’t involve writing a resume! At least not at first.
In order to help you overcome writer’s block and develop the best possible content for your resume, my system is broken into five modules:
Module 1: An Introduction to the Blue Sky Approach That’s what you’re reading now!
Module 2: Resume Dos and Don’ts Before you get started on your own resume, I’m going to give you my general resume writing rules – traps to avoid and tips on how to succeed. These principles will be important to keep in mind as you work through the next two modules and you can refer to them at any time.
Module 3: The Preparation Stage At this stage, you are not focused on writing the actual resume. You’re not worrying about format, structure, font choice, spelling, grammar, or even how
8 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing many pages you write. Instead, you’re just focused on a series of exercises that will help you develop the content for your resume.
Because the pressure of writing the resume is gone, you will find this process easier than you thought. You will also gain confidence as you answer my questions and begin to realize just how much you have to offer future employers.
You will work through a series of exercises designed to help you:
Define your job targets.
Understand the needs of your target market.
Draft content and develop ideas that will form the basis of your resume.
The exercises are based on the Blue Sky Resumes proprietary questionnaire “The Explorer,” and also on the training I give my own professional resume writers.
At the end of this stage, you will have all the raw content you need for your resume. Module 4: Putting it All Together – Writing Your Resume Once you have developed all your content, you will find this stage much easier than you imagined. You will know what message you want to convey and you will have written everything you need. Now you will simply edit, polish, and format the information until you have a highly effective marketing document that generates interest and dramatically increases your job search success.
During Module 4 you will:
Develop a resume profile that communicates your value proposition.
Write concise, context-filled job descriptions that set the scene.
Edit your accomplishment stories into concise, action-packed bullet points that make employers excited to meet you.
Choose a resume structure and format that highlights your strongest selling points (and downplays any weaknesses).
Create various versions of your resume so that everyone can view it no matter what computer system they are using.
9 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Once your resume is complete, we’ll also cover adapting it to suit different situations and you’ll be able to assess your new resume using my proprietary resume evaluation questionnaire.
Module 5: Sample resumes In Module 5, I give you 20 actual resumes created for real people (although disguised to protect their personal information). You’ll see how the principles of my system apply to real-world situations, and you’ll gain ideas for your own resume.
The free resume templates Because this program is all about individuality, copying the words on someone else’s resume is never the way to go. Doing so will only result in a copycat resume that doesn’t do you justice.
But there’s nothing wrong with getting design ideas and help, so that you can focus on the message.
For this reason, the guide comes with 20 MS Word resume templates. These resumes are the same ones included at the end of this guide as samples, but the Word templates are provided so that you can use one of our formats if you choose to.
In addition, if you have seen a resume on our website at www.blueskyresumes. com/free-resume-samples and would like to obtain an MS Word copy, just email your receipt for the book to [email protected] and we’ll send you a copy.
What kind of transformation can you expect? To see what you’re going to be able to produce once you work through the system, take a look at the resume makeovers on the next few pages.
Resume #1 – Tax Director This client came to me with a concern that he had a “spotty and unimpressive” career (his words). After he completed our worksheets and spent time with me on the phone, it became apparent that there were a couple of strong threads running through his story. I decided to focus on two main themes:
10 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing 1. He had been successful in everything he attempted. 2. He had a broad and deep expertise in his field. The “before” resume is professional and concise, but it conveys nothing of my client’s expertise and nothing that answers the prospective employer’s question: “What’s in it for me?”
The “after” version, however, is coherent and compelling, and every word is focused on communicating the client’s value to potential employers. It clearly communicates his expertise and positions him as a leader in his field.
He’s the same person, but the reaction to his resume was strikingly different. Within one month of receiving this new resume, “David” wrote to me to say that he was choosing between two high-profile positions – one with the IRS and one with a Fortune 500 company that he had set his sights on.
He was amazed at the difference in people’s reaction to him once he communicated his value proposition as a recognized expert who teaches and writes on his area of expertise.
See both resumes on the following pages.
11 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Page 1 of Berkeley’s resume – “Before”
12 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Page 1 of Berkeley’s resume – “After”
13 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Resume #2 – Video Game Producer David Jones’s original resume was very old-fashioned and did not communicate any of his great experience or his ability to solve problems and deliver results.
A video game producer is a project manager. Video games are a huge business and each project represents a major investment for the game company. Video game producers manage teams of 30-100 people and control multimillion-dollar budgets. Projects are incredibly complex because they involve art, design, and software development.
Therefore, employers need to be assured that the producer they hire can manage large teams, keep complex projects on track, and deliver quality work.
David’s original resume begins with an objective statement, in which he tells employers what he wants in his next job. His new resume focuses instead on what he can do for employers by stressing his strengths as they relate to the employer’s needs. An employer reference is included for extra assurance that David really is as good as he says.
The new resume immediately generated responses and David was quickly hired (see below).
14 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Page 1 of Jones’s resume – “Before”
15 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Page 1 of Jones’s resume – “After”
16 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Resume #3 – Recruiter Sandy Kumar is a recruiter –- and a very good one. He has exceptional results in each of his positions, but his original resume (see “Before”) did not convey his skills effectively.
Notice that he also begins with an objective statement telling employers what he’s looking for. I’ll explain why this is an ineffective start later in the guide, but you can see for yourself when you compare that to the “After” resume which begins with a headline showing how Sandy can add value to his next employer.
Sandy’s key accomplishments were not highlighted in his old resume because he didn’t use bolding or white space between bullet points, and in some cases he didn’t quantify his impact. In the new resume, four bolded lines highlight his impact on the organization.
Even with nothing but a quick glance at the new resume, it would be hard to miss the fact that Sandy has generated significant results as a recruiter (see below).
17 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Page 1 of Kumar’s resume – “Before”
18 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Page 1 of Kumar’s resume – “After”
19 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing In Summary You can see the difference that I have been able to make for my clients. But it’s not magic. It’s based on a simple and consistent formula honed over time and used with every one of our clients.
Follow my instructions and you will be able to do the same. All you have to do is commit some time and energy to making your resume the best it can be. And who knows, in the process, you might even learn something about yourself.
Ready to get started? Let’s make that phone ring!
20 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Module 1
Resume Dos and Don’ts
know you’re probably itching to get started on writing that great new resume. But before you dive in to the hard work, I want to explain some of my general guidelines and principles for writing a I great resume.
I’m not a big believer in rules when it comes to marketing yourself – I think if you have a creative idea for how to present your value proposition, you should give it a try – but these principles guide my own resume writing and I think it will be helpful to keep them in mind as you work on your own document.
So here are my resume “do’s and don’ts” based on the things I’ve learned about hiring, looking for a job, and writing a resume.
DO: Accentuate the Positive When you start to work on your resume, you may start to hear voices in your head. These voices will be talking about you.
21 They’ll be questioning whether the things you’re writing are really all that impressive. They’ll be whispering that other people went to a better school than you, or got a degree when you didn’t get one, or worked for more high-profile companies. These voices are going to lead you astray, so don’t listen to them!
I remember a senior executive client named Matt Davies who was hearing those kinds of voices. Like many people in this tough job market, Matt was looking for a job for the very first time in his thirty-year career.
Prior to losing his job as CEO of a software developer, Matt had been recruited from one job to the next by former colleagues and managers, or by executive recruiters. Then his company was acquired in a hostile takeover and Matt found himself out of work.
He became my resume client after he had written and rewritten his resume dozens of times without success. When we spoke, he was feeling extremely insecure. He had been out of work for five months and was beginning to feel that he would never work again. “There are just too many problems with my background,” he said.
Matt explained that he had held a variety of positions (CFO, COO, CEO) in many different No one has a industries, and he worried that potential employers would see him as a job hopper. In perfect background – addition, he was sure that his lack of an MBA not even Bill Gates! was hurting his job search.
I asked Matt to put aside his concerns for an hour or so and just talk to me about his career history. And, boy, was I impressed when he did! In each one of his positions, Matt had come into a troubled situation and quickly zeroed in on the company’s core business problem. Within months, he had developed a strategy to expand market share and grow revenues.
This had happened regardless of his title and regardless of the industry. The results spoke for themselves – dramatic turnarounds, double-digit sales increases, companies saved from bankruptcy ... Matt had built an impressive track record of success.
As we worked through the process of creating his new resume, Matt came to recognize that his breadth of experience wasn’t a weakness but a strength. Of the missing MBA, he told me, “I guess it won’t matter much after they see what I can do for them.”
22 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Matt was right, and the same applies to you.
No one has a perfect resume. All of your competitors have issues to overcome. They’ve been with one company “too long” or they haven’t been with the company “long enough”; they don’t have a degree or they have too many degrees and worry about being “over-qualified”; they have worked in only one industry or they’ve worked in too many industries; they’re “too young” or they’re “too old” … the list goes on and on.
But imagine Bill Gates sitting down to write his resume back when he was running Microsoft. Would he worry that he never finished college? Would he wonder who would hire a guy who’s never had a boss? Perhaps he’d be concerned that he has only ever worked in one company. Of course, none of those things would stop people from hiring Bill Gates because the positives more than outweigh the negatives.
So, when you embark on a job search, do not worry about what you don’t have, didn’t do, haven’t experienced. Eliminate negative thoughts, silence those voices, and focus on the positive aspects of your background.
Never worked for anyone else? Then you won’t need your hand held every minute of the day. Worked in many different industries? That shows you’re capable of success in any field. Don’t have an MBA? Well, look what you’ve accomplished without one!
No matter what level you’re at right now or what you do for a living, your target companies want to hire winners. By accentuating the positive, you can show them that this is exactly what you are. So, as you work on your resume preparation, I want you to turn every negative into a positive.
DON’T: Lie or Exaggerate on Your Resume Accentuating the positive means putting a positive spin on your background – shining a light on those things you want people to see and pushing the other stuff into a dark corner. It doesn’t mean you should be dishonest.
If you make things up on your resume, you will probably be caught out during the interview process. And if not, you may well be caught at some time in the future. If that happens, you will likely be fired.
Recently I came across a website advertising an instructional guide on how to lie on your resume. An actual guide! Being sold for money! It may as well be called “How to Risk Ruining Everything.”
23 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Tell the truth on your resume. There are lots of fabulous things about you – more than enough to make up for any perceived flaws or issues. Be proud of the experiences you’ve had and be honest about the ones you haven’t had.
DO: Invest Time and Energy in Your Resume Before you bought this guide, you probably looked at lots of guides and online systems promising an easy or quick solution to your need for a new resume. I’m sorry to say that anyone promising this is not leveling with you.
It’s certainly possible to write a resume quickly and easily. It’s possible to do anything easily and quickly if you’re willing to do it badly!
But if you want a resume that sells you to potential employers, that makes the most of your unique skills and abilities, and that communicates what’s truly special about you so that employers pick up the phone to schedule interviews, you’ll have to put in some effort.
There are no shortcuts, but there is a tried and tested formula. And that’s what I can give to you: my step-by-step system for writing a resume that sells.
And really, why wouldn’t you want to put some time and effort into the most important document you’ll ever write?
Does that sound like an overstatement? Consider this: Your resume determines whether you get interviews. It represents you to people who have no idea who you are, but who have the power to determine your future. It often determines interview questions. It establishes your economic worth in the minds of potential employers. It stays on your personnel file for future managers to review.
Your resume quite literally determines your future.
Given all this, it’s worth investing some time in creating a document that truly sets you apart.
24 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing DON’T: Use “Resume-speak” Many resumes are written in a very stilted, overly formal voice. Don’t be tempted to use big words that you wouldn’t normally use in real life.
Your reader is busy and hassled and doesn’t want to have to figure out what you’re saying, so write your resume using simple, easily understood words.
If you are in a highly technical profession, use layman’s terms where possible so that an HR manager or recruiter can understand what you’re saying.
DO: Appreciate What You’ve Accomplished As you work through the preparation process, you will notice that your confidence increases as you realize your unique value to employers. You will gain a new appreciation for yourself and for what you bring to potential employers.
Too often people tell me that they feel uncomfortable patting themselves on the back or taking credit for their achievements. This humility is admirable in many situations, but not during a job search.
As you write your resume, you’re going to need to take all the credit you’re owed. Don’t lie and say you did more than you did, but don’t play down your role either.
Looking for a job can be a tough process, and appreciating your own accomplishments will help boost your confidence on days when things don’t go as you had hoped.
DON’T: Use Company Jargon People who work for technology companies are often the worst offenders at this. I think technology companies have a specialized term for everything, including eating lunch!
Also large companies or government organizations tend to have special names and acronyms for everything.
The problem is that outsiders have never heard these terms before and therefore can’t understand what you are saying. So avoid any acronyms or terms used only in your company and not in general. If you’re not sure what is
25 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing company jargon and what is standard terminology, have friends or relatives read the resume and point out words or phrases they don’t understand.
DO: Use Your Resume Preparation Work for More Than Your Resume As you work through this guide, you’ll see that the resume preparation process is a great help in preparing for interviews. As you develop your resume content, you will also be developing a series of stories and anecdotes that will be very useful to you in interviews.
You will also have a much clearer sense of how to answer the dreaded question “Why should we hire you?” (Note, if you need help with interview preparation, you might want to check out The Blue Sky Guide to Job Search, which contains detailed instructions on how to use anecdotes and stories to make a great impression during interviews.)
DO: Answer the WIIFM Question Resumes that get results have one thing in common – they answer the employer’s key question: What’s in it for me?
Think about the manager who opens your email and starts to read your resume. In all likelihood, she is overworked and understaffed. She’s probably working to tight deadlines and she desperately wants to hire that extra person to make her life easier.
So when she looks at your resume, she wants to know one thing: how you will make her life easier.
This is the case whether you are a senior-level executive, a professional, or an entry-level employee just starting out. No matter what your experience-level, the manager will want to know: What’s in it for me?
Most resumes don’t answer this question effectively at all. Instead, they are usually a straightforward listing of positions held and responsibilities undertaken.
And this means that every resume the hiring manager opens looks like every other resume she received for the same position. Her job is to try and figure
26 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing out which ones she should read in more detail, but it’s tough because no one is making it easy for her.
Sometimes she makes the right choice and sometimes she doesn’t. Her ‘no’ pile definitely contains people she would have interviewed had she known how good they were.
If you follow the steps I’m going to show you, your new resume will definitely answer the employer’s key question: What’s in it for me?
In Summary Keep these key pointers in mind as you begin to work on your resume, and refer to them now and then as you continue, just to help keep you on track.
Now it’s time to move on to Module 2, where we’ll start creating the content for your new resume.
27 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Module 2
Resume Preparation
he preparation stage is crucial to developing a strong resume because it frees you from the constraints of writing an actual T resume. At this stage you don’t have to worry about word choice or formatting or grammar – just focus on creating lots of notes.
In this section of the guide, I’m going to take you through four steps that will help you develop content and ideas that will form the basis of your resume.
They are: 1. Research target positions and employers to understand their needs. 2. Draft job descriptions for each position you’ve held. 3. Draft stories of your accomplishments in each position. 4. Learn your unique value to employers and develop a concise description of that value.
For each step, I will explain what you’re doing, why it’s important, and how to do the exercise.
28 Keep Notes All this information will be crucial when you come to write your resume, so it’s important that you keep notes and clearly mark all notes with the number of the exercise that generated them. This way, you can easily locate the information you want later on.
I recommend writing your notes in Word or another word processing program because then you can cut and paste once you’re ready to start your resume, but if you prefer to write by hand, start a new notebook dedicated to this process.
Don’t worry about structure or choosing the right words because no one will see your notes if you don’t want them to.
Remember, while this process requires work, it’s not a chore. This is good work – work that will help you move forward in your career and in your life – and it’s worth doing well. View it as an opportunity to reflect on your past, decide what you want in the future, and create a roadmap for getting there.
Let’s get started!
Excercise 1: Identifying Your Target Positions
What is this? The first task is to clearly define the type of positions you want. You need to be as specific as possible about industry, function, title, and even size of company if you have a preference.
Why is it important? As the English author Lewis Carroll famously said: “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.”
Resume writing is very similar to any other kind of marketing, and marketers know that they can’t make their product appeal to everyone. (iPod ads are not targeted at the 65-and-over market, and ads for calcium supplements are not aimed at teenage boys.)
Marketers choose a target market for their product or service and then tailor all their messages to address the needs of that target audience.
29 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing The same applies to resume writing.
It is impossible to write a really great resume if you do not have a clear target for your search. You don’t have to know that you want to be the marketing manager at ACME Widgets in Charlotte, North Carolina, but you do need to know the type of position you are targeting.
How do you decide on target positions? At a minimum, you need to know the target function – for example, that you’re looking for a position in accounting, or administration, or marketing – and the level of position that you seek (entry-level, clerical, manager, VP, etc.).
In an ideal world, it’s even better if you can narrow your targets down further by:
Size of company (small, mid-size, or large?)
Industry
Type of company (conservative, fast-paced, entrepreneurial?)
Current situation (start-up, turnaround, stable?)
It’s not always possible or desirable to be that specific, but – just as with marketing – the better you know your audience, the more chance you have of creating a message that appeals to them.
As an example, here is my description of the kind of position I’d be looking for if I were to go back into Human Resources: I’d like an SVP/VP position – definitely the most senior HR executive – within a small to mid-sized entrepreneurial company. I want to work in a creative industry such as music or arts and entertainment. My ideal environment is fast-paced, with lots of change and very little red tape. It’s very important to me that the company understands and values strategic HR initiatives.
Looking at that example, you can see why targeting is so important.
If I know that I want to work in a fast-paced company with lots of change, I can target my marketing message at those types of companies by using words that will appeal to them.
30 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Do it!
Describe your target position now. Include as much information as you can, such as function, level, industry, size of company, company culture, etc.
Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, etc. Only you will see these notes and you don’t care! What matters is to get the ideas down on paper.
When you’re done, save your notes in a file marked “Exercise 1” because you will come back to these when you move on to writing your resume.
Frequently asked questions about target positions
What if I Have Several Different Targets?
If you have several job targets that are quite different, it’s perfectly fine to have different resumes for each target audience – for example, one that targets marketing positions and one for sales. Or one aimed at a junior-level position and one for a more senior role.
The key thing is to keep your marketing message as focused as possible – if this means creating more than one resume, then do it.
I’ll talk more at the end of the guide about specific ways you can target your resume to suit different needs, but for now I just wanted you to be aware that you can have more than one resume.
What if I don’t know what I want to do?
Stop! Don’t try to go any further with this guide until you have a clear idea of one or more job targets.
I can’t stress this enough. Remember, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.” You cannot write an effective resume if you don’t know your target audience.
I highly recommend career counseling, or at the very least some work on your own, to decide on a direction for your search.
31 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Here are two excellent books on the subject:
“What Color is Your Parachute?” by Richard Nelson Bolles
“Pathfinder” by Nicholas Lore
Exercise 2: Drafting Your Job Descriptions
What is this? It’s important to provide a brief description of each of your previous jobs (and your current one) on your resume. This is a short paragraph that describes the scope of your duties.
Why is it important? The purpose of this section of the resume is to give an overview so that readers will understand what you did on a daily basis and have some context for appreciating your impact on the organization.
How? I’m going to ask you some questions designed to identify what you did on a daily basis, what you were accountable for, and what challenges you faced. You need to answer these questions for each position.
Remember, at this stage you’re not writing the actual job description for your resume – you’re just pulling the information together, so don’t worry about word choice or spelling. Just get all your thoughts on paper.
Do it!
Start a new file and label it “Exercises 2 and 3.” (This is because once you’ve completed this exercise, you’ll use the same file to do Exercise 3.)
There are 3 steps to drafting the information for your job descriptions:
1. List each position you’ve held — start with the most recent and work backwards.
32 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing List company name, job title, and dates of employment. You can use months and years (e.g., 06/99-07/03) or just years if you prefer (1999-2003). Using years without months is a nice way to disguise gaps in employment without being untruthful.
2. Outline your job responsibilities.
What were you accountable for in that job? What did your job description say? These notes will form the basis of a brief summary to let the reader understand the scope of your job, so include anything that would help a stranger understand your work (such as number of clients, budget managed, number of projects, size of department, or revenue targets).
As examples, a payroll processor might say how many employees she pays, a CFO should give revenue and budgets, and a costume designer might outline the number of costumes/productions in any one year. Managers and executives should always include the number of people managed and the size of the budget they administered.
3. Describe the situation when you were hired.
Was the company growing, shrinking, going through change? Was the department running smoothly or falling to pieces? Was your predecessor effective or not? (And if not, what impact did that have on you?) What were you hired to do? What challenges did you or the company face at that time?
This information will be helpful later, as it will help you tell a compelling story of your work history.
Don’t close the document, because you will be using the same file for the next exercise. Save the document as ‘Exercises 2 and 3’ and keep it open to use again for Exercise 3.
33 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Exercise 3: Drafting Your Career Accomplishments
What is this? Your resume needs to contain short but persuasive examples of your career accomplishments — those actions or achievements that made a difference to your employer. These are generally presented as bullet points below each job description.
Why? Any company will hire any employee if they feel that employee will add value to their business.
That means the core of a strong resume is proof that you have made an impact on previous employers.
Most resumes do not provide enough proof. Instead, they tend to focus way too much on responsibilities and not enough on accomplishments.
A responsibility is something you are supposed to do – it’s written in your job description. A customer service clerk is responsible for helping customers find what they’re looking for. A QA tester is responsible for finding software bugs. A Marketing VP is responsible for developing a marketing strategy.
But what does any of this tell me? If I am looking to hire one of these people, is it helpful to me to know what they were supposed to do? Of course not. I need to know what they did do.
One QA tester might have found very few bugs, while another may have suggested changes to the bug-tracking database that ensured quicker and more accurate fixes.
One sales clerk may never have left his or her post, while another became known for making an extra effort to help customers.
One Marketing VP may not have been able to implement his strategy because he didn’t gain management buy-in, while another contributed to a 25% sales increase.
34 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing So a key ingredient of a powerful resume is proof that you can add value, which you provide by placing the main focus on your accomplishments, not on your responsibilities.
Eventually, the work you do in this section of the guide will be edited down into accomplishment bullet points beneath each job description, so that the reader can quickly see your impact.
How do you write about your accomplishments? This is where I let you in on one of the most closely-held secrets of professional resume writers – the formula that will help you create great bullet points every time.
In my practice as a professional resume writer, I constantly meet people who have made a great impact on the companies they worked for but just didn’t see it that way. It’s common for people to say, “Oh that! That was nothing special. It was just part of my job.”
This is because most of us are so busy doing our jobs that it’s hard to step back and see what we have accomplished. But once you spend some time thinking about your work, you’ll be amazed at how much of an impact you have actually had in each of your positions – and this applies whether you’re an entry-level accountant whose only prior experience is volunteer work, or a senior-level executive with 20 years of experience.
The secret to getting at our accomplishments is to use what we call the challenge-action-results formula (or C.A.R.). It goes like this: 1. Challenge: What was the challenge (problem or situation) that existed before you took action? 2. Action: What action did you take and why? 3. Result: What was the result of your action? (How were things different once you were done?)
For example, a recent client was looking to stay in retail customer service with a major retail chain. We talked about her past experience and I asked her to describe a problem she had solved. Client: “The customer service desk was horribly disorganized, which meant that customers had to wait on line while staff hunted for the information they needed.”
35 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing This was the challenge. Next, I asked what she did (action) to fix this. Client: “I stayed late every night for a week after the store was closed and reorganized everything. Then I conducted a training session for the customer service team so that everyone knew where to find what they needed.”
What was the result? Client: “Lines were much shorter and we won the company’s customer service award 2 quarters in a row. Our mystery shopper ratings went up significantly.”
By telling this story, my client showed that she has problem-solving skills, takes the initiative, and really cares about excellence in customer service – which is a critical concern of retail hiring managers.
Here are more examples:
Programmer for animation studio Challenge: Modeling problems could be identified only during the rigging stage, which delayed production because we had to go back and redo the models.
Action: I developed a tool that enabled modelers to diagnose and correct modeling problems before rigging.
Result: We reduced expensive charge-backs and improved productivity. Modeling errors were reduced to almost zero.
Event Planner – not-for-profit Challenge: I had to obtain media exposure for small non-profit with limited budget.
Action: I had the idea for an Earth Day partnership with a leading health food retailer. I organized it from start to finish.
Result: Extensive media coverage, including The New York Times and ABC. As a result, the health food retailer formed an ongoing national partnership with the non-profit and, as of the time of writing, fundraising is up just over 8%.
36 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing HR Manager Challenge: Benefits costs were rising and management wanted to cut part-time staff from the plans in order to save money.
Action: Worked with broker to closely analyze claims history and came up with minor modifications to the plan that would impact very few employees.
Result: Negotiated a renewal of health benefits at 10% below nationwide average increase and kept part-time staff on the benefits plan.
Product Development Executive Challenge: Inherited under-performing department with no formal product strategy, no market research, and no clear value proposition for the main product.
Action: Conducted extensive market research to clarify consumer needs. Developed value proposition, and identified other product opportunities. Led development of 2 new products as a result of research and eliminated one old product.
Result: 40% increase in revenue over a two-year period, from $140M to $200M annually.
Executive Assistant Challenge: Consulting company didn’t have an accurate way of tracking projects or the whereabouts of consultants.
Action: Learned MS Access and created a resource assignment database.
Result: The new system allowed management to allocate 70 consultants efficiently.
Web Designer Challenge: Inherited project with unhappy client who had requested a new designer after several unsuccessful attempts to create a look client liked.
37 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Action: Spent a whole day with client and his staff, getting to know the business and their customers and to understand their value proposition.
Result: Came up with 3 new designs, one of which was chosen. Kept the client, who has since referred two other projects worth more than $22,000 in additional business for the company.
Office Manager Challenge: Brought in to work for three sales executives who had been without an assistant for more than a year. The office was a nightmare!
Action: Went through mountains of files and paperwork and met with each executive to find out individual needs. Established filing systems, set up a database and calendar system and made sure all client communication was funneled through me.
Result: Within 3 months had all the files cleared away and the database built. Managers were able to be much more productive and their sales results increased by 15% during the first year.
You can see that these achievements vary depending on the seniority and length of experience, but all address some frequent problem experienced by the hiring managers in that industry/profession.
Do it!
You are now going to write your own C.A.R. stories.
In the previous exercise, you created a list of your positions and drafted an outline of your job descriptions. Use that same document to write your C.A.R. stories – just type each story under the relevant position.
For each story, describe the initial situation (the challenge), what you did to fix the problem (the action), and what outcome (the result) occurred because of your efforts.
Write at least 5 C.A.R. stories for each of your last 3 positions and at least 3 for any prior positions.
38 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Once you’re done, you’ll have the basis for an extremely action-oriented resume that proves (by showing how you’ve done it in the past) that you can add value to your next employer.
Now save your ‘Exercises 2 and 3’ file, and you’re ready to move on to the last stage of preparation.
Exercise 4: Developing Your Value Proposition (Or “Who are you and why should they hire you?”) Now that you’ve developed the foundation for your resume by creating job descriptions and C.A.R. stories, I am going to introduce you to the most powerful idea of this whole guide.
If you do nothing else differently, do this one thing and you will immediately see an improvement in the response rate to your resume, in your confidence, and in your interview performance.
What’s the magic trick?
You are going to look at yourself in the same way a marketer looks at a product, and you’re going to develop your own value proposition.
What is a Value Proposition? Wikipedia defines a value proposition as “a statement summarizing the customer targets, competitor targets and the core strategy for how one intends to differentiate one’s product from the offerings of competitors.”
In other words, what makes you better than all the other people who want the same positions?
Examples of Value Propositions
A recent client (a marketing executive) had consistently driven sales and market share growth by re-evaluating the company’s product strategy and defining a clear market niche.
39 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing He had done this in small, medium, and large companies – even in challenging economic times and market downturns. It quickly became clear that this ability was the core of his value proposition because it was what differentiated him from other people in the same type of position.
He was targeting companies within an industry that was experiencing a lot of turmoil. Therefore, his ability to grow revenues by bringing clarity to their market strategy would be very appealing.
That is his value proposition.
Another client, a sales manager, was less fortunate in his choice of employers. He had worked in some very tough situations and had not always been able to beat his quotas but, in almost all his positions, he had forged unusual partnerships and alliances in order to get into new markets. This talent was a key feature of his value proposition, and it made him highly desirable to companies looking for that particular skill.
And this concept doesn’t work only for senior-level executives. Eileen was working as an executive assistant when she became my client, but she had a varied background encompassing everything from accountancy to travel agency work. When we first started working together, she claimed that she had no value proposition. “I’m just like every other clerical worker,” she told me. “There’s nothing special about me.”
I insisted that she complete the value proposition exercises and when we were done, she called me up.
“I’m amazed,” she said. “I never realized the common thread that runs through all my jobs. I’m Frodo Baggins! No matter how great the challenge, I’m always the one who offers to ‘take the ring,’ and somehow I find a way to get it done, no matter what field or industry.”
Bingo!
Why is the value proposition important? Your value proposition will clearly tell employers why they should consider hiring you. It will form the basis for your resume profile (a brief summary of your skills and experience which will lead off your resume).
40 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing It’s easy to forget that the people reading your resume know absolutely nothing about you. They are faced with nothing but a huge influx of resumes – most of them boring and indistinguishable from one another.
They are rushed and need to find that one special person – the one who meets their needs and can offer a solution to their problems.
YOU know all the reasons they should hire you, but they have no idea unless you spell it out for them really clearly.
How do you create your value proposition? Marketers create value propositions for their products because the audience doesn’t have time to figure out what’s great about their product. It’s just the same with people.
When a marketer develops the value proposition for a product, she looks at three things:
1. What are the needs/concerns/desires of my target audience? 2. What is unique about my product? 3. How does it address the needs/concerns/desires of my target market? Once she knows the answers to these questions, she can craft a marketing message that resonates with her target audience by showing that they need this product because it is the only one that can satisfy their need.
For your resume, you are going to do the exact same thing for yourself.
Your last exercise is broken into a series of questions that will lead you to the point where you can clearly articulate your value proposition.
In this exercise, you will identify:
A. What makes you unique and different?
B. What are the needs of your target employers?
C. How does “A” fit with “B” to create “C”: your unique value proposition?
41 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Do it! Start a new file entitled “Exercise 4” and let’s get started:
A) Questions About What Makes You Unique and Different 1. What are your strongest personal characteristics? Give examples of times you displayed this quality. (Being specific is very important – if the qualities you list are really your key strengths, you’ll be able to think of many examples of times you used these strengths.) If you need help, here’s an example from a recent client worksheet completed by a CFO: “I’m very tenacious – this means I just won’t give in when faced with a problem. In my last job, the company was almost out of business when I joined and everyone said I would fail. They said I’d never be able to get the cost structure in line and that the business was doomed. The other senior execs were demoralized and had also given up. After I ran the numbers, I saw why. The situation was grim, but I won’t give up without a fight! I pulled together a senior-level team and challenged them to develop a solution. We ended up completely refocusing the business, changing the product strategy and going into a new market. The business was profitable within 18 months and revenues are still growing 5 years later.
And here’s an example from an entry-level graphic designer: “I think my biggest strength is my ability to work with even the most challenging clients and make them happy by the end of the process. My boss often puts me on projects where the client didn’t like the first set of concepts, because she knows that I can always calm down angry clients and then figure out what they really want. I don’t know exactly how I figure that out – I guess it’s just a case of really listening and asking lots of questions. I also check in with them frequently and let them know it’s OK if they don’t like my first attempt because every failure is a step towards finding the answer. That stops them getting irate if I’ve totally missed what they wanted.”
Hint: If you have a hard time deciding on your strongest characteristics, look back over your C.A.R. stories for clues.
42 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing
2. What words are commonly used to describe you? 3. What compliments have you received on performance reviews? 4. When people tell you they admire something about you, what is it? 5. Review all the notes you have written so far. What are the common themes in your career?
B) Determining the Needs of Your Target Employers Now it’s time to switch focus and think about the needs of your target audience, just the way a marketer thinks about the people who might buy her product.
The only reason any employer hires any employee is to make his or her life better/easier/richer. (Remember the key question all employers have when they look at a resume: “What’s in it for me?”)
In order to show employers that you can solve their problems or make their business more successful, you have to understand their needs, issues, and problems.
Internet job sites are a goldmine of useful information. Go to a few of the major job search sites and look up postings for positions like the one you want.
Don’t worry about finding jobs in your geographic area because you’re not ready to apply yet. Just print out 10-15 job postings similar to the ones you would like to apply for.
Now go through them with a highlighter pen looking for:
What personal traits are employers looking for?
What skills are important?
What specific experience is required?
Anything else the ads have in common.
If you are looking to move to another industry or make a career change, you will need to be more creative and do extra research.
43 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Make contacts with people who currently work in that industry. Speak to recruiters. Read trade magazines and interviews with industry luminaries. Review financial reports.
As you do your research, patterns will emerge and you will learn what is important to industry insiders.
Hint: The issues will almost always relate to efficiency, sales, profit, costs, customer satisfaction, or some combination of all five.)
C) Match the two together and articulate your unique promise of value. Once you’ve assessed your skills, strengths, and career themes, and identified key concerns of your target employers, you’re ready to put the two together by creating your personal value proposition.
I have developed a formula that allows anyone to clearly articulate an individual value proposition, and I want you to use this formula to write your own value proposition.
The formula is: “I help (whom?) to (do what?) by (what skills do you use or what strategies do you employ?)”
For example, mine would be: “I help job seekers to get more interviews by writing high-impact resumes that compel employers to take action.”
Here’s one for a marketing executive: “I help companies increase product sales by focusing on what the consumer wants and then building all the marketing efforts around that research.
Or: “I lead successful company turnarounds by hiring exceptional managers and then letting them do their jobs without micro-managing.”
44 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Or: “I help sales teams generate more revenue by handling all administrative duties smoothly and efficiently, so that they can focus on the customer.”
Or: “I solve customer problems by always asking myself what I can do to make the situation better, and by remaining calm and polite no matter how difficult it may be.”
Now it’s your turn. I want you to articulate your value proposition using this formula: “I help (whom?) to (do what?) by (how do you do it?)”
This summary will form the basis of all your career marketing, so take your time to get it right.
Summary That’s it. Your resume preparation is done! You have developed the content that will make up 90% of your resume.
You now have:
A strong sense of the value proposition you need to communicate to potential employers.
Compelling job descriptions that tell a clear story.
Action-packed accomplishment stories that will form the basis of your resume bullet points.
Keep all the notes you made, even after your resume is complete. The work you did will be invaluable in completing your resume, but it will also serve to help you prepare for interviews.
45 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Module 3
Putting It All Together & Writing Your Resume
ongratulations! You have now done all the necessary work to create a great resume. You should have lots of notes and now you just C have to condense them all down into a resume that sells you to prospective employers.
You’re going to do this by developing a resume that communicates exactly how you will help employers solve their problems or capitalize on their opportunities.
In other words, your new resume will clearly communicate your value proposition.
In this section, we’ll cover: 1. Choosing a resume template. 2. Writing a strong profile that communicates your value proposition. 3. Writing an action-packed career chronology that gets employers excited about meeting with you. 4. Writing about your education.
46 5. Deciding whether to include technical skills (and where they should go on the resume). 6. Deciding what other information to include. 7. Saving your resume in different formats. 8. Evaluating the effectiveness of your new resume.
Step 1: Choosing a Template You can create your resume format from scratch or use one of the templates included with this guide.
The templates are in the form of actual resumes to help you determine where to type your own information. DON’T use the wording that’s there to describe you, even if some of it applies. Type over what’s there with your own words and your own information.
You are free to type into the templates as they are, use them as inspiration, or completely restructure them – the key is to develop a resume structure that sells you and serves to highlight your own key selling points and value proposition.
Don’t be a slave to an existing template if it’s not right for you.
Resume Design Considerations If you are going to use one of the existing templates without making any changes to fonts or design, you may want to skip this section and go right Step 2 to get started on your content.
But if you plan to change the structure, fonts, or any other aspect of the template you’ve chosen, you should read this section before you continue because there are some important resume design principles you need to understand.
Design mistakes cost jobs, because they can render your resume unreadable on many computers. Don’t let this happen to you.
47 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Overview
At least 50% of the impact of your resume derives from design. A strong resume design will guide the eye through the document, making it easy to keep reading, and it will highlight your key strengths clearly.
Because it’s easy on the eye and informative, a nicely designed resume will receive more than a few seconds’ attention. But if your resume is badly laid out, disorganized, or hard to read, it will be discarded before the reader knows how qualified you are.
What Makes a Good Resume Design?
Lots of White Space
The most common resume problem in my experience is a lack of white space. In their desire to tell everything, people tend to cram too much information onto the page, with the result that very little is read. One of the most This is your one chance to impress prospective common resume employers, so it’s natural to want to tell them problems is a lack everything about yourself. But you have to think of your resume as the product “brochure” rather than of white space. the whole catalog. Your goal is to get the reader to pick up the phone and call you.
You need to showcase only the very best, most appealing information in your resume – you can save the rest for the interview. Don’t be tempted to include all the details of everything you were responsible for, or every impact you ever made. Just choose the most important information.
How do you decide what’s important? Be guided by:
1. Your value proposition (if it doesn’t support that, don’t include it). 2. Your research into employer needs. The golden rule when laying out your resume is to remember that you must get your key points across in 20 seconds or less. Before you design your resume, look at the resume examples at the end of this guide and notice how the pages have been laid out.
48 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Pay careful attention to how white space is used to make the resume easy to read and to draw the eye to key information. Then apply what you’ve learned to your resume.
Of course, you can use one of our pre-formatted resume templates to ensure that your resume looks as good as possible.
Use formatting tricks to draw the eye
When readers first read a resume, they are skimming quickly, looking for key pieces of information. You can give your resume much more impact just by making sure they see the information you want them to.
If you look at direct mail pieces, you’ll see that certain words are bolded, underlined, or italicized. That’s because the copywriter wants to draw your eye to that information.
I’m not suggesting that you make your resume look like a piece of direct mail, but I am saying that you can use bolding, italics, white space, lines, and other formatting tricks to ensure that the reader sees what you want him or her to see.
For example, if you have worked for some very impressive and high profile companies, bold the names and write them in capital letters. If your job titles are more impressive, un-bold the company name and bold the title. If you have a history of quantifiable results, use bolding to draw the eye to numbers.
Keep your value proposition in mind, and use formatting to highlight those things that help convince employers you are the right choice.
Reviewing all the resumes in this guide will give you lots of ideas how this can be done.
Font choice and size
Please don’t use a tiny font just to squeeze a bit more information on to the page. Your font should be easy to read quickly. Don’t just look at it on paper – look at it on the computer screen too, since that’s how many readers will view your resume the first time.
Also, be aware that the fonts you have on your computer may not be the same as the fonts others have on their computers.
49 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing If you send a document to someone who doesn’t have the same font installed, his computer will substitute an alternate. This can really mess with your formatting, and can push a two-page resume on to three or four pages, not to mention just making it look plain ugly.
That’s why it’s critical to stick with commonly used fonts when creating your resume, so that you can be sure it will look good when you email it to other people.
Here are the most commonly installed Windows fonts (that are also suitable for resumes) according to www.codestyle.org. I have shown the percentage of computers estimated to have this font installed along with the smallest size you should use for that font in the body of your resume.
Note About Macs Very few HR people or recruiters use Macs at work – even those who work in creative environments – but if you use a Mac (as I do) you can use the Windows fonts listed above, provided you are working within Word for Mac.
Don’t try to create your resume in the Mac program Pages because it will not translate well across platforms, even when you save your documents with
50 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing the MS Word .doc format. You must work with Word during your job search because it is the business default system and the one that 99% of resume recipients will be using.
Don’t Use MS Drawing Objects MS Word allows you to create lines, boxes, etc. using the drawing toolbar. But many people don’t know that these objects might not show up when the resume is emailed.
This is because Word has a number of settings in which users can view documents. If a user has their MS Word set to display in “Print Layout View,” the lines and boxes will show on the screen, but if the setting is for “Normal View,” the lines and boxes will not be there.
Each person has a different preference and therefore you can’t be sure how your resume will be seen if you use drawing objects or Word Art (a feature that allows you to create unusual text effects in Word).
Therefore, never use any of the features on the ‘drawing’ tool bar when creating your resume.
What is the Ideal Resume Length? There are no hard and fast rules about resume length and this is always a judgment call. As a rule of thumb, Don’t be fooled I generally create one-page resumes for people with by the one-page five years (or less) of experience. Almost everyone resume myth! else will benefit from two pages, and some senior executives may need three.
You may have heard that resumes should be only one page long. This is a MYTH. I don’t know where it came from and it seriously bugs me. Because in all the 15 years that I was involved with hiring as an HR executive, I never once based an interview decision on whether the resume was one or two pages long. Nor did I ever have a manager tell me, “Nope. I don’t want to interview Joe Blow because his resume is two pages long.”
I am assuming that some career coaching company or some writer, somewhere back in the mists of time, decided to tout this idea as a way to differentiate
51 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing their approach from others on the market. And somehow it worked its way into popular thought, even though it has no basis in fact.
None.
Here’s the only rule about resume length: Your resume should be as long as is needed to communicate your true value to an organization, while not using a word more than is necessary.
A couple of guidelines to that end:
Generally employers are most interested in recent experience and it’s best to give fewer details as you get further back in the career chronology.
If you have more than 20 years experience, you may wish to summarize early years so as not to give away age. This will also give you room for more recent experience.
As always, there is an exception to this rule.
If you have early experience that is very relevant to your goals (perhaps you’re returning to a field you left many years ago) you need to include that early experience. (You should also refer to it in your profile, as this is a key aspect of your value proposition.)
Step 2: Writing a Strong Resume Profile
What is it? The resume profile is a summary of your skills, experience, and value proposition, and it usually takes up the first quarter to one third of a resume. Here is an example:
52 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing STEPHEN J. PETERS 5 Davies Avenue, Bronxville, NY 010708 Resume Profile [email protected] / (212) 555-5555
SENIOR SALES AND MARKETING EXECUTIVE Business Software Solutions ▪ CRM ▪ Sales Force Automation ▪ Sales Process Consulting Dynamic, high-performance executive with a proven ability to build and lead top-flight sales teams and an aggressive drive for results. Broad industry experience with special expertise in sales force automation and product configuration for client/server, web and hosted CRM products. Consistently proven able to hit the ground running, inspiring others and producing exceptional results within a short period of time. Management Strengths Include: Solutions-Oriented Selling Consultative Sales Approach Branding and Positioning Revenue and Profit Growth New Market Penetration P&L Management Contract Negotiations Key Account Management Product Configuration
Entrepreneurial leader known for ability to penetrate new markets, produce impressive sales results and grow market share and profitability
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
ESYSTEMS, INC. 2003 – PRESENT Fortune 500 company specializing in transactional processing and business process outsourcing internationally. Vice President of Sales and Marketing Recruited to expand B2B market for hosted version of SalesLogix CRM product. Given full accountability for planning and executing national sales strategy, identifying and capturing key accounts, and establishing a competitive market position. Currently report directly to SVP, Sales and Marketing. Reduced licensing costs by 75% after identifying that pricing issues would hinder a successful market entry. Renegotiated critical agreement with SalesLogix, thereby positioning the company to compete favorably with other hosted solutions. Defined target market and developed comprehensive market positioning, branding, and pricing strategy. Conceived and managed low-cost marketing campaigns, building strong awareness despite limited marketing budget. Combined carefully targeted direct mail and email campaigns with educational executive briefings to effectively position the brand with the target demographic. The resume profile tells the reader exactly why he or she should hire you. Think I-LEVEL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS, INC. 2000 – 2002 of it as a mini-resumeLeading global Microsoft – Businessa summary Solutions consultancy of your in the world skills, strengths, and experience that communicatesDirector exactly of eCRM forhow the Northeast you will add value. Joined i-Level after their acquisition of Prime Technologies and assumed full responsibility for P&L, marketing, business development and sales for all front-office applications in the Northeast region. Accountable for annual regional sales target of $8 million. Provided strategic and tactical leadership to team of eight. Successfully integrated the Prime team into i-Level culture, maintaining high morale and low employee Why profilesturnover beat during theobjectives transition. every time Delivered 236% of sales quota in the first year, outperforming every other region in the company. It is a much moreCreated effective a high-performance, start high-reward to the culture resume by setting challengingthan the individual commonly sales targets, used monitoring performance and rewarding top-producers. “objective.” ThisAchieved is because platinum (top an dealer) objective status with two is major focused publishers withinon the nine months.needs of the job seeker, whereas resumes that start with a profile are focused on the needs of the employer.
Remember: No one cares about you right now. They only care about one thing: Will you make a positive impact on their organization?
These are the questions they’ll be asking themselves:
Will you …
53 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Add sales?
Help us be more organized?
Ease my workload?
Clear that backlog of papers?
Boost profits?
Grow market share?
Cut costs?
Enhance productivity?
Negotiate better deals?
Improve the quality of our staff?
Help employee morale?
Make clients happy?
Hopefully, your employer will care about your goals once he or she has decided to hire you, but for now, all he cares about are his business needs – and your resume introduction must grab his attention by showing that you can meet those needs.
Why a Strong Profile is Important I used to read a lot of resumes when I worked in HR. For each vacancy, I would make several passes through the resumes in my inbox.
On the first go-round, I was looking for those people who met the basic qualifications as advertised. If I could see that within 20 seconds, the resume went in the ‘yes’ folder on my computer. If not, it was consigned to the ‘no’ folder, never to be looked at again.
On the second pass, I was reading more closely – maybe for as long as 45 seconds to a minute. Now I was looking to narrow the applications down to a pool of people worth considering for interview.
Only after that second pass would I stop and carefully review every word of the remaining resumes to choose 5 to 10 people for interviews.
54 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing So you can see how important it is to quickly and clearly communicate your value.
If your resume gives the impression that you will make a positive contribution, you will get interviews. If it doesn’t, you will be passed over. It’s really that simple. And this is why your resume profile must convey your value proposition immediately, clearly, and distinctly.
Profile Dos and Don’ts
Write the Profile in Your Words
Please don’t be tempted to copy someone else’s summary section. If it’s not yours, it just won’t ring true.
The profile is the employer’s introduction to you. It’s his or her first impression. If it really describes you and what makes you special, you are much more likely to get interviews with the types of companies where you would fit. Employers are looking for ‘fit’ as much as they’re looking for skills.
A resume that uses someone else’s words and emphasizes someone else’s strengths may get you in the door, but it won’t get you the job you really want in a place that will make you happy.
Write honestly and persuasively about your unique value proposition and you are MUCH more likely to get interviews with the kinds of companies you want to work for.
Make Sure Your Profile is Unique
It’s no exaggeration to say that most resume profiles are filled with commonly used words and clichés.
Take this profile from a resume I received recently: Accomplished business professional with broad range of experience from human resource management, consulting and public relations, to export management. Possess strong entrepreneurial skills and exemplary interpersonal skills; relate easily at all levels of decision-making process.
It’s well written, professional, and concise. But it’s also bland and boring and gives me no insight into the person who wrote it.
55 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing It’s filled with what I call “resume-speak” — commonly used phrases that people believe belong on a resume because they’ve seen them a million times on other resumes.
Can you spot the culprits? How about “results-oriented” and “accomplished”?
By all means use those words if they go to the heart of who you are. But don’t use them just because they sound good and you’ve seen other people use them. Because if that’s the case, your resume will be competing against all the other “accomplished, results-oriented” salespeople out there, and you will lose because that’s not who you authentically are.
This idea of authenticity is important for more reasons than you might think.
First, as we have already discussed, identifying your strengths will help you to create a compelling value proposition for your resume. But there are two other important benefits:
1. Attracting the Right Companies A resume that reflects your own personality, strengths, skills, and values will generate interviews from the types of companies you want to work for.
For example, if you are not happy in a company that does not want change, you shouldn’t even waste time interviewing there.
By creating a message centered on your love of change, you can ensure that your resume strikes a chord with the right kind of companies – and that it eliminates you from consideration at some other companies.
Use words like ‘change agent’ if that’s you. Talk about your ability to drive large-scale change, or turn around under-performing departments, or organize dysfunctional offices.
You will scare the living daylights out of staid, conservative organizations, but you would be miserable in that type of environment anyway.
2. Forming the Basis for Interviews Your resume will often be used as a basis for the interview by busy executives who haven’t had time to prepare questions. As your interviewer runs from a meeting to interview you, someone shoves a copy of your resume into her hand. She knows nothing about you and hasn’t even had time to eat lunch. So
56 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing she shakes your hand, sits down, and quickly scans your resume looking for interview questions.
If your resume focuses on your strengths, you can be sure that many interview questions will center on those abilities, thus giving you an opportunity to talk about your success stories.
Make Your Profile Specific and Focused
Another problem with the profile I cited above is that it’s too broad in its target. This job seeker wants to appeal to employers with vacancies in PR, HR, consulting, and export management, but the chances are he will appeal to none of them.
The fact is that you don’t have everything that every employer is looking for. The good news is that neither does anyone else. The key to success is to create a resume that focuses the reader’s attention on your unique selling points and deflects attention from any areas of weakness.
Note: If your background really is very varied, consider writing several different resumes for different audiences. Highlight your PR skills on one and your export management skills on another by developing several different value propositions. But don’t try to create one resume that will cover all the bases because you will dilute your message too much. We’ll talk more about this later.
Focus on the Employer’s Needs Earlier you made a list of employer concerns/problems. Review that list now to remind yourself of the employer’s perspective. Your profile should sell your key skills, but should position them in light of employers’ needs.
How Do You Write Your Profile?
To create your profile, you’re going to follow a four-step process:
1. Create the resume headline. 2. Write a sub-header that communicates your value proposition. 3. Write a paragraph to summarize your strengths.
57 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing 4. Highlight your skills in a skills summary.
STEPHEN J. PETERS 1) Resume Headline 5 Davies Avenue, Bronxville, NY 010708 2) Sub Header [email protected] / (212) 555-5555
SENIOR SALES AND MARKETING EXECUTIVE Business Software Solutions ▪ CRM ▪ Sales Force Automation ▪ Sales Process Consulting Dynamic, high-performance executive with a proven ability to build and lead top-flight sales teams and an aggressive drive for results. Broad industry experience with special expertise in sales force automation and product configuration for client/server, web and hosted CRM products. Consistently proven able to hit the ground running, inspiring others and producing exceptional results within a short period of time. Management Strengths Include: Solutions-Oriented Selling Consultative Sales Approach Branding and Positioning Revenue and Profit Growth New Market Penetration P&L Management Contract Negotiations Key Account Management Product Configuration
Entrepreneurial leader known for ability to penetrate new markets, produce impressive sales results and grow market share and profitability
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 3) Profile Paragraph 4) Skills Summary
ESYSTEMS, INC. 2003 – PRESENT Fortune 500 company specializing in transactional processing and business process outsourcing internationally. Vice President of Sales and Marketing Recruited to expand B2B market for hosted version of SalesLogix CRM product. Given full accountability for planning and executing national sales strategy, identifying and capturing key accounts, and establishing a competitive market position. Currently report directly to SVP, Sales and Marketing. Reduced licensing costs by 75% after identifying that pricing issues would hinder a successful market entry. Renegotiated critical agreement with SalesLogix, thereby positioning the company to compete favorably with other hosted solutions. Throughout Definedthis process target market you’ll and developed be referring comprehensive to market your positioning, notes, branding, so this and wouldpricing strategy. be a Conceived and managed low-cost marketing campaigns, building strong awareness despite limited good time tomarketing print budget. them Combined out so carefully you targeted can referdirect mail to and them email campaigns as you with work. educational executive briefings to effectively position the brand with the target demographic.
I-LEVEL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS, INC. 2000 – 2002 Leading global Microsoft Business Solutions consultancy in the world Do it!Director of eCRM for the Northeast Joined i-Level after their acquisition of Prime Technologies and assumed full responsibility for P&L, As you marketing,write different business development sections and sales of for your all front-office resume, applications I’ll point in the Northeast you to region. the notes Accountable for annual regional sales target of $8 million. Provided strategic and tactical leadership to team you madeof eight. for specific exercises. For your profile, use your notes from exercise 4,Successfully where integrated you developed the Prime team into your i-Level value culture, proposition.maintaining high morale You’ll and low be employee referring turnover during the transition. to these notesDelivered as 236% you of saleswrite quota this in the section.first year, outperforming (Don’t worry,every other we region haven’t in the company. forgotten exercises 1-3Created – awe’ll high-performance, get to those high-reward as culture you by create setting challenging the rest individual of your sales targets, resume.) monitoring performance and rewarding top-producers. Achieved platinum (top dealer) status with two major publishers within nine months.
1. Write the Resume Headline
Since the people reading your resume are busy, you’re going to make their lives a little easier by clearly stating the job title you’d like in the headline of the
58 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing resume (e.g.. “Marketing Vice President” or – if your goals are a little broader – a more generic heading such as “Senior Finance Executive”). The idea is to quickly convey your desired position in a few seconds.
Some people are very uncomfortable with this approach as it feels too much like advertising, but guess what...it is!
This is not the time to be shy or retiring. By putting the job title upfront, you let overwhelmed recruiters and HR executives know which position you want to be considered for. Don’t forget, they have many vacancies to fill and if they can’t understand where you fit in, they won’t take much time trying to figure it out.
Don’t worry about pigeonholing yourself with a title here – you can change this title for every position. You can have 25 different versions of your resume if you want! The key is to always send a resume that clearly communicates your fit for the desired position, and the title is the first place to do this.
2. Write a sub-header that communicates your value proposition
This sub-header is your opportunity to tell the employer exactly what makes you different from other candidates, and I suggest basing your sub-header on your value proposition.
When you developed that, you incorporated the needs of employers into your thinking, so your value proposition is perfect for conveying exactly how you will help them.
Sub-Header Examples
Let me show you what you are aiming for:
Here is an example for a client who had decided that he wanted to work for a large international corporation and that he did not want to work in a well- established company where nothing was changing – he wanted either a start- up, a turnaround, or a rapidly growing company. INTERNATIONAL FINANCE EXECUTIVE Consistently improved the financial performance of large multi-national corporations in the US and Europe. Equally successful in start-up, rapid growth and turnaround organizations.
This resume will not appeal to small domestic companies looking to stay in maintenance mode, but that’s OK. My client doesn’t want to interview for jobs
59 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing he won’t enjoy, so he targeted his header and sub-header in order to ensure he gets calls from only the ‘right’ kind of company.
Here are some more examples from my own resume clients: VIDEO GAME PROGRAMMER Math wizard with over 5 years C++ experience and a proven ability to meet tight deadlines. Creative, tenacious approach to problem-solving has resulted in a reputation for “always finding a way.”
HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR Track record of success in turnaround environments – equally capable of building a great HR function from scratch or revitalizing an under-utilized HR team
senior marketing & advertising executive Successful brand strategist with a proven ability to grow revenues/market share for diverse clients such as AT&T, Lexus, McDonalds, Reebok and Ford
RECRUITMENT Manager Technical and Professional Recruitment from Entry-Level to Executive Cuts recruitment costs and improves time-to-fill positions
administrative assistant 6+ years experience in sales administration. Blends extensive CRM experience with a reputation for exceptional organization skills
Public relations coordinator Build exceptional media relationships – extensive “Rolodex” includes business writers from all major national newspapers and TV news broadcasts.
Now it’s your turn. Go back to your Exercise 4 notes on your value proposition and develop an effective sub-heading that will appeal to your target companies.
60 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing 3: Write a Paragraph to Describe Your Strengths
Next you are going to summarize your strongest selling points in a short paragraph designed to provide a quick overview of your skills and your personal style.
This paragraph follows your headline and sub-header and should be no more than five or six lines long. It’s important to make it brief because you want readers to at least skim it for information – a very dense, long paragraph will ensure that they just skip the whole thing. Not the effect you’re hoping for!
You will find the information you need in your Exercise 4 notes – pay special attention to the themes of your career and the things other people say about you.
Examples of Profile Paragraphs:
Here are some examples from resumes I developed.
For an Animation Artist: Creative artist with a recognized talent for conveying personalities, emotions, weight, and motion. Collaborates well with others to generate and execute ideas within tight deadlines. Earned a reputation for dedication, humor, intelligence, and going “above and beyond” to help teammates.
For a Marketing Director: Award-winning and tenacious marketer with a rare combination of creative vision, strategic planning ability and project management skills. Proven ability to effectively position brands and entertainment properties by utilizing a blend of intuition and comprehensive market analysis. Consistently developed and nurtured ‘evergreen’ properties, which have generated revenue across multiple business units. Controlled marketing budgets of up to $35 million and provided leadership to international cross-functional teams of 40+.
For an entry-level Film Production Assistant: High-energy professional eager to make a positive contribution to a production company. Known for willingness to go “over and above,” working long hours in challenging circumstances to get the job done. Experience includes casting, production, development, and talent agency work – all while studying full-time and writing an award-winning screenplay.
61 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing For a Web Developer: Six Sigma Project Management: 10 years’ experience managing the design, development and implementation of Web and multimedia solutions. Delivered 98.3% of projects on time and never exceeded a project budget. Award-Winning Art Direction: Possess experience and formal training in computer art, which provides a ‘real world’ perspective on interface design and an ability to manage the creative process effectively. High-Impact Search Engine Marketing: Drove traffic increases of 1000% and more by combining search engine optimization with pay-per-click advertising and paid submission. Effective Editorial & Content Development: Transformed under-utilized web site into vibrant, highly regarded community-based site with over 250,000 members.
As I said, it’s important to keep this section as brief as possible, but if you do need to include a lot of information (as in the last example above), break it up using spacing, bolding, bullets, and other formatting tricks.
Write your profile paragraph now.
4. Highlight Your Skills in a Skills Summary
After the short descriptive paragraph, it’s a good idea to convey your key skills in an eye-catching fashion. To do this, I have two favorite approaches — a bullet point list of skills like this one…
62 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing … or a few selected highlights to illustrate how you used your skills to add value, as in the next sample.
You can even combine both strategies into one “super-introduction” if that seems appropriate.
There are no set rules. Rather, the approach you take should be dictated by what best communicates your strengths and ability to add value.
And remember, you must always stress skills that relate directly to the needs of your target employers. Leave off skills that, however impressive, do not do this.
This means that you should use your notes from Exercise 4 to compile your skills list. In this exercise you looked at your own abilities and the needs of your target employers. Be sure to take those employer needs into consideration when you decide which skills to highlight.
A Word About Keywords Many companies now use applicant-tracking systems to store resumes. HR managers or recruiters search these systems looking for keywords (words that indicate that a candidate is qualified for the job).
63 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Some job seekers think this means that they have to add a keyword section to their resume, but it’s not actually true. Since the system scans for certain words, it will find them whether you have a special keyword section or not. Even if you just put the keywords throughout the resume, they can still be found. So, when you write your resume, it may be appropriate to include keywords in your profile as a skills listing, but you can also scatter them throughout your resume.
As far as which keywords you should use, that really depends on your industry and/or field. Your research on job postings and company problems will come in handy as you decide on keywords. HR managers and recruiters will likely search resume databases using words that are in the job requirements.
If you’re applying for a specific job, you can amend your resume to include these words, but if you’re sending out a more general resume to recruiters or companies, try to incorporate as many commonly used keywords as you can without distorting the meaning of your resume. (Remember, humans will have to read it too!)
And never, ever include keywords that don’t apply to you. If you don’t have the skills, nothing will annoy recruiters more than finding that you’ve added keywords for them on your resume just to beat the system.
Summary That’s it. You can come back and tweak this profile once you’ve written the rest of the resume if you realize something’s missing, but you’ve done the bulk of the work now.
64 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Step 3: Writing an Action-Packed Career Chronology After you have introduced yourself in a strong profile, you need to write your career chronology or history.
STEPHEN J. PETERS 5 Davies Avenue, Bronxville, NY 010708 [email protected] / (212) 555-5555
SENIOR SALES AND MARKETING EXECUTIVE Business Software Solutions ▪ CRM ▪ Sales Force Automation ▪ Sales Process Consulting Dynamic, high-performance executive with a proven ability to build and lead top-flight sales teams and an aggressive drive for results. Broad industry experience with special expertise in sales force automation and product configuration for client/server, web and hosted CRM products. Consistently proven able to hit the ground running, inspiring others and producing exceptional results within a short period of time. Management Strengths Include: Solutions-Oriented Selling Consultative Sales Approach Branding and Positioning Revenue and Profit Growth New Market Penetration P&L Management Contract Negotiations Key Account Management Product Configuration
Entrepreneurial leader known for ability to penetrate new markets, produce impressive sales results and grow market share and profitability Career Chronology
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
ESYSTEMS, INC. 2003 – PRESENT Fortune 500 company specializing in transactional processing and business process outsourcing internationally. Vice President of Sales and Marketing Recruited to expand B2B market for hosted version of SalesLogix CRM product. Given full accountability for planning and executing national sales strategy, identifying and capturing key accounts, and establishing a competitive market position. Currently report directly to SVP, Sales and Marketing. Reduced licensing costs by 75% after identifying that pricing issues would hinder a successful market entry. Renegotiated critical agreement with SalesLogix, thereby positioning the company to compete favorably with other hosted solutions. Defined target market and developed comprehensive market positioning, branding, and pricing strategy. Conceived and managed low-cost marketing campaigns, building strong awareness despite limited marketing budget. Combined carefully targeted direct mail and email campaigns with educational executive briefings to effectively position the brand with the target demographic.
I-LEVEL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS, INC. 2000 – 2002 Leading global Microsoft Business Solutions consultancy in the world Director of eCRM for the Northeast Joined i-Level after their acquisition of Prime Technologies and assumed full responsibility for P&L, marketing, business development and sales for all front-office applications in the Northeast region. Accountable for annual regional sales target of $8 million. Provided strategic and tactical leadership to team of eight. Successfully integrated the Prime team into i-Level culture, maintaining high morale and low employee turnover during the transition. Delivered 236% of sales quota in the first year, outperforming every other region in the company. What is it? Created a high-performance, high-reward culture by setting challenging individual sales targets, monitoring performance and rewarding top-producers. This section isAchieved where platinum you (top lay dealer) out status your with careertwo major publishershistory within for nine employers. months.
65 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Why is it Important? Your reader wants to make sense of who you are by reviewing what you’ve done in the past. He wants to see how you have added value to other companies so that he can tell how you might add value to his.
He’s also looking for problems – reasons to eliminate your resume from consideration. Your job is to tell the story of your career and demonstrate your ability to add value by showing what you have done for other organizations.
How to write an effective career chronology In this section, you’re going to use the preparation you did in Exercises 2 and 3 to:
1. List each position. 2. Give brief job descriptions. 3. Write challenge-action-results bullet points.
See below for an illustration of how this will work in the resume.
66 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing STEPHEN J. PETERS 5 Davies Avenue, Bronxville, NY 010708 [email protected] / (212) 555-5555
SENIOR SALES AND MARKETING EXECUTIVE Business Software Solutions ▪ CRM ▪ Sales Force Automation ▪ Sales Process Consulting Dynamic, high-performance executive with a proven ability to build and lead top-flight sales teams and an aggressive drive for results. Broad industry experience with special expertise in sales force automation and product configuration for client/server, web and hosted CRM products. Consistently proven able to hit the ground running, inspiring others and producing exceptional results within a short period of time. Management Strengths Include: Solutions-Oriented Selling Consultative Sales Approach Branding and Positioning Revenue and Profit Growth New Market Penetration P&L Management Contract Negotiations Key Account Management Product Configuration
Entrepreneurial leader known for ability to penetrate new markets, produce impressive sales results and grow market share and profitability
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 1) List each position you’ve held 2) Write brief job description ESYSTEMS, INC. 2003 – PRESENT Fortune 500 company specializing in transactional processing and business process outsourcing internationally. Vice President of Sales and Marketing Recruited to expand B2B market for hosted version of SalesLogix CRM product. Given full accountability for planning and executing national sales strategy, identifying and capturing key accounts, and establishing a competitive market position. Currently report directly to SVP, Sales and Marketing. Reduced licensing costs by 75% after identifying that pricing issues would hinder a successful market entry. Renegotiated critical agreement with SalesLogix, thereby positioning the company to compete favorably with other hosted solutions. Defined target market and developed comprehensive market positioning, branding, and pricing strategy. Conceived and managed low-cost marketing campaigns, building strong awareness despite limited marketing budget. Combined carefully targeted direct mail and email campaigns with educational executive briefings to effectively position the brand with the target demographic.
I-LEVEL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS, INC. 2000 – 2002 Leading global Microsoft Business Solutions consultancy in the world 3) Write C.A.R Bullet Points Director of eCRM for the Northeast Joined i-Level after their acquisition of Prime Technologies and assumed full responsibility for P&L, marketing, business development and sales for all front-office applications in the Northeast region. Accountable for annual regional sales target of $8 million. Provided strategic and tactical leadership to team of eight. Successfully integrated the Prime team into i-Level culture, maintaining high morale and low employee turnover during the transition. Delivered 236% of sales quota in the first year, outperforming every other region in the company. Created a high-performance, high-reward culture by setting challenging individual sales targets, monitoring performance and rewarding top-producers. Achieved platinum (top dealer) status with two major publishers within nine months.
When you’re done, you will have created a compelling story of exactly how you have helped your previous employers to succeed.
1. List each position Begin by listing each position you have held, starting with the most recent and working backwards. Include company name, town and state, dates of employment, job title, and a brief description of the company. Here’s an example:
67 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing ACCLAIM ENTERTAINMENT, New York, NY 2000–2005 International developer of interactive software Human Resources Manager
Note: Use bolding selectively to draw attention to the most persuasive information. For example, if you have worked for big name companies with impressive reputations, you may want to bold company name instead of job title. But if your job titles are more impressive than your employers, then that’s what you should bold.
As always, it’s about putting your best foot forward, whatever that is.
2. Write your job descriptions In Exercise 2, you wrote about your previous positions. Now you’re going to use that information to write a compelling description of each position.
The purpose is to set the stage for your readers. In order to understand your accomplishments, they need to understand your role within the company and the situation in which you found yourself.
How to write effective job descriptions
Don’t give too much detail about your job duties. Unless you have a highly unusual job, you don’t need to explain it in depth. If you’re a CFO, the reader will pretty much know what you’re accountable for. If you’re an executive assistant, the same applies. Cost accountants are similar the world over, as are HR managers.
And knowing what you were responsible for doesn’t actually tell me what you did. Any parent knows that teenagers don’t clean their rooms just because they’re responsible for doing so.
However, you do need to give some basic information on job responsibilities in order to set the stage for your accomplishments. I recommend keeping job descriptions to no more than four or five lines and spicing them up with another secret ingredient of professional resume writers ... context.
68 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing You probably know the old real estate cliché that says the three most important things in real estate are “location, location, location.” In resume writing, I believe the three most important things are context, context, and context.
In order to really appreciate your achievements, the reader needs context. If a sales person says that she boosted sales by 10% over the prior year, it’s hard to know how impressive that is. Perhaps the whole industry was up 10%. Perhaps her predecessor was so lazy that it took no effort to boost sales by that much. The accomplishment becomes much more impressive when you find out that the industry was in a downturn and that several competitors had gone out of business.
The job description section is the perfect place to include this information.
This is why I asked you about the situation when you took each position: Because you can use this information to set the scene for your reader.
Examples of effective job descriptions
Let me show you how this works using examples from real resumes. Remember, never copy the examples I give you – just use them to give you ideas about what might work for you.
In this resume, the job description provides context and allows the reader to imagine how this assistant might contribute in any office setting. It also sets the stage for the bulleted accomplishment that follows:
XYZ Association, Washington DC Office Manager Hired to organize busy office of Washington non-profit organization. Established office procedures, organized 5 volunteers and implemented filing and storage systems to gain control of three-year backlog of disorganized information. • Cleared 226 cartons of policy statements, memos and briefings within 3 months.
The accomplishment of clearing 226 cartons within 3 months would be much less impressive if you didn’t know why the action was necessary.
Without context, your accomplishments float out there, sometimes not making much sense. But with context, you tell an impressive and compelling story.
69 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Here are some more examples of job descriptions that provide context for the accomplishments that follow:
Vice President, Marketing – Theme Parks, 1995 – 2000 Initially hired to transform marketing strategy and build brand equity for under- performing theme park in which the company had invested $400 million. Quickly assumed additional responsibility for three parks in Asia while also conducting market research and feasibility analyses for new ventures in France, the UK and Argentina. Provided direction and guidance to 35 employees in two countries.
In this case, knowing that the park has been struggling and that the company has invested a lot of money is important, because in fact this job seeker turned that situation around. When she describes the revenue growth, this contextual information will emphasize just how impressive it is.
Here’s another example, this time for a Web production manager brought in to overhaul an unprofitable web site:
GPA media llc, San Francisco, CA (1999 – Present) Executive Producer, mediabuzz.com Promoted to this position after former employer acquired GPA. Led team of 10 to develop content, establish strategic partnerships and find innovative ways to drive traffic. Turned around this unprofitable site by leveraging existing content from the annual Media Conference and Media Buzz magazine while also generating marketing leads for both organizations. Built a site which is now recognized as the industry leader.
In this case, very little is said about job responsibilities. Instead, the focus is on setting the scene for the reader so that he/she can appreciate the extent of the accomplishments to follow.
70 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Do it! OK, it’s time to take your notes from Exercise 2 and turn them into concise, compelling, context-filled job descriptions like the examples above.
Instead of simply listing your responsibilities, weave them into action- oriented job descriptions that help your readers understand exactly what you faced in each position.
3. Write challenge-action-results bullet points Now it’s time for the real meat of your resume – the accomplishment bullet points that will help readers understand the value you can bring to their organization by showing them what you’ve done for others.
How to write C.A.R. bullet points
To do this, you’re going to summarize the C.A.R. stories you wrote earlier.
The goal is to include the challenge, action, and result in your bullet points, but to keep them as brief as possible.
Action-pack your C.A.R. bullet points
Be sure to use lots of action words throughout this section of your resume because this keeps your resume fast-paced and conveys a sense of movement.
To do this, start all your bullet points with an action verb:
Delivered 10% increase in productivity by …
Solved challenging coding problem …
Reorganized HR filing system …
Transformed disorganized office into …
Boosted sales ...
Changed approach to ...
71 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Dynamic, high-energy language shows that you are a dynamic, high-energy person who will come into your new job and start taking action to make things better.
Look at everything you’ve written and add action verbs wherever possible.
List of Suggested Action Verbs
To help get you started, here is a list of some of my favorite action words:
Revitalized
Increased
Boosted
Revamped
Initiated
Conceived
Designed
Created
Developed
Led
Spearheaded
Transformed
Replaced
Built
Established
Devised
Overhauled
Launched
Generated
72 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Captured
Cut
Decreased
Saved
Introduced
Stemmed
Restructured
How to write bullet points for team accomplishments
What do you do if some of your accomplishments were achieved as part of a team?
If you are the leader of the team, you should take credit on your resume. You can either simply state the accomplishment (for example: “Implemented new 401(k) plan for company ...” or, to emphasize your role as head of the team, you might say “Led team that implemented new 401(k) plan ...”)
If you were a member of the team, take credit as a member.
In that case, here are some possible ways to start your bullet points:
Played key role on team that ...
Contributed to ...
Selected as key member of team that ...
Added value to team efforts by ...
You should never take sole credit for something others worked on with you, but you should also not omit such accomplishments from your resume just because you don’t know how to address them.
Examples of good accomplishment bullet points:
To demonstrate how to write these effectively, let’s go back to the C.A.R. examples I gave earlier in the guide.
73 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing First I’ll give you the C.A.R. story and then I’ll give you some possible bullet points.
Example #1 - Programmer for animation studio Challenge: Modeling problems could only be identified during the rigging stage, which delayed production because we had to go back and redo the models. Action: I developed a tool that enabled modelers to diagnose and correct modeling problems before rigging. Result: We reduced expensive charge-backs and improved productivity. Modeling errors were reduced to almost zero.
Resume Bullet Point:
Improved productivity and cut costs by developing tool that allowed modelers to diagnose and correct modeling problems before rigging.
Example #2 - Event Planner – not-for-profit Challenge: Obtain media exposure for small non-profit with limited budget. Action: Conceived Earth Day partnership with leading health food retailer. Result: Extensive media coverage, including The New York Times and WABC. As a result the two organizations formed an ongoing national partnership and as of the time of writing, fundraising is up just over 8%.
Resume Bullet Point:
Played key role in developing strategic partnership that boosted fundraising 8% and garnered high-profile media coverage for non-profit organization with limited budget.
74 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Example #3 - Web Designer Challenge: Inherited project with unhappy client who had requested a new designer after several unsuccessful attempts to create a look the client liked. Action: Spent a whole day with client and his staff getting to know the business and their customers and understanding their value proposition. Results: Came up with three new designs, one of which was chosen. Kept the client, who has since referred two other projects worth more than $22,000 in additional business for the company.
Resume Bullet Point:
Turned unhappy client into satisfied customer, and garnered additional $22K in sales, by gaining full understanding of business objectives and value proposition before suggesting design concepts.
Example #4 – Office Manager Challenge: Brought in to work for three sales executives who had been without an assistant for more than a year. The office was a nightmare! Actions: Went through mountains of files and paperwork and met with each executive to find out their needs. Established filing systems, sets up a database and calendar system and made sure all client communication was funneled through me. Results: Within three months had all the files cleared away and the database built. Managers were able to be much more productive and their sales results increased by 15% during the first year.
Resume Bullet Point:
Boosted productivity and played key role in 15% sales increase by organizing dysfunctional sales office, thus allowing sales executives to focus on client calls.
The key is to incorporate as much quantifiable information as possible into as few words as you can while still making your point. (Review the resume samples at the end of this guide for more examples of C.A.R. bullet points.)
75 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Do it! Using your C.A.R. stories from Exercise 3, write 4-6 bullet points for each of your more recent positions.
Employers are much more interested in recent experience, so you can write less about positions you held more than 8 years ago unless they relate in a very important way to something you want to do now. Therefore, you need only two or three bullet points for positions further in your past.
Step 4: Writing About Your Education I am not going to spend much time detailing how to format your education information on the resume because you will see various ways to approach this in the sample resumes. But I would like to address two of the most common questions about education.
1. Where should education go on the resume? If you are a recent graduate:
You have very little work experience and your education is probably a key selling point, so this information should be up front – where it can’t be missed.
Remember that we’re always approaching resume writing from the employer’s perspective and trying to show her why she should hire you instead of anyone else. This means that if you don’t have much work experience, you may want to detail your classes and any other school achievements that can help show employers why they should consider you.
Recent graduates should include grade point average if it’s above 3.5. If not, leave it off.
Here is an example of a resume for a recent graduate:
76 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing CREATIVE TENACIOUS ORIGINAL INSPIRED INNOVATIVE PHILBREHMEN Marketing ■ Event-Planning ■ Public Relations
■ PROFILE
Entrepreneurial, high-energy marketer with an innate ability to develop new and creative ideas. Proven track record of creating media “buzz” and generating free publicity /advertising using guerrilla marketing combined with persistence and outstanding communication skills. Conceptual wizard with a gift for exciting marketing and PR campaigns that get results.
Guerilla Tactics … Sponsorship Development ….Brand Experiences … Buzz Creation … Permission Marketing … Street Teams … Lifestyle Campaigns … Grassroots Promotions … Viral Marketing Public and Media Relations ... Internet Marketing ... Collateral/Ad Design ... Event Planning and Management
■ EDUCATION
BA, Communication with Marketing Emphasis, New York University, New York, NY | May 2004 Dean’s List ▪ Student Council ▪ President, Class of 2004 ▪ President, Communication Club
Computer skills include MAC/PC, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, digital photography, advanced internet skills.
■ PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
VH1, New York, NY, Talent Assistant | Winter 2003 - Present Perform a wide range of duties including assisting visiting celebrity talent, maintaining affiliate station lists, ensuring contracts and legal documents are complete, logging and transcribing interviews, writing stories for the daily prep and assembling daily entertainment news reports. Work closely with artist management and publicists. Assisted at the Radio Forum during the 2004 Grammy Awards.
Tactile Records, New York, NY, A&R/Marketing Assistant | Winter 2003 – Spring 2004 Solicit and review demos. Conceptualize and implement guerilla internet marketing campaigns, conduct market research, assemble press kits and manage general office logistics.
Media Blitz Entertainment, New York, NY, Marketing & Promotional Assistant | 2002 – 2004 Developed marketing and promotional strategies for MCA recording artist July for Kings. Consulted on image, instituted innovative promotions, aggressively targeted radio stations, solicited and secured TV and print interviews and placed the band on various music web sites and other media outlets. Managed all aspects of the band’s Las Vegas appearances.
Juicy Records, White Plains, NY, A & R/Marketing Intern | Summer 2003 Solicited, screened and reviewed demos. Assembled press kits, created marketing plans, photographed artists, attended live showcases to scout for prospective talent and handled general office logistics.
■ AWARDS AND HONORS
Frank Jacobs Memorial Prize for “unusual tenacity in pursuit of a goal” Vermont Spirit of Community Awards, Bronze Medalist – selected from over 35,000 entrants
48 Earl Court, Bethesda MD 20817 Mobile: 301-555-5555 [email protected] –– Planning to relocate––
If you’re not a recent graduate:
Information about your education belongs at the bottom of your resume, and details of GPA, classes taken, etc. should not be included. This is because you’ve
77 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing been at work long enough that employers will be much more interested in your work contributions.
If you have an extraordinary educational achievement, hold an MBA or attended a very prestigious school, you can include that information in your profile. For example: “Graduated first in class at Harvard Business School”
or: “Hold MBA from Wharton Business School”
There is no need to bring your whole educational summary onto the first page just to communicate that you have an MBA or are highly intelligent.
One exception is for people in professions where education is of primary importance, such as college professors or scientists. But these people should be using a CV – not a resume – and this guide is not aimed at those professions.
2. What if I don’t have a degree? If you don’t have a college degree, you may still be able to include an education section. You should never lie about your education on your resume, but you can certainly spin the situation as positively as possible.
If you attended college but didn’t finish:
In this case you can still take credit for the time you did attend. Include the name of the program, the college, and the dates attended.
For example: BA Program, Boston University (1984-1986)
If you didn’t attend college but have taken professional courses:
In this case, you can include a list of professional development programs. Instead of calling this section “Education,” you can call it “Professional Development.”
Here’s an example of such a list: Finance for the Non-financial Manager – AMA (2003) Advanced Team Leadership – IBM Training Program (2002) Consultative Selling – The Sales Institute (2000)
78 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing If you haven’t attended professional training classes:
In this case, you can’t add a section related to education, but you still need to close your resume with another section following the chronology. If you don’t do this, readers won’t be sure they have reached the end of your resume.
The following pages detail some options for additional information such as technical/computer skills, professional affiliations, or community work. Another option is to simply close your resume with the statement “References available on request.” This should be centered on the page. (I don’t normally recommend this statement as it’s not really necessary, but in this case, it is an effective way to notify the reader that the resume has ended.)
Step 5: Should You Include Technical Skills? Technical skills are those hard skills that are required for your line of work. Examples are:
Software used by people in your function (e.g., an accountant should list financial software).
Equipment commonly used in your field (e.g., computer hardware for a PC technician).
Skills needed to do your job (e.g., programming languages for a software engineer).
There are no hard and fast rules about whether and where to include this information on your resume, but you should always be guided by the following: Include technical skills only if they will help people decide whether or not to hire you, and place them on the resume in direct proportion to their importance to the hiring decision. For example:
If you are in a technology profession (such as computer programmer, IT manager, PC technician, or 3D animator), your technical skills are absolutely essential to the decision about whether to hire you. Therefore you should highlight them in a clearly marked section on page one of your resume. Place a section called “Technical Skills” below the profile and before you start the career chronology. Examples follow.
The same also applies if your technical skills are a very important aspect of your ability to do your job, even though you are not primarily in a technical role. (An example would be a graphic designer’s knowledge of Quark or
79 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Photoshop, or a payroll manager’s knowledge of the ADP web-based payroll system.)
Senior executives who do not do hands-on work should generally avoid listing technical skills. In this case, such a list can make you appear more junior than you really are. The point of a technical skills listing is to show employers that you will be able to do the work required. If you are an IT executive, your knowledge of a now-defunct programming language won’t help sell you for the job. Employers will be much more interested in your project management and cost-control skills.
Non-executives whose computer skills are useful but not a primary reason for hire should list them at the end of the resume, after career chronology.
Avoid using skills that are assumed. For example, senior executives should avoid mentioning that they can use Word, Excel, and Outlook. Those skills are expected in today’s work environment, so telling people you have them just makes you look outdated.
Here are a couple of resume examples that feature technical skills up front:
80 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing JULIE F. BAILEY 600 Davis Road, Bronxville, NY 10708 914-555-1212 (Home) ▪ [email protected] ▪ 914-555-1212 (Cell)
PROJECT/PROGRAM MANAGER Driving productivity, revenues and profits through improved systems and processes MBA from Wharton Business School and PMI Certification
Outstanding record of success in ensuring objectives are met and in line with overall business strategy. Proven experience working through uncertainty to deliver on-time and within budget. Consistently exceeds project requirements by developing clear goals, setting strategy, defining plans and following through on execution. Exceptional analytical skills and an innate ability to understand consumer/customer needs. Led numerous change initiatives through cross-functional collaboration. Areas of Expertise: Problem Solving User Interface Design Software Application Design Knowledge Management Project Strategy Project Risk Management End-to-End Program Management Business / Impact Analysis Technical Specifications
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE
Languages: Java, J2EE & C Databases: Oracle 8i, Oracle 9i, DB2, SQL Server & PL/SQL Scripting Languages: VB6.0, ASP, JSP, JavaScript, Shell Scripting Application Servers: Weblogic, Websphere Web Servers: IIS, Apache, Tomcat, Iplanet ERP: Oracle Configurator (11.5.10), CZ Schema (11.5.10), Oracle Applications Framework, Order Management, Oracle Manufacturing. Operating Systems: Solaris, Linux, Windows, DOS. Other: Toad, Eclipse, Sun One Studio, VisualAge, Jtest, SFDM & CVS
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
SERPENT SYSTEMS – New York, NY 2002 to Present Senior Software Engineer
Appointed as Knowledge Transfer Lead for $360 million manufacturing applications project which was moving to India. Overcame many project challenges such as tight timelines and planning, critical design for the Inter Plant Transfer solution, lack of documentation, and setting up the manufacturing applications for the first time on offshore servers. Key outcomes included:- Successfully delivered phase one which was critical to business success, and received exceptional client feedback. Improved efficiency 50% by researching and implementing enhanced practices, methodologies and documentation systems that facillitated project completition to tight deadlines. Optimized skill sets by training Unix team on new systems, with a concentration on business knowledge to ensure staff could support business applications.
XYZ CORPORATION – Stamford, CT 1999 to 2002 Application Engineer Improved efficiency 80% by working with release team to revamp existing manual code check-in process. Conducted extensive research and developed utility to automate the process, reducing errors and cutting release-time.
81 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Paula Heaton VIDEO GAME ARTIST
“I work to evoke emotion and I strive for perfection, but I also know that it takes more than artistic vision to make a great game. I’m very dedicated and I do whatever it takes to get the job done.”
professional profile
Creative artist with a recognized talent for conveying personalities, emotions, weight, and motion. Collaborates well with others to generate and execute ideas within tight deadlines. Earned a reputation for dedication, humor, intelligence, and going “above and beyond” to help team-mates.
technical skills
Software... 3D Studio Max, Character Studio, Unreal Editor, Illustrator, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Flash, Quark X-Press, Premier. Graphics… Low and high polygon 3D modeling, texture maps, lighting, camera work, character design, modeling, rigging, animation, concept art, and storyboards.
professional experience
BIG STYLE STUDIOS 2001 – 2004 ARTIST Created concept art, sprite animations, and textures for this newly formed game developer. Reported to the company’s founder and developed cityscape concepts, gadgets, weapons, characters, monsters and objects for a Game Boy Advance role-playing game (RPG). Created animation sequences for game’s lead character within multi-directional control scheme. Produced sprites, created a running sequence in all eight directions, and converted the art into files for programmers to code. Transformed company’s website to incorporate Flash animation and a more appealing interface. Designed and programmed a cinematic entrance, created custom soundtrack, and highlighted company’s development philosophy through stimulating artwork. Volunteered to take on additional texturing work under extremely tight deadlines, helping the team members meet their commitments for work on fantasy RPG.
education Certificate in Multimedia Technology - GPA 4.0 – Ohio Media Institute, Cleveland OH 2003 Courses: Digital/Audio Video Production, Digital Imagery, Computer Animation, Multimedia Production Created three-minute 3D film within seven weeks. Storyboarded entire film and designed all camera work. Hand-animated biped’s actions and applied them using 3DS Max. Independently completed all models, textures, and animation for the four characters. The finished project is now shown to incoming classes to demonstrate what they can accomplish.
Ohio University, Athens, OH Completed coursework in Studio 2D, Drawing, Art History and Water Painting
affiliations Active Member, International Game Developers Association (IGDA), Chicago Chapter
45 Mark Lane, Cleveland, OH, 44101 / [email protected] / h: (216) 555-5555 / c: (216) 555-5555
82 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Step 6: Including Additional Information As you review the samples at the end of this guide, you will see many other types of information included at the end of the resumes. For example:
Military experience.
Publications.
Professional development classes.
Speaking engagements.
Voluntary and community work.
Professional affiliations.
Board memberships.
Hobbies.
When deciding what to include, you should ask yourself two questions:
Question 1. Does this piece of information help employers decide that they should interview me? I very rarely include personal hobbies because they do not generally make any difference to your ability to do your job, but I might make an exception if the hobby directly relates to the position being sought. For example, if you are an avid fisherman and you’re applying for a job at a company that makes fishing tackle, it makes sense to mention your passion for fishing.
Hobbies can also be an important inclusion if they demonstrate a desirable personal characteristic. For example, a 60-year old who ran his first-ever marathon for charity after training for a whole year might include his hobby of marathon running to show persistence and also to counteract possible age discrimination based on concerns about health.
Question 2. Could this information make an employer decide not to interview me for personal reasons? An obvious “no-no” would be your college prize for Beer Drinker of the Year! But two taboos just as damaging – and yet frequently mentioned on resumes – are politics and religion.
83 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Don’t mention political activities, even if you don’t mention the party you worked for. This is because it’s an obvious interview question and in our polarized society, you have a 50% chance of giving the ‘wrong’ answer when asked, “Which party did you work for?”
Don’t mention religious activities for the same reason. People have all kind of biases and prejudices for and against religion. (And for and against specific religions.) Why risk alienating someone by mentioning your church?
You may think that you don’t want to work for a company that would discriminate based on political affiliation or religion, and I can understand that. But the company isn’t discriminating. One person is. One random person who has been assigned to screen resumes and who may or may not have prejudices.
Obviously, if you are applying for a job with a religious-based organization – or with a political party – you should ignore everything I just said and pin your colors proudly to the mast!
One other note – never include a photograph or personal information such as age, birthplace, or ethnic background. While it is common in some countries to include this information on your resume, it is detrimental to your job search in the US.
That’s because employers are forbidden from discriminating during the hiring process. Therefore, they do not want to know personal details that could result in an accusation of bias down the road.
Optional Extras to Spice Up Your Resume If you’re feeling creative, consider these ideas for further setting yourself apart in your resume.
Include a “Philosophy” section
The idea behind a philosophy section is to allow you to get around the formal conventions of resume writing and let people see your personal style by including a belief statement in your own voice.
Here’s an example:
84 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing I generally place the philosophy right below the profile and before we get to the career chronology.
While I think it’s a very effective tool, I would caution you to be very careful that your quote is professional and is focused on meeting the needs of your employer.
This use of the personal voice is particularly effective for entry-level employees who need to find a way to convey their enthusiasm to make up for a lack of experience, or for those in professions where sales skills are valued.
It is not effective for very conservative professions, industries, or companies where it may be construed as boastful or too non-conformist.
Include endorsements from third parties An alternative to a philosophy section is an endorsements section.
In an endorsements section, you include selected positive comments from others. You can take them from reference letters, performance reviews, or client thank-you letters.
Just as with product endorsement, third-party testimonials can be highly effective because they provide a non-biased confirmation that you are as great as your resume claims!
You can intersperse quotes throughout the resume, use one or two in the profile, or create a section especially for these quotes.
85 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing The most effective quotes are ones that address some of the needs or concerns of potential employers. So, if you are applying for a job where the posting stresses the need to be able to provide exceptional customer service, you should choose quotes that prove your ability to do this.
Here is an example. In this case the testimonials were used because my client was seeking to return to the workforce after a long absence and we needed to overcome any objections. The positive quotes are designed to let the reader know just how good my client was when she did this job in the past.
Finishing Up Your Resume OK. You are almost done! You’ve created compelling content that communicates your value proposition, and you’ve put it all together in an attractive design that’s easy to read.
You’ve done such a great job – and yet many people let it all fall apart at this stage because they don’t proofread the resume thoroughly, or because they don’t save the resume in the right file formats.
86 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing That’s not going to happen to you!
Check, Check, and Check Again! Your resume has to be perfect. If even one word is misspelled, the reader will assume that you didn’t know how to spell the word (this is bad) or that you didn’t care (this is even worse!). Nothing puts the reader off more quickly than misspellings or typos, so proofread it over and over again.
Then set it aside for at least a day and proofread it again.
When you are sure it’s perfect, have other people proof it!
Step 7: Saving Your Resume: File Formats and Other Information
MS Word version You have to have a resume in MS Word. You may also send a copy in other formats and I’ll talk about that shortly, but Word is the most commonly used word processing software and Word users won’t be able to open your document if you create it in WordPerfect or another application.
If you don’t have Word, either buy a copy or use a friend’s computer to create your resume.
Remember recruiters when you name your file Many recruiters will save the resumes they like into a special file for later review. Help them out by naming your resume effectively.
“Resume34.doc” isn’t very helpful to a recruiter looking back wondering why they saved a specific file on their hard drive, but “Resume-LastName-JobTitle” is very good!
E-mailing and posting online
87 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing You should never post your resume online if your search is confidential. Word can get back to your current employer very quickly once your resume is in cyberspace. (Some companies even search the web regularly to find resumes that include their own company name so that they can tell who is trying to leave!)
But, if you are unemployed, or have been open with your employer about your desire to leave, posting online is worthwhile. Recruiters and HR departments do search resume databases regularly and – provided you post your resume correctly – you should generate at least a few calls this way.
If you do decide to post online, you should make sure your resume is featured on both niche sites and the mass job boards such as Monster.com. Recruiters often bypass the larger job boards in favor of specialty sites.
Some key tips for posting your resume:
Always convert your resume to a text-only file; otherwise it won’t read properly when posted online. You can do this by simply saving it as a text- only file and then going through it to remove any special formatting. Open the resume in your word processing program and “save as” plain text (in MS Word, select File > Save As > Save as Type, choose “Plain Text” or “Text Only”). You may then get a prompt stating that your document “may contain features that are not compatible with text only format.” Choose “Yes.” Then do any clean-up necessary.
Change bullets to asterisks or dashes.
If columns or tables were used in the original document, make sure the text is coherent.
Review the heading to ensure that the address, phone number(s), and email address are placed in a logical sequence.
Add stylistic elements to the header sections so that they stand out. A horizontal line (up to 60 characters) may be created by using a series of dashes or asterisks.
If a resume is longer than one page and contains contact information on the additional pages, remove this information from the text-only version. The text-only resume is meant to be read on a computer screen, so there is no distinction between page numbers.
88 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing
PDF files As I already mentioned, MS Word files don’t travel very well unless you are very careful about font choice, and even then you can’t be sure that the recipient will see exactly what you see because you don’t know what settings each individual user will have.
PDF files solve this problem. The initials stand for Portable Document Format. PDFs capture all the elements of a printed document as an electronic image. You can’t edit the document, but you can be sure that it will always look the same no matter what computer it is viewed on.
PDFs are especially good for people like designers, who really need to show their design skills on their resume, but everyone can benefit from having a Word, PDF, and text-only version of their resume.
To create a PDF if you use a Windows computer, you will need a PDF converter such as Adobe Acrobat. Mac users can create PDFs without buying an extra program – simply choose to print your document as a PDF.
Note: While it’s nice to send a PDF along with your Word version, never send a PDF alone. Many resume databases cannot store or search PDF documents and therefore you will lose out on opportunities. A PDF file is a nice extra, but it is never a replacement for an MS Word resume.
Step 8: Resume Assessment Once you’ve reworked your resume, it’s time to evaluate how you’re doing. Use these questions to assess your progress – and be honest. You must be truthful with yourself about how well you have done, because if you cheat on a couple of questions, you are only cheating yourself.
1. Does your resume lead with an introduction that clearly announces who you are and what you do? (e.g., sales executive, marketing manager.) Would a complete stranger be able to tell whether you fit the position within 20 seconds? _____
89 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing 2. Do you provide a clear employment chronology, starting with most recent job first? ____ 3. Are your job descriptions short and concise, and do they provide context for the reader by showing the challenges you faced when you were hired? ____ 4. Have you provided quantifiable evidence of your impact on your employers? (How you have increased revenues or profits, cut costs, boosted productivity, etc.) ____ 5. Have you provided information on challenges faced, actions taken, and results achieved? ____ 6. Would a complete stranger be able to look at your resume and see that you have a track record of solving the type of problems they are faced with? (Do you know what those problems are?) ____ 7. Are you ‘wowed’ when you look at your resume? ____ 8. Are you receiving call-backs and getting interviews for the type of positions you seek? (If the answer is “yes,” then you definitely don’t need professional help!) ____
If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” you still have work to do.
Don’t let an ineffective resume stop you from getting the position you deserve. If you decide you need professional help, drop us a note at info@ blueskyresumes.com along with a copy of your resume. Tell us that you bought this book and we’ll discount our professional services by the amount you paid.
Adapting Your Resume
Overview Throughout this guide I have emphasized the need to answer the concerns of potential employers by targeting your resume to their needs.
Sometimes, this means you need to develop additional versions of your resume to address different situations. I cover more about adapting your resume
90 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing effectively in The Blue Sky Guide to Job Search, but here is a summary for those of you who have not read that Never lie or guide. exaggerate When should you adapt your resume? when adapting your resume. Different career directions
If you have a varied background and would consider several different career directions, you will need to create a resume for each situation.
For example, if you have large company experience and also start-up experience, you may wish to create two versions of your resume – one in which your resume header emphasizes your ability to work well in a large company and one in which it focuses on your start-up experience.
When applying for specific positions
Even if you have only one resume, you may decide to tweak it when applying for specific positions.
For example, if you are a sales rep and want to apply for a job as a business development associate, why not change the title of your resume to ‘business development associate’? If you’re an executive assistant, but want to apply for a general administrative role, change the title to ‘administrative assistant’ or ‘administrative professional.’
There is nothing dishonest in this – you are simply letting the busy HR manager know which position you want.
How to adapt your resume effectively When in doubt, carefully review the job description, looking for clues as to the company’s concerns and/or opportunities. Highlight keywords from the posting and then go through your resume to see if they are included. If not, and you have the skills in question, reword to include them.
You can make changes to your profile, job descriptions, and even your accomplishment bullet points to ensure that the reader knows you have the skills she is looking for.
91 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Always be truthful when you adapt your resume. Include skills and experiences that you have, but never lie or exaggerate. It’s not worth the risk of being found out and, in the worst case, you might actually get a job you’re not qualified for.
Resumes for Career Changers I am often asked how to write resumes for career change, and my answer is always that it’s the same as writing any other resume. You have to show potential employers why they should hire you over someone else. You have to understand their needs and then communicate your value To make a successful proposition. career change, you Of course it’s much more challenging when you must ‘become’ your don’t have the actual experience the employer target profession is looking for. That’s why a resume is rarely the sole solution to making a successful career change. Job search strategy is also critically important.
Most career-changers face the same challenge – getting interviews when they don’t have relevant experience. It is true that few companies will hire you as a graphic artist if you simply send them a resume outlining your 15-year career in tax accounting. Even the best resume cannot hide the fact that your previous experience has not qualified you for the position you seek.
The good news is that there are ways to gain entry into your chosen profession.
As Nicholas Lore explains in his exceptional career change guide, The Pathfinder: “You gain admittance into any group, social or professional, by creating agreement.” In other words, people are accepted because other people agree they belong. Agreement is developed through the things we say, the way we act, the knowledge we have, etc.
If an unpublished writer tells people, “I hope to be a writer some day,” she has already made it clear that she does not consider herself a writer. Others will agree with her categorization and accept that she is not a writer. But if she writes every day, submits short stories to small publications, attends writer’s conferences, and volunteers to write free articles for websites and local newspapers, she is now beginning to create agreement that she is indeed a writer.
92 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing The goal is to become your new profession. Don’t wait until someone hires you before you think of yourself as a video game programmer. Start to think of yourself that way now. Begin gathering the knowledge and experience you will need. Surf websites and chat rooms. Talk to other programmers. Read guides. Practice. And most importantly, begin to build a body of work.
As a resume consultant, I have worked with many professionals who took this route and were able to transition into new professions.
Take Jeff. A nurse by profession, Jeff was also a talented musician. He wanted to get into TV, writing soundtracks and creating sound effects, but he had little success when he first sent out his resume.
Eventually, a friend suggested that Jeff take a different approach. Instead of sending in his resume, he created a demo reel of music he had written for famous TV shows. In each case, he replaced the existing soundtrack with his own music.
Then he started to network his way into the industry, attending conferences and trade shows and meeting as many people as possible. He subscribed to industry newsletters and kept up-to-date with new technologies and industry developments. He created a website to showcase his music and sent industry executives sales-oriented emails including a link to his site.
He received several calls praising his creative approach although no immediate job offers. Once a month, he stayed in touch with his network of contacts by sending an email with a snippet of new music attached as an MP3 file.
After four months, Jeff was called in to interview for a position as an entry-level sound engineer. The call came from someone Jeff had met a year earlier at a trade show.
Jeff’s success was well deserved. He took a proactive approach to his career change and dedicated much of his spare time to demonstrating his skills. By the time he was hired, he already thought and spoke and acted as if he belonged.
This story highlights the following keys to success for career-changers:
1. Get started. Don’t wait for someone to pay you to be what you want to be. Just do it! If your dream job is in some way creative, you can develop a portfolio by working alone or volunteering to help people for free. If you want to prove you can design logos, for example, volunteer to redesign the logo for your friend’s small business. Or simply redesign some existing corporate logos for demonstration purposes.
93 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing 2. Learn everything you can. Read guides, join associations, go to education events and trade shows. Read newsletters. Visit industry web sites and chat rooms. Learn the language and jargon of the industry you want to enter. Stay up-to-date with the newest trends and technologies. Understand the history of the industry in depth. Become an expert. 3. Make contacts. Build a network of influential people within the field you want to enter. Find creative ways to approach them and maintain the connection once it is made. One client actually approached one of the top names in her field and offered her assistance as a secretary in exchange for being able to attend meetings with him. He said yes! Offer to write an article for a trade magazine or website. Choose a topic which will provide you with a reason to contact key people within the industry. 4. Find Creative Approaches. Do not rely on the standard resume and cover letter. This will almost always fail when you are trying to make a shift to a new career. Most employers are trained to read resumes to identify how your past experience matches with their current needs. You need to approach executives in a completely new and different way – showing what you can do rather than what you have done. Be creative!
If you follow the steps outlined above, you will be successful in making your career change. But your move into your new industry will not come via job advertisements or postings or from posting your resume online. Instead, it will come with time and commitment, as a result of the marketing you have done and the network you have built.
A Word About Using Functional Resumes – Don’t! Some career-changers attempt to get around their lack of relevant experience by creating what’s called a ‘functional resume.’
Functional resumes are structured very differently than any of the resumes featured in this guide. Instead of placing emphasis on career chronology, the functional resume stresses skills and areas of expertise. Instead of listing each position, then providing a job description and then some C.A.R. bullet points, a functional resume lists skills (e.g., software development, administration, marketing, etc.) and then has C.A.R. bullet points underneath those skills. The career chronology comes at the end of the resume and is presented as a simple list of jobs with no details provided.
94 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing For many years, some career coaches have advised this structure as a way of drawing attention away from a lack of relevant experience and making sure the reader focuses on your skills rather than your experience.
The only problem with this is that it’s nonsense! It doesn’t work. Every HR Manager and every Functional resumes recruiter has seen thousands of these things, and they know exactly why the functional structure is simply don’t work. being used. Don’t even go there.
So instead of being wowed by the obvious match between you and the open position, they are thinking, “What is this person trying to hide?” If they’re not too busy, they may even skim your resume, trying to find out what’s wrong with you (obviously, this was not the desired effect), but if it’s a busy day, they’ll just throw your resume on the ‘no’ pile.
There is almost always a better way than a functional structure. And if there isn’t, it’s because you really don’t have the experience needed for the job, in which case you need to go get that experience (perhaps by volunteering or taking a part-time job) because nothing you do with your resume will fool people that you have what it takes if you don’t.
If you have a challenging situation and are concerned about presenting your skills in the best light, study all the samples provided in this guide. Go to the library and review sample resumes in other guides. Be creative. Find any way to present your skills other than a functional resume.
Now What?
Keeping Your Resume Updated
I’m sure you’ll agree this was a lot of work. It’s challenging to remember everything you were responsible for and everything you contributed in each of your jobs.
You can make sure it’s not as challenging next time by keeping running notes on your C.A.R. stories as they happen. Keep a computer file or a notebook dedicated to tracking your accomplishments.
If you write your notes using the C.A.R. formula, writing your next resume will be a piece of cake.
95 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing In Summary Almost everyone embarks on a job search using an inadequate resume, and this gives you a fabulous opportunity to set yourself apart. All you have to do is write a resume that truly represents who you are and what you have to offer.
In this guide, we’ve covered how to approach resume writing just like any other marketing exercise. You’ve learned how to identifying your target audience, understand their needs, and describe why your unique blend of skills, experiences, and character traits will enable you to make a valuable contribution.
I know you’ll start to see the results very soon, and I hope the skills you’ve learned will serve you well throughout your career. Good luck!
Don’t forget to review Module 5 to see 20 resume samples that may inspire your own writing.
You might also like ... If you found this guide helpful, check out the others in the series:
The Blue Sky Guide to Job Search
Discover how to find – and win – the best jobs, often before anyone else knows about them! We’ll walk you step-by-step through eye-opening strategies that help you bypass job boards and uncover hidden opportunities.
The Blue Sky Guide to LinkedIn
Did you know LinkedIn is the #1 business networking site in the world? With this guide, you’ll learn how to use it to increase your visibility, find the best jobs, and learn what businesses want, before the interview.
The Blue Sky Guide to Job Search Letters
Learn how to write a cover letter, thank you note, or email that gets results! With detailed instructions and tons of real-world examples, I’ll show you exactly how to write letters that make a great first impression.
96 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Need Professional Help? If you’d like us to write your resume for you, just give us a call at 914-595-1905 or email [email protected].
Send us proof of purchase, and we’ll gladly discount our price by the amount you already paid for this guide. Not a bad deal, huh?
97 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Module 4
Resume Samples
he following sample resumes are provided to help you visualize how some of the techniques can be put into practice. Each of these T samples is based on the resume of a real person, but all names and identifying details have been removed for confidentiality purposes.
Each sample is available to you as an MS Word template in the package of templates that came with this guide. You are entitled to use the layouts for yourself as part of your purchase of the guide but please do not copy wording.
As I hope you know by now, if the words are not authentically you, they won’t be effective.
Full-size versions of the following samples are also available for download in both PDF and Word format at http://www.blueskyresumes.com/thanks/guide- resume-writing-24qlb.
98 3 Bentley Place, # 26 M O N A V I N A R New York, NY 55555 C: 555-555-5555 [email protected]
A W A R D - W I N N I N G A N I M A T I O N D I R E C T O R V i d e o ♦ F i l m ♦ T e l e v i s i o n
Senior Director whose work has been widely recognized and honored. Proven track record of leading studio teams to produce innovative animation in a variety of media. Combines a visionary creative philosophy with outstanding technical skills, strong leadership abilities and a true passion for animation excellence. Managed teams of up to 120 and controlled multimillion dollar budgets.
“Mona is a rare find because she has strong technical knowledge combined with exceptional people skills. This allows her to keep everyone upbeat during a project while still getting excellent results.” Michael Barrett, Former Production Executive, Dreamworks
P R O F E S S I O N A L H I G H L I G H T S
. Animation Director for full length animated feature which won the 2004 Silver Jewel award for Best Children’s Film. Variety Magazine said “the animation is truly dazzling.”
. Conceived, wrote and directed animated short film which was honored at the LA Children’s Film Festival and the New York Animation Film Festival.
. Director of Animation for home video which was the recipient of 6 awards including the New York Film Board Award of Excellence and selection as 2006 International Animation Festival Winner.
P R O F E S S I O N A L H I S T O R Y
FORKIDS ANIMATIONS 1999 – Present Animation Director (2004 – Present) Animation Manager (2001 – 2004) Senior Animator (1999 – 2001) Advanced rapidly to the position of Animation Director with responsibility for creative design direction including story and script, talent casting, visual concept, character development and camera layout.
. Directed The Moose and the Sparrow which remained on Billboard’s top ten movie list for 7 weeks and garnered critical acclaim from Variety, Hollywood Reporter, LA Times and Animation magazine. . Animation Director for The Spider Makes a Friend, winner of 6 awards including Animator’s World Award of Excellence and 1999 Silver Telly award for exceptional children’s entertainment. . Animation Supervisor for 1995 television special The Boy Who Loved Christmas which has aired annually for the last nine years.
99 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing
Mona Vinar – Page 2
PIXEN, INC 1996 – 1999 Artist/Animator Hired to transition the company from 2D to 3D animation. Responsible for character modeling and animation on three full-length video productions and one six-part TV series. . Developed animation style and guidelines for company and provided guidance to other Pixen studios on 3D animation tools and techniques. . Selected as Lead Animator on Two Small Pigs which was widely recognized for its technical innovation.
MOVIN GRAPHIC DESIGN 1992 – 1996 Graphic Artist/Animator Ran consulting firm which provided graphic design services, animation, 3D modeling and rendering to a diverse client base including ADF Corporation, Sinarden Films and Hegler-Drew Advertising. . Built company to revenues of $1M within two years before selling the business to XYZ graphic design.
T E A C H I N G & P U B L I C S P E A K I N G
. Instructor of classes in 3D Max and Character Animation at New York University (1999 – Present) . Travel the country as a featured speaker lecturing on the art of creating successful animation. Highlights include: - Featured Speaker at Signet Design Conference, 2007 - Key Note Speaker at the Chicago Children’s Film Festival, 2006 - Featured Speaker at Wave3, 2004 - Panelist at the 2002 European Animation Festival (Character Development.)
E D U C A T I O N , A F F I L I A T I O N S & S K I L L S
BA, Computer Graphics & Animation - UCLA (1999)
Member, IFA (Association of International Film Animation) New York Chapter
Technical Skills: Photoshop, Maya, 3DS Max, Soft Image, Final Draft
Artistic Skills: Script writing, Painting, Drawing, Sculpting
100 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Beth Hamerin 555-555-5555 / [email protected]
A n i m a t i o n 3 D A r t Illustration
PROFILE
. 10 years of fast paced, high energy, multi-platform studio experience. . Classically trained animator in both cel and high-end 3D animations. . In-depth understanding of Adobe Flash and strong knowledge of ActionScripting. . Versatile skill set drawing from traditional and technical disciplines.
SKILLS
Art Skills: Cel & 3D Character Animation; 3D Modeling; ActionScripting; Storyboard Art; Illustration; Logo Design; Web Graphics; Compositing; Video Editing; Sound Editing; File Optimization.
Software Skills:
Animation: Adobe Flash, Maxon Cinema 4D, Autodesk Maya Special Effects: Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere Illustration: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Alias Sketchbook Pro Sound: Freeverse Sound Studio 3 Optimization: Autodesk Cleaner
EXPERIENCE
ERW NETWORK 2000–2009 Online Animator/Illustrator (2004–2009) Promoted as a result of success in prior role and given sole responsibility for character animations and motion graphics for main website and 11 sub-sites. Also created animations, motion design and illustration for on-air programming and mobile media. Gained extensive experience in Flash using both timeline-based animations and ActionScripting. As senior team member, mentored and trained other design studio employees and played a key role in the development of new concepts. Selected accomplishments and assignments: . Designed and created original 3D assets for the ERW Network website around the site’s central character ‘Sue,’ saving money by keeping production in-house. . Created original animations for The Celebration which has generated over 13 million registered accounts to date. . Worked closely with division to create high quality animated wallpapers for download via mobile phones. Worked successfully within tight file-size restrictions, thus pushing the network’s branding into the mobile market. . Designed numerous special effects, including photo-realistic animated ‘ooze’ that is currently under consideration for a Webby Award. . Created animation for the game THR, showcased at the Uni conference in New York (2007).
5401 68th Street, Lubbock, TX 79424
101 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Beth Hamerin Page 2
A n i m a t i o n 3D A r t Illustration
EXPERIENCE (CONT.)
Assistant Animator (2000–2004) Recruited by former colleague and charged with assisting on production of assets for new online trading card game Clowns. Also assisted with animations, motions designs and illustrations for on- air programming (ERW Network). . Played a key role in making the game Clowns one of the most successful in the company’s history by devising streamlined, efficient process for weekly updates. . Created and animated multiple assets for new FunnyMan website feature including food items and toys. Repurposed assets from the TV show and created a stock library that was later used for the larger game FunnyTown, saving time and resources for design team. . Developed animations for Handball which was ultimately expanded to become GameWars 2009 and was recently made available for download in the App Store for iPhone.
PRY, INC. 1999–2000 Freelance Animator Joined this broadcast design and animation company as an intern before earning a full-time role assisting senior animators, and then offered a freelance position. Created compelling animations, inks, and illustrations. . Selected for the company’s first-ever internship, earned promotion and finally recruited to ERW Network by former employee, all as a result of exceptional work ethic and standards. . Served as Production Assistant on pilot TV show Breakfast with the Bonnies.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Electronic Arts/Animation New York University, NY (2000) Dean’s List – Fall 1998 and Spring 1999
Additional Training: Lydia.com Maya 2009 essentials training (2008) Lydia.com Cinema 4D essentials training (2007) Flash ActionScripting 3.0 at SUO Company (2007) Mastering the Adobe Creative Suite 3 Cobb Galleria Centre (2006) FlashDrive Conference (2006 and 2005) Foundations of ActionScript at FennyFeatherWeather (2005)
Teaching: . Served as alternate instructor at the Alpine College of Art and VIJ Continental University for introductory traditional animation classes (2000-2001). . Recently selected as a mentor for the University Center’s feature film project Karma, which will help students gain valuable animation experience (2009).
5401 68th Street, Lubbock, TX 79424
102 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Contact me at: Danny Elfenberg 212-222-5555 or Music Industry Professional [email protected]
ABOUT ME
Experienced professional who is passionate about all kinds of music, committed to learning new skills and thrives in a fast-paced environment.
Hard worker who often pulled double shifts and even slept overnight in recording studio to get an early start. Beat out several other interns to earn full-time position at world-renowned recording studio due to work ethic and commitment. Professional-level guitar player who has taught guitar for 6 years and played on 3 albums.
MY EDUCATION
Bachelor of Professional Services in Music Business (Concentration in Audio) New York Music School, New York, NY (2008)
MY PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
ROUNDHOUSE STUDIOS 1/2008 to Present Studio Administrator (7/2008 to 5/2009) Intern (1/2008 to 7/2008) Initially hired as intern by this award-winning recording studio, but chosen over 11 other interns for promotion to full-time work as a result of work ethic and commitment to client satisfaction. Handle a wide range of duties including booking sessions, keeping accounts, assisting on recording sessions, managing equipment, and training/overseeing 8-10 interns. Report to Studio Manager and work directly with CEO. . Coordinated numerous assignments in fast-paced, high pressure environment – for example, served as chief engineer on several recording sessions at short notice. . Constantly resolved challenging issues and customer service situations by devising creative solutions. Often sourced hard-to-find items at short notice for high profile studio clients such as Jay-Z and Whitney Houston. . Took initiative to set up and tune guitars for recording sessions – subsequently invited to play guitar on 2 albums produced by the legendary Frank Liddell.
LAST CHANCE RADIO SHOW / EBD RECORDING STUDIO 6/2007 to 12/2007 Intern Initially hired on internship with recording studio and then invited by supervisor to work on the Sirius Radio show ‘Last Chance.’ Accountable for setting up microphones and recording equipment, assisting in the recording process and monitoring sound during live performances. . Selected for radio show internship as a result of exceptional performance in prior position – consistently went over and above to ensure client satisfaction.
Additional experience: Private Guitar Instructor (1/2002 to Present)
MY TECHNICAL SKILLS
ProTools and Logic; Proficient with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook; Mac and PC literate.
15 Jones Street, Scarsdale NY 10807
103 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing SUSAN DELANCEY
I take great pride in getting every detail just right because, whether raising money showing new fashions, or throwing a party, a consistent theme always gets results.
Event Planning Fundraising Event Production Marketing
Proven track record of successful event planning, logistics and production in industries as varied as fashion, consulting, advertising and not-for-profit. Consistently applied unusual combination of creativity and impeccable organization skills to carry off high-profile events without a hitch. Passion for creating unique experiences that attendees remember for years.
Expertise includes:
. Event Logistics & Production . Creative Event Themes . Print Collateral Design & Creation . Fundraising Campaigns . Public Relations & Marketing . Contract Negotiation & Management
SELECTED CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
. As PR associate for Dona Humé: planned and produced all aspects of high-profile fashion shows and events, including model selection, event planning and show choreography.
. As account coordinator for Davis & Solomon: liaised between multiple worldwide offices of agency and Fortune 500 client to manage logistics of all print and advertising.
. As a manager for the Westchester Conservancy: developed the organization’s first event template to ensure that all functions ran smoothly.
. As Coordinator for two non-profits: Led numerous record-breaking fundraising drives.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Development Coordinator 2005 to Present TRUST FOR HISTORIC BUILDINGS, New York, NY Not-for-profit conservation organization Designed, planned and managed events including receptions, press events and dedications. Managed five advisory councils with accountability for fundraising and awareness-building. Coordinated teams of up to 100 volunteers on an event-by-event basis and worked closely with Board of Directors and key donors.
. Beat fundraising goals every year by as much as 75%. Achieved exceptional results by organizing efforts well in advance and developing creative themes for each campaign.
. Managed press campaign for launch of major new preservation initiative – secured coverage in New York Magazine, the New York Times and Village Voice, and on ABC, NBC and Fox.
. Forged strategic alliance with several major corporations, including ongoing national partnership with leading home furnishing retailer that resulted in extensive media coverage and record-breaking retail sales.
. Grew volunteer base 47% during tenure through increased awareness and publicity.
Tel: 212-555-5555 email: [email protected]
104 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing SUSAN DELANCEY
Page 2
Committee Manager 2003 to 2005 WESTCHESTER CONSERVANCY, New York, NY High-profile committee focused on land conservancy Planned, coordinated and executed New York society events for up to 1,000 attendees to raise money and awareness for the work of the Westchester Conservancy. Defined fundraising strategy, set and managed budgets, selected vendors, oversaw collateral production, wrote proposals and managed four committees.
. Developed and led promotional strategy for the tour committee, including developing themed tours of local parklands. Designed promotional materials and presentations to attract potential donors to take the new tours.
. Created the committee’s first event templates designed to ensure that each event could be organized efficiently and with the necessary attention to detail and follow-up.
. Exceeded fundraising goals and broke previous records each year by reorganizing annual fundraising appeals.
Public Relations & Marketing Associate 2002 DONA HUMÉ, New York, NY Leading Italian fashion designer Recruited by company’s new marketing VP to help establish company’s first marketing department. Planned, organized and orchestrated fashion shows, presentations and other media events.
. Played key role in national re-launch, including developing integrated on- and offline marketing and PR campaign.
. Built extensive database of key influencers and journalists. Conducted all research and made contact via phone calls and networking at industry events.
. Designed and choreographed NYC fashion show to introduce new line of men’s clothing.
Account Coordinator 1998 to 2002 DAVIS & SOLOMON, New York, NY Global advertising and communications agency Managed the preparation of print and TV advertising from conception through production for major consulting client. Liaised between creative’s and account management and coordinated the efforts of several Davis & Solomon offices around the world.
EDUCATION
MA, Mass Communication, New York University, New York, NY, 1998
BA, Psychology and History of Art, Columbia University, New York, NY, 1996
Tel: 212-555-5555 email: [email protected]
105 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing AARON J. STEDHAM, MBA 5401 68th Street Lubbock, TX 79424 555-555-5555 [email protected]
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT “Making Life Easier for Busy Executives”
Highly competent professional who can be trusted with even the most confidential projects. Excel in turning disorganized environments into smooth-running operations and overhauling administrative processes to improve accuracy and efficiency. Self-starter and quick-learner who always exceeds expectations. Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook), FrontPage, MS Money, QuickBooks, Visio, HTML, Photoshop, Illustrator and MS Project. Areas of expertise: - Managing Files, Records & Documents - Planning Corporate Events & Meetings - Performing Accounting Functions - Managing Calendars & Travel - Handling HR Responsibilities - Training & Supervising Personnel - Preparing Correspondence & Reports - Developing Policies & Procedures
ON THE WEB
Blog: aaronslittleblog.com Twitter: @aaronj Facebook: aaronjstedham Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/aaronjstedham
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
WELDEN INDUSTRIES, Lubbock, TX 2006 – Present Executive Assistant Provide a full range of support services for President and Office Administrator. In charge of document preparation, confidential file management, mail handling, supply ordering, and record maintenance. Coordinate and carry out special events, requests, projects, and communication plans. Process timecards, weekly payroll, and accounts payable/receivable. Overview: Established policies and procedures that brought order and stability to extremely disorganized environment. . Improved efficiency by organizing mounds of paperwork into confidential, detail-oriented filing system. . Revamped Excel record-keeping and reporting to furnish executives with more accurate financial data. . Linked QuickBooks system with donor database to automate the process of tax administration. . Saved time and money by creating systematic process for AP and AR for 2 separate companies.
EFG CARE 2005 – 2006 Assistant to Vice President Enabled Vice President to become more productive by handling a wide array of executive office tasks, including screening phone calls, preparing correspondence/memos, and creating new processes/procedures. Built and led a highly effective office support team by hiring, training, and overseeing members. Maintained strict confidentiality with sensitive information, financial documents, client records, and personal matters. Overview: Carved out and fulfilled critical role in this newly created position, working for Vice President who was often unavailable and consumed with additional obligations. . Protected business and improved credibility by devising stronger approach to employee background checks.
106 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Aaron Stedham – Page 2
ABC, INC., Lubbock, Texas 2003 – 2004 Office Manager / Executive Assistant Handled virtually every aspect of business, from ordering supplies, to supporting General Manager, to billing customers and interviewing employees. Shouldered accounting, inventory, budgeting, HR, and managerial functions as well as administrative, clerical, and receptionist duties. Served as sole contact to corporate office. Processed timecards and payroll for 30+ employees. Overview: Recruited to clean-up unstructured office operations. Immediately set-up processes and procedures and worked tirelessly to gain control of heavy workload. . Tamed cumbersome billing process by minimizing system breakdowns via methodical training of all involved parties. . Created rules and procedures to standardize employee/contractor timecard submissions that improved productivity and accounting accuracy.
CHICOS, Lubbock, Texas 2002 – 2005 Assistant Manager Took on all accounts receivable and support functions to help manage store’s budget and inventory levels. Backed management by conducting daily audits, preparing bank deposits, and developing work schedules. Created auditing and backup procedures for severely understaffed and non-computerized operation.
XYZ, Lubbock, Texas 1998 – 2002 Sr. Systems Analyst Brought into new position to assist Director and team supporting 20+ client Web sites. Served as internal team leader for development of department Intranet site. Project managed other department Web sites, ensuring support and integrity of live data. Independently learned to program and design corporate Intranet pages.
UYB CORPORATION, Lubbock, Texas 1995 – 1998 Administrative Assistant Provided administrative support to 100+ employees. Advanced objectives of IS Director and executive staff, organizing schedules, travel plans, staff meetings, and filing systems. Prepared and handled correspondence, reports, presentations, and memos with speed and accuracy. Overview: Hired into Information Systems Department despite limited computer knowledge. Quickly learned software and independently handled large-sized projects for hands-off Director. . Led smooth relocation of entire IS floor for 75+ employees in just one-half day during Director’s absence. . Planned and executed 100+ company parties, team-building activities, and quarterly meetings at offsite venues. . Developed in-depth training catalog library that equipped IS department with valuable technical information.
EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS
Master of Business Administration, TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY – Lubbock, TX; 2001 Bachelor of Science, Sociology, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY – College Station, TX; 1994
Sam Houston State University Web Developer Certification • State of Texas Real Estate License
107 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing PETER ALSACE 5400 68th Street H: 555-555-5555 Lubbock, TX 79424 [email protected] C: 555-555-5555
EXECUTIVE: FASHION PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Turned design vision into reality for some of the world’s most prominent designers including Karin Aileen, Corey Hunter and Dona Humé Design-driven professional with unusual blend of business acumen, creativity, and organizational skills. Known for quickly grasping designers’ style and aesthetic, understanding fiscal restraints, and balancing design sensibility with financial requirements. Original thinker with an excellent aesthetic, eye for detail and ability to quickly understand a design concept. Areas of expertise include: . Market Identification & Analysis . Product Introduction Management . Brand Management/Development . Expense Control & Cost Containment . Strategic Business Planning . Policies & Procedure Development . Systems/Process Improvement . Sales Analysis & Merchandising Plans
I have worked for the top three designers in the USA. All three could discuss their designs and concepts with me and I was able to execute their designs “ flawlessly and source the materials globally. They trusted me to be their eyes and to make aesthetic decisions for them. ”
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
KARIN AILEEN COMPANY, LLC 2004–Present Vice President of Product Development, Women's Collection Recruited to establish company’s first product development department. Oversaw $100 million women's collection; supervised, prioritized, and scheduled work of in-house team of patternmakers, tailors, sewers, and cutters; managed 40, administered $12 million budget, worked closely with Creative Director, and reported directly to President. Impact: Transformed dysfunctional design process which had resulted in costly and impractical lines. Built new product development department, revamped processes, and improved communication, resulting in affordable garments shipped on time. . Established formal and frequent communications between Design, Merchandising, and Production to enable costing and sourcing within he required timeframes. . Slashed costs 50% (through improved productivity, reduced staff, fewer errors and cuts in T&E expenses) by replacing antiquated manual system with state-of-the-art central database. . Enabled all divisions to access, share, and utilize information by implementing separate, dedicated computer database programs for style, stitching, fabric, and trim departments. . Created company’s first seasonal time/action calendar based on lead times and assigned specific roles/ responsibilities to Product Development, Merchandising, and Production. . Increased productivity and cut fabric costs by creating/implementing a computerized inventory management system.
108 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Peter Alsace Page 2 of 2
COREY HUNTER, INC. 1991 to 2003 Vice President of Product Development, Corey Jeans (2001 to 2003) Directed operations of $600 million designer jeans business; supervised men's, women's, junior's, boy's and girl's teams, and oversaw all facets of design and development. Managed 45, administered $500,000 budget, and reported directly to Senior Vice President of Global Operations. Inherited challenging situation which had resulted in poor morale and a lack of clear design point of view. Impact: Restructured department to improve accountability and increase productivity. Cut staffing overhead by 50% while ensuring timely rollout of all lines. . Clarified roles and responsibilities, allowing the designers to focus all their efforts on design. . Dramatically reduced spending by designing unified line based on analysis of prior sales and current market trends. Cut travel and entertainment costs by 67%. . Created realistic calendar that helped designers deliver cohesive lines on time. . Gained trust of team, boosted employee morale and reduced staff turnover.
Vice President Product Development, TS Brand (1999 to 2001) Directed design, planning, operations, and development of $120 million men's and women's ready-to- wear business. Supervised 22 and oversaw $500,000 budget. Impact: Enabled men's and women's design teams to work more closely, refocus on creativity, and complete lines on time without hiring additional staff. . Improved compliance with deadlines by creating/managing women's time/action calendar that assigned daily activities. . Saved development time, established satisfied and loyal customer base, and boosted sales by standardizing fits and shapes for each category.
Director of Product Development, TS Men's (1996 to 1999) Directed design operations, planning, and product development from concept through production of $60 million men's ready-to-wear business. Managed 11 and administered $250,000 budget. Impact: Played key role in turn around of underperforming division, boosting sales 25% and profit margin 29%. ▪ Saved development time and eliminated yearly development of numerous prototypes by creating “block library” that standardized fits and shapes for each category. ▪ Facilitated quicker and more accurate information transmission by spearheading migration to state-of-the-art information management system.
Earlier Experience: Senior Designer, Men's; Designer, DK Men’s; Senior Product Manager, Pretty In Pink; Product Manager, Boy's and Licensees, Ralphie Attaboy; Salary Administration Coordinator, IU International Corporation
EDUCATION
BA, Political Science – Columbia University, New York, NY
109 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Karthik V. Rahmouli VIDEO GAME PROGRAMMER
“I am extremely persistent in problem-solving – I will always go the extra mile to find the solution … I will not take short-cuts in my code as that just leads to more problems later on.”
professional profile
Talented programmer with the ability to quickly pick up and use new languages, tools and software applications. Dedicated team member with a passion for video games and the games industry. Patient and creative problem-solver who is known for organizational skills, commitment to excellence and track record of delivering work ahead of schedule. See professional portfolio at www.******.com.
education
B.S., Computer Science – New York University, New York NY, 2008 Courses included : 3D Technology for Online Games; Computer Networks; Computer Animation; Applied Number Theory; Topics in Convergent Media (game development); Compilers; Robotics.
relevant experience
LEAD PROGRAMMER – NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, GAME DEVELOPMENT CLASS, 2008 Led all aspects of programming for the adventure game UltraQuest. Used Unreal script. Managed project schedule and dependencies for integrating game assets such as audio, textures and models. Created modules for other programmers to work with and programmed some modules.
. Programmed armor and weapons modules; created camera view and successfully integrated all animation and models into the game on time, quickly learning a new language with little documentation. . Created informational website to help members of game development class. Site included technical information, game development tutorials, project updates and industry news.
WEB DEVELOPER - SHOPPINGCENTRAL.COM, 2007 – PRESENT Member of 4-person IT department with accountability for web site development and maintenance (COM+, VB and DHTML). Brought in to help revitalize a four-year old web application which had been created with little documentation and few formal processes. . Restructured, optimized and documented code throughout the site to make navigation easier and more intuitive; repaired or recreated 100 pages (or 60% of the site) within 5 months. . Completed critical project to improve site security, securing information on hundreds of credit cards, by adding encrypted cookies and setting security levels for each part of the site.
WEB DEVELOPER – NEW YORK CITY GUIDE, 2005 – 2007 Developed web pages based on specifications and content provided by clients. Used JavaScript to improve the functionality of the existing site, and worked closely with clients to create a distinct ‘look and feel’ to each page. Also made improvements to the content flow.
technical skills
Languages: C / C++, ASP, COM /DCOM, HTML, DHTML, MFC, Perl, JavaScript, VB Script Platforms: Windows NT/2000/XP; UNIX - Linux Networking: TCP / IP, Winsock, Berkeley Sockets, HTTP, FTP, POP3, IMAP Database: Relational databases, SQL Server 2000, Oracle administration, MS Access
47 Spencer Road, Scarsdale, NY / (914) 555-5555 / [email protected]
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GRAPHICS ● WEB ● DESIGN ● ILLUSTRATION
Profile Award-Winning Graphic Design – extensive experience of both print and web design. Developed brand and corporate identities, web sites, advertisements, annual reports and sales collateral for clients in retail, professional services, high-tech and fashion industries. Effective Team Player – known for creativity, flexibility and sense of humor. Former manager noted: “Lisa is one of the best designers I’ve worked with. She has an uncanny ability to interpret the client’s unspoken wishes and come up with just the right solution.”
Software Skills Adobe Photoshop Adobe Illustrator Adobe Premiere QuarkXpress FrontPage Dreamweaver HTML 3D Studio Max Flash 4 & 5 CorelDraw ImageReady Maya Adobe PageMaker Adobe AfterEffects Adobe InDesign
Selected Awards and Honors Webby Gold Award, 2002 Forbes Magazine, Best of Web selection, 2001 American Graphic Design Awards, Best Logo Design, 2000 Clio Award, Best Package Design – consumer goods, 1997 Clio Award, Best Print Campaign – 1999
Career Development
RAINTREE COMMUNICATIONS – TORONTO, ON 2000 – PRESENT Founder Managed full service print and web design agency, providing strategic leadership to team of 4 design professionals. Led design direction, maintained client relationships and managed all sales efforts. . Founded and grew this agency whose mission was to provide exceptional design and branding services to small businesses. Annual revenues grew to over $1 million. . Designed innovative user-interface for financial services company enabling users to easily look up stock ticker symbols. . Repositioned and developed new corporate branding for retailer looking to carve out niche and grow aggressively. . Received numerous industry awards and honors, including Clio, Webby and American Graphics Design Award.
271 Clinton Drive, Toronto, Canada ● (416) 555-5555 ● [email protected]
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GRAPHICS ● WEB ● DESIGN ● ILLUSTRATION
Career Development (continued)
LIQUID REEL – TORONTO, ON 1998 – 2000 Design Director Recruited to lead design team for this start-up Web design and Internet marketing agency servicing diverse client base. Managed team of 15 design professionals, set creative direction and vision, managed client interface and coordinated with project managers to ensure design projects were delivered on time and budget. Called “the key to our successes” by CEO. . Created print marketing campaign for major professional services firm which received a Clio award in 1999. . Successfully led the growth of the design team, from 1 employee to 15 during a period of 300% revenue growth for the company. . Designed all aspects of Liquid Reel corporate identity, including logo, stationary, print advertisements and Web site. . Played key role in new business presentations which resulted in the addition of 5 Fortune 500 clients within the first year of business.
BLAINE & ASSOCIATES – TORONTO, ON 1993 – 1998 Lead Graphic Designer (1996 – 1998) Graphic Designer (1993 – 1996)
Hired as junior designer and promoted several times into positions of progressive responsibility. As Lead Designer, supervised team of 8 designers and artists and coordinated with print production and sales teams to ensure client satisfaction. . Supervised award-winning corporate branding campaigns for high profile clients such as DonAir, Stamos and Davies-Peabody. . Produced over 100 projects a year including logos, print advertisements, brochures, annual reports, posters, technical illustrations and maps.
Education
BFA, Graphic Design, University of Toronto, 1993 Digital Media Design Diploma, International Academy of Design & Technology, Toronto, 1999
Professional Affiliations
Member, Internet Professional Publishers Association Member, Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario Member, Society of Graphic Designers of Canada
271 Clinton Drive, Toronto, Canada ● (416) 555-5555 ● [email protected]
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JAN WEINSTEIN 5401 68th Street, Lubbock, TX T: 555.555.5555 H: 555.555.5555 [email protected] www.linkedin.com/in/name
SENIOR HUMAN RESOURCES EXECUTIVE Record of success in complex global organizations ranging from 500 to 50,000+ employees across as many as 16 countries. Led HR groups of up to 170 and controlled multimillion dollar budgets. Highly effective change agent with a history of building functions from the ground up, consolidating disparate teams, and turning around problematic situations. Realist who aligns HR strategy with business goals and works closely with executives and line managers. Never says ‘no’ without offering an alternative solution. Business-focused and results-driven. Areas of expertise include: . Strategic HR Planning . Compensation & Benefits . M&A Due Diligence and Integration . Union Prevention Strategies . Succession Planning & Talent Management . Board Member Relations . Recruitment & Staffing . International HR Leadership
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
BLITZ ENTERTAINMENT, New York, NY 2005–2009 International video game developer with annual revenues of $300M Vice President, Human Resources Recruited by CEO, a former colleague, and charged with building infrastructure to help company reposition itself in a competitive market. Led HR for 500 employees in 11 divisions across 3 countries through team of 10. Served as company officer and plan trustee for $35M in retirement benefits. Impact: Key member of senior leadership team that engineered complete turnaround and drove 30%+ sales increases every year. . Worked closely with CEO to restructure entire organization, transforming 11 divisions into 3 streamlined business units with complimentary product offerings. Recruited new management and implemented communications programs that created a cohesive organizational culture. . Cut employee turnover 67% by replacing ad hoc compensation approach with formal, structured system that rewarded performance and eliminated discrimination. Established Board of Directors’ Compensation Committee. . Achieved 90% internal fill rate for leadership positions (up from 55%) by designing first formal executive succession planning process. . Spearheaded due diligence and post-merger integration for 8 acquisitions over a 4-year period.
MACROSYSTEMS, Princeton, NJ 2000–2005 $2B global technology company Vice President, Human Resources Led HR team of 170+ with full accountability for US employee relations (40,000 employees in 40+ locations) and all HR functions for an additional 16,000 international employees (23 sites in 6 countries). Impact: Helped grow the company from small start-up into global industry leader. . Built world-class recruiting function that hired 450 employees per month and cut time-to-fill by 27% in the first year.
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. Maintained a low 5% turnover rate despite highly competitive employment market – strategy included generous benefits, incentive programs, and high quality management training. . Started up company’s off-shore operations in India and Mexico, hiring a total of approximately 8,000 employees in 8 operations in India, and 6,000 employees in 6 operations in the Philippines. . Prevented plant unionization by devising targeted strategy that included changing problematic policies, and holding educational training sessions with employees and managers. . Performed due diligence on 6 acquisitions in 6 different countries (Egypt, France, New Zealand, Germany, Brazil and Colombia).
MONARCH SYSTEMS, INC, Scarsdale, NY 1997–2000 Manufacturer of pricing systems Director, Human Resources Hired to manage training and then promoted to handle all HR functions after sale of company in 1998. Managed team of 10 and oversaw HR for 2,600 employees in 8 countries. . Saved $3M in retiree medical liability after implementation of FAS 106 by identifying change in language that reduced balance sheet impact. . Drove 15% increase in equipment sales by revamping sales incentive plan. . Won campaign to prevent unionization and then improved all workplace policies, thus deterring a repeat effort by the union.
THE KROLL-O’GARA COMPANY, Fairfield, CT 1993–1997 $800M publicly traded software solutions company Director, Human Resources Built and led centralized HR function after merger of two companies. Established all procedures, systems and processes for 2,500 employees in 12 countries around the world. Impact: Integrated both companies successfully, creating consistency across benefits, compensation, processes and employee relations. . Saved $450,000 by consolidating 5 retirement plans into one after the merger. Designed new plan, led contract negotiations and managed internal communication effort. . Integrated a further 4 corporate acquisitions smoothly, retaining all key employees.
** *** ** Early Career: Director of Human Resources - Clopay Inc.; Manager, Human Resources - Lexis/Nexis; Financial Analyst - Procter & Gamble Company.
EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
MBA, Human Resource Management – Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH BA, Psychology – University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
Global Professional Human Resources Certification (GPHR)
114 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing GILLIAN GILBERT 5401 68th St, Lubbock, TX 76494 555-555-5555 (H) • 555-555-5555 (C) • [email protected]
IT DIRECTOR/PROJECT MANAGER “If Gillian Gilbert walks into your office looking for a job, hire her on the spot!” Chris Robinson, CEO, NVC Services
12 years of experience leading design, development, and delivery of complex projects and high-performance solutions. Skilled in building great teams and aligning their efforts with organizational goals. Strong skills in technical writing, policy creation and business process development. Proven history of bringing order to chaotic environments. 97% record of on-time project delivery with 100% history of staying within budget. Areas of Expertise: . Complex Project Management . Web Architecture Design . Budget Management . System Design & Development . System Administration . System Scalability Planning . Process Reengineering . Customer Relations . Team Building & Leadership
SELECTED HONORS & AWARDS
2 NVC Services Employee of the Year awards (2001 and 2006) 9 Employee of the Month Honors (between 2000 and 2007) NVC Customers Service Award for Superior Support (2008) Customer’s Contractor of the Year award (2003) CEO’s Special Achievement Award (2006)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
NVC SERVICES, DALLAS, TX 1999 – Present Note: Since 2001, have held 3 concurrent positions each of which are listed below.
Project Manager (2001 – Present) Support Program Director on 9 projects worth $6.7 million annually for major US government agencies and defense contractors. Lead highly effective team of 18. Overview: Volunteered to help overwhelmed Program Director with administrative tasks, reporting, and request processing. Progressively assumed many of the project management functions while retaining all prior responsibilities.
. Boosted morale and reduced turnover 75% by improving communications between contractors and permanent team. Changes included regular meetings and creation of new workflows.
. Managed complex $2 million systems implementation for DoD, assuming control halfway through when manager was pulled on to another assignment. Led team of 10 to deliver on time and 9% below budget.
. Helped Program Director complete 7 of the 9 projects on time, with the other two on schedule for early delivery.
. Eliminated costly work delays by setting up system to ensure all contractors had the necessary system access. . Received 14 internal awards for exceptional performance and customer service. . Fixed over 400 outstanding audit issues in only 12 months by working collaboratively with government bodies and internal departments.
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Web Developer, (2001 – Present) Direct full system development life cycle from initial definition through development and implementation. Compose technical proposals, technical documentation, and informative presentations. Regarded as internal expert on Web development and marketing. Maximize 3-member team’s effectiveness by providing training, mentoring, and support. Overview: Hand-selected to lead development of network-based information sharing system for major government agency. Renovated nominal web presence comprised of static sites with no information sharing capabilities.
. Grew web traffic from under 20,000 hits per year to over 3 million and restored the site’s credibility by designing new infrastructure and training staff.
. Managed $125K LinkPoint project - designed systems development life cycle plan and physical web server farm infrastructure, thus guaranteeing compliance with information sharing and collaboration requirements.
. Freed up 50% of network resources by developing LinkPoint Intranets for multiple agencies. . Led development and implementation of advanced search engine for government analysts. New system cut infrastructure costs by $75K and reduced staff hours by 5%.
System Engineer (2001 – Present) Regarded as technical expert and critical asset for most of the company’s enterprise-level projects, remaining on the cutting-edge of the newest technologies and development protocols.
. Reduced errors 40% and almost eliminated network outages by implementing formal documentation and processes.
. Improved communication with external IT consultants who supported 2 key networks – shared system engineering documentation, training, and methodologies, ultimately cutting downtime and enhancing data integrity.
. Led development of complex and highly confidential system for high-profile government agency.
Web Developer— (2000 – 2001) SACO and Email Administrator (1999 – 2000) Promoted to revamp unattractive client web sites lacking functionality, usability, and sophistication. Created and maintained numerous visually-appealing, content-rich Web sites, setting-up agents, views, actions, formulas, and search engines.
• Redesigned 2,000-page e-commerce site for supplier of military equipment. After redesign, conversion rates increased 67% and page views went up by 48%.
• Implemented web analytic programs for multiple clients and trained employees on how to read and interpret the reports.
• Requested by U.S. Department of Agriculture to become keynote speaker at national seminars to educate the farming industry on business-to-business e-commerce via the internet.
EDUCATION & TRAINING
B.S., Computer Information Technology, Summer 2009 UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
Completed numerous and various IT professional development courses and seminars (Full list provided upon request)
116 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Bill Duff 555.122.1212 [email protected]
Manufacturing Operations Manager
Profile
Consistently driven efficiency, quality, and profit gains in industry known for cyclical nature of rapid growth, then downsizing, followed by more growth.
Senior management confidante involved in strategic planning and tactical implementation of all aspects of complex business. Reputation for taking control of projects and programs that previously lacked clear leadership or defined goals, and quickly achieving desired results. Solid background in continuous improvement, lean manufacturing and Six Sigma.
Skills
. Strategic Planning & Analysis . Customer Support/Satisfaction . Business Assessments & Audits . Profit & Loss Improvements . Capital Improvement Projects . Shutdown/Relocation Programs . Team Building & Leadership . Industrial Engineering Oversight . EH&S Regulatory Compliance
Experience
INFLIGHT AVIATION [Manufacturer of business jets] 2003 – Present Operations Manager Transformed start-up into fully functioning operation, guiding all manufacturing, engineering, purchasing, and financing activities as business matured. Grew from 110 to 2,200 employees while developing policies and procedures that allowed company to move into rate production. Expanded operations into 3 states. Oversaw $14M operating and $40M capital improvement budgets. Impact: Spearheaded physical expansions, renovations, floor layout revisions, and lean manufacturing initiatives that boosted production 30% while cutting costs 42%. . Master-planned entire Inflight Aviation facilities, including 150-acre world headquarters campus at regional airport, from initial start-up through 1-aircraft-per-day production and support plan. . Supported aggressive business plan production ramp by creating plant layouts, master schedules, and manpower plans. . Developed, designed, and implemented complete state-of–the art, aircraft painting system including 68,000 sq ft facility to ensure top quality results and customer satisfaction. . Asked to stay on when current economic crisis forced company to find a buyer. Currently serving on small team of trusted executives transitioning the business to new owners.
XYZ AIRCRAFT [Manufacturer of general aviation aircraft] 1996– 2003 General Manager (2000–2003) Promoted to manage $60M satellite manufacturing operations of detail parts and major assembly components with direct accountability for performance budget, scheduling, and strategic planning. Met high rate production and financial targets during periods of tremendous transition. Impact: Drove company growth from $8M to $60M and from 68 to 450 employees in 6 years.
Street Address Town, ST, Zip
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Manufacturing Operations Manager
Experience (continued…)
. Hiked productivity 6% annually through lean manufacturing, Six Sigma and continuous improvement projects. Continued growth by expanding into new facilities and reengineering processes. . Orchestrated $3M 168,000 sq ft “green field” expansion project and then utilized capacity during economic downturn by landing major contract worth $60M over the life of the project. . Achieved ISO 2000 certification and passed audit on first attempt despite standing as company’s first division to apply for certification and test subjects for the process. . Recognized as one of the Top 5 Safest facilities out of 348 divisions by implementing programs to dramatically improve Recordable Incidents and Lost Work Day Incidents levels. . Thwarted 2 different attempts for unions to organize in heavily unionized industry.
Material Manager (1996–2000) Brought in to restart product line of aircraft that had been dormant for 8 years. Restored working bill of material, transformed tooling, procured materials, hired competent employees, and reinstated detail parts fabrication from the ground up to achieve rate production in 2 months. . Resurrected detail parts and major components assembly lines that were down for 8 years to achieve high production levels, which led to acquisition of more and larger work packages. . Re-negotiated more lucrative contracts with Gulfstream and Airbus to continue manufacturing fabricated detail parts; served as Contract Manager and Program Manager to ensure profitability. . Developed local material management systems from scratch, resulting in 75% drop in WIP inventory costs and 99.8% on-time component and detail parts delivery. . Capitalized on new business opportunities by continuously implementing new technologies in ever- changing industry on small-sized budget.
XYZ AERO 1989 – 1996 Single Engines Materials Manager (1993–1996) Manager, Inventory Control (1991–1993) Advanced quickly through a series of increasingly responsible positions to become inventory control manager for aircraft components assembly program. After 2 years the division was acquired. Retained by new owner as a materials manager. . Cut materials costs 18% through waste reduction program. . Established formal inventory control procedures and trained 25+ team members.
Education
B.S., Business Administration • Major: Marketing and Business Management NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, New York, NY
Professional Training – Six Sigma Green Belt & Lean Manufacturing Training Program
Street Address Town, ST, Zip
118 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Susan Madlow BRAND MANAGER/MARKETING MANAGER T: 212-555-5555 / C: 212-121-4545 [email protected]
About Me Areas of Expertise:
“My passion is building . Product Positioning . Market Research strong brands through . Brand Building . Strategic Planning market research to . Taste Profile Analysis . Budget Management understand the customer, smart product . Integrated Marketing . Product Development development to tap into . Brand Governance . Sales/ROI Forecasting needs, and creative . Copywriting & POS . P&L Management positioning to penetrate the target niche.” . Team Leadership . Identity Creation
Professional Experience
SUPERMARKETS INC. 2005–2009 Senior Brand Manager (2006–2009)
Led 12-member cross-functional team managing product development, packaging, advertising and brand management for $1 billion business unit. Held full P&L responsibility for consumer brands business – analyzed market, cultivated innovation, optimized product mix and pricing, and designed promotional strategies. Results: . Drove $27 million increase in total revenues (7.1%) in 2007. . Reversed declining sales on coffee, boosting revenues 6% in just one year. . Grew cold meats category by 33.2% in 2007 and 24.5% (projected) in 2008. . Pioneered new pasta product category that increased overall pasta sales 5%. Strategy included: . Revitalized under-performing team, and exceeded revenue goals, by creating structured processes and improving cross-functional relationships and communication. . Developed strategic plan including pricing changes and new promotional approaches. . Improved branding and messaging and devised product knowledge training for store employees. . Played key role in launch of frozen food line that will beat revenue targets by 140%. . Developed new ‘smart eating’ line of healthy spreads after recognizing opportunity to differentiate the line from other brands. Projected year-on-year sales growth is 25%.
Marketing Analyst (2005–2006) Hired into newly created position to help transition organization from a traditional ‘private label’ department to an internal consumer packaged goods function. Provided senior brand managers with market and trend analysis for bakery, deli and food service categories and provided project management support on packaging development and plan tracking for all new product launches. Results: . Played key role in reducing packaging development time by 30%. . Identified new deli market niche, helping to drive a 27% sales increase. . Member of team that reversed negative sales trend, delivering 4% growth.
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Professional Experience (continued)
Contributions included: . Cut lead time for packaging development 30% (and thus improved time-to-market) by leading transition from manual system to web-based project management tool. . Boosted deli sales $1.2 million per year by capitalizing on trend towards ethnic flavor offerings. . Drove 10% sales increase on key top-selling deli product by successfully advocating for price changes to enhance competitive positioning.
NATIONAL LEUKEMIA FOUNDATION 1999–2002 Communications Manager (1999–2000) Designed, wrote and led production of marketing collateral for New York region. Work included writing original content for, and designing, award-winning quarterly magazine, monthly calendar and multiple brochures. Managed budgets, schedules and third-party vendors, and worked cross- functionally to ensure brand consistency of all marketing materials and communications. Results: . Created campaign that achieved an unheard-of 8% response rate. . Played key role in driving 13% increase in donations. . Designed volunteer recruitment campaign that shattered all prior records. Contributions included: . Received 13 prestigious awards for marketing excellence and original newsletter content from the National MS Society. . Conducted comprehensive audit of fundraising communications and marketing materials that identified opportunities for stronger branding. . Established style guidelines, processes and procedures for fundraising communications and marketing collateral, ensuring a much more consistent and more effective brand message.
A&M ENGINEERING 1999 Marketing Assistant Managed direct mail, marketing collateral, lead generation and proposal-writing for privately held architectural and engineering firm. . Identified market opportunity and positioned the company to specialize in the hospitality industry. . Generated leads, made sales calls and created proposals that resulted in sales pitches on millions of dollars of new business, including an $8 million hotel in New York and the renovation of an historic hotel in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Education
MBA, Marketing – Columbia University, New York, NY (1999) BA, English - University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA (1994)
120 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing PATRICK C. BERTRAND 5400 68TH Street � 555-555-5555 � [email protected]
MARKETING PRODUCTION / OPERATIONS MANAGER
15+ years experience of managing the full project life cycle from concept to final delivery. Equally adept at planning and execution, effectively managing multiple projects at various stages of production. Known as someone who can always be counted on - never misses a deadline and consistently delivers projects under budget.
Broad production experience includes direct mail, print marketing, Web & multimedia development. Delivers integrated marketing solutions by coordinating artists, designers, production staff, vendors and account executives.
Extensive experience leading cross-functional project teams. Upbeat personality, hands-on management style and calm demeanor bring out the best in employees and co-workers, even in high pressure situations.
“Patrick has been the best supervisor of my career…I can’t remember one missed deadline … He thrives in quick turnaround situations and can always be counted on.” Jerry Erut, Editor/Quality Control, the Distinct Advantage Inc.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
. Web Design & Development . Multi-Language Production . Production Trafficking . Project Management . Vendor Management . Client Relationships . Creative Problem-Solving . Prepress & Press Checks . Project Estimating . Production Planning . Meeting Tight Deadlines . Budget Management
“It has been my distinct privilege to have worked with Patrick Bertrand and I recommend him in the highest terms … good spirited, even under sometimes stressful conditions, he always does a good job.” Janet Wood, Creative Director, The Advantage
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
THE ADVANTAGE, Lubbock, TX 1995 – 2004 Production Manager Recruited to establish production processes for growing advertising agency which had recently acquired several Fortune 500 clients. Provided leadership to team of 10 – 20 artists and production staff and worked closely with creative director, account executives and interactive developers. Managed up to 40 concurrent active print and multimedia projects, coordinating both internal teams and external vendors. . Designed and implemented production processes and controls which allowed the company to grow by 800% in two years while delivering all projects on time and under budget. . Brought all projects in at an average of 30% below the quoted price by streamlining production, managing vendors and communicating constantly. . Spearheaded the agency’s entry into web development enabling the company to offer integrated marketing solutions. Initially contracted with external developers before bringing development in-house to reduce costs. . Introduced ‘proof of concept’ methodology for website development, thereby ensuring clients, account executives and developers were on the same page from the start of the project. . Conducted comprehensive research of vendors and software applications to add email marketing to the agency’s service offering. . Consistently updated processes and technology – initially played key role in the implementation of the company’s first computer network and subsequently updated systems and software to keep the agency on leading edge. . Developed comprehensive MS Excel financial model in order to accurately estimate project costs.
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RTF, New York, NY 1985 – 1995 Graphic Supervisor Originally recruited to coordinate the work of three creative teams for this advertising agency. Subsequently promoted to a supervisory role with accountability for trafficking all work from creative to production and for all hardware and software purchasing for the agency. Liaised with print and media buyers and managed external resources. Estimated all projects using Excel and Access. . Streamlined workload, increased productivity and reduced costs by spearheading the agency’s transition from manual layouts to computerized design and production. . Successfully advocated for the change, purchased MACs, set up computer room and bought software. Helped artists and designers make the transition to computer layouts. . Established production flows and processes for all creative teams to ensure that projects were delivered on schedule and under budget. . Found outsourced providers and negotiated contracts for services such as page layout, artwork, film work and translations. . Received a number of internal awards in recognition of performance excellence.
CMD, Albany, NY 1984 – 1985 Manager Managed retail store with accountability for generating sales, providing high levels of customer service, merchandising products, supervising staff and managing the store’s accounts.
EARLY CAREER: Supervised and coordinated production of 23 magazines per week for KJP Color Plate.
“I have had the pleasure of working with Patrick for over a decade… he can be counted on for precision and diligence in all aspects of his work … he is a valuable addition to any team.” Barbara Bowden, Senior Account Manager, The Advantage
COMPUTER SKILLS
Proficient in: MS Project, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Visio, Acrobat, Dynamic, Adman, Outlook Familiar with: Illustrator, Quark Xpress, Photoshop, Dreamweaver
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Fine Arts – Advertising. Kansas State University, Kansas, KS
122 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing JamesPinciotti SENIOR MUSIC EXECUTIVE 555-555-5555 / [email protected]
Profile
Tenacious executive with an exceptional understanding of youth culture and entertainment. Visionary leader who develops innovative campaigns that drive revenue and profit growth. Built entertainment brands such as [name] and [name] into global success stories. Extensive network of A-list music industry talent, producers, journalists and executives.
“James just doesn’t give in. If he finds a great artist, he won’t let it go. If he sees a business opportunity, he works until he makes it happen. I would work with him again in a heartbeat.” John Borrman, VP, FSH Television, 2006
Expertise
. Strategic Planning . Artist Management . Budget Management . Deal Negotiation . Song Placement . Positioning & Marketing . Online Community Building . Youth Marketing . Trend Analysis . Production . Viral/Guerilla Campaigns . International Business
Experience
MAJOR LABEL, New York, NY 2006–Present Senior VP, A&R Charged with overhauling under-performing A&R function. Inherited roster that had become stale, and faced challenge of declining record sales. Accountable for 30+ artists, leading team of 7 including staff producers and Studio Manager. Built relationships with international and US divisions and attracted top-tier producers. . Led complete creative turnaround that is now coming to fruition. Took the company from 2 albums in the pipeline to 8. Currently have 3 singles in the Billboard top 40. . Discovered and signed [name], winning a bidding war between three major labels by winning band’s trust. . Hired platinum-selling, critically-acclaimed Producer to find new talent, develop artists and manage production projects. Cut production costs 50% by moving the majority of the work in-house. . Developed staff producers through mentoring and training – one previously unknown producer went on to write and produce [name’s] multi-platinum album.
ZYS, Los Angeles CA 2003–2006 Artist Manager Helped well-known Hollywood talent agency expand into the music industry. Used extensive network of contacts to secure top-flight in an increasingly challenging environment. Accountable for signing talented new clients, sourcing projects, marketing clients, managing projects, controlling budgets and shopping albums. . Added $8 million in the first year by signing several multi-platinum artists and producers. . Brokered one of 2004’s most lucrative recording deals – orchestrated bidding war between 9 record companies and fielded offers from 6 labels resulting in eventual $10 million deal with [name]. . Beat out 3 other agencies to sign heralded new rap artist and shepherded first release to platinum status.
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Experience (cont.)
FAME RECORDS, Los Angeles, CA 2000–2003 VP, A&R Recruited as part of new management team with accountability for finding and signing new talent, overseeing the creative process, coordinating marketing efforts, networking to identify new opportunities for roster of artists, identifying new trends, representing the company at trade shows and managing project budgets of between $50,000 and $1 million. . Repositioned the company and grew revenues by over $30 million in 3 years . Built credibility for the label by developing a fully integrated, cross-functional approach to finding and developing new artists. . Delivered revenue of over $10 million and established [name] as a premier rock brand with the launch of their first album; replaced the traditional focus on radio with an Internet/media/touring strategy that resulted in a strong fan base prior to radio launch. . Catapulted [name’s] first release to the Top 40 list and generated sales of more than $8 million by using an artist development approach to build a loyal following and create momentum.
RTE/HBR RECORDS, Los Angeles, CA 1997–2000 VP, A&R Recruited by former boss to lead A&R and then retained (one of only 2 executives retained) after merger with RTE, and subsequently promoted to Vice President. Worked remotely from LA office for company that was based in New York City. . Spotted numerous artists including Supernova and Trainwreck, and contributed to signing of Helium - who sold 12 million albums - and creative direction of their #1 hit single “Down Town.” . Handled A&R for Justin Lenny, preparing all aspects of launch for Grammy-winning album.
AZURE RECORDS, Los Angeles, CA 1991–1997 A&R Manager Initially served as assistant to 4 busy A&R executives before earning promotion to manager-level. Worked on multi-platinum recordings by bands such as [name] and [name]. . Discovered, advocated for, and signed [name] who was unknown at the time. Convinced President to listen to her and beat out numerous major label competitors to sign her. . Oversaw all aspects of launch of [name] career, including creative direction, hiring a producer, positioning her with the target audience and devising ‘tastemaker’ marketing strategy – drove sales of 11 million on her first album, total revenues of $150 million and multiple high-profile awards. . Spotted [name] before any other label noticed them - persuaded Head of A&R to see them and set up showcase that resulted in a contract offer almost immediately.
Education
MBA, New York University, NY (1992) BA, Political Science, New York University (1989)
124 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing SUSAN SPENCER New Media Executive . Internet Pioneer Bronxville, NY 10708 [email protected] ! (914) 222-2222
nnovator with over 10 years’ experience driving revenue and profit increases through the web by developing strategic partnerships, capitalizing on emerging technologies, acquiring valuable content and developing clear brand messaging. Successes include a 100% increase in revenues and 20-fold I boost in web traffic for Red Dog Inc. Exceptional knowledge of website production technologies, extensive network of contacts in online space and in-depth experience monitoring industry trends. Regularly featured in publications such as eWeek, Internet World, and Computer World.
CORE COMPETENCIES . Technology Leadership . Internet Start-Ups . Profit & Loss . Developing Internet Strategy . E-commerce Operations . Project Management . Judgement/Problem Solving . Operations & Infrastructure . Strategic Business Thinker . Company Acquisitions . Technology Integration . Implementation/ Maintenance
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
RED DOG INC. 2004 to Present VP, Internet Operations
Appointed to establish web strategy for company that had built a credible destination site, but was trapped in a niche category deemed too small to build a credible and profitable business. Results: Drove 100% increase in revenues and transformed company into content and e-commerce powerhouse by expanding niche to open up new opportunities. . Introduced new original content sub-sites that resulted in WaterWorld being named one of PC Magazine’s Top 100 websites and marked as an Alexa.com ‘mover and shaker’ for rapid traffic growth. . Drove 20-fold increase in unique visitors within the first year, from under 100,000 per month to just under 2 million. . Boosted ad revenues 100% by securing sponsorships with GE, Volvo, Discovery Channel, CBS, Twentieth Century Fox, History Channel, Intel, and Nokia. . Added $5 million to annual revenues by creating formal sponsorship offering an array of opportunities to advertisers. . Launched e-commerce store in just 2 months, generating an immediate $500,000 per year in revenues. . Created video syndication relationships with Microsoft (MSN.com and MSNBC.com) that have boosted site traffic, ad revenues and e-commerce sales.
125 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing SUSAN SPENCER New Media Executive . Internet Pioneer Page 2
XYZ.COM 2002–2004 Director of Internet Operations / Director of Ecommerce Grew a start-up business during the initial Internet boom period and integrated editorial, technical and marketing assets into a credible and valuable property. Results: Grew business from zero to over $5 million in annual revenues. . Negotiated and secured syndication relationships with major partners such as CNN, MSNBC, Yahoo and USA Today, resulting in rapidly growing traffic. . Boosted e-commerce sales by average of 30% each year by diversifying the business – a critical move during a depressed Internet market. . Reduced external licensing costs by $100K+ by developing a core technology system that drove the business. FGH.COM 1999–2002 Director of Operations Recruited in to start-up web company and charged with establishing the business from the ground up. Implemented detailed roadmap for success that immediately boosted site traffic and revenue, and eventually helped negotiate profitable sale of business. Results: Played key role in growing new business to $20 million in annual revenues with 75 employees and a global reputation. . Designed and launched numerous innovative features that drew media attention and established the site as an industry thought leader. . Established editorial plans for several major news events, making the site the most visited in its niche on every major occasion.
FOGHORN COMMUNICATIONS 1997–1998 Senior Web Manager Oversaw multiple site development/management projects for consulting business focused on the music industry.
. Doubled billable revenue within one year on major account by developing new website design that pleased record label so much they decided to hire FogHorn to revamp 10 artist websites. . Hired SEO expert to expand agency’s capabilities and service offerings, increasing the average value of a project by 10%.
EDUCATION
University of New York, New York NY - BA Political Science / BA History (1996)
126 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing MARK DAMON 15 Market Rd., Milltown, NY 10710 H: 555-555-5555 • C: 555-555-5555 • [email protected]
TOP-PERFORMING SALES PROFESSIONAL Consistently increased sales & market share in highly competitive environments
15-year record of sustained results and sales awards. Build strong client relationships by translating sincere belief in product into solutions for client’s success. Exceptional experience working with high net worth clients. Hard worker who is usually the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave at night. Selected Sales Awards: . 2008 Top Sales Award – added $22 million in assets-under-management. . 2007 Sales Producer Award – increased assets under management by $15 million . 2004 President’s Club - awarded “dream vacation” all expenses paid. . 2000 Top Producer Award - increased assets under management by over 1,100% . 1999 Account Opener of the Year - opened 92 new accounts both domestic and international.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
FIRST COUNTY SECURITIES 2008 to Present Stockbroker / Branch Manager Optimize performance of accounts in US equity markets, researching investment opportunities in both real estate and financial markets. Equip clients with sound advice regarding depressed US economy and real estate market. Ensure smooth office operations by developing efficient systems and processes. Impact: Cultivated new international and domestic business via aggressive cold calling efforts. Provided honest advice to clients regarding financial crisis and minimized losses. Selected Results: ▪ Successfully transferred 100% of prior Waldman accounts to First County as a result of strong client relationships. ▪ Researched countless different investment opportunities to find optimal match for each client. ▪ Protected millions of dollars in assets by guiding clients through the financial crisis.
WALDMAN FIDELITY 2004 to 2008 Stockbroker Targeted and built relationships with a multitude of high net-worth clients valued at more than $500 million. Evaluated equities in technology and other industries; prepared investment analyses. Trained and guided 6-member staff and led by example to instill accountability and strong work ethic in team. Impact: Added $15 million in AUM by opening up new overseas accounts. Delivered market- beating returns by pinpointing, researching, and capitalizing on a multitude of lucrative investment opportunities. Selected Results: ▪ Awarded with Top Producer Designation in 2005 for managing both the most and the largest accounts. ▪ Built and led a highly effective 6-member team, that opened up numerous accounts and initiated new win-win relationships. ▪ Forged friendly relationships with gatekeepers for some of the world’s wealthiest people, and thus gained access to highly sought-after business insiders and international tycoons. ▪ Established lucrative relationships with many oversees clients and raised more than $15 million from businesses and individuals.
127 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing MARK DAMON Page 2
UBS 2003 to 2004 Stockbroker/ Investment Executive Generated new business, focusing globally on wealthy individuals and businesses. Identified undervalued opportunities, steering analyst toward specific clients, including owners of large technology firms. Continually moved forward due to strong work ethic, persistency, and optimism. Impact: Created new revenue stream by developing international sales division, comprised primarily of South American clients. Managed and maintained some of firm’s most prosperous accounts, worth over $1 billion. ▪ Established relationships with targeted, high net-worth clients by gaining their trust and inspiring confidence. ▪ Recognized as member of President’s Club for success building new multimillion-dollar revenue stream. ▪ Maximized fellow brokers’ effectiveness by furnishing them with training and techniques to target overseas clients. ▪ Accommodated business growth by expanding staff to 5 members, and recruiting, managing, and training well-qualified professionals.
YORKE CAPITAL 1998 to 2003 Investment Advisor/ Stockbroker Led 7-member team, ensuring absolute accuracy as they prospected for new business worldwide and analyzed investments in U.S. markets. Used refined organizational, time management, and motivational techniques to achieve desired results. Impact: Captured 99 new accounts, increased AUM from $5 million to $47 million, and boosted revenues and profits by finding sound investments. ▪ Honored with Top Producer Award in 1999 and New Account Opener Award in 1998. ▪ Won President’s Club award, which included all expense paid trip to Bermuda.
SUMNER GROUP 1995 to 1998 Stockbroker Investments Built large client base and successful equity portfolios through lead prospecting, cold calling, relationship-selling, and networking efforts. Gained valuable selling and business experience, working for and learning from the firm’s largest producer. Completed vigorous sales training program. ▪ Started-up business, raising equity and building client base from the ground up via cold calling. ▪ Earned Top New Account Opener of the Year Award beating 23 other sales reps.
EDUCATION
B.S., Marketing & Finance UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, DALLAS, TX (1995)
128 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Ravi Dhruba SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALIST 27 Snow Lane, Scarsdale, NY 914-222-5555 . [email protected]
Professional Profile
Creative marketing manager with a proven record of driving revenue gains and brand awareness through intelligent use of social media. For example – increased traffic to current employer’s website 32% via social media strategy comprising Youtube, Facebook and Twitter.
Personal traits: Hard-working, reliable (exceptional attendance and punctuality), creative, innovative, technologically savvy and quick to learn new skills. Learn more at www.hireravi.com or follow me on Twitter (@ravidhruba).
Skills:
. Strategic Planning . Business Development . Youtube Video Production . Twitter . Digital Asset Management . Brand Identity . Facebook Advertising . Market Research . Media Planning & Buying . Project Management . Blogging / Blog Commenting . Technology Implementation
Career History
TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS INC., Larchmont, NY 1/2007 to 10/2009 Marketing Manager Initially hired to manage traditional marketing efforts for small systems implementation business with $7M in annual revenues. Quickly introduced management to social media marketing as a means to develop leads. Gained executive buy-in, and devised/implemented comprehensive social media strategy. . Developed multiple leads, resulting in at least 8 closed deals. Generated total annualized revenues of $780,000 at a cost of almost nothing and boosted traffic to corporate website by over 30%. . Launched company’s first blog, focusing on process improvement and systems suggestions and targeting the needs of small to mid-sized businesses. Built subscriber base of 3,100 in 18 months. . Developed Facebook fan page that has over 4,000 followers, and persuaded management to move money from Yellow Pages advertising to fund Facebook ads. . Established Twitter page and quickly built following of over 7,500 by engaging with the community, and using Twitter Search and RSS to find like-minded people. . Produced series of 10 videos for small business owners featuring demonstrations of how to use commonly used software more efficiently. Videos have been viewed almost 8,000 times to date. . Created email newsletter to complement blog and grew contact database 327%.
THE HUMAN EDGE, Scarsdale, NY 7/2004 to 12/2006 Marketing Coordinator Recruited as first marketing professional for company whose only prior marketing had been advertisements in the Yellow Pages. Challenged to create consistent messaging for 3 distinct entities. . Developed comprehensive strategy that included print, radio and local TV advertising. . Created distinct brand strategies for each of the 3 separate businesses to eliminate customer confusion and improve sales.
129 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Ravi Dhruba PAGE 2
. Secured at least 50 new projects for the company as a result of trade show initiative which significantly raised brand awareness. . Designed and oversaw development of industry-leading website that went beyond the traditional ‘brochure’ site to provide educational and engaging content. Increased traffic by 24%.
XY&Z, Southland, MA 6/2001 to 7/2004 Network Engineering Specialist Managed equipment investment records, analyzing and reconciling database information with accounting records. . Quickly reengineered own work processes to complete a full day’s work in only 4 hours and then taught co-workers how to streamline their own tasks – for example, used macros to automate complex processes. . Received ‘Creative Excellence’ Award in 2002 for improving departmental processes. . Led key aspect of major software implementation and trained other group leaders in methodology. . Wrote user help manual and designed/conducted training sessions, thereby cutting support requests by 25%.
SCALEX, New York, NY 5/1998 to 6/2001 Marketing Coordinator Initially hired to help scan, index and archive paper records into searchable electronic images before earning promotion to lead team of 5 contract employees and also manage all marketing to attract new clients for the department. . Transformed the department from a cost center to a revenue generator by growing client base from one business unit to 23 in just 2 years. . Developed a brand identify for the department and produced advertisements, flyers, newsletters, internal press releases and a CD-ROM demo. . Increased productivity of each employee by as much as 600% after reengineering processes and retraining team members. Finished major project months ahead of schedule as a result. . Created email campaign that beat standard response rates by 27%.
Technical Skills
OS: Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Windows Server, Linux, Mac Software: Microsoft Office (Access, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher, Word); Microsoft Exchange Server, Project, SharePoint Services, Visio; Adobe Acrobat Professional, Bridge, Designer (LiveCycle Designer), Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash, InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop; Quark XPress Web Programming: HTML, XML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP
Education
Bachelor of Business Administration - Major: Marketing, New York University, NY (1999) Cumulative GPA 3.9 out of 4.0, graduated ‘With High Honor’
130 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Jaycee Merchant
music composition and sound design
why me?
. My passion for music is equaled only by my passion for my clients ... that’s why I’ve built a satisfied clientele including video game developers, movie production companies and commercial corporations.
. I know that professionalism and ethics are just as important as talent … that’s why I always keep my promises. I have established a reputation for delivering high quality work on time and my clients almost always hire me again.
. But that’s not to say I don’t have talent! I innovate constantly, blending music knowledge with cutting- edge creativity to meet your exact specifications. My work is original, fresh and always well-received.
. I love what I do... I believe that sound inspires drama and drama inspires sound, and I am 100% committed to enhancing the game or film experience.
my expertise …
. Music Composition & Scoring . Ability to Work Within all Music Genres . Professional-Grade Audio Tools & Processes . Recording, Editing and Mixing Music and Sound
what my clients say…
"Jaycee has come through under extremely tight deadlines …the music she produced met our needs perfectly. The very quick turnaround and quality work will keep us coming back." Sandra Meyer, Mega Games
"I am constantly impressed by Jaycee’s work ethic and talent and she definitely has her finger on the pulse of current trends … we will hear great things from her for years to come.” Moiz Marvin, Oscar-winning Composer.
"Jaycee, you do consistently fine work! I have so much respect for your dedication and creative abilities. Thank you!” Sarah Hubble, President – Davis & Davis Artist Management Group.
my work …
The following are just a few of my recent projects:
. Scored video games for developers Mega Games and Applause Software. Created high quality soundtracks to extremely tight deadlines, securing ongoing business relationships with both developers.
. Worked with famous composer Moiz Marvin creating music for new reality TV show.
. Designed music for Aero Space Media project to demonstrate planned in-plane laptop technology.
. Scored major motion picture and trailer which is currently in production.
. Provided full-service music to major corporations including the Money Tree. Services included corporate identity music, scores for animation and background music.
. Worked with top TV Director to create a pop-based score for an acclaimed music video which was distributed to schools nationally.
Contact me at (555) 555-5555 or [email protected] . Check out my work at jayceemusic.com
131 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Melissa Branch Systems Engineer 5401 68th Street, Lubbock, TX 79424 555-555-5555 [email protected]
Professional Profile
. Record of improving stability, cutting costs and improving systems flexibility. . Expertise in UNIX engineering/administration. . Thrives when managing complex projects and working to tight deadlines. . Focused on technology as a means to drive the business forward and not for its own sake.
Professional Experience
HL COMMUNICATIONS [start-up communications firm] 2007–present Systems Architect Joined start-up team whose management lacked technical expertise. Charged with establishing all systems, tools and processes to support the business. Designed and built entire infrastructure to provide telephone, cable TV, and Internet service to multi-family residences and business parks. Led staff of 9 and worked closely with property owners, investors and management. Contributions include: . Hired and managed high-performance team of 4 engineers and 5 installers. . Boosted profit margin 20% by negotiating with hardware vendors, transit television operators and CLECs. . Increased availability from 85% to almost 100% by introducing N+1 redundancy and eliminating rarely used, low margin features, thus dramatically improving customer satisfaction. . Shifted the organization away from initial decision to build upon proprietary hardware towards a commodity hardware, software-based solution. Cut costs for customer premises equipment (CPE) by 35%. . Implemented elegant and easy-to-use network monitoring system to provide detailed reports and allow for proactive monitoring.
FRW [real estate management/brokerage] 2005–2007 Systems Engineer Brought into organization to update all technology as a means of driving revenue and improving the agency’s competitive position. Researched, implemented and managed all systems (hardware and software), working closely with users to understand business needs. Successes include: . Built web-based real estate management, leasing and sales platform - implemented full suite of state-of-the- art technologies including virtual tours, automated listings submissions, unified communications and transaction management. . Developed and launched advanced corporate website that incorporated high-resolution images and Google/MSN map integration. . Cut development costs more than 50% by outsourcing programming rather than hiring full-time employees. . Saved approximately $50,000 per year, and provided competitive edge, by eliminating need to subscribe to multiple MLS listing services, instead building proprietary in-house system. . Developed highly user-friendly systems that allowed agents with limited computer knowledge to use them with very little training.
132 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Melissa Branch Systems Engineer Page 2 555-555-5555 [email protected]
GAMBIA ID [Auto ID Retailer] 2003–2005 Systems Integrator Recruited to help business grow through development of web-based infrastructure. Designed identifications, access control and time management systems. Oversaw systems integration for clients and managed client/vendor relationships. Successes include: . Replaced phone-ordering with e-commerce website, cutting costs and improving service. . Automated numerous systems including customer relationship management, vendor management and order fulfillment. Implemented ERP/accounting system. . Advocated for new focus on CCTV, a move that generated significant revenue and a 50% profit margin. . Boosted sales and cut customer service calls by publishing manufacturers’ documentation on the website.
BROADBANDING [Internet Service Provider] 2001–2002 Systems Administrator Managed 24/7/365 network with accountability for shared hosting infrastructure for over 2,000 accounts. Assembled and configured dedicated *NIX/Windows servers and worked closely with clients and resellers. . Managed successful relocation of 50 production servers including configuring all routing/routers/switches, DNS, firewalls, VLANs and VPN for new data center. Kept downtime to a minimum.
Early experience: Systems Administrator, Petrie Communications (2000–2001); Systems Administrator, Hedroom Internet (1999– 2000)
Technical Skills Summary
Languages: UNIX shell scripting, regex, Perl, PHP, HTML
Software: MRTG, OpenView, Nagios, Unicenter, Apache, Caudium, Roxen, IIS, JBoss, Tomcat, OpenSER, Asterisk, Cisco Call Manager, Ekiga, MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, MSSQL, VieleRETS, Yardi, SugarCRM, osCommerce, ompiere, BIND, Samba, Squid Proxy, Tripwire, Snort, Nessus, PGP, IPFW, Netfilter, Tivoli, Amanda, KnowledgeTree, Alfresco, Citrix, Visio
Operating Systems: Windows NT/2000/2003, Linux (RHEL, Trustix, CentOS), Solaris, Tru64, FreeBSD/OpenBSD, Cisco IOS, CatOS
Hardware: DEC Alpha, x86, SPARC, Electroline Addressable Television, Echostar MDU Satellite, Carrier Access Adit, MagTek, Uniform Industrial, Eltron, Fargo, Zebra, Proximity Card, Smart Card, RFID, NCR, Cisco routers/switches/PIX, F5 BIG-IP, ADTRAN CSU/DSU, Checkpoint Firewall, RSA SecurID, Nortel Meridian PBX, Cisco IP Phones, Winchester RAID, EMC SAN, Exabyte, HP SureStore
Networking/Protocols: SSH, TFTP, SNMP, DNS, SMTP, IMAP, UUCP, RSYNC, RIP, BGP, NNTP, TCP/IP, OSI, Frame Relay, ISDN, PRI, LDAP, IPSec, NFS, DHCP, RADIUS, POP3, SIP, VoIP, TDM, SCCP, RETS, IDX, Kerberos, NIS/YP, NIS+, VPN, PKI, Ethernet, FDDI, BOOTP, HTTPS, POTS, 802.11, WiFi, H.323, RTP, NAT
E d u c a t i o n
Associate Degree, Business/Economics – Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX (2003)
133 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Alyssa Dorhim
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER th 5401 68 Street, Lubbock, TX 79424 555 ( ) 555 -‐5555 [email protected] PROFILE
Content Development Editorial and C ontent D evelopment Skills
Site Branding Community Building Transformed under-‐utilized Web site into a vibrant, -‐ highly regarded Revenue Generation industry community with over 500,000 members. Site has received 15 Affiliate Partnerships Track national Record awards Reven of to date.ue and Profit Growth Conference Management Cross Promotion Public Relations Grew annual revenues for Gambia by 55% in three years by
P&L Management developing numerous new revenue streams. Achieved a 45% increase
Product in profits Launch during Expertise the same time period. Editorial Direction Event Management Web site Operations Key member of -‐ start up teams for both dia Develope magazine and Team Leadership Gambia.com. Subsequently conceived and introduced a number of new products to leverage existing content and increase revenues.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Executive Producer, Developedia.com HOORAY MEDIA , LLC New York, NY 2003 – PRESENT
Promoted to this position after former employer acquired und Hooray. Turned aro unprofitable site by maximizing the use of content from the annual Developedia Conference and Developedia magazine while also generating marketing leads for these organizations. Built a web site which is now recognized as the industry leader. Currently provide strategic and tactical leadership report to web team and directly the to Group Director Also serve for as Chairperson CAM Media Group. Games of the Festival and Executive Director e of th Developedia Association. . increased revenues by 55%
Led fundamental changes which and turned the site from a loss to a 45% profit within 3 years. New -‐ revenue generating features included paid job postings, searchable resume . Increased database, sponsored site membership links, banner by 507 280%, to ads, ,000 affiliate partnerships and sponsored . online seminars . Created systems to capture key demographic information so that the membership list could be used for targeted cross promotion to the company’s . other properties. generated a 50% profit margin Leveraged existing content from Developedia agazine m and the Developedia Conference to create new . revenue, including DVDs of conference sessions that in its first year. Implemented a weekly newsletter automatically generated from existing site content and emailed to . 60,000 subscribers. The newsletter is used to promote grew both subscriptions the from annual conference and the magazine. zero to 48,000 in 12 months. Conceived and led implementation of premium offering membership and .
Appointed to the role e of Executiv irector D of Developedia Association. Manage team three of and implement membership services -‐ for non profit organization with 5,000 members and 200+ local chapters.
134 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing Alyssa Dorhim Page 2 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE (CONT)
Editorial Director, Developedia magazine and Gambia.com MILLHOUSE INC., New York, NY 1992 – 2003 (1998 – 1999)
Led editorial direction for Developedia magazine and Gambia.com, managing editorial and Web development staff.. Crafted new editorial strategy which leveraged content oducts, across both pr increasing traffic to the Web . site and revenue for the magazine. generating incremental revenues of over $40,000 . Launched annual archive of back -‐ issues on CD ROM, . Managed major redesign of Gambia.com. The site had previously al been managed by extern developers . which made it expensive -‐ and time consuming to change content. reduce costs 50% . Brought site development -‐ in house to allow frequent site updates and . Launched the Games Festival in 1998. Acted as Chairperson and media contact, quickly lishing estab the Editorfestival -in-Chief, as a Developedia major industry magazine event.
(1996 – 1998) Managed staff of two editors and team of freelancers with responsibility for editorial content and deadlines. .Also Received wrote 11 two awards monthly from columns the nd and created a American maintained Society of Editors the magazine’s web site. for Editorial Excellence between 1997 and . 1998. . Key member of the launch team for Gambia.com. Product Moderated Review panels Editor, at Software the magazine Developedia Conference and Electronic Expo.
(1994 – 1996) Managed team of freelancers to develop and edit product reviews and coverage. Wrote monthly “New and Noteworthy” column and managed annual product excellence awards. Worked on the launch team for Developedia magazine. Project Coordinator, Software Development Conference
(1992 – 1994) Coordinated speaker selection -‐ for semi annual trade conference. EDUCATION
B.A., Economics, University of – Texas Austin, TX (1991) AFFILIATIONS/PUBLICATIONS
Advisory Board, Developedia Conference, – 1997 Present Board of Directors, Developedia Association, – 2003 Present IT arketing M Co-‐author of book, “ Developedia Marketplace” (1998) Named one of the “top media influencers” 4 of 200 by magazine
135 The Blue Sky Guide to Resume Writing