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Three Myths About Resume WritingYour perspective on resumes ? what they are and how they function ? will doubtless influence how well you can write your own. To create an outstanding resume, begin by questioning and replacing some of the commonly held assumptions about resume writing. ASSUMPTION: "A resume is a personal history, and prospective employers will read it primarily to learn about past jobs and accomplishments." Replace with: A resume is best thought of as a proposal, rather than a history. Although a resume does primarily include information about your personal history, its chief aim should be to convey this information in a way that is highly relevant to the job in question. Thus, the key question to address is: How are you uniquely qualified to do well in the position for which you are applying? Writing to answer this question can turn a dry personal history into an attractive employment proposal. ASSUMPTION: "My resume probably won't be that important anyway ? it's connections and luck that will get me a job." Replace with: Revising and improving your resume can play a central role in landing your next job. No reasonable person would deny that connections and luck help. Nevertheless, not everyone has or finds the right connections, and not everyone wants to wait on luck. Take the initiative, instead, to craft a strong job-search strategy, and include revising your resume as a central piece of this process. Doing so, at a minimum, will accomplish three things: 1) you will gain clarity on your strengths and all that you have to offer in your next job, 2) you will have an important vehicle for introducing yourself to potential employers, and 3) you will have a springboard for a strong interview. ASSUMPTION: "The previous version of my resume was good enough, and probably needs very little done to it." Replace with: Just about any resume, even one used with success before, can benefit from careful scrutiny and periodic revision. Your resume should evolve as you do. In addition to acquiring new skills, experiences, and accomplishments, you may have shifted in your professional focus or interests. Perhaps you have gained insights into what employers are really looking for in your line of work. Above all, your resume should be revised so that it is tailored to the employer who will receive it. Even if you have little to add in the way of content, you can always improve your resume by refocusing it on the specifics of the position you are seeking, and by strengthening its wording and overall appearance. THE BOTTOM LINE (A Winning Perspective): Take on the task of writing or revising your resume with the conviction that any resume can be made stronger, that you have an important employment proposal to bring to the eyes of potential employers, and that doing so can be the avenue for landing the job you want. It is with this perspective that you will produce a resume good enough to open doors! © 2005 Ruth Anderson About the author: This article is excerpted from the eBook "WRITE RESUMES WITH CONFIDENCE: How to Create Outstanding Resumes and Have the Confidence to Use Them with Success." Learn more about this book and about Ruth Anderson's coaching and consulting services -- including the INTRODUCTION TO COACHING and JOB SEARCH TUNE-UP programs -- at http://www.vantagepointcoaching.com or write mailto:ruth@vantagepointcoaching.com. |  | | | RELATED ARTICLES Telecommuting Interview Tips Telecommuting Interview Tips- By Nell Taliercio Dazzle Interviewers With Your Achievements Attention Job Seekers: Tasks and Responsibilities are Boooring Do You Need Help Writing A Winning Cover Letter? Your cover letter is critical to your success. It sets the tone. It is read before your resume and includes vital information about you that every potential employer needs. If you don't have a cover letter, or if you have one that is poorly written, you're setting yourself up for failure. Knowing the crucial elements of a cover letter is imperative to getting in doors and moving your candidacy forward. Handing in Your Resignation and Serving Notice Have you made the right choice? 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Life will be over before we know it, so now is the time to really live life and love. Top Ten Guidelines For Working With Executive Recruiters 1. Select the right type of recruitment partner Is Your Career Your Calling or Just a 9 to 5? Do you remember your parents asking you what you want to be when you grow up? By the time I was in the 9th grade, my mother started asking me that same question until I graduated from high school. At that time I wasn't 100% sure what career path I would take, but I had several ideas. Job Interviews: Succeeding With Panel Interviews These days, job interviews often consist of a panel of three-to-six interviewers. Look in the Mirror Take a moment to step outside yourself. Now, be honest with me here? If you could be your own boss, how would you rate your own performance in the last three months? 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Accepting a temporary position at minimum wage in an industry I knew little about, I decided the way to enjoy the position was to learn everything I could and contribution all that I could. I poured over manuals in my down time, developed processes to expedite the work, trained new employees, volunteered for additional assignments, and did anything that needed to be done. Four weeks into a ten week job, I was unexpectedly offered my first management position. If I had listened to my friends cautioning me that taking a minimum wage position was career suicide, if I had been concerned about accepting a job "beneath" my education or experience level, or if I had only done what was expected, I would have missed an opportunity that led to five promotions in the next seven years. It has been my experience over the years, while climbing the corporate ladder to Vice President of a multi-billion dollar company, that opportunity is everywhere and anywhere. Often, it's in unexpected places for those who differentiate themselves in the workplace. People who do what is expected of them, do it very well, "and then some" have opportunities arise that others never do. And people who set their ego aside, contributing everything they can to the task at hand, often create their own luck. That's because initiative is a powerful commodity in the workplace. People offering to do extra work only if they get paid for it, or take on extra responsibility only if their salary is increased first, have it backwards in my book. My advice: do the work, do it well, and then do it even better. Higher pay, greater responsibilities and increased opportunities follow individuals who are contributors. Anytime I looked to hire people, offer permanent positions to temporary employees or interns, start up new departments or businesses, or promote individuals, I looked for people doing their job well ..."and then some." (c) 2004 Nan S. 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One easy way is to explore career options that are complementary to you. Whether you are leaving by choice or have been asked to leave, you probably have more courses of action then you think. Seven Success Tips For Recent Graduates Entering the Professional World 1) Build a Relationship With Your Boss Are You Taking Your Inner Brat to Work? Is your inner brat taking over your job? Everyone has an inner brat. It's the part of us that's still a 2-year-old. It gets furious at the slightest inconvenience. It feels entitled to get what it wants when it wants, and complains when things don't go its way. Your inner brat not only makes you miserable, it makes work unpleasant for everyone else. |
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