Tips to Evaluate and Improve Your Resume

  by Stephanie Legatos  

The sole purpose of your resume is to secure an interview. Every choice about what to include, exclude, highlight or minimize – and what words to use to convey your skills, experience and accomplishments – is a strategic decision. Here are four tips that will make a difference:

1.      INCLUDE AN OVERVIEW:

• This snapshot of what you can offer to an employer creates a theme and sets a context at the very beginning. It facilitates the reader’s ability to make a connection to the details that follow.
• You can choose from a variety of titles: Professional Profile, Career Profile, Skills Summary, Career Highlights, or Summary of Qualifications.

2.      REMEMBER THE “TOP 1/3” RULE AND THE “30-SECOND” RULE:

• Play two brief games: Using your watch or a clock, take a look at your resume. STOP in 30-seconds. Make a mark to indicate how far you read. Identify two key things that you remember without looking back at the resume. Next, fold your resume into thirds. Given the position you are seeking, what do you see in the top 1/3 that is compelling and sparks your interest?
• Establish relevance and capture the reader’s attention, inspiring them to read on. Include the title of the position for which you are applying at the top of your resume. Use the job listing, or information gained from networking, to position the most relevant information first. Use bullets or other graphic enhancements to highlight specific information.

3.      MAINTAIN AN EMPLOYER-ORIENTED FOCUS:

• Use the skills of the position for which you are applying to guide you in clearly communicating and prioritizing your skills and experience. Although you do not want your resume (or cover letter) to read like the employer’s job listing, you do want to use selected words and phrases – this creates a visual and cognitive “match.”

4.      INCLUDE ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Accomplishments showcase the results of your work and are used to communicate more concrete information to an employer. This simple formula can be used to help you identify and quantify/qualify your accomplishments:

P = Problem A = Action R = Result

• For example:

P = low participation of seniors in campus blood drive; A = approached the Career Services office recommending inclusion of Red Cross booths at campus career fairs; R = increased participation in blood drive by 20%

Use this information to create a succinct one or two sentence accomplishment statement: Expanded visibility of campus blood drive by working collaboratively with other university departments, resulting in 20% increase in participation.

Stephanie Legatos, career counselor/coach, and trainer and instructional designer, with a M.S. in Human Resources and Counseling Psychology. In my career counseling work, I balance the practical and concrete aspects of the job search process with the expression of passion, soul and spirit in your work/life. I am a Certified Professional Resume Writer, qualified to use the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and have more than 12 years of experience using a variety of career assessment tools and presenting workshops on job search strategies.

I can also help contribute to your organization’s staff development needs by designing and presenting training workshops on a variety of topics. Most of my career history has been in nonprofit organizations. Please contact me for a list of topics, including outlines and learning objectives.

Stephanie Legatos is a career and job search coach, and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) who works with people in diverse occupations to create compelling marketing tools and a comprehensive job search strategy. Contact her at bewellpartners@verizon.net, bewellpartners.com, or 978-887-0070.