IS YOUR RÉSUMÉ SHARP?

No matter what your current status is: happy in your current job, seeking a new career or unemployed and eagerly looking for a job, it is a good time to update your résumé.

We are in a new year and things expire or become out of date. “What things?” you ask. Well, experiences, accomplishments, certificates, memberships and so forth all have a shelf life.

SHELF LIFE

New experiences and accomplishments take the place of old ones. Some times the new experiences are more relevant to your job search. They are more recent and more indicative of who you are now. You learn new and better ways of doing things every time you do it. You need to reflect that on your résumé. Be clear about your accomplishments and use statistics to back it up whenever possible (e.g., reduced downtime 25%).

For the same reasons, your most recent accomplishments need to be documented on your résumé also. Document your growth and dedication to the job. A cutting-edge accomplishment five years ago might be business as usual today. An example is “doing more with less.” If a company is still in business, it is doing more with a lot less. That is no longer an accomplishment, but an expectation.

Certificates and memberships expire, and you may not have renewed them. Even if you did renew them, ask yourself, “Are they still current for the job I am seeking?” Sometimes we just renew our memberships without thinking of its relevance to our future. If you have decided that you need a break from human resources to pursue writing, your membership in SHRM is no longer relevant. Save that money or at least don’t put it on your résumé. Or, maybe it is time to join a professional organization.

THE PROCESS

Start at the top of your résumé and look at everything. Is your name and contact information current? Do you want to put in your cell phone number rather than your home phone? Do you use a different email address more frequently now? (DO NOT use your email address at your employer’s business.) If you want to be taken seriously, use a serious email address (e.g., not PartyAnimal@abc.net).

Is everything relevant for your current job search? If still employed, is it the most recent information about you? What new classes have you taken or new information do you now use on the job? Is everything spelled correctly? Is it the right word?

HOMEWORK

Go to some of the big job search boards (CareerBuilder, Monster, etc.) and look at some job ads in your field. Notice what buzzwords or keywords are being used. Incorporate these keywords into your résumé. What are the core competencies and skills that are asked for? Putting all this into your résumé ensures that employers will see that you have the ‘right stuff’ for their job. It also means that your résumé will pass the scanning process.

KEEP IT CURRENT

Update your résumé every six months. Just knowing it is current means you won’t be caught off-guard if someone asks for it or you suddenly need it. It is also a good time to review your career progress. Are you on track? Do you need to make a course correction or pay for the class that you had expected your employer to provide?

What differentiates one applicant from another is how well they can do the job. What contributions they’ve made to the organization, key projects they’ve led what financial (and other) successes they’ve had on the job. You have to tell the reader of your résumé not what you do, but tell them how well you do it.

A dream with a plan is a goal. A goal without a plan is just a dream.

All things are possible,

Elisabeth

Elisabeth Adler-Lund

Executive and Life Coaching

Telephone: 916 • 803•1494

E-mail: eal@EALCoaching.com