Writing A Resume That Gets Results
Preparing your resume and preparing to interview for a job is really about telling your story. A resume provides the highlights of your experiences, skills, education and interest in hopes of securing an interview so that you can tell your story in-depth.
There are numerous resources to help you build a resume. Resume writing services, online sites, eCourses and webinars can help you put together an outstanding resume. While there is nothing wrong with using those services, often times an employer would prefer to see a resume that is not professionally over prepared and instead something that is a personal representation of the candidate. With a good template to follow, you can create a resume that will be adequate in communicating your qualifications and appealing to the recruiter who receives it.
There are a few principles I recommend that you follow regardless of the structure or template of your resume. The principles are far more important to an employer than the design of the document.
- First, be sure everything on your resume is truthful. Don’t misrepresent anything from experience, skills to GPA. If a falsehood is identified before you are selected, it is likely to end your candidacy. If an untruth is identified after you are selected, it is likely to end your employment. Don’t embellish or exaggerate, but instead allow your resume to stand on your actual merits.
- Second, Keep it simple. Your resume is either going to be electronically scanned or quickly reviewed in few seconds. Be sure that the reader can quickly identify your qualifications for the role you are seeking. Mostly likely, the recruiter wants to immediately and easily find your job experience or education, your skill set and what type of role you are seeking.
- Next, make sure your resume is relevant to the job you are seeking. You may need several versions if you are applying for different types of roles. Don’t use the same resume for every employer. It will be apparent if you did a mass mailing of a generic resume. They want to know that you are specifically interested in working for them in a particular role. I am not suggesting you have a different resume for every role, but the objective might change on your resume and you can address a specific role in a good cover letter.
- Last, make sure it is correct and error free. For the most competitive situation, a typo on the resume could result in no further consideration of you as a candidate. Constantly update your resume to reflect your most current experience.
The resume is just one part of the overall story of putting together a compelling candidacy, but it is often the most critical part to being invited to an interview.
If you would like to learn more tips about how to find a job, keep a job and grow your career, order my brand new book:
Crush Your Career: Ace the Interview, Land the Job and Launch Your Future
Meet The Author, Dee Ann Turner
Dee Ann Turner is a 33-year veteran of Chick-fil-A, Inc. Prior to retirement in 2018, she was Vice President, Talent and Vice President, Sustainability.
Selected as the company’s first female officer in 2001, she was instrumental in building and growing Chick-fil-A’s well-known culture and talent systems. During her long career, she worked closely with Chick-fil-A’s founder, S. Truett Cathy, and other key leaders as an architect of their organizational culture. Turner was responsible for thousands of selections of Chick-fil-A Franchisees and corporate staff members. Additionally, she led Talent Management, Staff Learning and Development, Diversity and Inclusion, Culture and Engagement. Most recently, Dee Ann launched and led the Sustainability function focusing on Chick-fil-A’s strategy to implement sustainable practices at the $11 billion company.
Today, she leads her own organization, Dee Ann Turner & Associates, LLC, writing books, speaking to over 50 audiences per year and consulting and coaching leaders globally. She is the author of the best sellers, It’s My Pleasure: The Impact of Extraordinary Talent and a Compelling Culture and Bet on Talent: How to Create a Remarkable Culture and Win the Hearts of Customers. Her newest book, Crush Your Career: Ace the Interview, Land the Job and Launch Your Career will be released in March 2021.
You can connect with Dee Ann at deeannturner.com, crushyourcareerbook.com, Dee Ann on Twitter @deeannturner, Instagram @deeannturner, LinkedIn or on Facebook: @DeeAnnTurnerAuthor.