Current Trends in Resume Writing Program Recap

Thank you to Paul Cecala from Cecala Career Consultants for his presentation on resume best practices.  Writing a resume can seem like an art form, especially with trends to include more graphic or visually appealing ways of communicating information.  Yet, good resume writing comes down to some simple and basic principles that can not only help catch the eye of hiring managers or recruiters, but also help advance you through the pesky Application Tracking System many places use to filter and rank candidates.  Let’s dive in and explore the world of today’s resume.

Resume as Storytelling

While your resume may just look like a bunch of words and numbers on a computer screen, it is actually a story; your story to be precise.  There are many ways to tell a story, just like there are many ways a resume can look; the important part is that your story contains the right information.  There are different models for communicating personal stories, yet they all include Actions and Results.  It is through the use of actions and results that we want to frame our resume and use those statements to communicate our responsibilities.

Resume Basics

When writing your resume, you need to change your mindset from that of an applicant; you want to pretend you’re the hiring manager.  If you were hiring someone for that position, what would you want to see on a resume; how would you like it to be communicated?  By reframing our mindset, we can help ourselves identify the things we should be putting on our resume.

One important thing to remember when writing your resume is that there are no rules, just best practices.  Some of these best practices include:

• Making your resume keyword rich
• Write to the hiring manager’s needs/wants
• Use the jargon of the industry or career you are applying to, especially if you are switching careers
• Prove what you say in your position statement
• Position yourself for the job
• Prioritize the job description
• Don’t Lie!

When determining the content to put into your resume, be sure to include things that can change someone’s mind.  Content that does this can include:

• Position/Value statement – explain in 1 or 2 sentences why you are the best person for a specific job
• Accomplishments and successes – focus on the positive’s you’ve achieved in your work history and education
• Quantifiable results – include metrics/measurable information when applicable to your accomplishments and successes
• Expertise – highlight skills and jobs that you are knowledgeable about that relate to the position
• Action verbs – action verbs can create powerful statements that show confidence

There are 2 anagrams to remember and think back upon as you write and rewrite your resume: KISS (Keep It Short and Simple) and 3 ABLES (Readable, Understandable, Scannable).  Your resume should be tailored to each job you apply for so make sure you pay specific attention to the job descriptions and try to match your experience to the needs of that particular job.

Types of Resumes

There are 3 types of resume that are commonly used today; Chronological, Functional, and Combination/Hybrid.  As you can see in the table below, each resume has its own structure and use, dependent upon the type of job you are applying for.

Please view the recording for examples of each type of resume.

Formatting Your Resume

While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to writing a resume, there are some best practices to stick to regarding the formatting.  These include:

• 0.5 – 1 inch margins
• 1 consistent font type, particularly Calibri or Arial
• 10 – 12 point font size for body; headings can be bigger
• Left justify for readability
• Grammar and spelling count so proofread!
• Use bolding and underlining to highlight key information; do not exceed 10% of the resume with these
• Use tabs to make lists appear like a time rather than inserting a table
• Save as a MS Word or Adobe Acrobat file, with your name as the file name

Along with your traditional resume, you should also create a plaint text (.txt) version that you can use to upload to Application Tracking Systems.  This will remove any formatting issues so that the data is imported properly.  Some things to consider for this include:

• Set key words apart
• Use simple text, not italics
• Use simple bullets or asterisks if needed
• Do not use headers, footers, and shadowing/boxes
• Separate lists by tabs, no commas

More Information

Resumes are living, breathing documents that need constant attention and updating.  You can find out more information about resume writing by visiting Cecala Career Consultants at https://sites.google.com/a/cecalacareer.com/cecalacareer-com/home.  If you want a copy of the slides or have questions for Paul, please contact him at pcecala@cecalacareer.com.  You can view a recording of the webinar at https://youtu.be/fhMvbp4cfyE.