Great Resumes

As a professional resume writer and former reviewer, I see all kinds of resumes and, honestly, most of them make me sigh. Those crucial pages are a minefield of details and subconscious psychological effects that most people don't have the time, energy, or proclivity to master. Add to that the unfortunate necessity of tailoring each resume and cover letter you submit to the specific job description and company, and you have an obvious explanation for the prodigious volume of unprofessional and visually unappealing documents that clutter their way to an employer's desk.

Writing a resume is like painting a picture. It is not a fill-in-the-blank exercise or an autobiography, but rather a concise portrait of your professional strengths and abilities whose purpose is to immediately convey to any potential employer his or her fortune in finding you. When I start working on a client's resume, I take the whole story into consideration before making a single change. First, I look at the number of years and the field the person has worked in and/or wants to work in, and then I can start strategizing on format. The process almost takes on a chicken-or-the-egg flavor since phrasing and format can dually influence one another. It definitely requires some juggling ability (just like making eggs and toast with the goal of eating everything hot the first time around).

As a window into the world of the resume reviewer, try to sample as many resumes and cover letters as you can. Ask you friends, look online, take any opportunity you can to look at incoming applications in your office or department. Never pass up a chance to have someone critique your own resume. The exposure will not only give you a better understanding of current trends, but will also help you determine what styles you like and dislike. A staffing company interviewer or college career counselor can be great resources when creating and editing your documents and trust me, this is one area where you need to welcome brutal honesty.

While the word choice and phrasing may be tricky for those who escaped the English and grammar geek gene, what you can do, at the very least, is make sure you have used ONE font (Times New Roman, generally), consistent sizing, and perfectly consistent spacing throughout. The human eye naturally looks for symmetry and patterns and can spot irregularities instantly. The person may not know exactly what bothers him/her, but that gut feeling, even before he/she reads a word of your brilliantly composed masterpiece, sticks to your application and the first impression you have now given is that you are not the careful and conscientious, detail-oriented candidate they are looking for.

That is one irony I would like to point out: if you claim "attention to detail" as an attribute or strength, you must be ready to edit your resume and cover letter at least 5 times, in addition to subjecting it to outside opinion. The most embarrassing thing you can do is send in an application whose very appearance disproves your claims.

Another word of advice: do your research on power words for resumes. There are countless articles that focus on that aspect of the writing process and there is no excuse for poor phrasing. Your cover letter and resume are visual markers of self-esteem and you must sell yourself and study the going buzz words that employers are looking for. For example, if your current job is mainly cleaning the floors of a nursing home, that can translate into "supporting client/patient hygiene and health." It is - but it's about the picture you're painting.

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