by Jewel Bracy DeMaio
There’s a major difference between writing a resume and strategizing on a resume. Writing a resume means you put on paper, in a pleasant visual format, your employment history, key words, and accomplishments. You put that before any number of employers, and eagerly wait for the phone to ring.
Strategizing on your resume, though, means you are going to an entirely new level. Strategy is what it takes to make or break your resume. Strategy can be broken down into four key parts.
Strategy #1: Think about your future.
Focus on it. Keep your eye on the prize. What would you really like to do next in your career? That’s what the resume needs to communicate. Your resume needs to communicate that because of your history, you are well equipped to perform excellently in the future. That’s what employers are most interested in. It’s the difference between what you’ve already done and what you know you can do for them.
Strategy #2: Write the resume about you, not your job.
You’re already limited to presenting your life on a piece of paper. Do your best to make yourself jump off that piece of paper. Breathe life into it. The most effective way of doing that is to write about you. It’s your performance in the job that matters, not the job itself. Just think: most employers know the scope of your responsibilities just by your job title, whether you were anything from an administrative assistant to an executive. Employers generally know what you do. They don’t need that explained to them. What they do need highlighted is what YOU did in that position that was above and beyond, that delivered results exceeding projections, or that yielded a tremendous cost savings.
Strategy #3: Make the resume more than just the sum of its parts.
Of course key words are critically important. Accomplishments are essential. But don’t stop there. Give your accomplishments context. Tell the story. For example, if you’ve saved money, compare that savings to what senior management expected you to save. Or, if you’ve increased attendance, put that in context; indicate that you increased attendance compared to last year. Providing such context and telling such stories do NOT automatically mean that your resume becomes a magazine article. Use every word judiciously in order to keep the resume to a manageable length.
Strategy #4: Build a professional image.
How do you want to be perceived overall based on your resume? What is your professional style? What are your ethics? Once an employer decides you have all the functional skills to meet his needs, he will then move ahead to determining whether you’re the type of person who will make a good fit with his organization. This strategy involves communicating on your resume your levels of trustworthiness, intelligence, and competence. Indicate the thought process behind your achievements and accomplishments. If you were the driving force behind a successful idea, say so. This is not bragging. It is not boastful. As long as it’s true, these points build your credibility. And if employers believe in that credibility, they’ll call.