Resumes That Get Results

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Crossroads Career Network founder, Brian Ray, makes another guest appearance on MoneyLife Radio. Below you’ll find a summary of the MoneyLife career podcast that aired on February 10, 2010.

Resumes That Get Results MoneyLife Radio Career Podcast

Today, we’re going to talk about resumes. They’re important, just like networking in a job search. A great resume matches what you are with the position the company needs to fill. It needs to be designed so that someone can see it easily on the first page in the top half.

In that space, put what you do well; it should match what the company needs, and motivate the person looking at it to call you. If you don’t capture a person’s attention in the first few lines, your resume won’t likely be read.

Brian has seen a lot of resumes over the years, more than 25,000 of them. A resume is like a billboard, it has a short time to grab your attention. Some resumes have too much information, not enough space, and they’re hard to read.

Brian says you shouldn’t send a resume through fax or email as a stranger to the potential employer. It usually won’t get read.

Resume Tips
Networking should get you to a point of someone at the company wanting your resume. The perfect resume is one that is expected.

• Put the name you go by at the top (Bob, instead of Robert, for example, if that’s what you go by)
• Put your email address
• Give one phone number
• Start telling someone what you have that they need, could be called an objective or summary statement
• Next you need to show your results, give your track record for producing success. Harvest the things you’ve done and put them into the resume. List the accomplishments, achievements, results that are relevant to the employer.
• If you’re changing careers, you may want to follow that with a functional resume that categorizes the skills you have.
• If you want to continue in the career you have, use a chronological resume starting with your current job and working backwards, and always give accomplishments and results
• Shorter is better, 1-2 pages
• Pictures aren’t needed unless it’s relevant to the job

You must be able to present your career journey in a positive way in an interview. You must be comfortable telling it, even the difficult parts such as being fired. Acknowledge mistakes, as “speed bumps,” and share what you learned from them.

Use the STAR technique. Describe the:

1. Situation you faced
2. Task you had to perform
3. Action you took, and the
4. Results of your action

Your resume should set you up your story. Put the situation and result on the resume and share the actions you took in the interview.

No matter what, don’t lie, mislead, or misrepresent yourself on a resume. Once it’s discovered, that will be it with that employer. Ask other people to review your resume to make sure you aren’t embellishing. Also, make sure you don’t have any errors. Have someone proofread your resume.

More Resume Tips
Construct your resume so people don’t have to read it closely to get the main points.

• Use 12-point type
• Lay it out in a pleasing way, like an ad
• Communicate information easily and quickly
• Use a mix of nouns and verbs
• Avoid making your resume too long, too hard to read, with too much information

Brian recommends having a master resume and using it to create a specialized resume for each job and employer.

Use the Internet and personal networking to connect with people who have job opportunities.

• Try and engage people by phone and/or emailfirst
• Then to deliver the resume when someone is expecting it
• Sometimes you can deliver your resume through a third party
• Pray throughout the process

If you email your resume, you do not need to attach a cover letter. Whether you send your resume by email or postal, remember to. . .

• Keep it short
• Mention the person who referred you
• Be clear about the job opportunity you want, and how you can help

More information about resumes is in Step 3: Focusing on the Marketplace in the Crossroads Career Workbook