Think of Your Resume as a Personal Sales piece The Unemployment Line

by Cynthia Baxter

After losing my job, I revised my resume to add my most recent employer and job responsibilities. I had only submitted the updated resume to a few companies before I responded to a job posting by a Florida-based executive-search firm. The recruiter spent a considerable amount of time on the phone to help me make my resume more reflective of my level of experience.

As a marketing-communications guru, I had skillfully developed copy to promote trade shows, grand openings, press conferences, restaurants, motorcycles … I had even made boneless chicken breast sound sexy. Yet somehow my personal sales piece — my professional resume — lacked oomph.

For starters, I focused mainly on my job duties and did little to highlight my accomplishments. I really think my biggest obstacle was my humility. I needed to realize language that a humble person might consider boastful is perfectly acceptable on a resume. In fact, not only is it acceptable, it is necessary.

The recruiter helped me shift the focus toward more powerful stuff. He also suggested I replace my objective (e.g., “To apply my broad marketing skills in a leadership role for a growing organization”) with a headline. Why didn’t I think of that?

I didn’t do everything the recruiter recommended. Well, I did, but then I changed it back. He suggested I move my educational information up to precede my professional experience. I can see that it might make sense if I applied for a position for which a bachelor’s degree was preferred but not required. He also suggested I exclude a job that I had for a period of only seven months. I excluded it for a while, but I realized the job gave me great experiences, which I wanted to be able to share with my prospective employers.

More recently, I helped other people revitalize their resumes. The process certainly works well with an “interviewer” asking probing questions and then wordsmithing to ensure the accomplishments are written in an impactful way and the style is consistent throughout.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I realized I needed to revamp my resume again. I haven’t done it yet. I want to add my recent experience as a self-employed/freelance communications professional. And I’d like to provide more detail on my healthcare-related volunteering. Neither section will have the same level of “wow” as my previous experience, though. I sure don’t want to weaken my personal sales piece. I guess that’s why I’ve been dragging my feet. Yet I do want to account for how I’ve spent my time.

My other dilemma is that the new information will push my resume beyond its present two-page length. I have to decide whether to tweak it to be a full three pages or cut something to keep it at two.

Darn it! I like my resume the way it is. But I don’t want a prospective employer to think I’ve been lollygagging over the past year. Even though I do love that word – lollygagging – I haven’t had the time for it.