A 12 Step Plan for Writing a New and Improved Resume

By PAT CRISCITO

From the National Business Employment Weekly

For everyone in the working world, including accomplished executives with decades of experience, writing an effective resume is often one of the most difficult aspects of job hunting. After all, it requires turning your career history into a glittering one-page advertisement that highlights all your best attributes. Fortunately, by using the 12-step process that follows, you can make this daunting task much easier.

1. Select a focus. Decide what type of job you'll be applying for, then write it at the top of a piece of paper. This objective doesn't have to actually appear on your resume. Sometimes, it's best to describe your job goals in the cover letter, where you can tailor your objective to each opening. If you know exactly what type of position you want, including an objective statement on your resume won't hurt you. Just be certain that it's precise. For instance, "A marketing management position with an aggressive international corporation" is much better than "A position which utilizes my education and experience to mutual benefit."

2. List your educational qualifications. Under your objective statement, list any education or training you've received that might relate. Continuing education shows that you care about life-long learning and self-development, so cite any relevant courses you've taken since completing your formal education. Relevant is the key word here. Always look at your resume from a potential employer's perspective. Don't waste space by citing training that's only indirectly related to your target job.

3. Review job descriptions. Get your hands on a written description of the job you want. If you're currently employed, your company's human-resource department is the first place to look. If not, find a copy of "The Dictionary of Occupational Titles" at your local library. This reference offers two volumes of occupational titles and job descriptions for everyone from Abalone Divers to Zoo Veterinarians. Your library may also carry Job Scribe, a computer program featuring more than 3,000 job descriptions. Copy the applicable descriptions and highlight sentences that describe anything you've done in past or present jobs.

4. Catalog your jobs. Starting with your present position and working backwards in time, list every job you've ever held. Include the name and location (city and state) of employer, the years you worked there (e.g., 1990 - present) and your title. It helps to put each job on a separate sheet of paper.

5. Detail your duties. Under each position, list your job responsibilities. Incorporate sentences from the job description wherever they apply, but don't worry yet about writing great prose or narrowing your list.

6. Inventory your successes. Now, go back to each job and think about what you accomplished that was above and beyond the call of duty. Did you exceed sales quotas by 150% each month? Did you save the company $100,000 by developing a new procedure? Did you generate publicity for a new product in the trade press? Write down any achievement that shows potential employers what you could do for them. Quantify whenever possible; numbers are always impressive.

7. Make appropriate deletions. Now that you have a lot of words on paper, go back to each list and consider which items really are relevant to your target job. Cross out anything that doesn't relate, even entire jobs (e.g., that hamburger-flipping job back in high school if you're now an electrical engineer with 10 years' experience). Remember, your resume is simply an enticer, a way to get your foot in the door. It isn't intended to be all-inclusive career history. You can choose to list only recent jobs related to your present objective.

8. Insert keywords. In today's world of e-mailed and scannable resumes, your sentences must contain keywords to get noticed. These are nouns or short phrases describing your experience and education that might be used to find your qualifications in a keyword search of a resume database. They are the essential knowledge, talents and skills required to do your job. They include concrete descriptions, such as: C++, UNIX, fiber-optic cable, network, project management and so on. For management positions, soft skills such as "effective communicator," "self-motivated," and "team player" should be cited as well.

The job description you found in step three will be one of the best sources for keywords. Nearly every noun -- and some adjectives -- in job postings and advertisements will be keywords that HR professionals use when searching through resumes. Make sure, then, to use those words somewhere in your resume, plus synonyms wherever you can. But never include any keywords on your resume that aren't true or don't fairly represent your experience. List the keywords you've determined are important for your particular job search, followed by synonyms for those words. As you incorporate these words into the sentences of your resume, check them off.

9. Create clear, compelling sentences. Now, make full sentences out of the duties you've noted under each job. Combine related items so your phrases won't be short and choppy. Remember to structure the sentences so they're interesting to read. Use verbs at the beginning of each sentence (designed, supervised, managed, developed, formulated, etc.) to make them more powerful. Use keywords wherever possible, be sure that each word in the sentence means something and contributes to the quality of the phrase. If you find it difficult to write clear, concise sentences, take the information you've just compiled to a friend who's good with words or a professional resume writer. Ask either to help you turn this material into a winning resume.

10. Rearrange. You're almost done now! Return to the sentences you've written and think about the order in which they should be presented. For each job, put a 1 by your most important accomplishment. Then place a number 2 by the next most important duty or accomplishment, and so on until you've numbered each sentence. Keep related items together so the reader doesn't jump from one concept to another. Make the thoughts flow smoothly.

11. Add related qualifications. Think about anything else that might qualify you for your job objective and place it at the bottom of your resume. This includes licenses, certifications, affiliations and even personal interests if they truly relate. For example, one candidate wanted a job in sports marketing. Stating on his resume that he'd played professional tennis and was a triathlete turned out to be an asset.

12. Include a profile. Last but not least, if you have room at the top of your resume, provide an overview of your qualifications in four or five sentences. Here, you can include personal traits or special skills that might have been difficult to convey in your job descriptions. Keep in mind that busy recruiters spend as little as 10 seconds deciding whether to read a resume from top to bottom. You'll be lucky if the first third of your resume gets a hiring manager's attention, so make sure the information at the top entices the reader to read it all.

You're now done with the hardest part of creating a resume. The only thing left is to format your information in a style that reflects your personality. Laying out a resume, just like designing an ad, is a science. Before you start, you should feel comfortable with your word-processing software. If you aren't, call in an artsy friend or shop around for an experienced resume designer to help with this part. Your finished product should be a finely tuned marketing instrument that reflects who you truly are and attracts readers to learn more about you in an interview, which is the whole purpose of your resume.

Ms. Criscito is president of ProType Ltd., an international resume service based in Colorado Springs, Colo., and the author of "Designing the Perfect Resume" (1995, Barron's) and "Resumes in Cyberspace" (1997, Barron's).