When is the last time you updated your résumé? Doesn’t it usually get updated with some urgency after losing a job, hearing about a great, can’t-refuse opportunity, or reaching your limit with a workplace situation or boss? Well, keep track of the following information now, so the updates are easier to make during the next go-around…
1) Delete the Objective & Provide a Short Overview
Instead of writing an objective at the top of your résumé (where you describe the type of job you want), write approximately three or four sentences that summarize your career. Three or four, you say?! Yes, about that. The details can be included under the different jobs you list.
For this summary, provide information like: How many total years of experience do you have? What type of work experience and skills do you have? What type of employers did you work for, and who were your clients?
In addition to this short summary, provide a bulleted list of your areas of expertise. Examples may include: Account Management | Sales Training | Customer Service Training | Leadership Development. Whatever they are for you, list those areas of expertise.
2) Delete Tasks & Describe How You Made a Difference
On résumés people often list tasks they were involved in as part of their job. Instead, for each job, think about how you made a difference.
What problem existed? What action did you take to solve it, and what was the result? Write that in a sentence or two instead of a job task.
Did you save the company money? Make the company money? Improve processes? Increase employee satisfaction scores? Create a new program that led to company improvements? Improve customer service? Lead the company through change?
When describing how you made a difference, use as many metrics as possible. These metrics are easier to capture while you’re in the job rather than after you’ve left it, so keep track of these now.
Please share below if you have résumé recommendations you’d like to share with others:
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