by Debra O'Reilly, CPRW

What is a resume, really, and how do resumes work?

A resume is an abbreviated biography. This biography will be slanted; it reveals your work history in a way which is conducive to the fulfillment of a prospective employer's needs. If well-written, it is also concise, interesting and nonrepetitive.
Why?

Because a resume must catch the attention
of a busy reader within 10-30 seconds,
and then hold it until that reader
has found and dialed your phone number.

 That first impression might truly be the only impression created by you, the otherwise anonymous candidate.

Think about the written material you read every week. Newspaper reporting is dry and informative, except for the human interest articles which catch your attention and lead you on. You may read the first section of a tedious international relations article on the front page, but you will search for the remainder of the story about the little old lady from Pasadena, "continued on page A7." You will probably check the byline. And you'll find yourself looking forward to reading additional stories by that particular reporter.

When you respond to the posting of a job opening, your resume is often only one of a mountain of laser-printed "articles" to be read (by human or computer eye). So what should you do to hold the reader's attention?

Obviously, fairy tales are out of the question. Many folks feel that if their stories are not interesting enough, it's all right to embellish. DON'T!

Reader's Digest condensations are another consideration. But how much information can you afford to leave out? Not THAT much! Missing information is always suspect information, and has landed many a resume in the employer's trash.

Here are some tips for creating an effective resume:

1.Be truthful. Do you have a Bachelor's degree? Good. Mention it. Did you leave your Master's program to work full-time? Don't infer that you have earned that graduate degree. 2.Be brief. Even if you have performed the same task at four different jobs, let the reader know ONCE that you have developed that capability; don't belabor the point.
3.Be interesting. There is much color in the English language; rare indeed is the word that has no synonym. If you directed several different projects, try a different action verb to describe each one: Launched a new program; initiated an innovative sales plan; spearheaded a fund-raising drive.
4.Be specific. Quantify. When you reorganized the assembly line, production time was reduced. By how much? If you saved 50 labor hours per week (2,500 annually!), or decreased labor costs by 25%, say so. The reader wants to know that you can save him/her time and money, too.

A well-written resume is among your best and most effective job-search tools. These guidelines will help you to ensure that YOUR resume provides the best opportunity to make your FIRST IMPRESSION a lasting impression!

Last updated: June 27, 2000