Write the Resume
The resume represents the cornerstone of the job search and
can become a birth certificate or death certificate to a professional career,
either kindling or killing chances for opportunities. In later stages of the
hiring process when the employer is deciding whom to choose and what to pay a
given employee, the resume wields little influence, but credit a strong résumé
for getting the initial interview and shaping the performance that results in
an offer. It’s the torch that lights the employer’s fire and lights the way of
the job-hunting campaign. It can also be the ballast that keeps the campaign
stuck in the mud.
You clearly want a resume that energizes your job search –
one that creates impact and delivers results, not wilts in the heat of the
fierce competition of today’s dynamic job market. Conducted properly, you want
to emerge from the resume development process with a sense of career and market
direction, not just a well-written profile. The diagnostic tools described in
Creating Career Road Map, Describing Your Achievements and Peeling Back the
Onion are designed to help you strategically build a resume and not fall into
the trap of jumping into the fray without the proper basics.
Consider the resume your calling card. Develop it
effectively and employers will call.
The best resume model follows an organic, holistic process
consistent with sales and marketing principles. Socrates said it best: “Know
thyself.” Aristotle later added the legendary kicker, “Know your
audience.” Together, the two classic thinkers formulated resume-writing
doctrine that underlies the process to this very day.
So, the primal task before collecting and assimilating
information and putting word to print is first deciding how you want to be
perceived by employers.
We’ve established that the resume functions as an ad in the
job-hunting equation. Hence, understanding how advertisers construct their
materials can be helpful to developing a resume that clearly communicates and
persuades. When advertising agencies are contracted to craft a display ad or
commercial, their first consideration is “What message do we want to convey?”
Firms promoting Starbucks, Walmart, and McDonalds undertake every campaign by
first reflecting on the message to be communicated. Delivering a consistent
message creates a brand image and acknowledged presence in the marketplace.
This is why Starbucks, Walmart, and McDonald’s are household commodities in
their respective industries.
Successful public speakers apply the same rule – preparation
begins by determining “What do I want to say?”
Develop the initial draft of your resume. Refer to the
sample resumesPreview the documentView in a new window provided. Your final
resume is not due until Module 8. This draft resume will provide you with an
opportunity to receive feedback on your resume and also assist you in writing
your Job Application Letter in Module 7.
Submit a document containing your draft resume, achievements
inventory, and Skills/Strength activity as an attachment in this activity.
Include your surname, module number, and title of the assignment in the
document name (e.g., surname_M6_ResumeDraft).
