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Effective Strategies That Will Improve Your Resume

Not all advice is good advice. Last week I read an article in e-Week entitled 10 Ways to Tweak Your Tech Résumé. A better title would have been How to Slow Down Your Job Search. While the article did make a few good points, I found some of the advice so disturbing that I posted a response on e-Week. Here is what I wrote:

The quality of your résumé can have a direct impact the length of your job search. Therefore, the following is a list of effective strategies, currently used by certified professional writers, worldwide:

• Maximize the effectiveness of key words by including both the acronym and full spelling of the phrase. For example, ERP ( Enterprise Reporting Programs)

• The format of your resume either reflects favorably or negatively on you. Check out Pat Criscito’s "Designing the Perfect Resume" for ideas on layout and design.

• Accomplishments are the core of an effectively written resume. Demonstrating knowledge and skills are important. However, hiring managers are more interested in how you have used these talents. Instead of writing "Used Java to implement a redesign" Try "Increased Web Traffic, tenfold, with implementation of site redesign."

• Cover Letters are IMPORTANT! Not including one is like arriving at a dinner party without a gift for the hostess. Cover letters can point hiring managers to specific areas of the resume. The following excerpt is from the cover letter of a Project Manager seeking a director level opportunity:

  My track record, which is outlined in the enclosed résumé, fully demonstrates my ability to achieve desirable results. In addition to uniting a disconnected organization I have built a supply chain management system which consolidated purchasing processes for buyers worldwide.

• Writing a top-notch resume is not a breeze. Marketing an individual's unique talent takes time and effort. The key to writing a top notch resume is in knowing the questions hiring managers want answered. Your résumé should answer such key questions as: How have you saved time, money or improved productivity?

• Professionally written résumes are for anyone interested in shaving time off their job search. Fifteen years ago, technology grew at a breakneck pace, causing the war for any talent. Today, the war is for the best talent. Therefore distinguishing oneself through skills, knowledge and personal branding is a must for even the entry level candidate.