- Residence hall (dormitory) counselor
- Retail store clerk
- Accounting department at Small co
- T-shirt purveyor
- Waiter/Waitress.
In this article, we will see how Lauren and David presented themselves on their respective resumes. Even when two people have a similar history, they may write substantially different resumes.
Lauren and David were different in their academic choices and their goals:
- Lauren was a business major and David had majored in liberal arts;
- Lauren was considering a career as a financial analyst; David started senior year dubious about the legitimacy of the free enterprise system. Through his positive experiences in part-time jobs David decided to look for a job instead of a graduate school. David was thinking about sales as a way to make a living.
Summary or Objective;
Education;
Experience;
Other Selling Points
The first step for each of them was to identify the Positive Characteristics they wanted their resumes to convey.
David's Resume
David's progress with his resume benefited from having done a Short Self-Profile and from the work done by the Job Search Club members, including himself, when they held their informational interviews.
To see how David thought about his resume, let's review his original list of Positive Characteristics, based on his research into sales as a profession:
Bright
Competitive
Innovative
Self-starter
Loves people
Team player
Works hard
Accepts rejection
Speaks well
Problem solver
I asked David to make an updated chart indicating the most important Positive Characteristics, his sources for knowing that these Positive Characteristics were important, and why he felt he could offer them.
From looking at his updated chart, David could see the Positive Characteristics he could offer that would be of interest to a sales professional. Some, but not necessarily all, of these characteristics should be part of David's message.
David was now ready for the second step: identifying examples to support the Positive Characteristics he wanted to include in his message.
One of David's personal traits was thoroughness as a record keeper. For his examples, he could immediately draw on his notes from his SSP, his informational meetings, recruiting literature, and specialized articles.
David enlisted all those sources to identify examples that would support the Positive Characteristics he wanted to convey in his message.
David has chosen examples from different parts of his life. This is a good idea. You are not a one-dimensional person. Why draw your examples from only one source?
A Summary to Convey Your Message
David had fulfilled the first two steps of a winning resume: He had developed a list of his Positive Characteristics that would be meaningful to his intended audience, and he had supported each characteristic with examples. Now he was ready for the third step: articulating his message and writing a Summary that would convey it. From his list of Positive Characteristics and his examples, this is the message David developed:
Innovative problem solver who develops and presents ideas well. Listens to others to build relationships. Self-starter who knows how to be a team player. Persuasive; able to overcome objections and accept rejections. Hard worker, competitive; thorough and accurate.
Based on his message and on what he had learned about himself through writing his examples, David wrote this initial draft Summary:
Summary: Innovative problem solver, good listener. Persuasive presenter in both selling and social situations. Gained business sense through practical experience. Self-starter and team builder. Seeks to establish a career in sales leading to sales management. Interest in sales developed through practical sales experience and meetings with sales professionals.
From Message to Summary
Two things distinguish David's message and Summary: The Summary contains only the most important Positive Characteristics of the message, and the Summary adds a career goal and a motivation for wanting that career.
David wondered whether his Summary was too long. I told him that there is no firm rule about length. I suggested that David evaluate his summary on this basis:
Does it convey a message that would interest a potential employer?
If the Summary elicits and maintains interest, it is not too long.
If the Summary doesn't sustain the reader's interest, it is the content, not the length that needs to be revised.
David evaluated his Summary and felt that it conveyed the most essential parts of his message and contained only material that would be of interest to a prospective employer. If space became a problem, one or two lines might have to be deleted from his Summary. Presumably, these would be lines with the least value for the reader.
Using his Summary as a roadmap, David proceeded with the fourth step, writing his draft resume.
Validating the Summary
David had worked hard on his initial draft, but had he validated his Summary? Before we showed it to the Job Search Club for comments and suggestions, we wanted to make sure that David's text had validated his Summary.
"Text," as used here, refers to the Education, Experience, and Other Selling Points sections of a resume.
David made a two-column chart to see whether he had at least one example to support each of the Positive Characteristics conveyed in his Summary:
Looking at David's chart, we could see that:
- Every Positive Characteristic conveyed in his Summary was validated in the text of his resume;
- He had used examples from five different work experiences. (It is a good idea to choose examples from different parts of your life.)
- Most of David's validating was done in his Experience section. His other selling points (OSP) (e.g., honors, computer skills, activities) did not add much and were placed at the end of his resume.
- David's Education section basically said that David was smart. That's useful, but it doesn't need to be an explicit part of the Summary. David also 'validated' the Positive Characteristic of hard work by indicating that he had "self-financed 60% of college tuition and living expenses,' although he hadn't explicitly included that in his Summary either. That's OK. Sometimes, your text will support Positive Characteristics not included in your Summary.
Review by the Job Search Club
The first order of business at our next Job Search Club meeting was to review David's draft resume. As usual, the Club members had some very interesting comments and questions.
Bill: I'd like to start with David's Summary. Basically, I like it, but I wonder if it's David's best shot. For example, David starts with 'Innovative thinking, good listener.' That's an accurate description of David, but would that be the most important Positive Characteristic to a Sales Manager?
David: I see what you mean, Bill. I think I was centered on my own preferences rather than being reader-friendly. Maybe I could start with 'Persuasive presenter . . . ."
Gabrtelle: Following Bill's line of thinking, maybe you should mention your sales experience earlier in your Summary. After all, you're interested in a sales career.
David: That's a good point, Gabrielle. It may make sense to mention the most directly related experience early in the Summary. But I've got to think about that one. My direct sales experience is limited to T-shirts and that was almost three years ago. I don't want to stretch this point. Besides, I did indicate in my Summary that I know the key characteristics of a good salesperson. I was moderating the meeting, and Alice brought me into the discussion with the next question.
Alice: Richard, both Bill and Gabrielle are asking about the order of statements in the Summary. I'd like to know if the order of Positive Characteristics in the Summary should dictate the order of the validating examples in the text. For example: If David stays with 'Innovative thinker . . .' first in his Summary, should he have the example that validates it first in his Experience section?
Richard: That would be helpful, but don't get tied in knots over it. The value of parallel ordering isn't that great. On the other hand, if some-thing comes first in your Summary, it presumably has a high value. In that case, the validating example also has a high value and should come early in your resume. There are other factors to consider as well. David is validating most of his message through his Experience section. Still, he is putting his Education section first. On that basis alone, the order of validating examples couldn't parallel exactly the order of Positive Characteristics in the Summary.
Hector: Since David's Experience section is the one that validates most of his Summary, why not put it before Education?
Richard: That's a good question. Most career professionals will tell you that you could do it either way. My own recommendation for this point in your life is to put Education first. Let's take David's case as an example. First, it tells the employer that you are about to graduate from college. That points the rest of your resume in an understandable context. Second, since David had very good grades, David is telling the employer right away that he has the intellectual capability to do the job. Third, David's two sales-related research papers are interesting in themselves and indicate that David's interest in sales didn't begin yesterday. Fourth, David's Education section includes a statement about being 60% self-supporting. That statement sends the mini-message that David is mature and self-reliant and that he has done more in college than just have a good time. Fifth, the Education section can be read quickly, so it doesn't really slow down the reader in getting to David's Experience.
Alice: What made you put in the subheadings 'Academic Semesters' and 'summers'?
David: Remember one of our basic principles, Alice: A resume must be logical but it doesn't have to be chronological. I wanted to discuss five jobs, but I didn't want to string them out. By dividing Experience in two parts, I'm giving the reader two chunks.
Robert: But why those subheadings, or 'chunks,' as you called them?
David: That's a good question. This is still a draft, Bob. I'm experimenting with several pairs of chunks, including Private Enterprise/University or Marketing/Other Fields. I'm not sure yet which rubric I'll use. It will depend on the most logical way to get my message across.
Lauren: I notice that, for each job under Experience, you put the dates at the end.
David: Dates don't have much significance at this point in my career. They're certainly not selling points. Why put them in any earlier?
Robert: David, why did you put your T-shirt experience under the heading 'Entrepreneur'? Since you want to go into sales, why not call it 'Salesperson'?
David: That's a good question. 'Salesperson' might be a good heading for many students with similar experience. But, in my case, I wanted to emphasize business sense and orientation. I think Entrepreneur conveyed that sense better.
Gabrielle: David, I notice that, under Experience, you have a line called 'Other.' What was your thinking on that?
David: You know, Gabrielle, I've had five jobs in college that help to validate my message. For the sake of completeness, I wanted to mention my other three jobs as well. So I just quickly listed them under 'Other.' Those three jobs didn't warrant any more space than that.
Lauren: What about your 'Activities'?
David: My 'Activities' heading is a bit sparse, but that's OK. I've been working 20 to 30 hours a week, so it's clear I do something besides going to class and having a good time.
I didn't want to raise the issue of the Radical Club--it might scare away some employers and it certainly wouldn't attract any. If it comes up at an interview, I won't worry so much. Once they've met me, they'll know that I'm not a wild-eyed bomb thrower. But just looking at 'Radical Club* on a resume might be a turnoff.
A Word to the Wise
David has just made a good point: Everything you write on your resume must be true. However, you are not obligated to include information that might hurt your chances of winning an interview.
Bill: How about 'Willing to travel, willing to relocate'?
David: If I'm going to have a sales career, I'll need to do both of those things. I think it's advantageous to let the employer know that I realize what's required and I'm ready to do it.
Lauren's Resume
How did Lauren, whose work experience matched David's, draft her resume? She proceeded using the same four steps. Because Lauren wanted to be a financial analyst, rather than a salesperson, her resume was directed to support that objective.
Lauren's first step was to identify the Positive Characteristics she could offer that were important to being a financial analyst. Lauren reviewed available literature and her own informational interviews. Then she identified the Positive Characteristics that she felt she could offer.
Lauren identified this list of Positive Characteristics:
Inquisitive, Analytical, Problem solver, Communication skills, Leadership, Business sense, Self-starter
Lauren made a chart, similar to David's, indicating her sources for knowing that these Positive Characteristics were important and why she felt that she could offer them.
Lauren's Examples
Lauren knew that she needed examples to support each Positive Characteristic, for three reasons:
- To make certain she really possessed and could demonstrate each Positive Characteristic;
- To provide material for her resumes text;
- To have an inventory of Positive Characteristics, supported by examples, to help her succeed at her interviews.
Analytical: Demonstrated ability to analyze business issues in accounting class and to interpret the implications of quantitative analysis in finance class.
At Small co, analyzed cause of receivables backlog and suggested workable solution.
Analyzed cost of materials, risk of tying up limited capital, and price-sensitivity of potential customers, to determine prices for logo T-shirts. (Note: Helped pay for fall tuition.)
We have already discussed David's examples and will not go into further detail about Lauren's. However, it is interesting to compare how David and Lauren described their T-shirt selling experience: Lauren thought in financial terms, and David thought about getting customers.
Variety Is the Spice of Examples
Lauren is demonstrating good sense by writing examples from a variety of sources, including academics, extracurricular activities, and different jobs.
From Examples to Summary
Lauren was now ready for the third step: determining her message and writing it as a Summary. When Lauren came to see me, we started to discuss her message:
Richard: Lauren, you've completed some important steps you'll need to draft your resume: You've identified Positive Characteristics that are important to being a financial analyst and that you can offer an employer. Have you thought about the message you want a potential employer to get from reading your resume, and how you would write your Summary?
Lauren: Yes, Richard, I have. This is what I'm working with: 'Combines business education with applied corporate experience. Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills. Has an inquisitive mind and good business sense.'
Richard: Sounds compelling, Lauren. You've started your message with two attractive facts: business education and corporate experience. Neither is an absolute necessity, but both are helpful. I would ask you to think about specifying 'finance education'; it quickly establishes a link to being a financial analyst.
Let me ask you about another point: How did you identify analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills as the Positive Characteristics you want to highlight in your Summary?
Lauren: I know that many Positive Characteristics are useful to a financial analyst. The ones I chose were especially emphasized in recruiting literature and by the professionals I interviewed.
Richard: Lauren, I'm a little troubled by the third sentence in your message. You cite 'leadership," but I don't see 'leadership' in your inventory of examples.
Lauren: My examples gave me some trouble, Richard. Leadership is important, especially if you want to rise from financial analyst to financial manager. My friends think of me as a leader in our social group. But I never got a title like 'President.'
Richard: I suggest you rethink that part of your message. Generally, if you don't have a strong, clear example to support a Positive Characteristic, don't make it part of your message.
Remember two points:
- Nobody has every desirable Positive Characteristic;
- Don't indicate a Positive Characteristic you can't support with examples. If you do get invited to an interview, you may be asked to discuss a Positive Characteristic you don't really have.
Combines technical finance training with applied corporate experience. Demonstrated skills in writing and presenting. Analytical, inquisitive mind. Seeks to start a career in financial analysis leading to a career in corporate financial management. Interest developed from desire to utilize best talents in a productive career.
Prepared with a Summary that conveyed a well-considered message, Lauren proceeded to draft a text (Education, Experience, and Other Selling Points) that would validate her Summary. Let's take a look at each section of Lauren's text.
Validating through Education
Lauren wisely decided to identify the Positive Characteristics she wanted to validate in her Education section before proceeding further. This was her initial list:
Other Selling Points
Lauren went to work on the fourth section of her resume, other selling points (OSP). She determined what her OSPs should be and where on her resume each OSP belonged.
These are the OSPs Lauren identified, and her thoughts about each one:
Computer skills ("That would reinforce two of my Positive Characteristics, 'technical finance training' and 'analytical.')
Activities ('my work in the sorority involved leadership. That's always helpful, even if I didn't include it in my Summary.*)
Languages ('My Spanish and French would show a multicultural exposure. That can't hurt and it might also reinforce the intellectual curiosity I indicated with 'inquisitive mind.')
The OSPs generally add value to your resume, and I suggest taking them seriously. There's probably more than one "right" place to put them.
After identifying the OSPs she wanted to include in her resume, Lauren decided where to put them:
Computer skills ('I'll put that under Education. It's a logical place because I learned those skills at Emeritus. Even more important, I want to validate the ability to use my 'technical finance training' efficiently.')
Activities ('Useful, but not critical for me. I'll put this heading after Experience. I was thinking about including it with Education, but that section is getting too crowded.')
Let's compare how David and Lauren drafted their resumes. Both David and Lauren:
- Used their Summary to convey their message about Positive Characteristics that are important in the profession that is of interest to them;
- Made communication skills part of their message.
- Education Section
--David utilized it mainly to show that he had gone to college and had received good grades.
--Lauren used it to validate several Positive Characteristics. - Experience Section
--David used "Summer/Academic Year" subheadings; Lauren used "Corporate/University."
Languages ('Has about the same importance for my prospective employer as my activities, especially since I'm conversant in Spanish and French, but not really fluent.')
Lauren finished the four sections of her resume (Summary, Education, Experience, and Other Selling Points) and put them together in the draft.
Where are all the Sample Resumes?
Some articles designed to help you find a good job include many model resumes for you to look at and follow. This article gives you several samples, but not page after page of resumes. Here's why:
- My goal is to teach you a process that you can use to write your own winning resume. By following my process, you will:
--Understand better the value you can contribute to your next employer;
--Present yourself in a resume that will earn you more interviews;
--Be ready to write different resumes for different situations now and in the future.
In this article, we have seen how two students in our Job Search Club, Lauren and David, went through the process of writing a resume. Both developed a message indicating the Positive Characteristics that would make their applications attractive to a potential employer. Their messages were conveyed by a Summary and validated by the other three sections of their resume (Experience, Education, and Other Selling Points).
David and Lauren had five work experiences in common, yet they wrote two substantially different resumes. They are two different people with two different career goals.
