3 best tips for a better resume

I always felt that I did a pretty good job of capturing my work experience into resume format, but certainly over the years I’ve learned that “best practices” can change as the needs of employers – and the search tools available to them – evolve. Here are three tweaks I’ve made recently that I think have really improved the way I present myself on paper to potential employers:

Tailor the resume to the employer
This means reading the job description carefully for each position you’re interested in, and taking steps to show how your past experiences are connected to that specific position. For me, it’s not enough to have one resume for the position of Marketing Director and another for the position of Social Media Strategist – though that’s a good start. Instead, I’m tailoring the document to each individual employer based on the needs they’ve outlined in their individual job descriptions. For example I might put my achievements for each past position in a different order to highlight what’s most relevant based on the job description. Obviously, the cover letter is tailored to each employer too, not just in terms of the identified recipient, but also in the content of the letter itself.

Focus on Accomplishments
Speaking of past achievements, I’ve learned that it makes a huge difference if you take the opportunity to focus on the results of your work rather than your job responsibilities. In my present position as Executive Director of a small non-profit membership organization, I’ve grown membership by 30 percent; in past positions I’ve proven my ability to strategically grow website traffic from x to y. These achievements receive top billing because they are significant and show measurable results.

Use Keywords
With the advent of electronic search tools such as online resume databases, it’s more important than ever to think like an employer and use words in your resume that the employer will use when searching for candidates. With some search tools, your resume may actually be ranked in the search results according to the number of keyword matches it contains when compared with other candidates. CareerPerfect.com has a good article to help you identify the parts of the resume where keywords fit naturally.

Job-hunt week in review

It’s been an interesting week on the job-hunting front – I’ve accomplished a few things, and raised some interesting questions that I’m still working to answer.

Started the week by updating my resume and doing some hard thinking about the type of position I’m looking for. I actually made two basic resumes, one for the position of Marketing or Communications Director, and one for a position as social media strategist. I’ll tailor the resume for each position I apply for, of course, but these give me a starting point.

I updated my profiles on a few of the larger job-search websites. This immediately prompted phone calls from several companies looking for sales people. Although this isn’t the type of position I’m looking for, I’d much rather have someone read my resume and call me if they think I might fit their needs – for any position – and give me the opportunity to think it over, rather than assume I’m not interested.

I spent some time writing a script for and researching the concept of a video resume. Video production is something I know a little bit about, and I could easily picture myself doing the old “walk-and-talk” in a homemade digital version of my written resume. But I learned a couple things, and I’m still debating whether to do this. The main thing I realized is that I look absolutely horrible on camera. (I should’ve known – I have a hard enough time snapping a suitable profile photo for Facebook!) Now I know this is not a big thing in the grand scheme – I’m a delightful person, and sometimes downright cute. But, the camera doesn’t do me any favors, so I’m very reluctant to pursue this option.

I also applied for one position that I found through CareerBuilder.com. It’s a little tricky when the recruitment ad doesn’t tell you who the employer is or what the job pays – I’m curious as to why that information would not be included, but I freely admit it’s been a long time since I’ve gone through this process so I’m still learning what’s considered normal.

In the upcoming week, I expect that an official announcement will be made about the reduction in hours in my present position, and I will be able to begin networking in earnest among all my present colleagues. Meanwhile, I’ve also been working the freelancing angle. More on that soon.

I’m in the job market

After a difficult few months in an even more difficult economy, my employer has decided that they must transition my present position to part-time. So,  I am officially in the job market looking for a new full-time assignment.

For the past 15 months I’ve worked as Executive Director of a small non-profit that depends on business memberships for its survival. The good news is that I’ve worked hard to grow the membership – by 30 percent since last year. The bad news is that’s still not enough to support a full time staffer, hence the move to part-time. Hard feelings? I can honestly say there are none – I enjoyed the job a lot, and in fact am still in it for the short term.

But, as much as I understand their need to stretch their dollars as far as they will go, they have understood that I must have full-time employment. So it seems I’m really in the best of both worlds – I’m openly in the job market with the full knowledge and support of my present employer.

The last time I was actually in the open market, resumes were still on paper. If online networking existed outside of old-style discussion forums, I wasn’t aware of it. Heck I wasn’t even blogging then, and I’ve been blogging a long time.

This time around, of course, the job-hunter’s tools are completely different. I intend to harness them all, and will start by using this website to blog about my strategies, discoveries, successes and failures. Come on along if you like!