How should I use my resume?

Part 3 of a 3 part article

Resumes serve an important function in preparing your career development. The simple action of writing a resume will refresh your memory about your accomplishments and outline a foundation for the future.

When you begin a job search, or if you are approached about an opportunity, it makes sense to reveal your resume over time. There are three basic steps to revealing your career in writing, though they may be combined in any given step. In certain instances, it will make sense to provide all the information up front, or to split it up in one or two pieces.

The divisions are:
1. Brief bio. This could be anything from a sentence, to a paragraph, to a page. It basically tells the person who you are in a very specific sense. It could be a line or two in an email. For example, “I am a twenty-year veteran of multiple SAP implementations in the CPG industry. I have had many different roles, including running all aspects of a multi-year, $50 MM program.” Another might read, “I am the CIO of a $500MM medical products company, with a history of management consulting with a Big Six professional services firm.” You should provide enough information, so that your audience develops a curiosity about you, but doesn’t know your whole life story. If a recruiter has a position in your area, she will call to gather more information, giving you an opportunity for an initial connection. If there is no job that fits your background, you will have saved everyone time and effort.

2. Curriculum Vitae or CV. This is a step-by-step outline of your responsibilities and accomplishments. It should show how you have gotten from there to here. Interviewers will take an interest in how you began your career and the choices you have made along the way. This document includes information like: companies you worked for with dates, your titles, number of people managed, sales or budget numbers, education, article, presentations and personal interests.

This document allows you to communicate information to let a recruiter, or hiring manager develop a two-dimensional, but important impression of you. You may come off as highly educated, or very pragmatic. You may look like a big company person, or an entrepreneur. You may look like a job hopper, or a steady-Eddie. Your ability to guide someone’s impression with your CV is fairly limited, because your career history is generally straightforward. You should aim for clarity and brevity in this document.

3. Project resume. Your project resume gives you the most flexibility to present your capabilities to a prospective employer. You may add or exclude items based on the specific opportunity and the impression you want to create. It is a good idea to keep a running list of your projects to give you a basis for creating shorter versions, as needed.

The project resume may be included with the CV to provide an overall package of information to a potential employer. You may also hold it back to present to the right person at the appropriate time. A resume screener, for example, may not be the right person to share these details with. You might bring this document to an interview as basis for a presentation. It will vary depending on individual circumstances.

This document is also important to give you an opportunity to review your past accomplishments in preparation for interview questions. It should clearly outline business or revenue impact of five to ten projects. It should be about two pages long.

While there are no absolutes in resume writing, a general formula may be helpful. Considering your own brand identity and how you present it, is a crucial part of your job search.

You may find resume templates in my brief article: “How Recruiters Read Your Resume.”

Contact Jason Sanders