The Resume Writing Academy

E-Summit –
6-Step Process for Writing
Extraordinary Resumes

Handouts

Brought to You by

The Resume Writing Academy

www.resumewritingacademy.com

and

Career Thought Leaders Consortium

www.careerthoughtleaders.com

Bookstore

www.wendyenelow.com/bookstore.php

Wendy Enelow

Louise Kursmark

December 6, 2013

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of these handouts may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without express written permission from the authors. Contact the authors at:
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Introduction

Bedrock Principles of Resume Writing

Bedrock #1. Employers want resumes to answer 4 key questions:

1. Who are you?

2. Where have you been?

3. What have you done?

4. What can you do for me?

Bedrock #2: Past performance is the best predictor of future performance, so a great deal of resume writing is about showcasing unique, specific, and, when possible, measurable achievements

Bedrock #3: Each resume needs to be written about one individual – not about any or every job candidate with similar qualifications.

Bedrock #4: Without a clear goal and target audience, it’s impossible to write a great resume.

Step 1: Get the Right Information from your Clients – in Whatever Way Works Best for You

Considerations

1. If your client does not have a resume (old or new), you may want to have him complete a client questionnaire to capture the details about work experience, education, and other factual data.

2. A lengthy questionnaire can be unappealing to clients and make them wonder what they are paying you for!

3. You may want to use a SHORT questionnaire to capture the most critical information.

Included in Handouts: Short Client Questionnaire (page 23)

4. Use the client interview to your advantage.

5. The client interview is important for a number of reasons, beyond just collecting information:

· Rapport-building

· Perceived value

· Premium positioning – sales advantage

6. If you prefer to use the questionnaire-only approach, that’s okay!

What You Need to Know from Your Clients

· Who are you? (What is your profession, your industry, and other identifying information? What level are you in your career? How old are you?)

· Who do you want to be? (What jobs are you targeting?)

· How much do you make now and/or what compensation do you expect in your next job?

· What are your strongest qualifications for the jobs you’re seeking?

· What are your greatest career success stories?

· For each past job (and current job if the client is employed), why were you hired or promoted, what problems did you solve, what challenges did you face, what were your most notable responsibilities, and more?

· What are you proudest of?

Included in Handouts: Client Interview Questions (page 26), link to Resume Writers Secret Room

Evaluate Your Existing Process

· What information do you get that you seldom if ever use?

· What information do you tend to have to go back and ask for more detail about?

· How do you prefer to structure the flow of information?

Self-Check Before You Begin Writing

1. Do I have a clear understanding of the client’s current objectives?

2. Do I know his or her strongest qualifications, the things I am going to highlight in the resume?

3. Have I uncovered strong, specific achievements that are relevant to the client’s current goals?

4. Do I have a manageable amount of information so I can quickly find what I’m looking for?

Step 2: Choose the Best Resume Structure & Format – for That Job Seeker

1. Can you use the most common resume structure, the hybrid/combination?
EXAMPLE: Jennifer Andrews (page 9)

2. Do you have an idea for the most effective way to present the successes of each job?

· CAR or OAR format?
EXAMPLE: William Armstrong (page 10)

· Traditional achievement format?
EXAMPLE: Jennifer Andrews (page 9)

· “Stacked” job titles?
EXAMPLES: Gary Day (page 12), Mark Lester (page 13)

3. Is a functional structure the best choice for this client?
EXAMPLES: Luis Granado (page 15), Arthur Eck (page 16)

4. For a new graduate or someone with limited work experience, which aspects of your client’s background you are going to emphasize the most?
EXAMPLE: Ron Jarvis (page 17)

5. What additional information do you have, and how are you going to include it?

Step 3: Write from the Bottom Up

· Writer’s block is more common when you start from the top..

· Write the easiest sections first – make quick progress.

· Settle into your style – build your confidence, get to know your client as you write.

· Write the more challenging sections later and finish with the most challenging – the summary.

Step 4: Create Compelling Content

· Get to the point – state your most important information immediately and clearly.

· Eliminate wasted words, unnecessary adjectives, and meaningless detail.

· Use short words, short sentences, and short paragraphs.

· Avoid jargon and “resume-speak.” Write the way you speak – naturally.

· Use definite, specific, concrete language.

· “Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.”

· Let it rest and return to it with fresh eyes.

EXAMPLES: Meredith Rockwell (page 18), Robert Sampson (page 20)

Step 5: Format for Readability and Skimmability

Resumes must be designed to reward both the “6-second scan” and longer, more careful reading.

Ideas to make critical information “pop”:

· Use format to help guide readers through the document.

· Make employment dates easy to find … unless this will be detrimental to your client.

· Use a large enough font size.

To make resumes more “skimmable,” present information in quick “bites”:

· No long, dense paragraphs: 3–4 lines maximum.

· No lengthy bullet points: 1–2 lines is ideal, 3–4 may be acceptable.

· No long “laundry lists” of bullet points.

EXAMPLES: Rachel Curtis (summary section, page 21), Stephen Brady (experience section, page 22)

Tips to make resumes more readable and meaningful:

· Provide context – tell the story!

· Keep most information within the chronological framework.

· Avoid jargon that impairs understanding.

Step 6: Edit, Proofread, and Polish

Take these final steps:

· Run spell check!

· Remember that writing tip: Let it rest.

· Read once for meaning and flow.

· Read again with an eagle-eye for errors and inconsistencies.

· Check your format and design. How does the document look on screen? Printed out?

Tips to squeeze and shrink content … just a bit:

· Try a different font.

· Try a half-size smaller font.

· Look at your margins.

· Edit “widow lines” – cases where you have just one or two words on a line by themselves.

· For paragraphs longer than 2–4 lines, see if you can edit down without losing meaning.

· Try making blank lines a slightly smaller size to save space. Be consistent!

· We recommend that you NOT squeeze the font width or line spacing.

If you are squeezing so much in that it impairs readability, it’s time to step back and look at the content. Squeezing and shrinking are not always the best answers!

Additional Materials

Resume Examples

· Jennifer Andrews page 8

· William Armstrong page 9

· Gary Day page 11

· Mark Lester page 12

· Luis Granado page 14

· Arthur Eck page 15

· Ronald Jarvis page 16

· Meredith Rockwell page 17

· Robert Sampson page 19

· Rachel Curtis page 20

· Stephen Brady page 21

Short Client Questionnaire page 23

List of Interview Questions page 26

393 Verbs for Resume Writers page 29

Additional Resources

· Resume Writers Secret Room: http://www.careerthoughtleaders.com/secret-room/

· Resume Writing Academy Resources:
http://www.resumewritingacademy.com/resume-writer-resources.php

· Long-form client questionnaire

· Favorite resume phrases

· MS Word keyboard shortcuts

· List of common fonts

· 10 articles on resume writing and career coaching

· 7 articles on entrepreneurship

Jennifer Andrews

203-749-0094 http://www.linkedin.com/in/jenandrews

Sales Director

Driving profitable revenue growth by building world-class consultative selling organizations.

§ Growth catalyst skilled at identifying and closing multimillion-dollar sales with Fortune 500 clients.

§ Innovator in launching strategies, programs, systems, products, and processes to boost sales, capture new revenue, and expand into new channels.

§ Motivational manager who builds top-producing sales teams.

Professional Experience

Sanford Marketing, New Haven, CT 2009 to Present

SALES DIRECTOR, NEW ENGLAND

Manage $95M 6-state region for this publicly traded $500M company that is the global leader in behavior-based marketing solutions. Lead 5 manager-level direct reports and 40-person sales team.

§ Grew regional revenue from $51.5M to $95M, surging by double digits annually while industry was flat and total company grew just 3% yearly.

§ Recruited and hired “A players” to strengthen skills, leadership, and performance region-wide.

§ Deepened and elevated client relationships to the C-level and became valued contributor in strategic marketing sessions. Earned key wins, including:

¾ $120M, 3-year contract with a Fortune 100 company—the largest account in Sanford’s history by 4X. Penetrated to the CEO level and developed targeted solution.

¾ $50K contract with a Fortune 50 CPG firm—the first sale of a patent-pending innovation enabling customers to receive incentives via mobile device.

§ Led special project team that developed the most successful new product in company history. Developed and launched pioneering manufacturer-funded product that solved a compelling problem for our retail partners and generated $10M in first year.

§ Achieved President’s Club status every year, recognizing top revenue performance.

SmithKline Beecham Consumer Healthcare, Chicago, IL 2005 to 2009

Sales Representative

Managed key account sales in the Chicago territory, #2 nationwide in volume.

§ Won 1st place in Chicago region in all 8 retail sales competitions (2 yearly).

§ Increased direct sales to drug stores by 50%.

Education

Bachelor of Arts in Economics, 2005 New York University, New York, NY

Sales and Executive Education (ongoing) Dale Carnegie, Stephen Covey

WILLIAM P. ARMSTRONG

215-505-7535 vizibility.com/willarmstrong

SENIOR LEADERSHIP & OPERATING EXECUTIVE

Value: Operationalizing Strategy, Building Capability & Capacity, Engaging Clients,

Driving Growth, and Leading Change

Results: Double-Digit Gains in Revenues & Profits for Major US Corporations &

Smaller, Early-Stage Ventures

EXECUTIVE QUALIFICATIONS

Talented COO, Senior VP & Managing Director with 20+ years of management experience. MBA.

Charismatic business leader who drives growth-oriented change, transformation, and improved profitability in highly competitive industries and markets worldwide.

Business Transformation Strategy & Leadership People, Process & Technology Optimization

Market-Focused P&L & Business Unit Management Business Process Redesign & Revitalization

Global Business Strategy & Operating Leadership Global Market & Business Expansion

Start-Up Ventures & Enterprise Development Product Commercialization & Development

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

MANAGING DIRECTOR – LOWELL, ARMSTRONG & ASSOCIATES, York, PA 2010 to Present

Management consulting firm specializing in strengthening business performance through organizational transformation and operational excellence. Published a first-of-its-kind study of operational and management practices in the biotechnology industry.

Opportunity: Identify and capitalize on market opportunity to deliver executive-level strategic and operating leadership services to client companies, addressing the fundamental business challenges of scale, focus, complexity, and growth. Serve as top-level advisor to C-level executives and investors.

Results:

· Doubled firm revenues every year.

· Developed business models that aligned strategy with regulatory requirements, market opportunity, and capital market demands. Enabled a biotech firm to double its products in development and accelerate its IPO.

· Drove organization, governance, and process changes that improved cost control, productivity, and quality.

· Cut burn rates without sacrificing quality by negotiating both insourcing and outsourcing agreements.

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT / COO – YOKAMA CONSULTING, Philadelphia, PA 2009 to 2010

$1B global professional services organization of a multinational technology corporation.

Opportunity: Recruited by CEO to restructure 2-year-old company, build high-performance culture, and focus operations on strategic objectives to reduce costs and accelerate growth. Full P&L.

Results:

· Led teams pursuing >$200M in opportunities and closed $35M in total contract value in first 4 months.

· Redesigned performance and compensation systems to focus 60-member sales team on strategic objectives.

· Slashed overhead and sharpened business focus following telecom sector collapse that reduced business 40%.

WILLIAM P. ARMSTRONG Page 2

215-505-7535 vizibility.com/willarmstrong

VICE PRESIDENT – EMERY PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, Reading, PA 2006 to 2007

$3B, 15,000-employee global professional services group representing 7%+ of Emery’s global revenue.

Opportunity: Recruited to redesign and revitalize $3B organization to emerge as a competitive global business.

Results:

· Won CEO approval to execute $26M, 3-phase, 18-month project to reposition service offerings and implement benchmarked operating standards, performance metrics, and delivery methodologies.

· Delivered initial business structure/architecture changes and market refocus in 50% of the time and at 25% lower cost than projected. Accelerated cycle and completely redesigned plan in response to technology market decline.

· Instrumental in transforming 3rd- and 4th-quarter losses in 2006 into 1st- and 2nd-quarter profits in 2007.

· Transformed business unit was a critical element in attracting and enabling the sale of Emery to DEC.

VICE PRESIDENT / DIRECTOR – DEC GLOBAL SERVICES, US & Germany 1999 to 2006

$13B, 75,000-employee global professional services group accounting for 15%+ of DEC’s total revenue.

Vice President, Merger & Acquisition Integration – DEC Global Services – Germany (2006)

Director, Services Leadership Initiatives – DEC Global Services Europe – Germany (2004 to 2006)

Managing Principal/Principal/Managing Consultant – DEC Consulting – Baltimore, MD (1999 to 2004)

Opportunity: Promoted rapidly to full operating and P&L leadership of European profit centers.

Results:

· Led turnaround of $200M, 350-employee, multi-country business unit and returned to profitability in 9 months. Negotiated/closed $3.25M in consulting and business transformation contracts including 2 strategic $1M+ wins.

· Positioned DEC Global Services as a distinct brand. Designed business model and infrastructure to grow a $25B business with 125,000 employees in 100+ countries. Led people and processes through massive transformation.

· Promoted and transferred to Munich to lead internal redesign of the 75,000-person, $13B European Global Services Unit. Identified actions to save $350M in annual cost with an immediate benefit of $100M.

· Launched DEC’s Post-Merger Integration Group in Europe. Positioned unit as a strategic service provider, sold first client within 3 weeks of start-up, and put unit on track to deliver $25M in profitable first-year revenues.

PRIOR CAREER EXPERIENCE

Senior Manager/Manager – Performance Improvement Practice – Accenture (1996 to 1999)

Production Manager/Project Engineer – Kellogg’s Corporation (1992 to 1995)

EDUCATION

MBA – Grossman School of Business, University of Vermont, 1992

BS, Mechanical Engineering – New York University, 1988

Gary Day

317-555-5911 Indianapolis, IN

http://www.linkedin.com/in/garyday

Sales Professional

Top sales producer with 15-year record of outpacing annual sales goals and building exceptional sales organizations. Innovator in designing and launching programs to boost sales, capture new revenue, and expand channel penetration. Expert sales trainer able to identify and develop future sales stars.