Resuming the Résumé

The process of composing a résumé isn’t so different from learning how to dive in the water—it’s all about putting your best foot forward. There’s not necessarily any one way to swim either, since there are so many kinds of strokes that will take you where you need to go. Your challenge is to find the best way for you.

That’s an incredibly simplistic way of looking at the résumé, of course. There are many factors that will be out of your control, simply because you can’t always predict that a résumé will necessarily get you hired by the company you’re looking at. It may even be possible that you can have the best résumé in the world, but not be hired because the potential employer is looking for something specific, or that person has someone in mind, or any of a number of other reasons. Sadly, there is no guaranteed winning formula to getting the job you want, even if your résumé writing skills are superb.

However, there are some things you can control with an effective résumé. A good résumé can maximize your chances of being considered for a position, which may be enough to get your foot through the door in some cases. Think of the employer as your audience; you want to persuade the employer that you would make an effective employee.

One way to do this is by focusing on your strong points when you build the résumé. If you have a strong record of work experience, but you’re shaky on education, focus on the work experience when you put together your résumé. If you don’t feel you have much experience, then you can always focus on your education, honors, extracurricular activities, or anything else where your record is stronger.

Also, be aware that you should only cite your last five years of work history. Employers tend to be primarily interested in what you’ve done relatively recently, so there’s no need to cite everything you’ve ever done. This can often help the résumé, especially if there are weak points in your long-term history or you don’t have a long employment history.

Before starting on the résumé, take some time to search through your own experience for details to strengthen the document. If you’ve ever been active in a non-profit organization, you could include this. If you’ve ever received awards or honors of any kind, you should include this. In some cases, you can include the coursework you’ve taken, provided that those courses are relevant to the position you’re applying for. Think about your life experience, and be creative about finding details to send to the employer.

Good luck in your journey through the hiring process. Although there are no guarantees of anything, knowing what to include in the résumé could potentially make a difference in getting the job.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!