December Discussion: Start the New Year with a New and Improved Resume.

[Michaela]

This month's topic is written by Ted Koska, the recruitment manager at
WSDOT. With more than twenty-five years of recruiting under his belt,
he is a well known expert in the field. If you have any specific
questions, please feel free to contact me at 360.705.6932 - Michaela

Most Everything I Know About Resumes:
An Executive Recruiter's 30 Minute Primer

By Ted Koska

Introduction

There must be several hundred "how-to write a resume" books on the
market. I've probably read a dozen or so and I am sure that you have
seen and read a few as well. It really wasn't my intent to add to that
volume, but because I am finding less time to meet with people one-on-
one, I felt it necessary to write what I usually say.

If you ask twenty people what should be in a resume and how it should
look, you'll more than likely get twenty different opinions. I know
because I have asked. A good resume is usually the end result of
constructive input, criticism, and borrowed verbiage. It is, or should
be, a collaborative effort. A resume, especially one that works, is an
art form. It is your calling card. In most cases, it is the only item
a prospective employer uses to determine whether an applicant will or
will not receive an interview. I cannot stress enough the importance
of a quality resume.

This document is written strictly from my point of view. I encourage
you to use what you can and to think about the rest. You may disagree
with some of what I have to say, and that's O.K.. I do not advocate
that I am a resume guru or expert. I have arrived at my views based
solely upon comments and actions of those in a position to hire.

The information contained herein is given in the true spirit of public
service. I ask only one thing of you in return: If you think that it
is of use, share it.

The Bottom Line...... Right at the Beginning

Assuming that you are fully qualified for a position and that you have
done your homework-e.g. researched the employer with regard to budget,
policy issues, staffing, organization etc.-what you want is an
interview.

If you are not interviewed for a position, you will not be offered
that position. The bottom line is that the resume (and other
accompanying or requested material) must interest a prospective
employer enough so that you will be asked to interview. Plain and
simple.

Why do some resumes draw interview requests while others do not? Two
reasons: either they tell too much or they don't tell enough. In
either case, the possibility of being interviewed is small.

A resume is a self-marketing tool and above all, it must pique
interest or create excitement with the prospective employer. It should
look good and read well.

No One Knows You Better Than You; A Lesson in Self-Marketing

A resume is a living document. As such, it must be cared for
regularly. That means it must be updated and available to you in a
form that will accommodate quick and accurate edits. Mine, for
example, is always on the computer. I look it over every thirty days
and usually add or rewrite something.

I do not believe in "buying" a resume. This is not to say that
professional resume writing firms have no use, but they cannot
possibly know you better than you. Write your own resume and then
spend the time to keep it up-to-date. Run it by people you trust. Ask
for constructive criticism. Listen to what they say and use what you
believe will make the document better.

Besides knowing yourself better than anyone else, store bought resumes
have a tendency to stick out like a sore thumb. I remember a
recruitment I did recently where over 150 people applied for the job.
Ten resumes in that group were identical, all created by the same
firm. The hiring authority noticed this as well and was not
impressed.

Several years ago, I got into the habit of asking people for their
resume. I have a file in my desk with probably 30 or 40 individual
resumes. I add to this file every time I see something that I like be
it format, verbiage, organization, or presentation. Like Frank Zappa
said: "Ain't no sense in re-inventing the wheel when you can steal the
whole damn car."

There are some who believe that every job you apply for should have a
resume written specifically for that position. I do not believe this.
If you think it necessary to re-work your resume for a specific job
then one of two things is wrong: 1) you are probably not qualified for
the position; or, 2) your resume is poorly written. You are who you
are. You have done what you have done. Use one resume. Supporting
documentation, such as cover letters, writing samples, and letters of
reference can all be zeroed-in at a specific job.

Three Reasons Why Someone Will Hire You

There are hundreds of reasons why someone will hire you, but
inevitably I have found that these usually fall into three main
categories and in no particular order. They are: 1) Communication
skills (oral and written); 2) Technical skills (computer, fax, phone,
etc.); and,
3) "People skills" (getting along, playing team, good sense of humor,
personality, etc.).

Job Diagramming; Giving Yourself Credit for What You Have Done

I have found that most people, myself included, have a tendency to
under-sell their experience. Maybe its not so much under-selling as it
is under-thinking. Every position has many components-even those jobs
you believe were insignificant or menial.

I use this example to demonstrate my point. I was helping a young
woman re-write her resume. She was applying for an internship position
and needed to show that she had certain experience. I asked that she
go into her career and tell me every position she had held. Then, we
went back and I asked what she had done in each job. Time after time
she told me something like: "Oh, I was just a secretary or just a
bookkeeper or just a receptionist." So I asked her: "Does being a
secretary mean that all you did was type letters and answer the
phone?" She said no. So, we started a comprehensive inventory of what
she did as "just a secretary".

The following is a partial list: answered the phone, gave
instructions, solved problems, signed for incoming freight, edited
letters, wrote letters, organized computer files, assisted with
interviews, wrote parts of the new employee manual, organized company
picnics, designed monthly employee awards certificates, key operator
for office business machines, maintained boss' schedule, compiled
expense reports, sorted mail, secured office at night, company time
and payroll keeper, wrote newspaper advertising, took notes.

As you can see, "just a secretary" does not mean that the only job
duties were answering the phone and typing letters. Most jobs have
considerably more responsibility than a formal description would give
credit for. A job diagrammed in the preceding manner has at least 15
or 20 components. I have seen positions where people have come up with
50 or more.
Once you identify specifically what you have done in a particular job,
group the components together. Keep in mind the three main reasons why
an employer hires: people skills, technical skills, and communication
skills.

Using the example above, this is what the second part of a job diagram
would look like: People Skills-wrote newspaper advertising, assisted
in interviews, organized company picnics; Technical Skills-organized
computer files, key operator for office machines, compiled expense and
payroll/attendance reports, sorted mail, solved problems, designed
award certificates; Communication Skills-answered the phone, gave
instructions, edited and wrote letters, wrote parts of new employee
manual, took notes, wrote newspaper advertising, etc.

From these groupings, write succinct sentences explaining what it was
you did. This is the third and final part of the job diagram. Add the
sentences together in paragraph form so they flow and are easy to
read.

Do this exercise for each job you have held. Use descriptive action
verbs like these: interview, operates, compares, appoints, weighs,
schedules, authorizes, recommends, tabulates, writes, teaches, hires,
etc.. Stay away from non-descriptive verbs such as: works with,
difficult, complex, highly skilled, assists, responsible for,
significant number, administer, under broad framework, coordinates,
etc.

It may be to your advantage to have someone read and comment on what
you have written. Don't be afraid of doing two or three "drafts".
Writing about what you have done is not easy. It takes time and a
great deal of patience.

As a final note to job diagramming, whatever you do, do not lie or
embellish. Give yourself credit where credit is due, write it up well,
and then leave it alone.

Initially, What it Looks Like is More Important Than What it Says

Why is it that you bought the car you drive? The clothes you wear? The
house you live in? If you gave these questions serious thought, I
believe you'd see that the first reason is probably because you were
physically attracted to them. Of course there are questions of budget,
individual taste, location, etc., but for the most part, the red
sports car, or the pin stripe suit, or the condo on the lake all drew
you to them in a very physical sense. The same is true with a resume.
It must entice or excite the reviewer. It must be physically
attractive.

If you are going to spend the time writing a good resume, equal time
must be spent designing it. If a resume is supposed to entice or
excite, it must look like something someone would want to read. Not
all of us can do a layout and this is where it is advisable to ask for
help. You may find layout information in the library or by looking at
what other people have done.

Here are a few tips. Leave room in the margins for reviewer's notes.
With regularity I'll write impressions, thoughts, or questions in the
margin. I have seen others do likewise. Do not be afraid to change
font size (although size 10 is really as small as you want to go). You
can squeeze more information into a resume using smaller font in the
body and larger font for headings. Strategically placed lines, shades,
bolding, and italics considerably improve the looks of a resume. If
you have that capability on your computer, use it. Do not spend a
great deal of time debating paper. A good linen bond in white or
offwhite is just fine. I don't recommend colored paper. Some paper
does not copy well and believe me, if you are a finalist for a
position, your resume will be copied.

One final note. Do not over-design. Your resume is information about
you not a flyer for the circus that is coming to town. Don't be so
clever that you outsmart yourself. And remember, looks can only take
you so far. In order to keep a reviewer interested, your resume must
also be written well.

Objective vs. Career Overview; Don't Box Yourself In

Most people want to tell a prospective employer what they are trying
to do with their own career. I agree that this is important. However,
careers have a tendency to flourish in windows of opportunity that may
or may not be what you were looking for.

When I came into state government, for example, I was really looking
for a job with a municipal corporation, such as a port district. I
spent a great deal of time nosing around the ports of Seattle and
Tacoma looking for an internship opportunity that would lead to
permanent employment. On the verge of completing graduate school, I
did not have any real talents that were marketable for a port district
other than good research skills. It was these skills (coupled with a
great interview) that landed an exclusive fellowship opportunity with
the Department of Personnel.

I believe that objective statements have a tendency to box-in and/or
label. This is especially true when they are used as a lead statement
on a resume-e.g. right under a candidate's name. I cannot tell you how
many times a hiring authority has said to me: "If this is the
candidate's career objective, why did they apply for this job?" This
has happened even when the objective was reasonably close to the
offered position. A career objective that does not jibe with an
offered position tells the prospective employer that even if you were
hired, you may not be around very long.

There is another side of career objectives that you should be aware
of. If you re-write that objective each time you send a resume so that
it regurgitates the job announcement, it has an even more detrimental
affect. Employers are wise to this; they see it every time they offer
a job.

Based on the reasons given in the paragraphs above, I suggest that
objective statements be replaced with a career overview statement. I
admit that this is not my idea. It was taught to me by my significant
other who has probably the best career overview statement I have ever
seen. One, by the way, that I have borrowed and re-written to
accommodate my needs.

A career overview statement is simply a synopsis of your career to
date. The statement is usually three to five sentences long and is
written in paragraph form. It says something that other components of
your resume do not. It is unique and succinct. Like a fingerprint, no
two are, or can be, exactly alike.

Reviewers, such as myself, are partial to a career overview statement
in that we can glean, in a very short period of time, whether the
person is or is not a viable candidate. Properly written, a career
overview statement draws a reviewer into the body of your resume. And,
you are not boxed-in or quickly labeled.

There is a danger you need to be aware of. The career overview
statement is very tough to write.

If it is not done properly, it will have the same effect as the career
objective statement it was designed to get rid of.

Education; Either You've Got it or You Don't

Like it or not, there is no substitute for formal education. Using
educational credentials to sort and separate is a valid method of
determining the best applicants. It is, however, not the only method.
In my opinion, experience is more important. But, if you can get
experience and a degree, why not hire both?

Education is another form of experience. It is the vehicle that gives
us additional, marketable skills. For the most part, I view education
as an exercise in discipline, i.e. for a period of time in your life
you dedicated time, money, and energy toward a goal. Of course
attaining that goal doesn't necessarily guarantee anything (like being
smarter). It just says that you have the fortitude to stick it out.

Whatever your educational credentials, don't lie and don't embellish.
It is too easy to get caught. Schools are more than willing to provide
information. In fact, checking education is the easiest task
associated with background checks. And, make no mistake, most
backgrounders check education with regularity. I do it every time.

Washington, in comparison to other states, has many educated people.
Our own school system is good and people who come here usually have
solid experience and a degree or two. Competition is stiff.

Your resume should have a section devoted solely to education. This
includes college degrees as well as appropriate formal training. If
education is your strength, it should be one of the first things
mentioned in your resume. If you believe your education is not your
strong suit, take a look at your formal training. You may find that
some of it is transferable toward a degree. (In fact, I have mentioned
this to several people who have found that over the years they have
accumulated as much as 50% of the credits required for a BA through
training courses. Some schools, like the Evergreen State College, can
and will convert formal training and experience into college credits
at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.)

Computer Literacy; Flattening the Learning Curve

Most everything today is, or should be, or could be, automated. There
is considerable talk about "paperless" processes. Making something
quicker, more efficient, more effective. If you don't know how to use
a computer, learn now-today. Like education, there is no substitute
for computer knowledge.

This does not mean that you have to be a programmer or fully
understand systems analysis. It means that you should know how to word
process and run a spread sheet or database software application. I am
convinced that if you know how to type, you can run and be proficient
with a computer.

Most hiring authorities are somewhat knowledgeable about computers.
Not very many are experts. Somewhere between "knowledgeable" and
"expert" is the level where you must write about what you know with
regard to computers. My approach has been to identify hardware you are
familiar with (i.e. IBM compatible, Macintosh, mainframe) and then
name what software you are fluent in (i.e. WordPerfect, Paradox,
FileMaker, etc.).

Why is computer literacy so important? One main reason. It shortens
the learning curve. It is yet another item to sort and separate
candidates. Again, your resume should have a section devoted entirely
to this. Many job announcements mention specific software
applications. Do not lie about what you know, but be aware that
training exists for most software. It may be possible that what you
are familiar with is knowledge applicable and/or transferable to other
programs. Make sure that as you learn new programs they are mentioned
on your resume. This is another reason to continuously update your
resume.

Volunteerism and Community Service; What Do You Do Besides Work?

Besides watching TV and eating potato chips, what do you do when you
are not at work? This sounds like a ridiculous question, but you might
be surprised how many hiring authorities ask it (and not necessarily
in the same verbiage). Most interviews, by the way, also have this
question in one form or another.

Some people think that a resume is just a place for paid work
experience. This is not true. In fact, some of the volunteer work I
have done has been much more intense than my regular work. And, I have
learned and benefited from what I have done as a volunteer. Somewhere
on your resume should be a section noting what you do between the
hours of 5PM and 8AM and on the weekends.

Some of the best management experience is gained from volunteerism and
through community service organizations. Think about it. Volunteers
are not paid, so managing by incentive (like money) is out. Volunteers
are where they are because they want to be, or have a little time to
donate. Usually a volunteer campaign goes at least 100 miles an hour
and runs strictly on adrenaline and creativity. What better place to
gain confidence and experience?

Again, it matters how you write it up. Go through the same exercise as
job diagramming.

A word of warning: stay neutral. Do not get labeled as a democrat or
republican or liberal or conservative or free spirit or whatever. If
you worked, for example, on the Republican Committee to elect the
Governor, write it up as "extensive campaign experience as local
campaign manager for statewide political race" (or something like
that). You never know who will be sitting across the table from you on
an interview. Remember, the idea of a resume is to get an interview.
It should not be a political, social, or ethical statement.

Two Pages is All You Get; Dispensing With the "Fluff"

A professor in graduate school once told me that it is a hell of a lot
easier to write ten pages of "fluff" than it is two pages of succinct
quality. I believe that is true. With a resume, you only get two pages
maximum, so you might as well make them count.

There is a notion that one page resumes are "in". I suppose if you had
limited experience one page would do. However, most management jobs
are not given to those with limited experience. Use two pages. Don't
tell too much. Don't tell too little. On a two page document every
word must mean something. Every space, line, shade, italic, or bold
must have a purpose.

Prioritize what should be on your resume. Read it a few times. Does it
makes sense? Do you understand what you have done? Have someone else
read it. Do they understand what you have done?

Does your resume make sense to them? Does it cover all your career
highlights?

I said it before, and I will say it again. Resumes are not a one-shot
deal. They are a continuous, collaborative effort. Make sure you find
a good editor...or two...or three.

Putting it All Together

A resume that is effective enough to result in an interview is
creative and original. It serves as a personal advertisement of your
skills, training, experience, and goals. The format, as well as the
content, is very important. The appearance, the language, and the
style will make a crucial difference in making a first impression.

Here then, is my laundry list of items that should be on your resume.

1. Your name, address, phone number(s)
2. Career overview
3. Education/Training
4. Work/Employment experience
5. Computer literacy/skills
6. Community service, et al
7. The all important REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

Speaking of references, in addition to your two-page resume, you
should also construct a separate reference sheet. Do not include
references on your formal resume. That is not the place for them.
Depending upon the position you are applying for, it would be
advisable to change, or at least think about, who you should use as
personal references.

Your reference sheet should list the following for each entry: name,
title, present employment, and telephone numbers-work and home. You
should also briefly introduce the person - e.g. "Bob Smith was my
immediate supervisor at the Office of Financial Management."

Good references are not relatives, boyfriends or girlfriends,
husbands, wives, or partners. Usually, three to five professional and
two or three personal references will do. You do not need to mention
every supervisor or boss you've ever worked for and you need not
mention ones that you did not get along with. Everybody has good and
bad work experiences.

Whatever you do with regard to references, make sure people know you
are using them as such. I was recently contacted by an employer asking
for a reference on a person I did not personally know. This proved to
be a major embarrassment for him.

And, finally, here is another laundry list entitled "Seven Things to
Remember When Writing Your Resume":

1. There are no rules that cannot be broken with cause.
2. Do not hold back. Toot your own horn.
3. Be brief and concise.
4. Be articulate.
5. Be accurate.
6. Be neat.
7. Be thorough.

[smit...@msn.com]

Thank you Mr. Koska

> "There must be several hundred "how-to write a resume" books on the
> market. I've probably read a dozen or so and I am sure that you have
> seen and read a few as well. It really wasn't my intent to add to that
> volume, but because I am finding less time to meet with people one-on-
> one, I felt it necessary to write what I usually say."

>Thank you. I have read several "how-to's" and this one has got to be the best one.
>It's one thing to get advice from someone who got a job based on their outstanding
>ability to write a great resume, but it is by far a better thing to get advice from someone
>who actually decides who gets an interview based on the quality of the resume.