Notes of a Résumé Writer – Critique One - Client Services Account Manager
Dear Sam: Thank you for your weekly advice in Columbus Dispatch and thank you so very much for this opportunity. I am a loyal reader who is very stuck! I am in the process of updating my resume; it's been 5 years since I last used this version. I have a B.A. in Marketing Communications and I've worked for years, my last job being the most successful in terms of income and level of responsibility – yet I can't seem to write about it!
I need to go back to work after taking two years off to be home with my children (almost 2 and 4). Having been both a working mother and a stay-at-home mom, I've found "returning to work" even after only two years to be very different. This is the first time in my life where I'm looking for a job and the choice I make directly impacts everyone in the house. Although I'm really looking forward to going back to work, I've gone from feeling totally unafraid of applying for jobs, to being stuck even writing my résumé. I truly believe I can't be the only 32-year-old woman in this position.
As you can see from my résumé, my last job was as an Account Manager for a company that manages approximately 50% of the market share in Gift Card Programs. It was a great opportunity for me to work there and manage programs for some of the world’s largest retailers. Because we were just recently relocated here I don't have many contacts locally, but I was looking to work for a retailer or in a similar position. I feel it's where I have the most experience and can make the most impact, as well as get back to my previous salary level.
This last note about us moving is certainly a challenge, my husband's work requires it and since he has been with his company 16 years we need to keep moving (on average every 2 years). The moving, coupled with my need for income and my last position, makes me feel like this career move is extremely important in moving up. I need to build on each position so that I am not starting from square one with each job and city.
Thank you again for this opportunity! I've never been good at asking for help but I need to get back to work and I really feel it's important that I take the right job/career move. I also believe that although many people may not be faced with each of these challenges, I'm sure that many people can relate to at least some part of my situation and therefore could benefit from my story. Sincerely – Reader in Columbus
Dear Reader: Thank you for your readership, please find my critique and suggestions for improvement below.
Aesthetics & Formatting
Being that your career has spanned marketing, sales, customer service, and retail management, you can afford to be a little creative in your formatting. As your résumé stands, the formatting does not engage the reader and the brevity of content does not support the level of employment in which you are interested. Instead, how about using a two-column résumé with keywords noted down the left side of the page, leaving less space for the content of your experiences if you are struggling with writing about each role. Creating a much fuller look to your résumé.
Heading
Be sure to include an email address on any résumé that you send to a prospective employer. Email is often the preferred method of contact in a job search so it is imperative that you include that information.
Qualifications Summary
This is the major pitfall of your résumé – or lack thereof. You must open your résumé with a qualifications summary which showcases what you can offer an employer based on your past experiences, achievements, and areas of expertise. You cannot expect the hiring manager to make a best guess as to what you want to do. With only 7-10 seconds to engage the reader during the screening process, it is imperative that you open your résumé with a summary that answers the question of “why I should hire you.” Develop this section after you have written the professional experience section of your résumé, treating it like the opening to an essay or an executive summary of your experience. The summary should contain all details you can’t afford for the hiring manager not to know while evaluating your candidacy. First, define your objective or the direction you want your career to take, so that you can refine your content related to that type of opportunity.
Professional Experience
Include only years of employment in order to minimize the appearance of gaps and frequent job hops. Quantify experiences to add interest to your résumé, being sure to focus more on accomplishments versus daily responsibilities. Typically résumés will include about 10 years of experience unless prior experiences enhance your candidacy. I therefore question the section at the end of your résumé, which if listed in chronological order, would actually appear in different places in the professional experience section. If they do not deserve explanation, then why even have them on your résumé? As these are all internships that I am assuming you completed as a part of your degree program, then instead list them within the education section so not to appear like you have held 9 positions in the past 10 years. The next major pitfall of your résumé is that you are severely lacking in content, with no focus on achievements. Instead, present your daily responsibilities in a succinct manner, realizing that this is not the information that gets you the interview, while presenting where you have gone above and beyond in your career – in other words, what differentiates you from your competitors. You have had some fantastic employers, but that is buried in this paragraph style format that isn’t engaging to the reader. You can use these points, quantified achievements, and a strong experience summary, to really sell your career despite potential disqualifiers such as frequent job-hops.
Education
You are no longer considered a recent graduate so this section should be relocated to the end of your résumé. You can mention your degree in the qualifications summary if you choose to do so, but placing it first on your résumé places focus on the wrong information. Instead, let your career sell your candidacy along with where you have contributed value to an organization.
I have taken some liberties in creating a modified version of your résumé to give you a visual for some of the suggestions I have made. Of course, based on which direction you choose to take, retail or inside account management / service, the keywords and content would change. I have presented this as an example of what your résumé could include, but you should modify it based on your precise career interests. This example displays the formatting, qualifications summary, keyword list, part of your most recent experience, and your education section. I certainly hope this critique helps get you started in making the appropriate additions and improvements to your résumé. All the best.
View Original Resume / View New Resume with Notes
- - - - - - - - - -
To send your question to Dear Sam for possible publication, please write to dearsam@dispatch.com.
If you would like Dear Sam’s résumé writing firm to write your résumé and/or cover letter, please visit www.ladybug-design.com or call 614-570-3442 for more information.
Samantha is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer with a graduate degree in Marketing and Communication, and owner of Ladybug Design, a full-service résumé writing and interview coaching firm.
I need to go back to work after taking two years off to be home with my children (almost 2 and 4). Having been both a working mother and a stay-at-home mom, I've found "returning to work" even after only two years to be very different. This is the first time in my life where I'm looking for a job and the choice I make directly impacts everyone in the house. Although I'm really looking forward to going back to work, I've gone from feeling totally unafraid of applying for jobs, to being stuck even writing my résumé. I truly believe I can't be the only 32-year-old woman in this position.
As you can see from my résumé, my last job was as an Account Manager for a company that manages approximately 50% of the market share in Gift Card Programs. It was a great opportunity for me to work there and manage programs for some of the world’s largest retailers. Because we were just recently relocated here I don't have many contacts locally, but I was looking to work for a retailer or in a similar position. I feel it's where I have the most experience and can make the most impact, as well as get back to my previous salary level.
This last note about us moving is certainly a challenge, my husband's work requires it and since he has been with his company 16 years we need to keep moving (on average every 2 years). The moving, coupled with my need for income and my last position, makes me feel like this career move is extremely important in moving up. I need to build on each position so that I am not starting from square one with each job and city.
Thank you again for this opportunity! I've never been good at asking for help but I need to get back to work and I really feel it's important that I take the right job/career move. I also believe that although many people may not be faced with each of these challenges, I'm sure that many people can relate to at least some part of my situation and therefore could benefit from my story. Sincerely – Reader in Columbus
Dear Reader: Thank you for your readership, please find my critique and suggestions for improvement below.
Aesthetics & Formatting
Being that your career has spanned marketing, sales, customer service, and retail management, you can afford to be a little creative in your formatting. As your résumé stands, the formatting does not engage the reader and the brevity of content does not support the level of employment in which you are interested. Instead, how about using a two-column résumé with keywords noted down the left side of the page, leaving less space for the content of your experiences if you are struggling with writing about each role. Creating a much fuller look to your résumé.
Heading
Be sure to include an email address on any résumé that you send to a prospective employer. Email is often the preferred method of contact in a job search so it is imperative that you include that information.
Qualifications Summary
This is the major pitfall of your résumé – or lack thereof. You must open your résumé with a qualifications summary which showcases what you can offer an employer based on your past experiences, achievements, and areas of expertise. You cannot expect the hiring manager to make a best guess as to what you want to do. With only 7-10 seconds to engage the reader during the screening process, it is imperative that you open your résumé with a summary that answers the question of “why I should hire you.” Develop this section after you have written the professional experience section of your résumé, treating it like the opening to an essay or an executive summary of your experience. The summary should contain all details you can’t afford for the hiring manager not to know while evaluating your candidacy. First, define your objective or the direction you want your career to take, so that you can refine your content related to that type of opportunity.
Professional Experience
Include only years of employment in order to minimize the appearance of gaps and frequent job hops. Quantify experiences to add interest to your résumé, being sure to focus more on accomplishments versus daily responsibilities. Typically résumés will include about 10 years of experience unless prior experiences enhance your candidacy. I therefore question the section at the end of your résumé, which if listed in chronological order, would actually appear in different places in the professional experience section. If they do not deserve explanation, then why even have them on your résumé? As these are all internships that I am assuming you completed as a part of your degree program, then instead list them within the education section so not to appear like you have held 9 positions in the past 10 years. The next major pitfall of your résumé is that you are severely lacking in content, with no focus on achievements. Instead, present your daily responsibilities in a succinct manner, realizing that this is not the information that gets you the interview, while presenting where you have gone above and beyond in your career – in other words, what differentiates you from your competitors. You have had some fantastic employers, but that is buried in this paragraph style format that isn’t engaging to the reader. You can use these points, quantified achievements, and a strong experience summary, to really sell your career despite potential disqualifiers such as frequent job-hops.
Education
You are no longer considered a recent graduate so this section should be relocated to the end of your résumé. You can mention your degree in the qualifications summary if you choose to do so, but placing it first on your résumé places focus on the wrong information. Instead, let your career sell your candidacy along with where you have contributed value to an organization.
I have taken some liberties in creating a modified version of your résumé to give you a visual for some of the suggestions I have made. Of course, based on which direction you choose to take, retail or inside account management / service, the keywords and content would change. I have presented this as an example of what your résumé could include, but you should modify it based on your precise career interests. This example displays the formatting, qualifications summary, keyword list, part of your most recent experience, and your education section. I certainly hope this critique helps get you started in making the appropriate additions and improvements to your résumé. All the best.
View Original Resume / View New Resume with Notes
- - - - - - - - - -
To send your question to Dear Sam for possible publication, please write to dearsam@dispatch.com.
If you would like Dear Sam’s résumé writing firm to write your résumé and/or cover letter, please visit www.ladybug-design.com or call 614-570-3442 for more information.
Samantha is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer with a graduate degree in Marketing and Communication, and owner of Ladybug Design, a full-service résumé writing and interview coaching firm.
posted by Dear Sam at Monday, November 06, 2006
<< Home