I’ve drawn the content for this post from one written in 2011 by Randy Barger, who writes on career management for TechRepublic. Though some of his suggestions (https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/career-management/resume-tips-for-experienced-it-pros/3127/?s_cid=e099&tag=nl.e099&ttag=e099) are for IT professionals, I think most of them work for anyone seeking a higher-level job.
Randy starts with an observation that should be obvious to all of us. That is, if you’re looking to move up the ladder, don’t use the resume you crafted a few years back when you looked for your last job or consulting gig. Not every employer will think you’re a great potential candidate. In fact, some may think you’re light in areas where you’re actually pretty much of an expert.
Here’s what you do. (Note that Randy offered eight killer tips, but I’m going with the three I think make the most sense to a general audience.)
- “Seek advice from actual managers.”—That was his last tip, but I believe it’s important enough to warrant being first on the list. As he puts it, “If managers think your resume reflects someone who can’t do the job, you’ll never get anywhere. Run your resume by some managers you know and have them critique it for you.” I think this little gem is worth the extra time it will probably take for you to create a finished product. (Not, you understand, that a resume is ever finished.)
- “Keep your list of “core skills” short and sweet.”—Sounds counterintuitive, eh? After all, if you’ve got a boatload of skills, you should probably be struttin’ your stuff. Not so, according to Randy. “…having a long list of core skills actually gives the impression that you know only a little bit about most of those things and that you’re a generalist…”
- “Quantify projects and results.”—I know you’ve heard this one before, but it’s worth repeating. At this stage of your career, you’ve probably got a lot to point to. And if you’re not sure you do, dig deep. Talk to a couple of people whose judgment you trust about what you can extract from your experience. Actually, this advice applies even if you’re relatively junior.
Closely related to point #3, you’ll also want to highlight your accomplishments. This is especially important if you’ve worked on a mix of small and more significant projects. “You can exclude the small stuff, or potential clients/employers will question what you’ve been doing. But you can minimize the impact by focusing attention on the bigger things.” And there you have it. Couldn’t have said it better myself.
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