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In 2001 the U.S. job market permanently shifted. Since then many high-tech jobs have disappeared and other jobs, including those in the service industry have experienced a sea change. And yet, job seekers continue to use the same fossilized methods of job search. The most offensive relic is the traditional method of résumé writing. In the shifted environment a résumé must carry a tomorrow’s message of value in a highly differentiated way. If the job seekers, employed or not, are not able to do this well, they become part of the oceanic masses pursuing the same opportunity.
A résumé must now reflect that it is:
• About tomorrow; not yesterday
• About the employer more than it is about you
• A statement of how you create value in today’s realities
• A place to communicate your leadership stories in a compelling way
There are two types of résumés: chronological and functional. A chronological résumé shows work history in a reverse chronological order. A functional résumé shows what you can do in functional terms, without regard to past chronology. Of these two, chronological résumé is the most common. The following template shows a winning outline for a chronological résumé. In its functional counterpart, the Professional Experience will show examples of achievements in the sequence in which your Unique Skills are listed. Either version must be two pages, easy to read.
Career Objective: This is forward-looking statement of how you create value (This is “Tomorrow”)
Experience Summary: A two-three-line summary of your past that captures the main points and shows why the reader should continue.
Unique Skills: Is a portfolio of five or six skills that are your differentiators and are based on your genius. Once you know your genius (your inner voice or your gifts), you are able to package that as a set of value-creating propositions for the prospect employer (This is “Today”).
Technical Skills: A string of nouns listing all technical skills (not just limited to technologists).
Professional Experience: This is the evidence of your claims (Unique Skills) that clearly shows your leadership. It is written in a story-telling format to show concisely how you manifest your leadership using your genius and how you make a difference in what you do (This is “Yesterday”).
Education: Only formal education is listed.
Professional Development: Lists all activities in which you have participated to increase your professional skill.
© 2004 Dilip G. Saraf: A career counselor at Career Transitions Unlimited, in the Silicon Valley, CA, Dilip has authored three books on career transitions based on research helping reinvent nearly 1600 clients since early 2001. A graduate of IIT-Bombay and Stanford, starting as an engineer, Dilip has changed three careers. For more information visit: www.7keys.org
Recommended Resources:
Resume Distribution: EmailRecruiters.com
Resume Posting: JobBoardGenie.com
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