Résumé Reform
Happy New Year, now back to business.
At the last productive meeting of the Free Birds, we reviewed the flock’s assorted biographies and résumés. This is what we liked:
• Testimonials
• Indentations, bullets and clean organization
• Brevity
• Third-person narrative rather than first-person voice
• Chronological ordering starting with most recent entries
• White space
Of course, unique paper stocks, distinctive imagery and beautiful typography and graphic design were also appreciated. Like a crow with a shiny object, we creative birds may have been caught up in the pretty things a bit. But each of us left with a specific to-do list for improving the content of her résumé.
Some references to consider that I borrowed from the local library, yes, LIBRARY:
“Perfect Phrases for Résumés” by Michael Betrus – came in handy when I ran out of ways to say “Experienced”. Some favorites:
• Instrumental in….
• Extensive involvement in….
• Personally responsible for….
• Consistently….
• Expert in developing…..
“101 Great Résumés” by Ron Fry - As a graphic designer, visual organization is second-nature to me, so it was interesting to see the array of organizational approaches and visual styles that the birds presented at our meeting. This book lists 19 tips to a “great looking résumé” including:
1. Limit your résumé to one or two pages.
7. Don’t mix typefaces.
11. Use generous margins.
18. Shorten your line length.
As with everything, there are no absolutes and a grain of salt may be taken with any of these “perfect tips”.
So noted. Consider my previous comment in place for posterity.
Word to the motherbird.
R
My dear social-media-minded WRENee, if you had been a good bird and attended that last meeting, you would have known that we discussed the need for updating/establishing our on-line résumés most notably with Linked-in and CEV. Since most of the birds had formal résumés already, we started there first so that we would have enough depth/content to edit efficiently for online applications. No smacking! Hugs always, BigBird
Brevity and bullets. I dig it.
That said, while a “proper” paper-based resume still has a place, let’s not forget to transfer our resume updates to our online CVs…LinkedIn for example.
IRL (In Real Life), one needs to find the right person to whom one wishes to deliver a paper resume, even if you email it in the end…but maintaining one’s online resume presents an opportunity for the right person to find you!
I’m jumping ahead of the agenda, aren’t I? Sorry, can’t help it…
Bad birdie. Smack me on the beak at the next meetup, would you?
-WRENee