Career TOOLBox #9: Revisiting Your Resume – Top 5 Tips

Today’s economic conditions require a more aggressive approach. Below are tips on what to do with the single most important document in your Career ToolBox.

1. Own Your Resume

There are thousands of books on how to write a resume. Remember that you are the one who has to speak to it. What do you want it to say about you?

2. Quantify, Quantify, Quantify

Measure all your success stories: Did you save companies money? Did you make them money? Did you train people that got promoted?

3. Successes are Not Job Descriptions

Listing everything you have ever done on every job is a sure fire way to lose the interest of a firm that may have been a good fit for you. Instead, ask yourself this: By being a manager in this role how did I make a difference?

4. 20 Second Acid Test

Give your resume to someone you trust and give him 20 seconds to scan your document. Then ask the person what he thinks you do for a living. Because after all that work, 20 seconds is all you may get from a hiring manager.

5. Proofread. Repeat.

Print your resume out on paper and then read your resume out loud, with a red pen in hand. You will be surprised at all the mistakes you will find. Better yet, have someone else read it.

First written in October 2010.  

Reprinted with permission and gratitude from CoolCleveland.com.

Image: CoolCleveland

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