Revamp resume to better show qualifications for desired career
Dear Sam: I have read several of your resume makeovers, but I guess I don’t have the talent to make over mine. I’ve worked in human resources and information technology for several years, but I want to leverage my degree and secure a position in the criminal-justice area. I have limited related experience, and that is hindering me from getting into the field. Any suggestions? — Jackie
Dear Jackie: Let me paint a picture of your resume for readers. Your resume is three pages long and includes 12 positions spanning 1990 to the present. The resume opens with an objective statement that flows into your work experience. In the workexperience section, you have a handful of bullet points for each job — and each point is very brief. Your resume ends with your education and volunteer work.
There are many opportunities to improve the picture you are painting for hiring managers, but let me highlight the top three mistakes I see on your resume.
The content is unfocused.
Opening with an objective statement is never a good choice. Objective statements are obsolete; instead, you should use the top third of Page 1 to showcase how your unique experience will add value to an employer.
Hiring managers want to know what skills you bring to the table and what uniquely qualifies you for the role. An objective statement states what you want, while the hiring manager wants to know what you can do for the company.
Limited value is conveyed.
It’s virtually impossible to convey your value in bullet-point statements that are only three to five words long. You’ve sacrificed value for brevity, and it is imperative that you add content to the professional-experience section that allows your previous roles to hold both visual and figurative “weight.”
Consider including your responsibilities in a paragraph and using bullet points to highlight your accomplishments. Within those bullet points, present a blend of not only the results you achieved, but also the actions you took along the way. Don’t leave the reader with unanswered questions that could result in your candidacy being too difficult to evaluate.
You’re giving too much information.
While you’ve been too brief in your content, you’ve actually included too many past jobs. Twelve positions are a lot, even over the course of 27 years. Instead, present only the obligatory 10 to 15 years of experience.
You can still include your earliest position, which spans nine years, by putting it in a byline. To do this, simply add a sentence at the end of your resume stating that you have this additional foundational experience, but don’t date it. Doing this will allow you to reference the value of that role without the fear of potentially overqualifying yourself for the target position. You can also omit short-term positions you’ve held that don’t add value to your candidacy. For instance, if you had a job for just a few months in 2009 that doesn’t add anything to your candidacy, it is acceptable to omit that job for the purpose of painting the most relevant picture of your candidacy on paper.
The great news is that you have so much room for improvement on your resume that you really have not had an effective tool to open doors to the criminal-justice opportunities of your interest. Revamp your resume, and I am certain your results will be stronger.