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Resumes That Make it to the Top of the Pile

At breakfast this morning a woman who had referred someone to me for his resume said, “Kathy, I have something to share with you. Mark’s wife came up to me and said ‘As you know Mark has been looking for a job for a year. He had one interview. We knew something wasn’t working so you suggested he contact Kathy regarding his resume. Kathy worked with Mark on his resume and three weeks later he has four interviews. I don’t know how to thank you.’”

Why are Kathy Condon's resumes more effective?

It is my strong belief that 95 percent of people do not reveal on their resumes the significant actions they have taken in their lives. Depending on the job you are applying for, volunteer work could have even more relevance than your professional career.

Internet resume formats and published books may provide an outline—though even the formats often have not kept up with what Human Resource People and Hiring Managers are quickly looking for in the resumes and cover letters.

Let me give you an example from actual resumes I have worked with in the past:

Prepared and managed budget. My question is that a $500 budget? The person looked at me said, “Kathy, of course not, it was $12 million budget.

Collected Monthly Rental Checks My question is how many did you collect a month? Answer 375. I said “Is there anything else you care to tell me about the checks? Answer, well does it make a difference that I just didn’t get three over a three period?”

Presentations If you say you have a skill you have to prove it. Can you give me an example of a presentation you have made? Person retiring from the military said, “Does it count that I debriefed President Reagan in the White House?”

If is easy for you and you do it on a routine basis, you think others can do it. You want a person to work with you who is an “outsider” to ask these kinds of questions.

The language you use in your company and on your resume may not translate to a similar company. Clarification of terms that your company has been using need to be addressed. We don’t want people wondering what something means.

Resumes take time to prepare. Why do I continue to do them?

When jobs are lost, self-esteem takes a big hit…..no matter if it was through expected downsizing or a mismatched employee/employer relationship. When a resume is prepared correctly it reminds the person of all they have done. What results is a more confident person that goes on interviews and one that tells the real story of his working career.

A resume, done right, contains most of the answers to interview questions. You don’t have to search your mind for examples to prove your skills—they are already on the resume and at the top of your mind.

One-to-one coaching is a powerful experience and can change your life. You can sit at your computer and prepare your own resume and be located somewhere in the stack or you can contact me, Kathy Condon, and be one the first persons called for the interview.

What do you think?