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Resume Redesign Guide

Resume Redesign Guide:
Purposes, Processes and Continuous Improvement

Michael C. Thomas, Ph.D.

The Life/Career Institute

"Don't believe anyone who tells you there's one right format
for a resume, or one style that's guaranteed to win" Richard Nelson Bolles.

RESUME PURPOSES:

To increase the focus of your job search.
To set your objective (a specific position) and key accomplishments in line with each other. Your stated accomplishments should support your objective.
Learn to think of yourself as one who uses the positions you occupy to produce the results you want and solve the problems you select, etc.
To demonstrate to potential hiring manager(s) and members of your various networks that you are a results-delivering person.
For your resume to stand out from all the other resumes that only identify the positions occupied.
Get the job interviews you want.
To get the job you want.

REDESIGN PROCESS:

Write the exact position title you are seeking in pencil at the top of the first page of your current resume.
Write SO WHAT? after every statement period in your current resume.
Write the answer to each SO WHAT? in terms of improvements you and/or your team made in measures of: new customers, customer service, increased revenues, cycle time reduction, reduced product defects, reduced service failures, reduced time in new product development, on-time delivery, employee turnover, and other costs reduction, etc.
Your list of personal strengths and skills should obviously connect to the improvements listed above.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT:

There are no absolute and universal standards for resumes. Some hiring managers don't read your resume until after they have interviewed you. What is desired and acceptable by hiring managers varies by industry, organization, function and level.
However, if you are applying for three different specific positions in four different industries and organizations, then twelve different resumes may be appropriate --- each is customized.
Get feedback and suggestions for improvement from several hiring managers similar (industry, business, function, level, etc.) to the hiring managers you are seeking to interview you. Resume standards will vary across major differences of organizations and will vary slightly within major differences of organization.
Get feedback and suggestions for improvement from the members of your specialty created networks that are highly networked.
After every application reject you receive, get feedback and suggestions for improvement of your resume from the hiring manager or HR analyst who rejected you.

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