by Becky Cole

 There is lots of advice out there for writing a resume. Some of it is better than others, but they all agree on a few of the same points:

• It must be well done
• It must be designed to sell you as the best person for the job
• It must be an honest reflection of the work you have done
• It must be relevant to the job for which you are applying

Beyond that, the format and the order of the information depends on many different factors. Recently I did see a resume that caught my attention. On it was something I had not seen before, and I really liked what I saw.

It was a chronological resume. That means he listed the jobs he had in the order of the dates he worked. This worked well because he worked in the same industry, doing the same type of work.

However, what was different on this one was that after each employer, he included a statement, “ask me about” and listed an accomplishment. For example,

“ask me about how I saved this company 120 hours on a project by re-designing the process to accomplish more in less time”

“ask me about the time when a customer wrote a letter to my boss about the excellent service they received from me.”

“ask me about how I can answer the lines on a phone system that has 12 extensions on it”

I thought this was great because it invited the reader to have a conversation with him. This was going to make him stand out among the other resumes for a few reasons:

• It engaged the reader in his resume.
• The reader was going to remember him because it is likely none of the other resumes included that in theirs.
• He wasn’t waiting for the reader to figure out what his significant accomplishments were.

No matter what job you have done, you have done something that matters at that job. You learned a new process or skill, you helped an customer or client in some way, or there was a time where your contribution made a difference for the organization. Resist the urge to think, “I didn’t do anything,” and give yourself credit for whatever it was you did.

Remember, your resume is a marketing tool to get an interview. So sit down and figure out what you have to offer to your next employer, and then invite them to engage in a conversation with you about how they can benefit from hiring you.

Becky Cole is a consultant for non-profit organizations specializing in capacity building for both individuals and corporations throughout the Twin Cities.  She has an Education Specialist Degree from Indiana University. Becky Cole can be reached at: bcole@employmentnewsmn.com