How Does Your Resume Taste?

If I had to guess, I would say that there probably are not too many people out there who relish the idea of sitting down at a computer to spend the evening updating their resume.  How do you best use this snapshot of your professional self to sell a potential employer on what you have to offer?  How do you use the buzzwords that are important in your industry without being too obvious that you are doing it?  What is the preferred way in 2011 to arrange headings, bullet points, and your educational experience, which can be a daunting question if you haven’t changed your resume since 1998?

I came across a great piece on Susan Guarneri’s blog that advises readers to add some “FLAVOR” to their resumes.  It’s a great acronym that, as explained by Guarneri, will make you the proud owner of a great marketing piece if you follow its steps.

The “F” stands for focus.  You need to make sure that the position you want is clearly stated and that the qualifications you list support the needs of this job.  Don’t put together a generic document and expect it to work for every job opening.

Next, what is your “L” for leverage?  Your resume likely will be submitted along with those of dozens if not hundreds of other applicants.  How can you make your unique assets stand out with perhaps only a quick glance?

I encourage you to check out the entire article, as the remaining letters address issues of your return on investment, your resume’s strength in an online screening, and the overall readability of your creation. I think you will find that “FLAVOR” is a good litmus test to use before submitting your new resume to your future employer!

Do you make it a practice to update your resume regularly, even when not actively searching for a new job?  How have you found that resume design and content have changed over the last ten years?

PS. If you need help with your resume, I highly recommend contacting my friend and fellow blogger, Erin Kennedy!

About the author

Joe Lavelle

Joe Lavelle is the Co-Founder of intrepidNow. Prior to that Joe was an accomplished healthcare IT executive and career coach with a record of successfully meeting the business and technology challenges of diverse organizations including health plans, health delivery networks, health care companies, and several Fortune 500 companies.

Joe is also the author of Act As If It Were Impossible To Fail, available on Amazon.

   

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