Resume writing; Where to start.... where to start!!??

The first step is to admit that you have a problem.  This problem stems from the lack of practice, and experience that most job seekers have, in actually composing a resume. (well hopefully you're not a career job seeker!)   Running a marathon isn't easy for someone who has only gone on one or two runs in their lifetime either.... so the good news is that no one is expecting you to be good at resume writing.... or are they?  

OK - so we know that you're a novice at this... but not all is lost.  You still have one MAJOR advantage going for you.... you know this subject inside outside upside down; the subject is YOU.  :) 

Try to see your resume as a piece of art - it's personal and original.  There are so many formats, and layout options to choose from, but formats are just the framing... if the painting isn't well composed, your frame could be the fanciest nicest frame in the whole world,  but the painting is still awful.  Therefore I suggest that people start with the composure and the content, before worrying about which font / layout to use. 

Building the Content:

Your resume isn't meant to be a list of responsibilities, or duties you've had.... those are the JOBs you were assigned.  Your resume is meant to be a snap shot of the experience you gained / projects you were part of, and the achievements you made in your various roles / career.  How did you do at your job?... as opposed to what you were assigned to do.  So don't just copy your job descriptions into your resume... please!

Start by writing a short summary of each role you've had, (3-4 lines).... which encompasses the scope of your role, the volume of work you were focused on, and the most important functions you managed / performed overall.  Then you can add some additional bullet points highlighting things which you did above and beyond or which sit outside of your assigned scope of responsibility.

THEN put a few key accomplishments in to really showcase your ability to achieve results, and show your future employer the value you can bring to their organization.  These accomplishments should/can be be tailored to suit each company / job you are pursuing.

Tips:

• Think about how your success was measured in each role; was it by volume? Percentage increase? Reductions in volume? etc.  If these values were positive, make sure you include them in your resume.  (a resume with NO numbers, can be concerning....)
•  Also - ensure if you're using numbers in your resume, that they give the reader a sense of the before / after effect you had on that task... i.e. "saved a million dollars" ... vs.... "with a cost savings target of $500,000, was able to save $1 Million dollars, by improving the current process, and reducing inventory waste".  (this will wow your readers!)
• If you had direct reports, mention how many, and if they spanned over a wide group of teams, make sure to name drop a few of the teams you managed too - sometimes titles can be very underwhelming and they don't really give your reader a true depiction of the breadth of your responsibility.  If you didn't have direct reports, try this: "liaised with Sales, Marketing, Finance, etc. to ensure ______ result."

The Result:

If you do this for each role, and just get it down on paper, you will now be able to summarize your experience quickly in an interview format, and formulate relevant examples upon request too!  Practice makes perfect!  The Interviewer will think you're fabulous because you have organized your experience for them, in a relevant easy-to-read way, and you can answer their questions without that awkward.... 

This exercise of re-thinking your resume, is FAR better than practicing all those interview questions that you can read online... or should at minimum, be used in combination with that method of preparation.  You may think you know all of your experience, and could draw it from your memory at will, but you'd be surprised how far a little memory refreshing will go in making you seem more polished, prepared, and confident!