Resume Magic: Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer

by Whitcomb, Susan Britton

• ISBN13: 9781593573119
• ISBN10: 1593573111
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-09-01
• Publisher: Jist Works

Summary

A giant compendium of advice and before-and-after r?sum? transformations that's hailed by professional r?sum? writers as the definitive resource for writing and designing r?sum's that get people noticed and hired. Explains all the ?nuts and bolts? of r?sum? creation and illustrates professional techniques with actual examples that show why the techniques work.

Table of Contents

A Resume Primer	1	(44)
Tools for the Task	2	(1)
The Resume Tool: Asset or Liability?	3	(3)
Employers and Candidates Usually View Resumes as Having Different Purposes	4	(1)
A Resume Is Most Effective When It Follows Face-to-Face or Voice Contact with a Hiring Manager	4	(1)
A Support Person or Computer Program Will Probably Be the One to Screen Your Resume	5	(1)
Resumes Are Not Read Thoroughly	5	(1)
You Won't Always Need a Resume to Land a Job	5	(1)
Then Why Write a Resume?	6	(1)
And Why This Book?	7	(1)
Some Success Stories	8	(32)
Your Most Important Tool	40	(5)
Top 10 Tips to Create Resume Magic	40	(5)
How to Use Branding and Advertising Strategies to Get an Interview	45	(28)
Using Brand and Ad Agency Strategies to Win an Interview	46	(1)
Elements of Your Career Brand	47	(4)
Authentic Image	47	(2)
Advantages	49	(1)
Awareness	49	(2)
The Proven Ad Agency Formula	51	(22)
Step 1: How to Grab Your Reader's Attention	52	(1)
Headlines and Hard-Hitting Leads	53	(2)
Visual Appeal	55	(1)
Step 2: How to Capture Your Reader's Interest	56	(1)
Selling Points---Front and Center	57	(1)
Where's the Center of the Page?	57	(5)
Place Supporting Information Below the Visual Center	62	(1)
Skimmable Material Goes at the Bottom of the Page	63	(1)
Step 3: How to Create Desire for Your Product---You!	63	(1)
Why You Buy	64	(1)
Why Employers Buy	65	(2)
Prove Your Superiority	67	(1)
Step 4: Call to Action	68	(3)
Top 10 Resume Strategy Tips	71	(2)
How to Choose the Most Flattering Format	73	(60)
Two Tried-and-True Winning Formats: Chronological and Functional	74	(13)
The Chronological Format	76	(4)
The Functional Format	80	(7)
Genetic Variants of the Two Main Resume Types	87	(41)
The Accomplishments Format	88	(2)
The Combination Format	90	(7)
The Creative Format	97	(9)
The Curriculum Vitae (CV)	106	(6)
The Dateless Chronological Format	112	(2)
The International Resume	114	(1)
The Linear Format	115	(3)
The Newsletter Format	118	(5)
The Reordered Chronological Format	123	(3)
The Targeted Format	126	(2)
If It Works, It's Right	128	(5)
Top 10 Resume Formatting Tips	132	(1)
The Blueprint for a Blockbuster Resume	133	(30)
Data Bits, or Contact Info	134	(11)
To List or Not to List Your Business Telephone Number	136	(1)
Other Solutions for Daytime Contacts	136	(1)
Sample Resume Headers	137	(4)
Dealing with Relocation on Your Resume	141	(4)
Objective, or Focus Statement	145	(2)
Key Features, or Qualifications Summary	147	(2)
Professional Experience	149	(1)
Skills	150	(1)
Education, Credentials, and Licenses	151	(2)
Affiliations	153	(1)
Publications, Presentations, or Patents	154	(1)
Awards and Honors	155	(1)
Bio Bites	155	(2)
Endorsements	157	(2)
What Not to Include	159	(1)
Putting It All Together	160	(3)
Top 10 Resume Blueprint Tips	162	(1)
How to Write Great Copy	163	(62)
Keywords	164	(10)
What Are Keywords?	164	(1)
Where to Find Keywords	165	(1)
Off-Line Resources for Keywords	166	(1)
Online Resources for Keywords	166	(1)
How to Position Keywords	167	(1)
How to Improve Your ``Hit'' Ratio	168	(4)
Top 10 Resume Keyword Tips	172	(2)
The Objective or Focus Statement	174	(7)
Cover Letter Focus Statement	174	(1)
Title Statement	175	(1)
Traditional Objective	175	(2)
Exercise for Assembling a Focus Statement	177	(4)
The Qualifications Summary	181	(9)
Professional Experience	190	(13)
How Far Back?	191	(1)
Where to Find Material for Your Job Descriptions	192	(5)
How Long Is Too Long?	197	(1)
Solutions for Downplaying Less-Relevant Positions	198	(5)
Skills	203	(2)
Education, Credentials, Licensure	205	(5)
Recent High School Graduate	205	(1)
Recent College Graduate	205	(1)
Degree Obtained a Number of Years Ago	206	(1)
Degree in a Field Different from Your Major	206	(1)
Degree Not Completed	207	(1)
Two-Year Degree	208	(1)
Degree Equivalent	209	(1)
No Degree	209	(1)
Including Credentials, Licenses, and Certificates	209	(1)
Affiliations	210	(2)
Publications, Presentations, and Patents	212	(5)
Publications	212	(2)
Presentations	214	(2)
Patents	216	(1)
Awards and Honors	217	(1)
Bio Bites	218	(3)
Endorsements	221	(4)
Top 10 Tips for Writing Great Copy	223	(2)
Accomplishments: The Linchpin of a Great Resume	225	(74)
What's in It for Me?	226	(4)
Words to Woo Employers	230	(9)
Buying Motivator #1: Make Money	230	(1)
Buying Motivator #2: Save Money	231	(1)
Buying Motivator #3: Save Time	232	(1)
Buying Motivator #4: Make Work Easier	232	(1)
Buying Motivator #5: Solve, a Specific Problem	233	(1)
Buying Motivator #6: Be More Competitive	234	(1)
Buying Motivator #7: Build Relationships/Image with Internal/External Customers, Vendors, and the Public	235	(1)
Buying Motivator #8: Expand Business	236	(1)
Buying Motivator #9: Attract New Customers	237	(1)
Buying Motivator #10: Retain Existing Customers	237	(2)
Strategies for Presenting Accomplishments	239	(8)
Numbers: The Universal Language	239	(1)
Comparison---A Powerful Form of Communication	240	(2)
ROI---How Quickly Can You Deliver?	242	(1)
The Company's Mission Statement---Make It Your Mission	243	(1)
The CAR Technique---Challenge, Action, and Result	244	(3)
Where to Find Material for Your Accomplishments	247	(3)
Performance Appraisals	247	(1)
Your Career Management File	248	(2)
Impact-Mining: Probing Questions to Unearth Hidden Treasures	250	(40)
Sifting Through the Accomplishments You've Gathered	290	(5)
Use Impact Statements to Portray Yourself as the Right Fit	295	(4)
Top 10 Tips for Writing Accomplishments	296	(3)
Editing: Resume-Speak 101	299	(58)
Development Editing: A Primer in Power Writing	300	(1)
Top 10 Tenets of Developing Your Resume	300	(1)
Examples of Resume-Speak	301	(1)
The Keys to Writing Compelling Copy	302	(4)
Address the Needs of Your Audience	302	(1)
Summarize by Using the ABC Method	303	(1)
Focus on Transferable Skills	304	(2)
Resume-Speak 101	306	(9)
Deliver the Goods Up Front	306	(1)
Start Sentences with Action Verbs or Noun Phrases	307	(1)
Sidestep Potential Negatives	308	(1)
Give Outdated Experience a Feeling of Real Time	309	(1)
Avoid an Employer Pet Peeve: Baseless Personality Attributes	310	(4)
Convey Confidential Information Without Giving Away Proprietary/Trade Secrets	314	(1)
Technical Editing/Copyediting: The Mechanics of Resume-Speak	315	(36)
Abbreviations	316	(2)
Acronyms	318	(1)
Active voice	319	(1)
Articles (in Absentia)	319	(1)
Auxiliary or Helping Verbs	320	(1)
Capitalization	321	(1)
Colons and Semicolons	322	(2)
Commas	324	(1)
Commas That Separate	324	(1)
Commas That Set Off	325	(1)
Comma Trauma	326	(2)
Contractions	328	(1)
Dashes	329	(1)
Ellipsis Marks	330	(2)
Elliptical Sentences	332	(1)
Gender Equity	332	(1)
Hyphenation	333	(2)
Numbers	335	(1)
Parallel Sentence Structure	336	(2)
Parentheses	338	(1)
Parts of Speech	338	(2)
Passive Voice	340	(1)
Periods	341	(1)
Possessives	342	(1)
Prepositions	343	(1)
Quotation Marks	344	(1)
Sentence Fragments	345	(1)
Slashes	345	(1)
Split Infinitives	346	(1)
Tense	347	(2)
Verbs	349	(1)
Writing in the First Person	350	(1)
Prune, Prune, Prune	351	(2)
Proof, Proof, Proof	353	(4)
Top 10 Resume Proofreading Tips	354	(3)
Visual Artistry: The Missing Link	357	(66)
Design Elements	358	(39)
Create a Visual Pattern	359	(1)
Consistency Counts	359	(1)
Use Tab Stops Sparingly	359	(1)
Apply White Space Liberally	360	(5)
Make Bullets Work for You	365	(2)
Think in Threes	367	(1)
Keep Headings to a Minimum	368	(3)
Segment Paragraphs	371	(3)
Balance Is Beautiful	374	(1)
Pay Attention to Vertical Balance	374	(1)
Balancing a Two-Column Format	374	(4)
Balancing a Full-Width Layout	378	(3)
Balancing Unevenly Distributed Copy	381	(3)
Balancing Impact Statements	384	(1)
Justification---Ragged Right or Full Justification?	385	(1)
Hang It on the Wall!	385	(1)
Use Typefaces Tastefully	386	(1)
Choosing a Font	387	(1)
Fonts That Buy More Space	388	(1)
Use Discretion in Mixing Fonts	388	(3)
Go Easy on Bold, Underline, and Italic	391	(2)
Establish a Logical Sizing Hierarchy	393	(4)
Tweaking Tips	397	(26)
Technical Tools to Create Tables	398	(1)
Add White Space	399	(2)
Adding Space Between Paragraphs in MS Word	401	(1)
Adding Space Between Paragraphs in Corel WordPerfect	402	(1)
Change Line-Height	402	(1)
Adjusting Vertical Space Between Lines Within Paragraphs in MS Word	403	(1)
Adjusting Vertical Space Between Lines Within Paragraphs in Corel WordPerfect	404	(1)
Expand Character Spacing	404	(1)
Expanding Text in MS Word	404	(1)
Expanding Text in Corel WordPerfect	405	(1)
Tricks to Make Text Fit	405	(1)
Shrinking Text in MS Word	405	(1)
Shrinking Text in Corel WordPerfect	406	(1)
Use Bullets Strategically	406	(1)
Creating Bullets in MS Word	406	(1)
Creating Bullets in Corel WordPerfect	407	(1)
Adding or Subtracting Spacing Between Bullets and Text in MS Word	407	(1)
Adding or Subtracting Spacing Between Bullets and Text in Corel WordPerfect	408	(1)
Changing the Type of Bullet in MS Word	408	(1)
Changing the Type of Bullet in Corel WordPerfect	409	(1)
Size of Bullets	409	(1)
Use Rule Lines	410	(1)
Inserting a Rule Line in MS Word	411	(1)
Inserting a Rule Line in Corel WordPerfect	412	(1)
Other Graphic Elements	413	(9)
Top 10 Visual Appeal Tips	422	(1)
E-Resumes, E-Portfolios, and Blogs	423	(44)
ASCII Text Resumes	424	(16)
The Advantages and Disadvantages of ASCII Resumes	425	(1)
ASCII Resume Do's and Don'ts	426	(1)
Steps for ASCII Conversion	427	(1)
Converting to ASCII for E-Mailing Using MS Word or Corel WordPerfect	427	(2)
Converting to ASCII for Pasting into E-Forms	429	(1)
Quick Cleanup of an ASCII Conversion	430	(9)
How to Post an ASCII Resume to a Web Site	439	(1)
Web Resumes, E-Portfolios, and Blogs	440	(15)
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Web Resumes	441	(1)
The 'Technical How-Tos of Web Resumes	442	(1)
Online Resume-Builder Services	443	(1)
Do-It-Yourself Web Resumes	444	(2)
Hire a Pro	446	(1)
Web Resume Do's and Don'ts	447	(1)
What to Include in an E-Portfolio	448	(2)
Hyperlinks or Hyperjinx?	450	(3)
Using Your Web-Resume	453	(1)
Marketing Your Web Resume	454	(1)
Getting on the Blog Bandwagon	455	(2)
What to Include in a Blog	455	(1)
Creating a Blog	455	(1)
Using RSS (Really Simple Syndication) Technology	456	(1)
Marketing Your Blog	456	(1)
Scannable Resumes	457	(5)
Scannable Resume Do's and Don'ts	457	(5)
Applicant-Tracking Systems: What Happens After You E-Mail or Post Your Resume?	462	(2)
Positive Aspects of Applicant-Tracking Technology	462	(1)
Negative Aspects of Applicant-Tracking Technology	462	(1)
Conflicting Advice	463	(1)
Resumes of the Future	464	(3)
Top 10 Technology Tips for E-Resumes, E-Portfolios, and Blogs	465	(2)
Cover Letters and Other Parts of the Puzzle	467	(48)
Strategy and Style	468	(9)
The Value Mantra	469	(3)
Sell, Don't Tell	472	(2)
Reveal a Secret	474	(3)
The Segments of a Cover Letter	477	(9)
The Carrot	477	(5)
The Corroboration	482	(2)
The Close	484	(2)
The Anatomy of the Cover Letter	486	(3)
Sticky Wickets	489	(3)
To Whom It May Concern?	489	(1)
Missed a Filing Deadline?	490	(1)
Terminated from, a Job?	490	(1)
Relocating?	491	(1)
Dealing with Salary	491	(1)
Other Types of Letters	492	(4)
Direct-Mail Campaigns	492	(1)
Writing to a Recruiting Firm	493	(1)
Thank-You Letters---A Chance to Resell Yourself	494	(2)
Other Pieces of the Puzzle	496	(14)
References	496	(1)
When to Send References	497	(1)
When and How to Ask for References	497	(1)
Rethinking the ``Reference Page'' with Some Creative Persuasion	498	(3)
Networking Cards	501	(2)
Addenda	503	(4)
Paper	507	(1)
Sending Your Cover Letter and Resume	508	(1)
By Surface Mail	508	(1)
By Fax	508	(1)
By E-Mail	508	(2)
Futurist Career Management	510	(5)
Top 10 Cover Letter Tips	512	(3)
Appendix A Worksheets to Catalog Professional History	515	(12)
Appendix B Survey: What Employers Really Want in a Resume and Cover Letter	527	(6)
Resumes	527	(4)
Cover Letters	531	(2)
Appendix C Action Verbs with Sample Phrases	533	(38)
Index	571