These two topics are often discussed in separate books and articles. But your resumes and interviews are really parts of the same communications system, along with your cover letters and your references. When designing your system for communicating with prospective employers, keep these basics in mind:

• Start with the output you want, and work back. In this case, that means starting with the interview.


• Keep in mind the characteristics and interests of your audience. I believe you can safely assume the following about decision-makers at all levels:


• They're impatient,
• They prefer facts to opinions and specifics to generalizations,
• They're cautious in personnel matters,
• They know what they're looking for,
• They're interested in results and they admire people who get those results;
• They like ability and enthusiasm.


• What you're trying to communicate - the relevance of your ability and enthusiasm - is an abstraction. One of the most effective ways to communicate abstractions is by describing relevant personal experiences.


• Finally, note that your resume has only two functions. Of course, one function is to be a job aid for the interviewer, encouraging them to ask the questions you wish to answer. But most important, your resume must survive long enough to get you an interview in the first place. To stay out of the wastebasket (most of which are now shaped to receive resumes), your resume must answer three questions uppermost in the minds of decision-makers sizing up candidates for hire or assignment:
  • Does this person want to do something I need?
  • Do they have what it takes to do this?
  • Are they likely to produce the results (making things better, faster and/or cheaper) I want?
  Keep these questions in mind as you plan your interviews and resumes.

1. Recall the things you did that turned out well and record them on index cards. Detail is not necessary at this point. You're just creating memory joggers to yourself. This is a good way to sharpen your career focus, too.


2. Select the experiences you would like to repeat and put the corresponding cards on top of the pile.


3. Add detail to the top cards. Note the problem you had to solve, the steps you took to solve it, and the result or outcome you produced. Be specific about the result. Be sure to mention any recognition that came to you, your supervisor or your teammates.


4. Select the achievements you would like to discuss in your job interviews from the top cards. Study the descriptions of the occupations you're interested in and select achievement cards which show that your abilities match. Now that you know what kinds of positions you want to go after and what you want to emphasize in your interviews, you're ready to start on your resume.


5. List the names of all the positions that you're interested in (and that your selection of achievements qualifies you for) at the top of a fresh sheet of paper. It helps if you've been receiving expert advice about what you're qualified for.

   The next two steps will produce an important paragraph, your Summary of Qualifications. By glancing over the Summary of Qualifications at the top of your resume, a prospective employer can see at once that you are qualified for the job: You have what it takes. Your resume will clearly be worth reading and keeping, unlike most others.

   Start your Summary of Qualifications by drawing a vertical line down the center of the page containing the list of positions you're interested in.


6. List the credentials, experiences and personal characteristics that employers require from applicants for the positions you listed, one beneath another on the left side of the page or its on-screen equivalent. Draw a horizontal line and go on to list similar items that are desirable but not mandatory. Often an ad will say, ". . . in addition, the ideal candidate will . . . " List these items below the line.


7. To the right of each item, note how you comply with the requirement. If one of the credentials required is a college degree, briefly note your degree(s) and mention any degrees in process. If one of the requirements is "effectiveness in a fast-paced environment," note how you were recognized for your productivity record. Wordsmith the right-hand list into a short factual paragraph to produce your Summary of Qualifications.


8. Draft the experience portion of your resume in reverse chronological form. Polish it later, after you decide exactly what you want to say.
• Start with yet another fresh sheet of paper or the on-screen equivalent. You'll use a number of pages for drafting and consolidate later.


• At the top write the name of your employer, the dates you were there and your title.


• Write a sentence or two describing your duties.


• Below that, in "bullet" form, list your most relevant achievements from the cards for that period, with the result of each. You want employers to see what kinds of results you produce. Of course, if this resume targets a particular employer, the achievements you select will be cases where you solved problems of the type facing that employer.


• Repeat, using a fresh page or on-screen equivalent for each position you held over the past ten years. Generally, the more recent positions should get the most detail. For positions where little happened, or what happened wasn't relevant, be brief.


• Your resume will focus on results, but in your interviews you'll describe the steps you followed to produce those results. As you do so, you'll exhibit both ability and enthusiasm.


9. For everything preceding ten years ago, draft a wrapup page: "Previous positions as [this, that, and the other, omitting the irrelevant]". List several of your most relevant achievements from the entire period.


10. List all your education and training, most recent first, on a new page. Mention awards and honors. Be sure that everything you say, in this section and everywhere else in your resume, is entirely factual.


11. Delete the non-essentials from your notes and wordsmith the remainder into a page or two. Two pages is fully satisfactory, and easier than one page for most people to do. But, if an employer tells you they want a one page resume, give it to them. Whatever its length, arrange your resume as follows:


1. Your name, address and phone number, E-Mail address, etc.


2. The list of related positions you're interested in. Set aside the unrelated positions and use them as the topic for a different resume with its own relevant achievement stories. One of my clients was trained as both an electronics technician and as a veterinary assistant. He created two resumes.


3. Summary of Qualifications directly beneath your list of desired positions.


4. Employment History - the chronology you developed in steps 8 and 9.


5. Education goes at the end, unless your education is your strongest qualification. In that case, put the details of your education ahead of your Employment History.


6. Don't say anything about your references, and don't bury anything important at the bottom of your resume. If it isn't important enough to go in the Summary of Qualifications, leave it out. As you do your wordsmithing, recall Wm. Strunk Jr.'s dictum: "Omit needless words." Keep your sentences active, simple and short.


12. Make your resume look inconspicuous and businesslike, just like the clothing you'll wear to the interview. One authority said "Printing should be invisible" Use letter-size white paper (one side only!), 12-point type and the simplest possible layout. Many large employers put resumes through scanners and store them electronically in computers for later retrieval. Avoid potentially troublesome design elements like italic type, rules, shading, etc. Whenever you send a resume by fax, set the machine's resolution on "fine." If you expect to use electronic mail, prepare an even simpler-looking version and test it by E-mailing it to yourself. Ensure that your pages can be reunited properly if separated: Put your name (without the address and other elements of the heading) in the upper right corner of each page after the first one.

• Addressed all employer requirements in depth;


• Aligned with employer values regarding achievement, facts vs. opinions and specifics vs. generalizations;


• Described achievements you want to repeat and are anxious to discuss;


• Expressed yourself as clearly and briefly as possible.

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