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The New Look, Part 2 of 4
Dear SafetyXChange Members:
Today's résumé should be more than just a listing of past job duties. Employers are looking for proof that a candidate can do the job and make a valuable contribution to the company. Résumés need to deliver the proof employers are looking for. Here's how to create a résumé that fits the bill.
The Guts of the New Résumé
The kind of résumé that works best with modern employers is one that delivers a value based marketing presentation. That's the conception. But how do you actually create such a résumé?
Opening Paragraph/Section: As before, the top one-third of the first page is the make-or-break of the modern résumé. The goal: To get the reader to look at the body of the résumé. The way to hook the reader is to make a statement about the value you bring and get the reader to say, "Okay, let's see you prove it."
Value Statements: Next, list value statements - two or three strong examples of strengths/accomplishments backed up with matching achievements from your career that illustrate them.
Reverse Chronology: The opening should be followed by a reverse chronology of your work history and achievements, education and other qualifications, such as professional affiliations. The historical résumé style of listing jobs (and dates) in chronological order is old school. This style is particularly ineffective for older candidates because it tells people how old you are and how many jobs you've had.
Bullet Points: "The contemporary marketplace requires that you go beyond merely describing the jobs you've done in the past," notes Mark Freedman, managing director of The Resource Planning Group. "The jobs listed on the résumé must also furnish a list of accomplishment-based bullet points." These bullet points represent what Freedman calls the value proposition.
Numbers: Add as much quantifiable information in your bullet points to illustrate the results of having acted - your impact. "People want to know that you can do an exemplary job for them along the same lines or better as for your most recent employer," explains Freedman.
Conclusion
How many pages should a résumé be? There's no set answer. Most experts agree that two to three pages is generally appropriate. But if you can't tell your whole story in just three pages, you'll need to go to page four and even beyond. Keep in mind, though, that each added page diminishes the likelihood that your résumé will be read from start to finish. Ultimately, the best length is the one the reader prefers. Unfortunately, you're unlikely to know who your readers are and what their preferences will be when you compose your résumé.
Wishing you career success,
Lauryn Franzoni
ExecuNet, www.execunet.com
MEMBER REPLY
Sports Fans & Safety
EDITOR'S NOTE: Last Friday's SafetyXChange published a piece about Brittanie Cecil, the eighth grade girl killed by a flying hockey puck at an NHL game she attended on the eve of her 14th birthday. One of our members sent us this letter in reply.
Spectator sports have never been totally safe. For the spectators! Special "events" can be even more dangerous:
- A demonstration of a burnout by a drag racer on a public street went awry when the car went out of control and into the crowd.
- A demonstration of a monster truck at a NAPA store went wrong when the truck went out of control and into the crowd.
- Several years ago, another monster truck went out of control at the Niagara Falls Convention center in NY killing a spectator.
- Debris from wrecks at racing events have injured and killed spectators in the grandstands.
Sanctioning bodies have mandated improvements in safety over the years, but there are sometimes other variables that can happen as well.
Gary Swiatowy
Quality Representative
Summit Lubricants Inc.
Batavia, NY
SPECTATOR TRAGEDIES
Gary was kind enough to send me some more information about two of the incidents he chronicled in his note. Here are a few more details.
Drag Racer Demonstration Disaster
Where: Selmer, TN
When: June 16, 2007
Killed: 6
Injured: At least 20
What Happened: A charitable organization called Cars for Kids had staged an annual charity car show on the streets of the small town of Selmer for 17 years without incident. But that safety streak would end in year 18. An Australian driver lost control of his car during a burnout - a crowd pleasing stunt in which drivers hold down the brake and accelerator at the same time to cause the wheels to spin and smoke and make the car fishtail. The car skidded off the road and into the crowd. There were no guard rails in place to protect the spectators lining the road.
Monster Truck Demonstration Disaster
Where: De Kalb, IL
When: August 9, 2007
Killed: 0
Injured: At least 9
What Happened: After three failures, the driver of a monster truck performing stunts in front of a NAPA Auto Parts store was making his fourth attempt to plow over a line of four cars. Apparently, he gave it too much gas. The monster truck careened into the crowd and crashed through a fence before coming to rest on railroad tracks.
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