EXPERT RESUMES for Career Changers Wendy S. Enelow and Louise M. Kursmark TLFeBOOK Expert Resumes for Career Changers © 2005 by Wendy S. Enelow and Louise M. Kursmark Published by JIST Works, an imprint of JIST Publishing, Inc. 8902 Otis Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46216-1033 Phone: 1-800-648-JIST Fax: 1-800-JIST-FAX E-mail: info@jist.com Visit our Web site at www.jist.com for information on JIST, free job search tips, book chapters, and how to order our many products! For free information on 14,000 job titles, visit www.careeroink.com. Quantity discounts are available for JIST books. Please call our Sales Department at 1-800-648-5478 for a free catalog and more information. Acquisitions and Development Editor: Lori Cates Hand Cover Designer: Katy Bodenmiller Interior Designer and Page Layout: Trudy Coler Proofreader: Jeanne Clark Indexer: Tina Trettin Printed in the United States of America 08 07 06 05 04 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Enelow, Wendy S. Expert resumes for career changers / Wendy S. Enelow and Louise M. Kursmark. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 1-59357-092-9 (alk. paper) 1. Résumés (Employment) 2. Career changes. I. Kursmark, Louise. II. Title. HF5383.E47875 2005 650.14'2--dc22 2004023589 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews. Making copies of any part of this book for any purpose other than your own personal use is a violation of United States copyright laws. 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ISBN 1-59357-092-9 TLFeBOOK ABOUT THIS BOOK ........................................................................vii INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................ix PART I: Resume Writing, Strategy, and Formats .......................................1 CHAPTER 1: Resume-Writing Strategies for Career Changers.........................................................................................3 The Top Nine Strategies for an Effective Resume ................................4 Resume Strategy #1: Who Are You and How Do You Want to Be Perceived? .......................................................................4 Resume Strategy #2: Sell It to Me…Don’t Tell It to Me ..............6 Resume Strategy #3: Use Keywords .............................................7 Resume Strategy #4: Use the “Big” and Save the “Little” ............9 Resume Strategy #5: Make Your Resume “Interviewable” ............10 Resume Strategy #6: Eliminate Confusion with Structure and Context ..................................................................................10 Resume Strategy #7: Use Function to Demonstrate Achievement ..........................................................................11 Resume Strategy #8: Remain in the Realm of Reality ................... 11 Resume Strategy #9: Be Confident ..............................................11 There Are No Resume-Writing Rules ...............................................11 Content Standards ......................................................................12 Presentation Standards ...............................................................16 Accuracy and Perfection ..............................................................19 CHAPTER 2: Writing Your Resume...............................................21 Recommended Resume-Writing Strategy and Formats for Career Changers........................................................................................21 TABLE OF CONTENTS TLFeBOOK Career-Changer Strategies ...........................................................22 Sample Formats and Situations for Career-Change Resumes .........23 Why Format Is So Important .....................................................33 Step-by-Step: Writing the Perfect Resume ...........................................36 Contact Information ..................................................................36 Career Summary ........................................................................37 Professional Experience ...............................................................41 Education, Credentials, and Certifications .................................46 The “Extras” ...............................................................................48 Writing Tips, Techniques, and Important Lessons ...............................54 Get It Down—Then Polish and Perfect It ................................54 Write Your Resume from the Bottom Up .....................................54 Include Notable or Prominent “Extra” Stuff in Your Career Summary ......................................................................55 Use Resume Samples to Get Ideas for Content, Format, and Organization ....................................................................56 Include Dates or Not? .................................................................56 Always Send a Cover Letter When You Forward Your Resume .............................................................57 Never Include Salary History or Salary Requirements on Your Resume ..................................................................... 58 Always Remember That You Are Selling ......................................59 CHAPTER 3: Printed, Scannable, Electronic, and Web Resumes ................................................................................61 The Four Types of Resumes ................................................................61 The Printed Resume ....................................................................61 The Scannable Resume ............................................................... 62 The Electronic Resume ..............................................................62 The Web Resume .......................................................................64 The Four Resume Types Compared ..................................................68 Are You Ready to Write Your Resume? ................................................70 iv Expert Resumes for Career Changers TLFeBOOK PART II: Sample Resumes for Career Changers ........................................71 CHAPTER 4: Resumes for Career Changers Seeking Accounting, Finance, Banking, Administrative, Office Management, Business Management, and Insurance Positions..........................................................................................73 CHAPTER 5: Resumes for Career Changers Seeking Technology Positions ............................................................................................107 CHAPTER 6: Resumes for Career Changers Seeking Sales, Marketing, Advertising, Public Relations, Writing, and Events Management Positions ........................................................123 CHAPTER 7: Resumes for Career Changers Seeking Health Care, Social Services, and Personal Services Positions .................153 CHAPTER 8: Resumes for Career Changers Seeking Training, Human Resources, Teaching, and Educational Administration Positions..................................................................169 CHAPTER 9: Resumes for Career Changers Seeking Sports and Recreation, Cultural, and Creative and Performing Arts Positions ............................................................................................197 CHAPTER 10: Resumes for Career Changers Seeking Legal, Law Enforcement, Public Safety, and Investigator Positions ............................................................................................215 CHAPTER 11: Resumes for Career Changers Seeking Positions with Nonprofit Organizations ......................................225 CHAPTER 12: Resumes for Senior Executives Seeking Lower-Level Business Positions ......................................................241 Appendix: Internet Career Resources .............................................251 Dictionaries and Glossaries ..............................................................251 Job Search Sites ...............................................................................252 General Sites .............................................................................252 Accounting Careers ...................................................................253 Arts and Media Careers .............................................................254 Education Careers .....................................................................254 Entry-Level Careers ..................................................................254 v Table of Contents TLFeBOOK Government and Military Careers ..............................................254 Health Care/Medical/Pharmaceutical Careers ..........................255 Human Resources Careers .........................................................255 International Careers .................................................................255 Legal Careers ............................................................................255 Sales and Marketing Careers ......................................................256 Service Careers ..........................................................................256 Technology/Engineering Careers .............................................256 Sites for Miscellaneous Specific Fields ........................................257 Company Information .....................................................................257 Interviewing Tips and Techniques ...................................................258 Salary and Compensation Information .............................................258 Index of Contributors .......................................................................261 Index ..................................................................................................267 vi Expert Resumes for Career Changers TLFeBOOK If you’re reading this book, you’re most likely one of tens of thousands of people who are considering a career change—either a change in position or a change in industry. You might have made this decision because of any one of the following reasons: • Your current industry has been hard hit by the recent economic recession. • The position that you currently hold has been eliminated in your company and also in many similar companies. • You’re bored in your current position and ready for a change. • You want to pursue your true passion as your new career. • Your personal situation has changed and you’re now able to pursue a career of real interest to you. • You’re relocating and need to explore new opportunities in your new geo- graphic area. • You want greater opportunities for increased compensation and advancement. • You’re frustrated and ready for a change. • You’re tired of all the responsibilities of your career and ready to downsize. These are just a few of the reasons you might be considering a career change. There are many other reasons, and you’ll find resumes in this book that are rele- vant to them all. Now, here’s the good news: You’ve selected a great time to make a career change! Despite the economic concerns that we are facing, believe it or not, it’s a great time to look for a new job or a new career. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor, the employment outlook is optimistic. Consider these findings: • Total U.S. employment is projected to increase 15 percent between 2000 and 2010. • Service-producing industries will continue to be the dominant employment generator, adding more than 20 million jobs by 2010. • Goods-producing industries will also experience gains in employment, although not as significant as those in the service sector. ABOUT THIS BOOK TLFeBOOK In chapter 1, you can read more interesting statistics, all of which will reinforce the fact that you’ve made the right decision to launch your search campaign today. To take advantage of all of these opportunities, you must first develop a powerful, performance-based resume. To be a successful job seeker, you must know how to communicate your qualifications in a strong and effective written presentation. Sure, it’s important to let employers know essential details, but a resume is more than just your job history and academic credentials. A winning resume is a concise yet comprehensive document that gives you a competitive edge in the job market. Creating such a powerful document is what this book is all about. We’ll explore the changes in resume presentation that have arisen over the past decade. In the past, resumes were almost always printed on paper and mailed. Today, e-mail has become the chosen method for resume distribution in many industries and professions. In turn, many of the traditional methods for “typing” and presenting resumes have changed dramatically. This book will instruct you in the methods for preparing resumes for e-mail, scanning, and Web site posting, as well as the traditional printed resume. By using Expert Resumes for Career Changers as your professional guide, you will succeed in developing a powerful and effective resume that opens doors, gets interviews, and helps you land your next great opportunity! viii Expert Resumes for Career Changers TLFeBOOK This book, the seventh in the Expert Resumes series, has been one of the most challenging to write because it covers such a large and diverse audience. There are, however, several common denominators facing every individual who is interested in making a career change, either within their profession or to another industry. In summary, the fact that you are seeking to change careers will dictate almost every- thing that you write in your resume, how you write it, and where it is positioned. Your goal is to paint a picture of the “new” you and not simply reiterate what you have done in the past, expecting a prospective employer to figure out that you can do the “new” thing just as well. It simply does not work that way! If you fall into the career-changer category, the critical questions you must ask yourself about your resume and your job search are the following: • How are you going to paint a picture of the “new” you? What are you going to highlight about your past experience that ties directly to your current objectives? What accomplishments, skills, and qualifications are you going to “sell” in your resume to support your “new” career objective? • What resume format are you going to use? Is a chronological, functional, or hybrid resume format going to work best for you? Which format will give you the greatest flexibility to highlight the skills you want to bring to the forefront in support of your career change? • Where are you going to look for a job? Assuming you know the type of position and industry you want to enter at this point in your career, how are you going to identify and approach those companies? When you can answer the how, what, and where, you’ll be prepared to write your resume and launch your search campaign. Use chapters 1 through 3 to guide you in developing the content for your resume and selecting the appropriate design and layout. Your resume should focus on your skills, achievements, and qualifica- tions, demonstrating the value and benefit you bring to a prospective employer as they relate to your current career goals. The focus is on the “new” you and not necessarily what you have done professionally in the past. Review the sample resumes in chapters 4 through 12 to see what other people have done—people in similar situations to yours and facing similar challenges. You’ll find interesting formats, unique skills presentations, achievement-focused resumes, project-focused resumes, and much more. Most importantly, you’ll see samples written by the top resume writers in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. INTRODUCTION TLFeBOOK x Expert Resumes for Career Changers These are real resumes that got interviews and generated job offers. They’re the “best of the best” from us to you. What Are Your Career Objectives? Before you proceed any further with writing your resume, you’ll need to begin by defining your career or job objectives—specifically, the types of positions, compa- nies, and industries in which you are interested. This is critical, because a haphaz- ard, unfocused job search will lead you nowhere. KNOW THE EMPLOYMENT TRENDS One of the best ways to begin identifying your career objectives is to look at what opportunities are available today, in the immediate future, and in the longer-term future. Two of the most useful tools for this type of research and information col- lection are the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics Web site (www.bls.gov) and the Bureau’s Occupational Outlook Handbook (www.bls.gov/oco). Some of the most interesting findings that you’ll discover when investigating potential industry and job targets are these: • Total employment is projected to increase 14.8 percent between 2002 and 2012. • Service-producing companies will continue to be the dominant employment generator, adding 20.8 million jobs by 2012, a gain of 19.2 percent. • Goods-producing companies (manufacturing and construction) will contribute modest employment gains of only 3.5 percent. • Computer- and health-related occupations account for 21 of the 30 fastest- growing occupations. • Computer- and health-related occupations account for all of the top 10 fastest- growing occupations (health care with six; computer with four). • The 10 fastest-growing industries are in the service sector and include software publishing, computer systems design, management and technical consulting, employment, social assistance, child day care, professional and business servic- es, motion picture and video, health services, and arts/entertainment and recreation. • Of all goods-producing industries, only four were projected to demonstrate growth. They are pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing, construction, food manufacturing, and motor vehicle and parts manufacturing. These facts and statistics clearly demonstrate that there are numerous employment opportunities across diverse sectors within our economy, from advanced technolo- gy positions to hourly wage jobs in construction and home health care. Although most industries may not be growing at double-digit percentages as in years past, companies continue to expand and new companies emerge every day. The TLFeBOOK Introduction xi opportunities are out there; your challenge is to find them and position yourself as the “right” candidate. MANAGE YOUR JOB SEARCH AND YOUR CAREER To take advantage of these opportunities, you must be an educated job seeker. That means you must know what you want in your career, where the hiring action is, what qualifications and credentials you need to attain your desired career goals, and how best to market your qualifications. It is no longer enough to have a spe- cific talent or set of skills. Whether you’re a teacher seeking a position in public relations, a nurse wanting to transfer into pharmaceutical sales, an engineer seek- ing new opportunities as a financial manager, or a person with any one of hun- dreds of other career-change goals, you must also be a strategic marketer, able to package and promote your experience to take advantage of this wave of employ- ment opportunity. There’s no doubt that the employment market has changed dramatically from only a few years ago. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, you should expect to hold between 10 and 20 different jobs during your career. No longer is stability the status quo. Today, the norm is movement, onward and upward, in a fast-paced and intense employment market where there are many, many opportunities for career changers. And to take advantage of all of the opportunities, every job seek- er—no matter the profession, no matter the industry, no matter the job goal— must proactively control and manage his career. You are also faced with the additional challenge of positioning yourself for a suc- cessful career change. In fact, in many instances, you may be competing against other candidates who have experience within the industry or profession you are attempting to enter. This can make your job search even more difficult than that of the more “traditional” job seeker who moves from one position to another sim- ilar position without having to make a career change. And that is precisely why this book is so important to you. We’ll outline the strate- gies and techniques that you can use to effectively position yourself against other candidates, creating a resume that highlights your skills and qualifications, while effectively minimizing the fact that you’re seeking a career change. Job Search Questions and Answers Before we get to the core of this book—resume writing and design—we’d like to offer some practical job search advice that is valuable to virtually every career changer. WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION FOR A CAREER CHANGER? As outlined previously, the single most important consideration for any career- change candidate is how you’re going to highlight your skills, qualifications, and achievements as they relate to and support your current career objectives. Remember, your career-change resume is not a historical document that simply TLFeBOOK lists where you’ve worked and what you’ve done. Rather, a truly effective career- change resume is one that takes all of the skills and experience you have that are relevant to your new career goal and brings them to the forefront to create a pic- ture of the “new” you. Sometimes, this can be a relatively easy process. Let’s use a nurse transitioning into the field of medical equipment sales as an example. Sheila Barnes already has extensive experience in the medical and health-care fields, has worked closely with physicians and other health-care providers so she is comfortable interacting with them, and most likely has a wealth of experience working with a diversity of med- ical equipment and perhaps with vendors. This is the type of information that will be highlighted in her career-change resume and not her daily nursing and patient- care responsibilities. In other situations, the parallels between past experience and current objectives might not be so closely aligned. Consider John Mackam who, after 20 years in the construction industry, has now decided to seek a position in the field of account- ing and finance, an area that has not been one of his primary responsibilities. Writing this resume will take more creativity to identify any and all relevant skills he might have (for example, setting project budgets, estimating project costs, writ- ing reports, keeping records, and administering projects). The concept is the same as with the previous nursing example. The stretch to identify transferable skills might be more difficult, but it’s certainly not impossible. Whatever your situation or objectives, when preparing your resume you should keep in mind one critical fact: Your resume is a marketing tool written to sell YOU! HOW DO YOU ENTER A NEW CAREER? Your success in entering a new career field relies on two important factors: • Highlighting any relevant skills, qualifications, accomplishments, experiences, education, credentials, volunteer work, involvement with professional or civic associations, and more that tie directly into your current career objective. • Using an integrated job search campaign that will get you in front of decision makers at a wide array of companies in your field of interest. You can read much more about job search strategy in the next few pages of this chapter in the section titled “How Do You Get the Jobs?” WHAT IS THE BEST RESUME STRATEGY FOR MAKING A SUCCESSFUL CAREER CHANGE? The single most important factor in making a career change is to remember that your resume must sell what you have to offer: • If you’re a teacher seeking to transition into a position in corporate training and development, sell the fact that you created new curricula, designed new xii Expert Resumes for Career Changers TLFeBOOK Introduction instructional programs, acquired innovative teaching materials, and trained new faculty. • If you’re a hands-on computer technician now seeking a position marketing new technology products, highlight the wealth of your technical expertise, your success in working with and supporting end-users, your ability to manage proj- ects, and your strong communication skills. • If you’re an accountant pursuing opportunities in general management, sell your experience in policy and procedure development, business management, team building and leadership, strategic planning, and organizational develop- ment. When writing your resume, your challenge is to create a picture of knowledge, action, and results. In essence, you’re stating “This is what I know, this is how I’ve used it, and this is how well I’ve performed.” Success sells, so be sure to highlight yours. If you don’t, no one else will. WHERE ARE THE JOBS? The jobs are everywhere—from multinational manufacturing conglomerates to the small retail sales companies in your neighborhood; from high-tech electronics firms in Silicon Valley to 100-year-old farming operations in rural communities; from banks and financial institutions to hospitals and health-care facilities in every city and town. The jobs are everywhere. HOW DO YOU GET THE JOBS? To answer this question, we need to review the basic principle underlying job search: Job search is marketing! You have a product to sell—yourself—and the best way to sell it is to use all appropriate marketing channels just as you would for any other product. Suppose you wanted to sell televisions. What would you do? You’d market your products using newspaper, magazine, and radio advertisements. You might devel- op a company Web site to build your e-business, and perhaps you’d hire a field sales representative to market to major retail chains. Each of these is a different marketing channel through which you’re attempting to reach your audience. The same approach applies to job search. You must use every marketing channel that’s right for you. Unfortunately, there is no exact formula that works for every- one. What’s right for you depends on your specific career objectives—the type of position you want, the industry you’re targeting, your geographic restrictions (if you have any), your salary requirements, and more. Following are the most valuable marketing channels for a successful job search. These are ordered from most effective to least effective. xiii TLFeBOOK 1. Referrals. There is nothing better than a personal referral to a company, either in general or for a specific position. Referrals can open doors that, in most instances, would never be accessible any other way. If you know anyone who could possibly refer you to a specific organization, contact that person immedi- ately and ask for his or her assistance. This is particularly critical for career changers and will be, by far, your single best marketing strategy to land a new position. 2. Networking. Networking is the backbone of every successful job search. Although you might consider it an unpleasant or difficult task, it is essential that you network effectively with your professional colleagues and associates, past employers, past co-workers, suppliers, neighbors, friends, and others who might know of opportunities that are right for you. Another good strategy is to attend meetings of trade or professional associations in your area that are for professions in occupations like those you’re seeking to enter. This is a wonder- ful strategy to make new contacts and start building your network in your new career field. And particularly in today’s nomadic job market—where you’re likely to change jobs every few years—the best strategy is to keep your network “alive” even when you’re not searching for a new position. 3. Responding to newspaper, magazine, and periodical advertisements. Although the opportunity to post job opportunities online has reduced the overall number of print advertisements, they still abound. Do not forget about this “tried-and-true” marketing strategy. If they’ve got the job and you have the qualifications—even if you are a career changer, it can be a perfect fit. 4. Responding to online job postings. One of the most advantageous results of the technology revolution is an employer’s ability to post job announcements online and a job seeker’s ability to respond immediately via e-mail. It’s a won- der! In most (but not all) instances, these are bona fide opportunities, and it’s well worth your while to spend time searching for and responding to appropri- ate postings. However, don’t make the mistake of devoting too much time to searching the Internet. It can consume a huge amount of your time that you should spend on other job-search efforts. To expedite your search, here are the largest and most widely used online job- posting sites—presented alphabetically, not necessarily in order of effectiveness or value: xiv Expert Resumes for Career Changers http://careers.msn.com http://careers.yahoo.com www.americanjobs.com www.careerbuilder.com www.employmentguide.com www.dice.com www.flipdog.monster.com www.hirediversity.com www.hotjobs.com www.hotresumes.yahoo.com www.monster.com www.net-temps.com www.sixfigurejobs.com TLFeBOOK 5. Posting your resume online. The Net is swarming with reasonably priced (if not free) Web sites where you can post your resume. It’s quick, easy, and the only passive thing you can do in your search. All of the other marketing chan- nels require action on your part. With online resume postings, once you’ve posted, you’re done. You then just wait (and hope!) for some response. Again, it’s important not to invest too much time, energy, or anticipation in this approach. Your chances of landing a job this way are slim. But because it is quick, easy, and low- or no-cost, it is certainly a worthwhile activity. 6. Targeted e-mail campaigns (resumes and cover letters) to recruiters. Recruiters have jobs, and you want one. It’s pretty straightforward. The only catch is to find the “right” recruiters who have the “right” jobs. Therefore, you must devote the time and effort to preparing the “right” list of recruiters. There are many resources on the Internet where you can access information about recruiters (for a fee), sort that information by industry (such as banking, sales, manufacturing, purchasing, transportation, finance, public relations, or telecommunications), and then cross-reference it with position specialization (such as management, technical, or administration). This allows you to identify the recruiters who would be interested in a candidate with your qualifications. Because these campaigns are transmitted electronically, they are easy and inex- pensive to produce. Here are some sites to help with this activity: www.profileresearch.com www.kennedyinfo.com When working with recruiters, it’s important to realize that they do not work for you! Their clients are the hiring companies that pay their fees. They are not in business to “find a job” for you, but rather to fill a specific position with a qualified candidate, either you or someone else. To maximize your chances of finding a position through a recruiter or agency, don’t rely on just one or two, but distribute your resume to many that meet your specific criteria. A word of caution: Most recruiters are looking to fill specific positions with individuals with very specific qualifications. As a career changer, you are likely to find that recruiters are not your best source of job opportunities because they are not paid to “think outside the box.” If their client (the hiring company) has requested a candidate with experience in x, y, and z, recruiters are going to present only those job seekers with precisely that experience. Knowing that you’re attempting to change careers and might not have precise- ly the background that the company is looking for, recruiters might simply pass you by. Don’t be alarmed; it’s their job! But what this means for you as a career changer is that you should invest minimal effort toward recruiter search- es and certainly shouldn’t think that it will be “the” approach for you. Quite likely, it will not. 7. Targeted e-mail and print resume-mailing campaigns to employers. Just as with campaigns to recruiters (see item 6), you must be extremely careful to select just the right employers that would be interested in a candidate with your qualifications. The closer you stick to “where you belong” in relation to your specific experience, the better your response rate will be. Just as with recruiters, human resources professionals and hiring managers might have xv Introduction TLFeBOOK difficulty appreciating the unique set of skills and qualifications career changers bring to a position. If you are targeting companies in a technology industry, we recommend that you use e-mail as your preferred method for resume submission. However, if the companies you are contacting are not in the technology industry, we believe that print campaigns (paper and envelopes mailed the old-fashioned way) are a more suitable and effective presentation—particularly if you are a management or executive candidate. 8. In-person “cold calls” to companies and recruiters. We consider this the least effective and most time-consuming marketing strategy. It is extremely dif- ficult to just walk in the door and get in front of the right person, or any per- son who can take hiring action. You’ll be much better off focusing your time and energy on other, more productive channels. WHAT ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES IN CONSULTING AND CONTRACTING? Are you familiar with the term “free agent”? It’s the latest buzzword for an inde- pendent contractor or consultant who moves from project to project and company to company as the workload dictates. If you have particular expertise (for example, new product development, business turnaround, corporate relocation, ad cam- paign design, or project management), this is an avenue that you might want to consider. For many career changers, this will not be a viable career alternative because it calls on specific expertise and experience that you might not want to use in your new career. But it is important enough that it does warrant a brief discussion. According to an article in Quality Progress magazine, 10 years ago less than 10 percent of the U.S. workforce was employed as free agents. Currently, that num- ber is greater than 20 percent and is expected to increase to 40 percent over the next 10 years. The demand for free agents is vast, and the market offers excellent career opportunities. The reason for this growth is directly related to the manner in which companies are now hiring—or not hiring—their workforces. The opportunity now exists for companies to hire on a “per-project” basis and avoid the costs associated with full- time, permanent employees. Companies hire the staff they need just when they need them—and when they no longer need them, they’re gone. The newest revolution in online job search has risen in response to this demand: job-auction sites where employers bid on prospective employees. Individuals post their resumes and qualifications for review by prospective employers. The employ- ers then competitively bid to hire or contract with each candidate. Also, employers can post projects that they want to outsource and prospective employees can bid on them. One well-established job-auction Web site is www.freeagent.com. Check it out. It’s quite interesting, particularly if you’re pursuing a career in consulting or contracting. Another good Web resource is www.freeagentnation.com, a sup- port and information site for people pursuing this career path. xvi Expert Resumes for Career Changers TLFeBOOK Conclusion Career opportunities abound today, even for the career changer. It has never been easier to learn about and apply for jobs than it is now with all the Internet resources available to us. Your challenge is to arm yourself with a powerful resume and cover letter, identify the best ways to get yourself and your resume into the market, and shine during every interview. If you’re committed and focused, we can almost guarantee that you’ll make a smooth transition into your new career field and find yourself happily employed. xvii Introduction TLFeBOOK TLFeBOOK PART I Resume Writing, Strategy, and Formats CHAPTER 1: Resume-Writing Strategies for Career Changers CHAPTER 2: Writing Your Resume CHAPTER 3: Printed, Scannable, Electronic, and Web Resumes TLFeBOOK TLFeBOOK Resume-Writing Strategies for Career Changers If you’re reading this book, chances are you have decided to change your career direction; enter a new industry; or pursue a new, more fulfilling profession. Regardless of the underlying reasons for your career change, you are faced with some unique challenges in your job search and, more specifically, in how you write your resume. What can you do to capture employers’ attention, impress them with your qualifications and achievements, and not be put “out of the running” because you do not have experience in a particular industry or profession? Before we answer those questions and many others, let’s talk about who this book was written for—people representing just about every profession and industry imaginable. The only thing that our readers have in common is that each one has decided to make a career change for any one of a host of personal or professional rea- sons. Consider this book an excellent resource for tips, strategies, and techniques on resume writing if you are making a career change because of any of the following reasons: • Your original industry or profession has been extremely hard hit by economic recession or “offshoring,” and opportunities have virtually dried up. • You have always wanted to pursue a different career track but were unable to do so because of family, financial, or other per- sonal obligations. • You fell into a position right out of college and pursued that career for years, and then woke up one day and realized it was time to do what you wanted to do and not what you were “sup- posed” to do. • You are now in a position to pursue the lifelong dream or hobby that has been burning inside of you since your early days. • You are relocating to a new area where opportunities for indi- viduals with your experience are quite limited and you need to open yourself to new opportunities and career challenges. CHAPTER 1 TLFeBOOK Part I: Resume Writing, Strategy, and Formats 4 • You have decided you want to pursue a career that will offer greater opportu- nities for career progression. • You are driven to make more money, and the best strategy to achieve this goal is to leave your current, low-paying industry or profession. • Your volunteer work has become increasingly important and you want to pur- sue professional opportunities with an association, a not-for-profit organiza- tion, or a similar entity. • You are frustrated by the lack of opportunities and the tremendous volatility in the corporate marketplace and have decided to pursue a career with federal, state, or local government where you believe your job will be more stable. • You retired from your original career and have now decided to return to work in a different, yet more personally rewarding, position. • You are tired of the tremendous responsibilities associated with your position and want to downsize your career into a less-stressful job. For every job seeker—those currently employed and those not currently work- ing—a powerful resume is an essential component of the job search campaign. In fact, it is virtually impossible to conduct a search without a resume. It is your call- ing card that briefly, yet powerfully, communicates the skills, qualifications, experi- ence, and value you bring to a prospective employer. It is the document that will open doors and generate interviews. It is the first thing people will learn about you when you forward it in response to an advertisement, and it is the last thing they’ll remember when they’re reviewing your qualifications after an interview. Your resume is a sales document, and you are the product! You must identify the features (what you know and what you can do) and benefits (how you can help an employer) of that product, and then communicate them in a concise and hard- hitting written presentation. Remind yourself over and over, as you work your way through the resume process, that you are writing marketing literature designed to sell a new product—YOU—into a new position. Your resume can have tremendous power and a phenomenal impact on your job search. So don’t take it lightly. Rather, devote the time, energy, and resources that are essential to developing a resume that is well written, visually attractive, and effective in communicating who you are and how you want to be perceived. The Top Nine Strategies for an Effective Resume Following are the nine core strategies for writing effective and successful resumes. RESUME STRATEGY #1: WHO ARE YOU AND HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE PERCEIVED? Now that you’ve decided to change your career direction, the very first step is to identify your career interests, goals, and objectives. This task is critical because it is the underlying foundation for what you include in your resume, how you include TLFeBOOK 5 Chapter 1: Resume-Writing Strategies for Career Changers it, and where you include it. Knowing that you want to make a career change is not enough. To write a powerful and effective resume, you must know—to some degree of certainty—the type or types of position you will be seeking. There are two concepts to consider here: • Who you are: This relates to what you have done professionally and/or aca- demically. Are you a sales representative, contract administrator, training pro- fessional, engineer, banker, scientist, technologist, or management executive? What is it that you have done for a living all these years? Who are you? • How you want to be perceived: This is critical and relates to your current career objectives. Consider the following scenario: You’re a customer service representative in the telecommunications industry and you’ve decided to pur- sue opportunities in personnel training and development, where you believe you will be more personally rewarded. Rather than focus your resume on your customer service career, focus it on the skills you’ve acquired in that career track that relate to a position in training and development. Specifically, you’ll want to include information about employee training programs that you’ve helped to create and deliver, one-on-one training that you’ve provided, consul- tations with management about internal training needs, any experience you have in developing and designing training materials, any other personnel expe- rience you may have (for example, hiring, orientation, employee development planning), your public-speaking experience, and, of course, your outstanding communication skills. Here’s another example: You’re a successful insurance sales associate, but you’ve had enough of that career: you’re bored, you’re unfulfilled, and you’re ready for new challenges. You’re somewhat uncertain as to your specific career objective at this point, but you do know you want an “inside” job that will use your strong planning, analytical, financial-reporting, and related skills. Rather than focus on your chronological work experience that will put tremendous emphasis on your insurance experience, prepare a resume that highlights all the relevant skills you bring to the position—the skills we outlined previously, along with any relevant achievements. Allow the beginning of your resume to focus on all that you’ve accomplished and the value you bring to a new employer as you want them to perceive it; then, just briefly list your work history at the end. The strategy is to connect these two concepts by using the who you are informa- tion that ties directly to the how you want to be perceived message to determine what information to include in your resume. By following this strategy, you’re painting a picture that allows a prospective employer to see you as you want to be seen—as an individual with the qualifications for the type of position you are pursuing. TLFeBOOK WARNING: If you prepare a resume without first clearly identifying what your objectives are and how you want to be perceived, your resume will have no focus and no direction. Without the underlying knowledge of “This is what I want to be,” you do not know what to highlight in your resume. As a result, the document becomes a historical overview of your career and not the sales docu- ment it should be in order to facilitate your successful career change. RESUME STRATEGY #2: SELL IT TO ME…DON’T TELL IT TO ME We’ve already established the fact that resume writing is sales. You are the product, and you must create a document that powerfully communicates the value of that product. One particularly effective strategy for accomplishing this is the “Sell It to Me…Don’t Tell It to Me” strategy, which impacts virtually every word you write on your resume. If you “tell it,” you are simply stating facts. If you “sell it,” you promote it, adver- tise it, and draw attention to it. Look at the difference in impact between these examples: Tell It Strategy: Managed start-up of a new 100-employee teleclass center. Sell It Strategy: Directed team of 12 in the successful start-up, staffing, policy/procedure development, budgeting, and operations design for a new $1.4 million teleclass center. Tell It Strategy: Coordinated all secretarial, clerical, and administrative functions for large commodities export company. Tell It Strategy: Implemented a series of process improvements that reduced staffing requirements 20%, increased daily productivity 30%, and reduced billing errors 14% for a large commodities export compa- ny. Full responsibility for all secretarial, clerical, and administrative functions. Tell It Strategy: Set up PCs for newly hired sales and service staff. Sell It Strategy: Installed more than 100 PCs and implemented cus- tomized applications to support nationwide network of sales and service staff for one of the world’s largest insurance companies. Provided ongoing troubleshooting and technical support that reduced PC down- time by 38% over a 6-month period. Part I: Resume Writing, Strategy, and Formats 6 TLFeBOOK 7 Chapter 1: Resume-Writing Strategies for Career Changers What’s the difference between “telling it” and “selling it”? In a nutshell… Telling It Selling It Describes features. Describes benefits. Tells what and how. Sells why the “what” and “how” are important. Details activities. Includes results. Focuses on what you did. Details how what you did benefited your employer, department, team members, students, and so on. RESUME STRATEGY #3: USE KEYWORDS No matter what you read or who you talk to about searching for jobs, the concept of keywords is sure to come up. Keywords (or, as they were previously known, buzz words) are words and phrases that are specific to a particular industry or pro- fession. For example, keywords for the manufacturing industry include production- line operations, production planning and scheduling, materials management, inventory control, quality, process engineering, robotics, systems automation, integrat- ed logistics, product specifications, project management, and many, many more. When you use these words and phrases—in your resume, in your cover letter, or during an interview—you are communicating a very specific message. For exam- ple, when you include the word “merchandising” in your resume, your reader will most likely assume that you have experience in the retail industry—in product selection, vendor/manufacturing relations, in-store product display, inventory management, mark-downs, product promotions, and more. As you can see, people will make inferences about your skills based on the use of just one or two specific words. Here are a few other examples: • When you use the words investment finance, people will assume you have experience with risk management, mergers, acquisitions, initial public offerings, debt/equity management, asset allocation, portfolio management, and more. • When you mention sales, readers and listeners will infer that you have experi- ence in product presentations, pricing, contract negotiations, customer relationship management, new product introduction, competitive product positioning, and more. • By referencing Internet technology in your resume, you convey that you most likely have experience with Web site design, Web site marketing, metatags, HTML, search-engine registration, e-learning, and more. • When you use the words human resources, most people will assume that you are familiar with recruitment, hiring, placement, compensation, benefits, training and development, employee relations, human resources information systems (HRIS), and more. Keywords are also an integral component of the resume-scanning process, whereby employers and recruiters electronically search resumes for specific terms to find TLFeBOOK candidates with the skills, qualifications, and credentials for their particular hiring needs. Over the past several years, keyword scanning has dramatically increased in its popularity because of its ease of use and efficiency in identifying prime candi- dates. Every job seeker today must stay on top of the latest trends in technology- based hiring and employment to ensure that their resumes and other job-search materials contain the “right” keywords to capture the interest of prospective employers. In organizations where it has been implemented, electronic scanning has replaced the more traditional method of an actual person reading your resume (at least ini- tially). Therefore, to some degree, the only thing that matters in this instance is that you have included the “right” keywords to match the company’s or the recruiter’s needs. Without them, you will most certainly be passed over. Of course, in virtually every instance your resume will be read at some point by human eyes, so it’s not enough just to throw together a list of keywords and leave it at that. In fact, it’s not even necessary to include a separate “keyword summary” on your resume. A better strategy is to incorporate keywords naturally into the text within the appropriate sections of your resume. For career changers, keywords are particularly relevant and require a good deal of thought, because you do not necessarily want to include keywords that are descriptive of your past experiences. Rather, you want to include keywords that reflect your current career goals so that those words are the ones that will get your resume noticed and not passed over. There are basically two ways to accomplish this: • In sections throughout your resume, integrate keywords from your past experiences that directly relate to your current career goals. Referring back to the example we gave of a customer service representative seeking to transi- tion into a position in personnel training and development, that individual did have experience in personnel training, new employee orientation, training pro- gram design, and the like. Those are the keywords that should be highlighted on the resume. Even though these tasks might have been a minor part of the career changer’s experience, they are relevant to their current goals and, there- fore, should be highlighted on the resume. • Include an “Objective” section on your resume that states the type of position that you are seeking and the associated responsibilities. For exam- ple, “Seeking a position in purchasing management where I can utilize my strong skills in research, analysis, negotiations, and product management.” This is the recommended strategy if you do not have the appropriate experi- ence (keywords) in your background to include in the career summary and experience sections on your resume that will support your current career goals. Keep in mind, too, that keywords are arbitrary; there is no defined set of keywords for a secretary, production laborer, police officer, teacher, electrical engineer, con- struction superintendent, finance officer, sales manager, or chief executive officer. Employers searching to fill these positions develop a list of terms that reflect the specifics they desire in a qualified candidate. These might be a combination of pro- fessional qualifications, skills, education, length of experience, and other easily Part I: Resume Writing, Strategy, and Formats 8 TLFeBOOK 9 Chapter 1: Resume-Writing Strategies for Career Changers defined criteria, along with “soft skills,” such as organization, time management, team building, leadership, problem-solving, and communication. NOTE: Because of the complex and arbitrary nature of keyword selection, we cannot overemphasize how vital it is to be certain that you include in your resume all of the keywords that summarize your skills as they relate to your cur- rent career-change objectives. How can you be sure that you are including all the keywords, and the right keywords? Just by describing your work experience, achievements, educational credentials, technical qualifications, objective, and the like, you might naturally include most of the terms that are important in your new career field. To cross- check what you’ve written, review online or newspaper job postings for positions that are of interest to you. Look at the precise terms used in the ads and be sure you have included them in your resume (as appropriate to your skills and qualifications). Another great benefit of today’s technology revolution is our ability to find instant information, even information as specific as keywords for hundreds of different industries and professions. Refer to the appendix for a listing of Web sites that list thousands of keywords, complete with descriptions. These are outstanding resources. RESUME STRATEGY #4: USE THE “BIG” AND SAVE THE “LITTLE” When deciding what to include in your resume, try to focus on the “big” things— new programs, special projects, cost savings, productivity and efficiency improve- ments, new products, technology implementations, and more. Give a good, broad-based picture of what you were responsible for and how well you did it. Here’s an example: Supervised daily sales, customer service, and maintenance-shop opera- tions for a privately owned automotive repair facility. Managed a crew of 12 and an annual operating budget of $300,000 for supplies and materi- als. Consistently achieved/surpassed all revenue, profit, quality, and pro- duction objectives. Then, save the “little” stuff—the details—for the interview. With this strategy, you will accomplish two things: • You’ll keep your resume readable and of a reasonable length (while still selling your achievements). • You’ll have new and interesting information to share during the interview, instead of merely repeating what is already on your resume. Using the preceding example, when discussing this experience during an interview you could elaborate on your specific achievements—namely, improving produc- tivity and efficiency ratings, reducing annual operating and material costs, TLFeBOOK improving employee training, strengthening customer relations, increasing sales volume, and managing facility upgrades. RESUME STRATEGY #5: MAKE YOUR RESUME “INTERVIEWABLE” One of your greatest challenges is to make your resume a useful interview tool. Once the employer has determined that you meet the primary qualifications for a position (you’ve passed the keyword scanning test or initial review) and you are contacted for a telephone or in-person interview, your resume becomes all- important in leading and prompting your interviewer during your conversation. Your job, then, is to make sure the resume leads the reader where you want to go and presents just the right organization, content, and appearance to stimulate a productive discussion. To improve the “interviewability” of your resume, consider these tactics: • Make good use of Resume Strategy #4 (Use the “Big” and Save the “Little”) to invite further discussion about your experiences. • Be sure your greatest “selling points” are featured prominently, not buried within the resume. • Conversely, don’t devote lots of space and attention to areas of your back- ground that are irrelevant or about which you feel less than positive; you’ll only invite questions about things you really don’t want to discuss. This is par- ticularly true for career changers who want their resumes to focus on the skills that will be needed in their new profession and not necessarily on skills they acquired in past positions. • Make sure your resume is highly readable—this means plenty of white space, an adequate font size, and a logical flow from start to finish. RESUME STRATEGY #6: ELIMINATE CONFUSION WITH STRUCTURE AND CONTEXT Keep in mind that your resume will be read very quickly by hiring authorities! You might agonize over every word and spend hours working on content and design, but the average reader will skim quickly through your masterpiece and expect to pick up important facts in just a few seconds. Try to make it as easy as possible for readers to grasp the essential facts: • Be consistent. For example, put job titles, company names, and dates in the same place for each position. • Make information easy to find by clearly defining different sections of your resume with large, highly visible headings. • If relevant to your new career path, define the context in which you worked (for example, the organization, your department, and the specific challenges you faced) before you start describing your activities and accomplishments. Part I: Resume Writing, Strategy, and Formats 10 TLFeBOOK RESUME STRATEGY #7: USE FUNCTION TO DEMONSTRATE ACHIEVEMENT When you write a resume that focuses only on your job functions, it can be dry and uninteresting, and it will say very little about your unique activities and contri- butions. Consider the following example: Responsible for all aspects of consumer lending at the branch level. Now, consider using that same function to demonstrate achievement and see what happens to the tone and energy of the sentence. It becomes alive and clearly com- municates that you deliver results: Processed and approved more than $30 million in secured and unsecured consumer loans for Wachovia’s largest branch operation in Memphis, Tennessee. Achieved and maintained a less than 2% write-off for unrecov- erable loans (18% less than the industry average). Try to translate your functions into achievements and you’ll create a more power- ful resume presentation. RESUME STRATEGY #8: REMAIN IN THE REALM OF REALITY We’ve already established that resume writing is sales. And, as any good salesper- son does, one feels somewhat inclined to stretch the truth, just a bit. However, be forewarned that you must stay within the realm of reality. Do not push your skills and qualifications outside the bounds of what is truthful. You never want to be in a position where you have to defend something that you’ve written on your resume. If that’s the case, you’ll lose the job opportunity before you ever get the offer. RESUME STRATEGY #9: BE CONFIDENT You are unique. There is only one individual with the specific combination of employment experience, qualifications, achievements, education, and special skills that you have. In turn, this positions you as a unique commodity within the com- petitive job search market. To succeed, you must prepare a resume that is written to sell you and highlight your qualifications and your successes as they relate to your current career-change goals. If you can accomplish this, you will have won the job search game by generating interest, interviews, and offers. There Are No Resume-Writing Rules One of the greatest challenges in resume writing is that there are no rules to the game. There are certain expectations about information that you will include: principally, your primary skills, employment history, and educational qualifications. Beyond that, what you include is entirely up to you and what you have done in your career. You have tremendous flexibility in determining how to include the information you have selected. In chapter 2, you’ll find a wealth of information on 11 Chapter 1: Resume-Writing Strategies for Career Changers TLFeBOOK each possible category you might include in your resume, the type of information to be placed in each category, preferred formats for presentation, and lots of other information and samples that will help you formulate your best resume. Although there are no rules, there are a few standards to live by as you write your resume. The following sections discuss these standards in detail. CONTENT STANDARDS Content is, of course, the text that goes into your resume. Content standards cover the writing style you should use, items you should be sure to include, items you should avoid including, and the order and format in which you list your quali- fications. Writing Style Always write in the first person, dropping the word “I” from the front of each sentence. This style gives your resume a more aggressive and more professional tone than the passive third-person voice. Here are some examples: First Person Manage 22-person team responsible for design and market commercial- ization of a new portfolio of PC-based applications for Marley’s $100 mil- lion consumer-sales division. Third Person Mr. Reynolds manages a 22-person team responsible for the design and market commercialization of a new portfolio of PC-based applications for Marley’s $100 million consumer-sales division. By using the first-person voice, you are assuming “ownership” of that statement. You did such-and-such. When you use the third-person voice, “someone else” did it. Can you see the difference? Phrases to Stay Away From Try not to use phrases such as “responsible for” and “duties included.” These words create a passive tone and style. Instead, use active verbs to describe what you did. Compare these two ways of conveying the same information: Responsible for all marketing and special events for the store, including direct mailing, in-store fashion shows, and new-product introductions and promotions. OR Part I: Resume Writing, Strategy, and Formats 12 TLFeBOOK 13 Chapter 1: Resume-Writing Strategies for Career Changers Orchestrated a series of marketing and special-event programs for Macy’s Reston, one of the company’s largest and most profitable operating loca- tions. Managed direct-mail campaigns, in-store fashion shows, and new- product introductions and promotions. Resume Style The traditional chronological resume lists your work experience in reverse- chronological order (starting with your current or most recent position). The functional style deemphasizes the “where” and “when” of your career and instead groups similar experience, talents, and qualifications regardless of when they occurred. Today, however, most resumes follow neither a strictly chronological nor strictly functional format; rather, they are an effective mixture of the two styles usually known as a “combination” or “hybrid” format. Like the chronological format, the hybrid format includes specifics about where you worked, when you worked there, and what your job titles were. Like a func- tional resume, a hybrid emphasizes your most relevant qualifications—perhaps within chronological job descriptions, in an expanded summary section, in several “career highlights” bullet points at the top of your resume, or in project sum- maries. Most of the examples in this book are hybrids and show a wide diversity of organizational formats that you can use as inspiration for designing your own resume. We strongly recommend hybrid-format resumes for career changers. They allow you to begin your resume with an intense focus on skills, competencies, experi- ence, accomplishments, and more that are directly related to your new career objective. Then, to substantiate a solid work experience, employment history is briefly listed with a focus on specific achievements, responsibilities, and projects that again relate to that individual’s current career goals. Resume Formats Resumes, which are principally career summaries and job descriptions, are most often written in a paragraph format, a bulleted format, or a combination of both. Following are three job descriptions, all very similar in content, yet presented in each of the three different writing formats. The advantages and disadvantages of each format are also addressed. TLFeBOOK Paragraph Format Business Manager 1989 to 2005 Smith Ag Production Company, Garnerville, Arkansas Purchased run-down, debt-ridden farming operation and transformed it into a near showplace, honored as one of the best commercial Angus operations in southern Arkansas. Developed a far-reaching network throughout the agricultural industry and with leaders in state government, banking, and commercial lending. Held full management authority for cattle and alfalfa production generat- ing 2,500+ tons of hay per year and running up to 500 stock cows. Hired, trained, and supervised all employees. Managed budgets of $750,000 annually and more than $2 million in operating lines of credit. Directed the sale/purchase of all commodities to support business opera- tions. Gained an in-depth knowledge of the commercial agricultural indus- try and its unique financial, economic, and operating challenges. Advantages Requires the least amount of space on the page. Brief, succinct, and to the point. Disadvantages Achievements get lost in the text of the paragraphs. They are not visually distinc- tive, nor do they stand alone to draw attention to them. Bulleted Format Business Manager 1989 to 2005 Smith Ag Production Company, Garnerville, Arkansas • Purchased run-down, debt-ridden farming operation and transformed it into a near showplace, honored as one of the best commercial Angus operations in southern Arkansas. • Developed a far-reaching network throughout the agricultural indus- try and with leaders in state government, banking, and commercial lending. • Held full management authority for cattle and alfalfa production gen- erating 2,500+ tons of hay per year and running up to 500 stock cows. Part I: Resume Writing, Strategy, and Formats 14 TLFeBOOK • Hired, trained, and supervised all employees. • Managed budgets of $750,000 annually and more than $2 million in operating lines of credit. • Directed the sale/purchase of all commodities to support business operations. • Gained an in-depth knowledge of the commercial agricultural indus- try and its unique financial, economic, and operating challenges. Advantages Quick and easy to peruse. Disadvantages Responsibilities and achievements are lumped together, with everything given equal value. In turn, the achievements get lost and are not immediately recognizable. Combination Format Business Manager 1989 to 2005 Smith Ag Production Company, Garnerville, Arkansas Held full management authority for cattle and alfalfa production generat- ing 2,500+ tons of hay per year and running up to 500 stock cows. Hired, trained, and supervised all employees. Managed budgets of $750,000 annually and more than $2 million in operating lines of credit. Directed the sale/purchase of all commodities to support business opera- tions. • Purchased run-down, debt-ridden farming operation and transformed it into a near showplace, honored as one of the best commercial Angus operations in southern Arkansas. • Developed a far-reaching network throughout the agricultural indus- try and with leaders in state government, banking, and commercial lending. • Gained an in-depth knowledge of the commercial agricultural indus- try and its unique financial, economic, and operating challenges. Advantages Our recommended format. Clearly presents overall responsibilities in the introduc- tory paragraph and then accentuates each achievement as a separate bullet. 15 Chapter 1: Resume-Writing Strategies for Career Changers TLFeBOOK Disadvantages If you don’t have clearly identifiable accomplishments, this format is not effective. It also may shine a glaring light on the positions where your accomplishments were less notable. For career changers, past accomplishments might not be relevant to current career objectives, and therefore this format might be less appropriate. You’ll find numerous other examples of how to best present your employment experience in the resume samples that follow in chapters 4 through 12. Chapter 2 discusses formats you can use to highlight your skills and achievements more prominently than your work history. In many career-change situations, this approach is critical to get yourself noticed and not passed over. E-Mail Address and URL Be sure to include your e-mail address prominently at the top of your resume. As we all know, e-mail has become one of the most preferred methods of communi- cation between employers and job seekers. If you don’t yet have an e-mail address, visit www.yahoo.com, www.hotmail.com, or www.netzero.com, where you can get a free e-mail address that you can access through the Web on any computer with an Internet connection. In addition to your e-mail address, if you have a URL (Web site address) where you have posted your Web resume, be sure to also display that prominently at the top of your resume. For more information on Web resumes, refer to chapter 3. PRESENTATION STANDARDS Presentation focuses on the way your resume looks. It relates to the fonts you use, the paper you print it on, any graphics you might include, and how many pages your resume should be. Typestyle Use a typestyle (font) that is clean, conservative, and easy to read. Stay away from anything that is too fancy, glitzy, curly, and the like. Here are a few recommended typestyles: Part I: Resume Writing, Strategy, and Formats 16 TLFeBOOK Although it is extremely popular, Times New Roman is our least preferred type- style simply because it is overused. More than 90 percent of the resumes we see are printed in Times New Roman. Your goal is to create a competitive-distinctive document, and, to achieve that, we recommend an alternative typestyle. Your choice of typestyle should be dictated by the content, format, and length of your resume. Some fonts look better than others at smaller or larger sizes; some have “bolder” boldface type; some require more white space to make them read- able. Once you’ve written your resume, experiment with a few different typestyles to see which one best enhances your document. Type Size Readability is everything! If the type size is too small, your resume will be difficult to read and difficult to skim for essential information. Interestingly, a too-large type size, particularly for senior-level professionals, can also give a negative impres- sion by conveying a juvenile or unprofessional image. As a general rule, select type from 10 to 12 points in size. However, there’s no hard-and-fast rule, and a lot depends on the typestyle you choose. Take a look at the following examples: Very readable in 9-point Verdana: Difficult to read in too-small 9-point Gill Sans: Concise and readable in 12-point Times New Roman: A bit overwhelming in too-large 12-point Bookman Old Style: 17 Chapter 1: Resume-Writing Strategies for Career Changers TLFeBOOK Part I: Resume Writing, Strategy, and Formats 18 Type Enhancements Bold, italics, underlining, and CAPITALIZATION are ideal to highlight certain words, phrases, achievements, projects, numbers, and other information to which you want to draw special attention. However, do not overuse these enhancements. If your resume becomes too cluttered with special formatting, nothing stands out. NOTE: Resumes intended for electronic transmission and computer scanning have specific restrictions on typestyle, type size, and type enhancements. We discuss these details in chapter 3. Page Length For most industries and professions, the “one- to two-page rule” for resume writ- ing still holds true. Keep it short and succinct, giving just enough information to pique your readers’ interest. However, there are many instances when a resume can be longer than two pages. For example: • You have an extensive list of technical qualifications that are relevant to the position for which you are applying. You might consider including these on a separate page as an addendum to your resume. • You have extensive educational training and numerous credentials/certifi- cations, all of which are important to include. You might consider includ- ing these on a separate page as an addendum to your resume. • You have an extensive list of special projects, task forces, and committees to include that are important to your current career objectives. You might consider including these on a separate page as an addendum to your resume. • You have an extensive list of professional honors, awards, and commenda- tions. This list is tremendously valuable in validating your credibility and dis- tinguishing you from the competition, and deleting it from your resume would be a disadvantage. It might be best to let your resume run to three, four, or even five pages to include this information. Just be sure that what you are including is relevant to your new career direction. If you create a resume that’s longer than two pages, make it more reader-friendly by carefully segmenting the information into separate sections. Your sections might include a career summary, work experience, education, professional or industry credentials, honors and awards, technology and equipment skills, publica- tions, public-speaking engagements, professional affiliations, civic affiliations, volunteer experience, foreign-language skills, and other relevant information you want to include. Put each into a separate category so that your resume is easy to peruse and your reader can quickly see the highlights. You’ll read more about each of these sections in chapter 2. Paper Color Be conservative. White, ivory, and light gray are ideal. Other “flashier” colors are inappropriate for most individuals unless you are in a highly creative industry and your paper choice is part of the overall design and presentation of a creative resume. TLFeBOOK Graphics An attractive, relevant graphic can really enhance your resume. When you look through the sample resumes in chapters 4 through 12, you’ll see some excellent examples of the effective use of graphics to enhance the visual presentation of a resume. Just be sure not to get carried away; be tasteful and relatively conservative. White Space We’ll say it again—readability is everything! If people have to struggle to read your resume, they simply won’t make the effort. Therefore, be sure to leave plenty of white space. It really does make a difference. ACCURACY AND PERFECTION The very final step, and one of the most critical in resume writing, is the proof- reading stage. It is essential that your resume be well written; visually pleasing; and free of any errors, typographical mistakes, misspellings, and the like. We recom- mend that you carefully proofread your resume a minimum of three times, and then have two or three other people also proofread it. Consider your resume an example of the quality of work you will produce on a company’s behalf. Is your work product going to have errors and inconsistencies? If your resume does, it communicates to a prospective employer that you are careless, and this is the “kiss of death” in job search. Take the time to make sure that your resume is perfect in all the little details that do, in fact, make a big difference to those who read it. 19 Chapter 1: Resume-Writing Strategies for Career Changers TLFeBOOK TLFeBOOK CHAPTER 2 Writing Your Resume For many job seekers, resume writing is not at the top of the list of fun and exciting activities! How can it compare to landing a new account, cutting costs, introducing new technology, streamlining operations, or starting a new production plant? In your perception, we’re sure that it cannot. However, resume writing can be an enjoyable and rewarding task. When your resume is complete, you can look at it proudly, remind- ing yourself of all that you have achieved. It is a snapshot of your career and your success. When it’s complete, we guarantee you’ll look back with tremendous self-satisfaction as you launch and suc- cessfully manage your job search. As the very first step in finding a new position or advancing your career, resume writing can be the most daunting of all tasks in your job search. If writing is not one of your primary skills or a past job function, it might have been years since you’ve actually sat down and written anything other than e-mail or notes to yourself. Even for those of you who write on a regular basis, resume writing is unique. It has its own style and a number of peculiarities, as with any specialty document. Recommended Resume-Writing Strategy and Formats for Career Changers Writing career-change resumes is a unique challenge, and many of the strategies and formats that the more “typical” job seeker uses are generally not applicable for career changers. Standard formats most often put an emphasis on past work experience, along with the responsibilities and achievements of each of those positions. If you’re a career changer, most likely your goal is to downplay your specific work experience and job titles on your resume while high- lighting your skills and core competencies as they relate to your current objectives. TLFeBOOK 22 Part I: Resume Writing, Strategy, and Formats CAREER-CHANGER STRATEGIES In chapter 1 we provided an overview of strategies; here we get down to the nuts and bolts of deciding what to include in your resume (the strategies) and how to organize and present it (the format). As with every good resume, it’s important to start out with a clear understanding of your ultimate target so that your resume is a clear and sharply focused presentation of qualifications for that target. Know Your Career Goal Before you even begin to start writing your career-change resume, you must know the specific type(s) of position(s) you are going after. This will give your resume a “theme” around which you can build the entire document. Your “theme” (or objective) should dictate everything that you include in your resume, how you include it, and where. Writing a career-change resume is all about creating a pic- ture of how you want to be perceived by a prospective employer—a picture that closely mirrors the types of people who are hired in that career field. From researching the type of career you want to pursue, you will have collected a great deal of information about the duties and responsibilities for positions in that field. You should then carefully review your past employment experience, educa- tional background, volunteer work, professional affiliations, civic affiliations, and more to identify skills you’ve acquired that are transferable to your new career. These, then, are the items that become the foundation of your resume. WARNING: If you don’t know what your objective is—you only know that you want to change careers—we strongly urge that you spend some time investigat- ing potential career tracks to determine your overall areas of interest. Without this knowledge, you cannot focus your resume in any one particular direction and, as a result, it simply becomes a recitation of your past work experience. To effectively position you for new career opportunities, your resume must have a theme and a focus. If you’re having difficulty determining your objective, you might want to consider hiring a career coach who can help you critically evalu- ate your skills and qualifications, match them to potential career opportunities, explore new professions, and guide you in setting your direction. Identify Your Transferable Skills Transferable skills are the foundation for every successful career-change resume. If you’re not sure how to identify your transferable skills, here’s an easy way to do just that. First, review advertisements for positions that are of interest. You can get this information from newspapers, professional journals, and hundreds of online resources. You can also talk to and network with people who are already working in your new career field and ask them to give you feedback regarding their specific responsibilities, the challenges they face, the opportunities that are available, how to get into the field, and so much more. Once you’ve collected this information, make a detailed list of the specific require- ments for these jobs (for example, budgeting, staff training, staff supervision, proj- ect management, statistical analysis, and customer relationship management). Be as TLFeBOOK 23 Chapter 2: Writing Your Resume comprehensive as possible, even if the list goes on and on for pages. Then, go through the list and highlight each of the skills in which you have some experience from your work, education, or outside activities. Finally, take some time to think of specific examples of how you’ve used those skills. Used in your resume, these “success stories” will be powerful proof that you already possess the very skills and competencies you want to use in your new job. NOTE: There is no need to describe these skills as “transferable” in your resume, cover letter, or conversations during your job search. Why highlight the fact that your skills are not directly related to the field you want to pursue? Quite simply, these are skills you possess, experience you own, and activities you have accomplished. They are the foundation of your performance in past experiences and in your new role. It is important to remember that your entire background counts—everything that you’ve ever done—from your 10-year sales career to your 6-year volunteer posi- tion coordinating your local Special Olympics. Just think of the great skills you acquired in event planning, logistics, volunteer training, fund raising, media affairs, and contract negotiations. Those skills are just as important to include in your career-change resume as any other skills you acquired in a paid position. SAMPLE FORMATS AND SITUATIONS FOR CAREER-CHANGE RESUMES Following are three excellent examples of career-change resumes, all of which focus on transferable skills, but each of which uses a different format and structure to highlight those skills. Think about which of these formats and styles is most appropriate for you, based on your particular situation and career objectives. It is very unlikely that you will find a format that exactly “matches” your life, experi- ence, and educational credentials. Use the following examples as the foundation for your resume, customizing and reformatting as necessary to create your own winning resume. Charles: A New Career After Additional Education Charles was a most interesting job seeker. After a successful career in building maintenance, he returned to college to earn a graduate degree in Counseling Psychology in preparation for changing his career track. He had always had a pas- sion for counseling and knew that to successfully change careers, he would have to get the requisite academic training. Charles’s resume begins with a brief, yet hard-hitting listing of his core skills and competencies as they relate to the field of counseling. The headline format that was used (“COUNSELING/HUMAN RELATIONS”) clearly identifies “who” Charles is and “what” he wants. Then, at the top of the list is his master’s degree, a necessity for anyone pursuing a professional career in counseling. The other items highlight his core skills, the types of clients he has worked with, and profes- sional credentials. This format is particularly effective because the reader can sim- ply glance and “get it all,” rather than having to read through paragraphs of text. TLFeBOOK 24 Part I: Resume Writing, Strategy, and Formats Immediately following his summary is detailed information about Charles’s educa- tional qualifications. Note that specific coursework is included as a great strategy to highlight his specific areas of training while being sure to include all the buzz words (or keywords) that are relevant to a career in counseling. Although Charles cannot say that he necessarily has “hands-on” experience in each of these areas, he can include them as areas of training. Not only will these catch a reader’s atten- tion, but they will also get Charles’s resume selected if it is run through scanning technology that is searching for those specific terms. The next section is detailed information about Charles’s eight-month counseling internship. The job description is comprehensive and clearly creates the perception that Charles is an experienced counseling professional, despite the fact that this job was an internship. Most important to note about this resume is that all of page 1 focuses on counsel- ing and relevant skills. You never realize that Charles is a maintenance supervisor until you turn to page 2. The writer was also very clever in how she formulated Charles’s job description. Of course, it is obvious that he’s a maintenance supervisor—we can’t change the facts. However, much of the job description focuses on skills, responsibilities, proj- ects, and more that required strong counseling, communication, and interpersonal skills. All of a sudden the maintenance man begins to disappear and the counselor begins to emerge. TLFeBOOK CHARLES M. SUGARMANN 608 Covington Lane (267) 291-4866 Newtown, PA 18940 csugarmann@dotresume.com COUNSELING / HUMAN RELATIONS Master's Degree Adolescents & Adults Drug & Alcohol Abuse EAP & HMO Precertification Assessments & Treatment Plans Group, Individual, and Family Counseling Supervision, Administration, Coordination EDUCATION M.A., Counseling Psychology, Immaculata University, Immaculata, PA, 1/2004 Maintained 3.7 GPA while working full-time and taking an average of 6 credits per semester. Courses: Adolescent Counseling, Appraisal in Counseling, Brief Strategic Therapy, Counseling Theory & Practice, Crisis Interventions, Ethical & Legal Issues in Counseling, Family Interventions, Gestalt Approach—Counseling, Group Counseling Theory & Practice, Human Growth & Development, Lifestyle & Career Development, Psychopathology, Research & Evaluation, Strategies for “At-Risk” Students, Substance Abuse Counseling Labs: Counseling Diverse Populations, Counseling Skills, Group Dynamics B.B.A., Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 1/1994 EXPERIENCE REHAB CENTER AT ARDMORE, PA, 5/2003–12/2003 A drug and alcohol outpatient rehabilitation facility for adults, adolescents, and families Counselor Intern Counseled adult and adolescent substance abusers in group, individual, and family sessions using education, psychodrama, psychotherapy, solution-focused counseling, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and person-centered counseling. Performed psychosocial assessments, developed treatment plans, and documented case activity. Precertified clients for HMO and EAP coverage. Recruited AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) and NA (Narcotics Anonymous) members to chair 12-step meetings for adolescents. x Helped family members move from a state of powerlessness to active participation in client’s therapy and life through education and awareness of family dynamics. x Achieved numerous individual successes; for example, helped client gain acceptance by peers upon return to work, enabled counseling to proceed smoothly by helping to resolve medication problem of dual MH/D&A client, and counseled former drug dealer who is now a scholarship student. x Commended by supervisor for relating well with clients and establishing an excellent rapport. continued Resume for Charles M. Sugarmann (written and designed by Jan Holliday, MA, NCRW, of Arbridge Communications). 25 Chapter 2: Writing Your Resume TLFeBOOK CHARLES M. SUGARMANN page 2 EXPERIENCE continued ST. MARK’S ACADEMY, Norristown, PA, 3/1996–present A Catholic high school with 950 students and 100 staff members Maintenance Supervisor, 2/1998–present Head Groundskeeper, 1/1997–2/1998 Maintenance Man, 3/1996–1/1997 As maintenance supervisor, oversee staff of 10 to maintain school building and grounds. Serve as liaison to organizations that rent school facilities and to archdiocesan headquarters for special capital projects. Work with Delaware County Community Service to coordinate tasks for adolescents and adults performing work at the school in lieu of jail time—teach skills, where necessary, and apply counseling principles to make program run smoothly and to the benefit of all. Review grant proposals to advise on jobs that can be delegated to community-service workers. x Praised by school president for success of community-service program. x Sought out by students and maintenance staff for help with daily problems. x Served as junior varsity softball coach for 5 years and as freshman basketball coach for 1 year. x Ensured completion of work in all classrooms and restored amicable relationship between teachers and maintenance department by reinstituting use of service request form. x Averted building fire through quick response; placed on list of national fire heroes by Curt Weldon, a member of the United States House of Representatives. PRIOR EXPERIENCE in construction/home improvement, real estate sales, and tourism. COMPUTER SKILLS Experience with Microsoft Word and specialized spreadsheet applications. Part I: Resume Writing, Strategy, and Formats 26 TLFeBOOK 27 Chapter 2: Writing Your Resume Peter: From Attorney to Educator Peter was a practicing attorney with more than 20 years of experience. Now he wanted to make a change and, since teaching had always been his passion, he decided to pursue that career on a full-time basis. His primary objective was a position teaching legal studies to junior and senior high school students, but he would also look at other related teaching opportunities. Peter’s resume begins with a comprehensive career summary that clearly identifies his two areas of expertise—teaching and the law. The resume then follows with a strong summary of his relevant teaching, program-development, classroom- management, and public-speaking skills, with concurrent emphasis on his areas of teaching specialization (for example, accounting, business law, and professional legal liability). The summary creates the perception of an individual with a wealth of teaching experience in a variety of professional settings. The second section is Peter’s education. As you can see, this section clearly demonstrates that he has the academic credentials to support his teaching special- izations. The next and most substantial section is Peter’s employment history. Rather than focus on his actual legal practice, however, the resume highlights Peter’s teaching, mentoring, and public-speaking experience—his transferable skills related to his current objective. People will review this resume and see someone who was an attorney but devoted a tremendous amount of his professional time to teaching. As such, he has positioned himself as a well-qualified candidate for an appropriate teaching position. When reviewing this resume, the reader does not “see” an attorney, but rather “sees” a teacher. The writer used a highly effective strategy of creating a new hierarchy of skills, where teaching became the primary emphasis in the resume and Peter’s law career became secondary. TLFeBOOK Part I: Resume Writing, Strategy, and Formats 28 PETER JONES, JR. 98 Ben Franklin Drive Home (850) 222-3333 Unit 5B, The Esplanade Work: (850) 222-4444 Pensacola Beach, FL 32561 peterjones@midway.net Home Fax: (850) 222-7777 EDUCATOR/ATTORNEY AT LAW Accomplished trainer and facilitator, experienced in the design and implementation of dynamic, state- of-the-art education and training programs for colleges, public educational organizations, small businesses, and large corporations. Encourage active student participation and engagement in learning, instilling in students a sense of self-direction by extending and enhancing the learning process. Creative and intuitive problem solver, cheerfully meeting challenges. Core Competencies include ; Training & Development ; Accounting ; Classroom Motivation Techniques ; Business Law ; Instructional Design & Development ; Professional Legal Liability ; Adult Education Training & Facilitation ; Corporate & Individual Income Tax ; College & Corporate Educational Course Design ; Mediation/Alternative Dispute Resolution EDUCATION J.D., Juris Doctor FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW, Tallahassee, FL B.S., Accounting FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY, Tallahassee, FL CERTIFICATIONS: Supreme Court of Florida Certified Family Law Mediator PROFESSIONAL LICENSES: Attorney At Law—Florida Certified Public Accountant—Florida PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE PETER JONES, ATTORNEY AT LAW — Pensacola, FL JAN 1990–PRESENT Attorney At Law Direct operations with full responsibility for P&L, business development, client relationship management, case management, staff recruitment, and training. Key Achievements: ¾ Professional presenter/spokesperson at numerous continuing-education seminars in Tampa, Miami, and Pensacola, Florida. Areas of discussion included taxation, qualified retirement plans, accountants’ legal liability, family law, mediation/alternative dispute resolution, and estate planning. ¾ Outstanding mentor and coach: Educated, trained, mentored, and motivated employees, stimulating them to higher levels of performance. ¾ Successfully created Peter Jones, Attorney At Law, as a financially viable start-up business, demonstrating decisive, proactive, and action-driven entrepreneurial leadership. Resume for Peter Jones, Jr. (written and designed by Jennifer Rushton, CRW, of Keraijen). TLFeBOOK PETER JONES, JR. Page 2 Professional Experience, Continued ¾ Established and maintained excellent business relationships with clients from diverse backgrounds through consistent demonstration of professionalism, preparedness, and good business ethics. STEWARTS, BROOKS, MATTHEWS & TRENT — Pensacola, FL OCT 1977–DEC 1990 Attorney/ Shareholder Key Achievements: ¾ Facilitated continuing-education seminars, conducting instructor-led training to 25–100 attorney and CPA participants. ¾ Pioneered the development of numerous educational training programs in income tax and accounting for non-business majors as an adjunct professor at The University of West Florida. ¾ Initiated efforts to continually improve operations by developing the first legal assistant (paralegal) pool for use by the firm members. ¾ Key player in the development of a “structured settlement” approach to financial settlements in personal injury and wrongful death cases, resulting in favorable tax treatments for plaintiffs. SMITH, WALLACE & COLLINS— Pensacola, FL JUN 1975– OCT 1977 Associate Attorney Key Achievements: ¾ Collaborated with associates in developing the condominium ownership concept in Florida; contributed to the taxation issues concerning the evolving concept of condominium ownership. COOPERS & LYBRAND— Pensacola, FL MAR 1973–JUN 1975 Taxation Specialist Key Achievements: ¾ Designed and taught educational lessons to enhance student knowledge in taxation and accounting as an adjunct professor at The University of South Florida. ¾ Instrumental in developing and presenting continuing-education courses on tax law changes to members and guests of the firm. PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS Member, Estate Planning Councils of Tampa Member, Florida State & Local Bar Associations Member, Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES Legal Member, Ombudsman Committee Speaker, High School ‘Life Sciences’ classes 29 Chapter 2: Writing Your Resume TLFeBOOK 30 Part I: Resume Writing, Strategy, and Formats Mike: A Functional Resume to Support His Transition from Educator to Top Business Executive Although, as we discussed in chapter 1, combination or hybrid resume formats are preferred style, there are instances when a functional resume can be the best pres- entation of skills. As you review Mike Burns’ resume, you will see that is certainly the case. After 13 years as a teacher and elementary school principal, Mike wanted to transfer his skills and qualifications into a corporate career track where he felt greater opportunities would exist for career growth and compensation. Just like Charles’s resume, Mike’s begins with a headline format (“SEASONED MANAGER AND ADMINISTRATOR…Developing Strategic Plans/Managing Projects/Leading Operations and People”). This is one of our favorite formats because it allows the reader to quickly identify “who” the job seeker is. Mike’s Executive Profile is just that—a profile of an accomplished executive who has experience in virtually all key management disciplines. As you’ll note, this sec- tion highlights finance, critical thinking, leadership, decision making, process man- agement, relationship building, and many other skills, all of which are essential characteristics of a senior-level business manager. This section creates just the right perception of Mike without mentioning that he’s an elementary principal. The third section of this resume is exceptionally strong and is the bulk of the remaining information that Mike shares about his background. Although Mike’s actual employment experience is very briefly listed at the bottom of page 2, it is not the focus on this document. Rather, the third section highlights his particular areas of expertise and related projects, accomplishments, and responsibilities. Again, it’s not until you get halfway through page 2 that you are aware that Mike is an elementary principal. Note that in the short section that lists Mike’s employment, no job descriptions are used. The only information included in that section, beyond employers and job titles, is his list of professional honors and awards. This clearly communicates that Mike is a producer who delivers results and wins recognition from his employer. Mike’s education is included at the end of this resume because it is related to edu- cation and, therefore, the writer did not want to draw attention to it. And, finally, the resume ends with a great quote that highlights his management competencies and not his teaching competency. TLFeBOOK 31 Chapter 2: Writing Your Resume MIKE BURNS 77002 Borgert Avenue Home: (763) 555-3789 Anoka, MN 55304 Office: (763) 555-0562 mikeburns@anok.net SEASONED MANAGER AND ADMINISTRATOR Developing Strategic Plans / Managing Projects / Leading Operations and People EXECUTIVE PROFILE ¾ More than seven years of senior-level experience in the administration of fiscally challenged organizations. Organized, take- charge professional with exceptional follow-through abilities and excellent management skills; able to plan and oversee projects/programs from concept to successful conclusion. ¾ A hands-on manager and critical thinker who can learn quickly, develop expertise, and produce immediate contributions in systems, analysis, business operations, and motivational team management. Possess a valuable blending of leadership, creative, and analytical abilities that combine efficiency with imagination to produce bottom-line results. Core Strengths & Capabilities Shared Decision Making ƒ Budget Development & Administration ƒ Staff / Team Training & Development Operations Management ƒ Goal Setting & Strategic Planning ƒ Human Resources Leadership Customer Care ƒ Cross-Functional Relationship Building ƒ Process Management ƒ Ideas & Opportunities Consensus Building ƒ Productivity & Efficiency Improvement ƒ Service Design & Delivery Systems Analysis & Assessment ƒ Organizational Communications ƒ Grant Writing ƒ Public Speaking ƒ “Can-Do” Mindset RELEVANT CAREER SUCCESSES STAFF TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT / HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ¾ Directed human resource activities for two facilities with yearly budgets of $2 million and $4 million, respectively. ƒ Established a successful Staff Mentoring Program in Plymouth. Collaborated with tenured staff to develop a three- year plan toward easing new staff’s transitions into the field. Paired tenured and new staff one-to-one. ƒ Led staff training opportunities with an average yearly budget of $40,000, providing much of the training myself. ƒ Hired professional, support, and all other staff. Directly supervised more than 70 employees. ƒ Proactively hired and teamed 20 new staff members within budget, accommodating Anoka’s 300-student increase. BUDGET & FISCAL MANAGEMENT / CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT ¾ Individually managed an average annual building budget of $4 million. Served on an administrative team managing a yearly $25 million budget (faced with an average $1 million in cuts each year). ƒ Weathered student population increase from 550 to 850 in three years by streamlining operations, cutting costs, and creatively raising funds, including co-authoring a successful $30,000 grant to hire a Behavior Planning Specialist. ƒ Played a key leadership and support role under the acting superintendent to lead a successful 2000 Building Bond Referendum Campaign. Results included a balanced budget and $6 million in new building construction. Also served on a team that successfully passed a $4 million referendum in 2001. Resume for Mike Burns (written and designed by Barbara Poole, CPRW, CRW, of Hire Imaging). TLFeBOOK