Distinguish Responsibilities from Accomplishments

Resume writers frequently confuse responsibilities and accomplishments, blending them into a common stew. The two are different:

  • Responsibilities describe the nature and scope of your duties and the stakes, risks and outcomes of the position.
  • Accomplishments, which should always be described in the past tense, are examples of what you have done. They are proof of your performance.

Drawing the Resume Reader a Map

Show me a clear-cut sense of direction. I keep seeing resumes that are little more than buckets into which a lot of data has been dumped in the apparent belief that I will fill in the gaps, synthesize diverse information, connect the dots and tell you what kind of product you are. I have no incentive to do this, given the number of knights eager … [ Read more ]

Value of a Reverse-chronological Format

Reverse-chronological resumes answer readers’ natural questions in a logical way:

  • What’s the product you’re selling? (This is answered by the “Profile” or “Summary of Qualifications” section of your resume.)
  • Who has trusted you before? (Answered by your list of past employers.)
  • How long did they trust you? (Answered by the duration of your jobs.)
  • What’s the biggest thing they trusted you with? (Your past job titles.)
  • What were

… [ Read more ]