Boston Career Counselor Blog

My favorite resume critiquing exercise is to ask a client to read his/her own resume and see what they think.  If, for example, the resume sounds boring and uninspiring to YOU, how could it possibly sound better to a potential employer?

Now I know that resumes are never really going to be anyone’s idea of pleasure reading, but they can be attention-getting and they can inspire an employer to hire you!

So how exactly do you write a resume that won’t bore employers to tears?  No, I wouldn’t suggest wacky fonts, colors or resume cartoons.  Instead, writing an engaging resume is about proving to the employer, through past results, just how valuable you would be to them.

As you write your resume, don’t try to comprehensively list your job responsibilities as one might do in a job description.  Rather, ask yourself:

1. What measurable results have I achieved in past jobs?  How much  money saved, efficiency gained?  How many clients attracted, employees trained, customers returned?

2. What unique things did I do that make me a superstar?  Did I catch an error which saved the company money?  Did I land that company-changing client?  Did I improve the process by which things are done?

3. What are my greatest strengths?  What concrete accomplishments can I point out that “prove” just how great I am at these things?

4. What skills, strengths, abilities would make me invaluable to an employer?  How can I demonstrate, through my actions, that I have done and can do these things?

Instead of trying to give a complete picture of your every job responsibility, focus on the things which can prove just how valuable you are.