Once you've worked for 10 years or more, it's worthwhile creating a one-paragraph summary of your experience. It's not easy to create that paragraph, and it's necessary, so that you can grab and retain the hiring manager's attention. So what's a one-paragraph summary? Here are some:
- A proven track record of improving business processes through the identification and application of appropriate leading edge information technology.
- A seasoned executive with proven ability to bring quality products to market. Significant experience in people, project, program management; process analysis and improvement.
- Progressively responsible experience in SQA involving test plan design and automation, and testing in client server and web-based eCommerce environments. Previous experience in the analysis, design, coding, testing and implementation of large scale commercial applications including DBMS.
- Created and implemented security and quality programs at multiple site organizations. Mentored direct reports and senior management to leverage IT for competitive advantage. Created and delivered security and quality training programs. Created Corporate Policy & Procedures. Led platform, network, and application security teams.
Each of these has common elements:
- They're short. No more than 4 sentences. If you have to write more than 4 sentences, edit, delete, remove, whatever you have to do to keep the paragraph at 4 short sentences. 2 or 3 sentences is even better.
- The lead sentence says the most important thing about the candidate.
- The lead sentence is designed to “grab” the reader (not all of these do, but they are supposed to).
So, how do you create this overview paragraph?
- Write down: what you like to do, where you think you strengths are, what you've had the most experience in. You may not have the most experience in what you like to do, which is why I suggested you write down what you like to do first.
- Make that sentence action-oriented. The sentence doesn't have to start with a verb; it has to say what you've done in a powerful manner.
- Follow up with 1-3 other sentences that explain what you do (if necessary).
Those other sentences are just as hard to write as the first one, so here are two of my techniques for writing short:
- When I work on small writings where each word is important, I break apart the paragraphs into sentences. (Make each sentence its own paragraph.) Then I work each sentence by itself. Then I figure out how the paragraph goes back together.
- Another technique is to write it out longhand on a separate piece of paper. Then, tear that paper up into small itsy bitsy pieces. Throw the paper away. Now write the paragraph again.
- Use a thesaurus to look at alternative meanings for *each* word. Make sure you have the most appropriate meaning for each word.
- Have someone else review the paragraph, and ask you questions such as, “Do you mean executive or senior manager? Do you mean develop or deliver?”
These techniques will help you create a grabber of an overview paragraph — which will help the hiring manager keep reading the resume.