RE: Toughest Document to Write

["Lauren" <lt34 -at- csus -dot- edu>]

I love writing resumes! Even my own.  The key is knowing yourself and being
able to feel good about your past accomplishments, whether they are from
your career or your personal life.  I learned to write my own resume, I
think, 22 years ago if not earlier.  I've also written quite a few for other
people because I enjoy it.

As a contractor, I would have different types of jobs and I would need to
put a different spin on my resume depending on the job that I was applying
for.  At some point, I wound up preparing a functional-esque resume for
myself that had my work history compartmentalized in different functions.
This was not a resume for sending, but it did help me sort my different
skills.  I would pick the skills that matched the requirements of the job
and put only those in my resume, instead of sending potential employers a
book of everything that I had done in my career. I would also add points to
my resume that I thought would help a particular job.  

For me, it doesn't make sense to put on a resume that I have experience with
technical writing, programming, business analysis, project management,
mining technology, electrical engineering, auto parts, and everything else.
The focus should be the requirements of the job description with mentions of
other skills that might help.  Somebody looked at my Technical Writing
resume because that's what I had opened and he said that after reading it he
didn't know that I had experience with developing Crystal Reports or with
business analysis.  Well he didn't say that he was interested in Crystal
Reports or business analysis.  He knew me as a technical writer.

Getting to the interview requires being focused on the requirements of the
job description and in demonstrating that you can match and slightly beat
those requirements.  You don't want to come in with a resume that says you
can takeover the department, so being focused without going too far is best.
I think.

Lauren
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+lt34=csus -dot- edu -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com 
> [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+lt34=csus -dot- edu -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On 
> Behalf Of Karen
> Sent: Friday, June 22, 2007 1:07 PM
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: Toughest Document to Write
> 
> MY RESUME!
> 
> Why is it that the hardest document for me to write is my own 
> resume? I know the "keep it to one page" theory doesn't apply 
> to me since I have a lot of experience. I try to look at it 
> as a marketing document and selling myself is not necessarily 
> my forte. I like to let my work speak for itself.
> 
> Does anyone else feel that way?

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