You need a resume and you need it now! You may have been laid off unexpectedly or you are finally ready for a career change. You have enjoyed job "security" having no need to update your resume for months or even years. Instead of paying $100-$500 for someone to write your resume from scratch, you decided to write your own resume, this is very much possible and yes, you can do it! I decided to write resume's for people in your situation, because I wished this information was available for me when I started writing my first resume! It has taken me over 11 years to perfect my resume and I am excited to pass on this technique for you to use and enjoy - saving time, money and lowering your stress level! In four hours you will have a well written, thoroughly researched and overall clean resume ready for you to submit to online job sites, corporations and human resource managers. I know you are in a hurry to get to writing, so let's get started on your four-hour resume!
Research and Gather Your Personal Information: 30 Minutes
You'll need all of your information that (hopefully) you've been keeping it all in one place. Here is a checklist of what you'll need:
Employment Information:
Company, Job Title, Dates Employed
Job Descriptions/Duties
Additional Duties
Education
Higher Learning (College/University) Bachelor's and Master's Degree(s)
Associate Degree
Date Graduated
Certifications
Security and Industry Certifications (CISSP, C|EH, CCNA, CCIE, etc.)
Organization that Granted the Certification
Member / Certification Number
Date Certification Granted
Training
Certification Training Courses without gaining certification
One week courses, training at work
BootCamps
Awards
Employment Awards for job excellence
Membership Awards for volunteerism
Education Awards
Organizational Membership
Industry Organization Memberships
Active Roles
Write Simple Bullet Statements Using Your Information: 30 Minutes
Now that you have some very important information gathered together, it's time to get writing. Using the template provided, begin filling in your information. For this step, don't worry about grammar or spelling, your main goal is to get a rough draft of your resume started. Here are the sections you'll be updating and a brief instruction on how to update each one:
Employment Information - Use this format:
Company Name Job Title May 2010 - May 2011
Begin your job description here.
Add your additional duties here.
Education - Use the format below:
University Name, Degree Attained, Date Earned
Minor (if applicable)
Certifications - Use the format below:
ISC2 - Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Member #333333
CompTIA - Security+, Member #COMP3333333333
Training - Use the format below:
Global Knowledge - Cisco Certified Network Associate Course - 2008
New Horizons - CompTIA Network+ Course - 2007
Military Technical School - Course Name - 2006
Awards - Use the format below:
Star Performer Award - Saved company 5K in 3rd Quarter 2010
Team Performer Award - Member of Team who conducted Vulnerability Assessment Management
Organizational Memberships - Use the format below:
FBI InfraGard - Active member
ISC2 - Active Member
Research Online Job Sites for Current Job Descriptions: 30 Minutes
Now it is time to research online and do some digging on current industry phrases, keywords and important "need to know" terms. Also, research trending information technology "tools" needed to excel at your job and if you have experience using these technical tools, add this to your resume.
Combine Your Researched Information: 30 Minutes
You should already have a strong resume outline to follow and a list of great job descriptions and keywords to add to your resume. Next you will need to "sprinkle in" this new found information directly into the body of your resume.
Fill-in and Edit All Resume Sections: 60 Minutes (See Below)
Contact Information. Use this example below:
Your Name
Your Address
Your City and State and Zip code
Your Email Address
Your Cell Phone or Home Phone number
Objective: (In your objective be sure to include the job name, Req ID or Job ID (if known), and company name and location.) Doing this shows that you take the extra step and go above and beyond the average job seeker. Also, it will help the hiring team track your resume and make their job of hiring you easier!
Employment Summary: Bring all of your best information together here.
Employment History: Add your employment history here. Be sure to add what you did at your last job, AND how it had a positive impact on your company. For example, did you save the company money? Maybe you trained others and improved operations...or maybe you improved on a process.
Education: Here you need to show continuing education. Either by attending a university, taking online courses, taking CBTs or by getting industry certifications.
Awards: Add awards you've received. If you are early in your career and don't have any, then leave this section off of your resume. It may be a good time to start volunteering!
Spell check, Read out loud, Edit: 60 Minutes
Please be sure to spell check your resume. This is very important. One small spelling error could ruin an exceptionally written resume. Next, read your resume out loud. Read it slowly and listen closely to how your resume flows. Pay attention to grammar and see if it requires any tweaking. Read it to your family and friends and receive constructive feedback. Finally, edit, edit and edit some more. Pay attention to capital letters, hyphens of different sizes and alignment, fix as needed making your resume "uniform."
Secret Step to getting Interviews!
Update your resume monthly, if not weekly! Your resume grows as you grow. If you don't take the time to update it and constantly fill your resume with great accomplishments and new content, you could be left behind on your job search. Even if you stay with the same position; important industry terms, vocabulary and slang can, and will, change and your resume. It will require updating and maintaining to get it in front of the right hiring managers. For example, in the computer security industry, new terms have popped up due to industry changes and advancements and they need to be added to your resume, such as:
Advanced Persistent Threat (APT)
Cloud Security
"DCID" is now "ICD 503" Guidance
Your resume is constantly changing as your knowledge, skills and experiences change. Keep your resume updated and ready for battle! Resumes are living documents and need to be maintained, so keep your resume on your desktop and edit it weekly or monthly or as needed. Good Luck!
Ben M. Rivera writes résumé's that get people hired and has been helping job seekers like you for over 10 years. His real-world experience allows Ben to give you the upper-hand on your job search. Whether you are in the middle of a military transition or just looking to change careers, Ben can help. Email Ben at Ben.M.Rivera@gmail.com or check out http://www.benmrivera.com/ - Thank you and good luck!
