 |
Article
provided by DRG, executive search consultants for the
nonprofit sector. drgnyc.com |
By
Ellen Bodow
Exclusive
to Fund Raising Management, this bi-monthly column series
"Wanted: Leadership, Experience and Change" is focusing
on today's rapidly changing recruitment environment found
in the non-profit sector. The series is aimed at empowering
nonprofit executives - who are either recruiting professionals
or considering a professional change themselves - with the
latest trends and practices shaping the current hiring arena.
- George Reis, Editor
In
today's tight labor market, the need for well-developed resumes
is increasingly important. A good resume should allow employers
and search firms to capture the essence of a candidate's career
direction and credentials in 60 seconds or less. Good resumes
also enable interviewers to formulate accurate questions for
an interview based on the content of a resume.
This
means resumes need to be well organized to effectively communicate
a candidate's objective and credentials.
In
order to understand what a well-developed resume includes
and how to create one, here's an in-depth look at what makes
a good resume and how candidates can best prepare their objectives
and credentials.
WHAT
MAKES A GOOD RESUME?
A
good resume is well organized and effectively communicates
a candidate's goals and experiences. It will present information
in a systematic order that can be
immediately understood and followed. Good resumes
are not cluttered with miscellaneous details or cramped with
too much information. They are pleasing
to the eye, easy to read and have a balanced amount
of white space.
Good
organization enables an employer to easily pinpoint key information
such as the candidate's objective and the role he or she wants
to fulfill. In addition, the content of the resume shows how
the candidate makes the case for being qualified to fill the
position he or she is seeking.
Presenting
a career objective can often be accomplished in a sentence
or two. However, communicating a history of credentials and
experiences is often not as straightforward.
To
effectively communicate credentials and experiences, a good
resume includes short statements that outline a candidate's
record of professional accomplishment. Good resumes use concise
and quantifiable information instead of static
or lengthy statements. Brief statements that specifically
identify what the candidate contributed (not what the entire
organization or department accomplished) are ideal.
Good
resumes present a candidate's credentials in reverse
chronological order, allowing search firms and
employers to quickly identify a candidate's most recent experiences.
A solid and complete timeline of experiences helps employers
and search firms gain a full understanding of a candidate's
background. This facilitates the employer's ability to develop
meaningful interview questions regarding each position held.
Because
they do not contain irrelevant filler material, the best resumes
are concise and clear, generating an employer's enthusiasm.
SOME
KEYS TO PREPARING A GOOD RESUME
Whether
they are preparing a new resume or revising an outdated one,
candidates should consider what position they are targeting
and then make a case for their ability to perform that job
superbly.
Conducting
a self-evaluation prior to resume development or revision
is helpful.
Some questions for that self-evaluation include: Who are you professionally? How have your education,
career and other interests prepared you for the position you
seek? What have you accomplished? Is it quantifiable? Where
and how have your resourcefulness, creativity and knowledge
been valued and acknowledged? What do you want to accomplish
now?
Then it is time to outline a resume. Be brutally honest; don't
exaggerate, and account for all time periods without fabricating.
Remember, people will be verifying the information you provide.
Here are some points to consider:
- Unless
you are just starting your career, you do not need to limit
yourself to one page. Two or, if you have a long career
history, three page resumes are appropriate for most senior
staff members.
- Present
the name of your employer, position, titles, dates and accomplishments
consistently in parallel format for each position listed.
- Incorporate
specific, action-oriented verbs as much as possible to describe
functions: what you planned, how you managed, what strategies
you formulated, etc.
- If
your credentials include consulting, self-employment or
freelance experience, when possible, include the names or
at least a generalized description of the organizations
you served and describe the assignments completed.
- If
your experience includes promotions, be sure to show that
chronology in your resume. (If you have changed jobs to
follow a former boss, plan to mention that in your cover
letter.)
- Bullet
functions and accomplishments without using lengthy sentences.
- Quantify
accomplishments when possible. (How much you raised, how
many people you supervised etc.)
- If
you are hoping to make a career change into the non-profit
sector, include the kinds of community service and volunteer
leadership roles you have filled.
- Delete
anything unrelated to your objective.
- Offering
family and personal information is optional. If that kind
of information is part of your reason for considering a
relocation, refer to it in your cover letter.
- Regarding
your educational background, offer your degrees and years
of graduation. Include your majors only if relevant or if
you think it will trigger an interesting discussion relevant
to the position.
- Unless
you are a recent graduate, place your educational credentials
at the end of your resume (not at the beginning).
- Do
not write "references available on request ".
That is trite. (When you arrive at an interview you might,
however, want to have a separate sheet of paper available
with list of your references.)
- Correct
spelling and good grammar are a must. Typos are sure fire
signals that you do not prepare presentations carefully
and they can be deadly for any position that requires written
communication skills. Always have someone whose proofreading
skills you can trust review the final draft of your resume
and cover letters.
- Print
your resume on white or buff paper so that it will successfully
fax and reproduce. Avoid unusual colored paper.
If you are sending your resume as an email attachment, include
your name in the title of the document so that the recipient
can easily locate it on his or her own computer.
COVER
LETTERS
A
well-prepared cover letter gives you an opportunity to tailor
your story to the opportunity you are seeking. With a cover
letter, a candidate conveys why he or she is uniquely qualified
for a specific position and why an organization is of particular
interest. It should not be a reprise
of a resume.
BEYOND
BULLETS
Good
resumes are well organized and effectively communicate a candidate's
objective and relevant credentials.
However,
beyond describing career goals and articulating credentials, a good resume demonstrates a candidate's
skills in making proposals and presentations. This
gives insight to an employer in how a candidate might communicate
on behalf of an organization and in effect serves as a preliminary
sample of one's writing skills.
Non-profits
are looking for people who will represent them well, who are
comfortable with the professionals and business people who
are frequently their leaders and high-level donors. The resume
and cover letter are an opportunity for candidates to demonstrate
these capabilities.
Ellen
Bodow is Senior Executive Search Consultant
of DRG, an executive search firm working exclusively with
nonprofit organizations throughout the US since 1987. She
can be reached at DRG, 104 East 40th Street, Suite 304, New
York, NY, 10016-1801. Ph 212. 983. 1600. Fax 212. 983. 1687.
Email ebodow@drgnyc.com.
This article has been reproduced with permission from FUND
RAISING MANAGEMENT April 2001.
