Word Play: What makes a great resume?

I had the chance to see the movie "Wordplay" over the weekend, and I was captivated! An avid crossword puzzler myself, I identified strongly with all of the reasons that were articulated about WHY we do these puzzles and why the New York Times puzzles are simply the best!

And (my mind running the way it does) I couldn't help but relate crossword puzzles with resume writing - I think it's entirely accurate to replace "crosswords" with "resume writing" in the following quote from Will Shortz, NYT puzzle editor and star of the film:

Crosswords above all teach mental flexibility and critical thinking, both valuable tools in everyday life. I think I’m a better person, and a stronger thinker, because of my puzzle solving.

In other words, the more (and more challenging) resumes I write, the more creative and flexible I become, and the more quickly I can home in on the "right" word, phrase, sentence, or strategy for each situation. Plus I get to experience the sheer joy of "playing" with words daily to create a great resume - one that contains the precise words and language flow to perfectly express the who, what, why, where, when, and how of a unique individual and his or her career.

Combining work and play - that's a pretty sweet deal.

Comments

[Tim]

As a word lover, I admire what you do. Writing resumes is not an easy thing. I've been out of college since '92 and always wrote my own resume. Recently, I hired a professional resume writer for help. For the most part, I'm happy with my resume. I'm just amazed how many opinions people have about your typical resume. The resume pro trimmed my resume from 2 pages to 1. He insisted I do this. I've had recruiters call me and say that I could have included....which leads me to believe a slightly longer resume would be fine. My problem seems to be in my interviews, but that is another story. Aside from writing ability, I'm sure listening is a huge aspect of your business.

[LouiseKursmark]

Tim, you've pinpointed one of the most satisfying and most frustrating aspects of resume writing - there are no "rules," and you can include (or not include) whatever you wish to help make your case! I personally think it's short-sighted to insist on a one-page resume. For executives with 10, 15, 20, or 30 years of experience, it's almost impossible to constrain all of the compelling information to one page. And, in my experience, it's just not necesssary - as you're finding out, hiring authorities are happy to review a 2-pager or even longer if it tells them what they want to know.

However... in evaluating effectiveness of a resume the bottom line is whether it is generating interviews, for the kind of jobs you're interested in. If so, then your resume is working. Everyone you show it to will give you an opinion about what you "could" or "should" do. You might want to listen - or you might not.

So, if you're getting the interviews, quit worrying about your resume. But if you're not getting to round 2 (and you're clearly qualified), then it's time to do something about your interviewing skills! Good luck.