Resume Secrets You Need To Know

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If you have ever looked for professional employment I know for a fact you have written a resume, cover letter, and had an interview.

Today, I will share with you the purpose of a resume, ideas on how to write one, and what you should leave out.

This professional advice is coming from my experience in hiring individuals as an athletic coordinator and now an assistant principal.

Purpose of a Resume

What is the #1 purpose for writing an eye-catching resume?

To get an interview!

Seriously, the reason you submit a resume is to intruduce yourself on paper with the hopes of creating curiosity from the reader so you can be invited to an interview.

What Goes Into a Resume

Here are the basics of all resumes:

• The layout needs to be neat, yet spacious.

• The font and style need to be consistent throughout

• Name and info

• Professional email

• Area code in phone number

• List education achieved

• List work experience in chronological order

• Professional memberships sometimes gets you looked at

• References (up to you)

Professional resume writers, businesses, and professions sometimes require references at the end of a resume while at other times it is not recommended. As an employer, I always wanted to see at least the name, position, and contact number.

Truth be told, employers will call references named and if the position for which you applied is a high profile position; you need to know other people not named as a reference can and will be called. You have to know, everyone knows someone that can find out something about you.

Stick out from the Crowd

Your resume must be in a friendly font with an eye-catching layout that is nice and neat. You will want to present your professional skills, a summary of your abilities, accomplishments you have earned, and experiences you have lived. Also, if delivering a resume by mail or hand, be sure to use high quality paper.

Be sure to use action words in your writing. 

Don’t tell me you were the run game coordinator responsible for blocking schemes. Duh! I know this already. And did you coach the players up or were they already that good?

Stick out from the crowd and tell me the increase in points scored per game, yards rushed per play, give me concrete data and what you did to make your team better. Administrators love data. Plus, if your resume is being read by an academic leader that does not know the sport, your data is understood and it will stick out.

What to leave off

There really is no reason to name the high school you graduated from, unless you are applying there. Otherwise leave it off. For sure, do not put or hint at your age, race, religion, or anything that identifies how you live your personal life.

Some people like to use a personal headshot of themselves. Again, do what you want but there is no need. There is no pro or con with an image. It is a personal preference.

Mistakes

Here are some mistakes seen in resumes.

• Typos and Grammatical errors

• Lacks specifics in certifications

• Listing coaching duties and not accomplishments

• Lacking action verbs

• Naming players coached

• Naming past head coaches worked with

What Else?

What else can you do to get noticed?

Before a prospective employer sees your resume, they will see and glance over your cover letter. Make sure it is professional looking, proper spacing, correct indentations, and be sure to use a good salutation.

A cover letter is a letter of introduction given to a prospective employer that will give a short summary of who you are, what you have done, and how you can help the employer. It is basically your resume in letter form.

Common mistakes in a cover letter is

• Writing a one size fits all letter

• Not addressing the employer you are writing to

• Naming the wrong employer in the salutation

Every cover letter sent needs to be specific for the job you are applying for. You are doing yourself a disservice if you write one cover letter and send it out. Make your letter specific for the job you are applying for and sell yourself in two short paragraphs with accomplishments and data (not duties and responsibilities).

In Conclusion

Like it or not, we all have to write resumes and cover letters. This is a necessary evil when applying for professional jobs. Do what you can to stick out from others. Think of or find a way to stick out from the crowd. But above all make sure you avoid typos, spell the employers name properly, and use action verbs with accomplishments.

I hope this has helped you understand the purpose of a resume, what to write, what to keep out, and the common mistakes. Also, never forget how powerful your cover letter can be.

Sell yourself on paper. Make them want to meet you. Use your cover letter and resume to your advantage and get the interview!

Whenever you’re ready, there are 2 ways I can help you:

1. If you want feedback on your current resume you can send me a message by email or Twitter.

2. If you want a lesson on the resume process for coaches, you can get a great resource created by Coach Chris Fore out of California. Coach Fore produced An Insider’s Guide to Resume Building: Helping Coaches Land the Jobs of Their Dreams.