The Resume.Com Guide to Writing Unbeatable Resumes (30 page)

Start with quantifiable results, such as years of experience or number of employees managed, followed by less pertinent responsibilities and results.

Some areas to highlight in this section include the following:

✓
Years of experience:
Over 10 years of experience creating diverse software applications and database designs.

✓
Day-to-day responsibilities and tasks:
Responsible for resolving computer difficulties by analyzing and identifying errors and documenting operational procedures.

✓
Innovations or improvements you were responsible for:
Implemented protocol translation task, converting transactions from proprietary bus protocol to SYMAX Ethernet.

✓
People you interacted with and supported:
Routinely met with clients to define needs in order to create interface specifications.

✓
Any awards based on performance:
Received “Employee of the Year Award,” 1995.

Wayne Electric, New York, NY

1997 – 1999

Project Analyst

Managed third-party development, implementing connection between SAP, Manufacturing Execution System/Enterprise Resource Planning (MES/ERP) system, and PLC to import and export data.

• Wrote Web-based Java Client to access Program Logic Controller (PLC) Device Descriptions through 16-bit COM server.

• Created custom decoder for Sniffer Pro Network Analyzer (C++), effectively reducing data packet analysis life cycle from 20 minutes to one second per packet.

• Constructed test strategy to verify functionality of third-party hubs, switches, and redundancy manager with Fred’s Electric Ethernet products.

• Developed MFC and ATL C++ COM clients with GUI to test COM servers.

• Implemented protocol translation task (coded in C), converting transactions from proprietary bus protocol to SYMAX Ethernet.

• Documented application program interface to back plane driver software.

• Analyzed object-oriented Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) development framework to interface with namespace databases.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Technical Management

• Maximize overall business by leveraging traditional and innovative technologies based on client requirements.

• Create stable and scaleable e-business environments: communication, data intelligence, OLAP, Web, and client/server systems.

• Launched information technology department and performed staff training as founding MIS Director.

• Performed business requirements advisory, established partnerships, created operational initiatives, and prioritized user management requests.

• Revised overall disaster recovery plan by reducing system recovery time by 83%. Fine-tuned system to increase throughput more than 25% while reducing performance drain by over 90%.

• Redesigned retail price changes, increasing timesaving by 50% and improving accuracy 85%.

• Increased system availability hours while decreasing cost by reducing batch from eight to four hours.

• Improved data integrity using forensic investigation and audit techniques to identify security breaches, misuse, and fraud.

Business Management

• Develop and implement effective strategic initiatives to support management, budgets, and infrastructure.

• Recruit, motivate, and retain highly talented workforce.

• Solidify realization of business goals by defining and establishing enterprise-aligned goals, objectives, and processes.

• Maximize competitive edge through evaluation and implementation of business best practices.

• Create technology business processes, review emerging technologies, formulate infrastructure, and identify outstanding intellectual capital.

Client Management

• Establish and cultivate relationships with strategic partners, including raising $45 million in seed money.

• Simultaneously direct up to 50 technical engagements.

• Consistently exceed client goals and expectations.

As with industry certifications, the Education section can be listed immediately beneath the Computer Skills section if your degree is relevant to your professional goals. For example, if you have a bachelor’s degree in computer science from 1995, you can list your education section after your computer skills section because your education lends merit to your credentials.

However, if your education is in a field different from your professional goals, you can list it below your Professional Experience section. Include the name of the college or university you attended, your major, and your grade point average (GPA) if it was 3.0 or better. If you did not graduate, list the number of credits completed if 60 or above or the general coursework you took.

EDUCATION

N
EW
Y
ORK
U
NIVERSITY
, S
TERN
S
CHOOL OF
B
USINESS

Master of Business Administration,
Information Systems and Marketing
, 1996

H
OFSTRA
U
NIVERSITY

Bachelor of Business Administration,
International Business
, 1994

GPA: 3.8/4.0, Magna Cum Laude

Keywords are a relatively new component of resumes that have appeared only over the last five years, but as technology has become an integral aspect of the hiring process, they are an essential element in every resume. If you’re not handing your resume directly to a friend, make sure it has a keywords section (see Chapter 7).

Hirers gather nonelectronic resumes via fax and mail and receive electronic resumes via e-mail and job boards. These resumes are stored in a database where hiring personnel can use keywords to sort resumes and eliminate those which do not meet the criteria, potentially reducing a stack of 1000 applications to a select few. If your resume does not contain these keywords, there’s a good chance you won’t be called in for an interview.

You should include in the keywords section alternative job titles, key responsibilities, acronyms, technical knowledge, and industry jargon not already included in the resume.

Keywords
: Junior Mechanical Engineer, Junior Maintenance Engineer, Assistant, Associate, Technician

K
EYWORDS

Insurance, benefits specialist, general, executive secretary, human resources, medical, health care, dental, office management, office manager, branch manager, senior benefits administrator, payroll, business