Resume template that works

Keep it simple and easy to read

 [The Examiner.com publishing tool is under revision thus bullets and spaces are not published correctly.  Use your imagination for proper layout.] 

One of my clients asked me for a template or guide for building a resume. I responded as I always do, use the most ordinary format available; show the reader a resume with everything where they expect to see it.

Now this client has hired dozens of people in his career, executives and individual contributors, yet he was puzzled about what a standard format should look like. I suppose that shows how little attention one pays to format when it is exactly what is expected.

Use 11 or 12 point font and one inch margins. Only two pages allowed and forget colored papers.

Let the content be the surprise; the enticement, not the format. Here’s the tried and true that has worked for executives and technology leaders for decades:

Name: Centered and in bold with a larger font than the body.
City, State: Below Name
Phone and Email below that.
Objective: What do you want to do.
Summary: Proof you have done it with bulleted remarks about accomplishments
Experience: Name of company, Title and Dates including month/year.
Mention responsibility and create bullets for deliverables with metrics

Education: Institution, Degree and Major
Ignore advice to use gimmicks to get the resume noticed. In any professional job search, the resume will be emailed at the request of the reader. In that case, the cover letter will probably be read. Avoid sending your resume anywhere if you have not been asked. Your LinkedIn profile is sufficient for lookie-loos.
Here is a fictitious resume using the standard format:

GEOFF FRANCISCO
Bellevue, WA 98052
Cell: 425.555.5555 Geoff@bogusemail.com

OBJECTIVE: Develop and implement compelling marketing communications strategies and tactics that enable an organization to enlarge marketshare, expand their audience and surpass its competition.

SUMMARY:

Created advertising and communications strategies and tactics that measurably lifted brand recognition by one-third in first year.

Produced suite of sales force communications tools that focused efforts on specific referral-source audiences to maximize sales funnel, increase close ratios by 35%.

Repeatedly delivered marketing outcomes praised by internal and external clients through effective collaboration, precise planning, timely execution and superior communications.

EXPERIENCE:

Washington Employee

Directed targeted marketing collateral programs for xxx Channel. Developed materials through collaboration with internal and external partners. Migrated 300+ marketing materials to two new intranet platforms, managing content revisions in tandem with technical conversion of PDF templates. Monitored mortgage industry updates to shift marketing strategy plans to capture new sales opportunities.

• Collaborated with eight peers across three teams to simultaneously update content and migrate 200+ collateral items over seven months to a new, more powerful system.
• Content and technology improvements yielded 10% higher average sales nationwide for 2,000+ loan consultants..
• Built sales force self-paced training presentations and event planners for loan consultants to host real estate agent networking sessions to cultivate mutual relationships for warm leads.
• Managed 100+ item catalog of direct mail, customizable items for campaigns-on-demand marketing system in compliance with federal direct mail laws and secured brand integrity; interfaced with assigned agencies to implement ongoing enhancements, monthly reporting analysis.
• Created 11% lift in direct mail usage by sales staff. Metrics for key campaigns netted $24+ million new loans.
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EDUCATION:

University of Memphis, Memphis, 6/2002 TN Bachelor of Business Administration | Major: Marketing Management

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