6 Ways to Make Your Résumé Stand Out

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THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, College Park, Maryland Adjunct Professor of Business Writing, 2014 – Present • Teach the principles of business writing, encompassing subjects from proposals to PowerPoint, from memos to media training to, from branding to blogging. • Earn enthusiastic evaluations from colleagues and students, many of whom volunteer to be my teaching assistant or hire me for subsequent ghostwriting. • Nominated, by students, for a teaching award from the Office of Undergraduate Studies for “gaining and holding the attention of students in a way that few other classes do.” THE JONATHAN RICK GROUP, Arlington, Virginia President, 2011 – Present • Develop crisp and cogent copy that entertains readers as much as it educates them. • Deliver workshops on corporate communication to Fortune 1,000 companies, national nonprofits, federal agencies, and individual executives. • Conduct communication boot camps for AXA, the Food and Drug Administration, Johns Hopkins University, Booz Allen Hamilton, and chambers of commerce around the country. ROCK CREEK STRATEGIC MARKETING, Chevy Chase, Maryland Senior Strategist, 2010 – 2011 Led highly collaborative teams of strategists, technologists, and designers on innovative social media and advocacy projects that won rave reviews from demanding clients. 6 Ways to Make Your Résumé Stand Out

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From Subject Line Time Carrie Bradshaw Applying for Strategist Position 8:00 am Samantha Jones I Want to Be Your Next Strategist! 6:03 am Charlotte York Please Accept My Résumé Aug 5 Miranda Hobbes Strategist Aug 5 Steve Brady The United Nations Aug 5 John J. Preston Strategist – John J. Preston Aug 5 Stanford Blatch Application for U.N. Strategist Aug 5 Trey MacDougal Strategist Position Aug 5 Aidan U.N. strategist Aug 5 H. Goldenblatt Job Posting #349 Aug 5 Jerry “Smith” Jerrod Aug 4 magda Strategy Aug 4

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IF YOU DISAGREE

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Right Wrong resume résumé

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1. Stages 2. Job Description 3. Achievements 4. Aesthetics 5. Rookie Mistakes 6. Pro Tricks

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Know the Process 1 #

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Stage Question Résumé Screening Call Interviews Are you qualified to do the job? Can you speak to these qualifications? Do you fit our culture? Cover Letter Should I read your résumé?

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“He or she who gets hired is not necessarily the one who can do that job best; but the one who knows the most about how to get hired.” — Richard Bolles

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Write to the Job Description 2 #

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What the Client Is Looking For What I Call Myself A ghostwriter. A speechwriter.

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5 business development 3 aggressive

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w ordcounter.net

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Résumé #3 Marketing Résumé #1 Workshops Résumé #2 Writing

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If I asked you to send me your résumé, what would you do?

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Should you call the section for your job history “Experience”?

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Uncommon Common ❌ Experience ❌ Work Experience ❌ Job History ü Business Development Experience ü Sales Accomplishments ü Public Relations Expertise

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Transform Your Activities Into Achievements 3 #

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V R N N R

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V R N erbs

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V R N N umbers

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V R N N R esults

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V R N erbs

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Verbs 1. Keep your résumé consistent.

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Verbs 1. Keep your résumé consistent. 2. Make your work sound powerful.

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Achievement Activity Held a weekly lunch with three other department heads. Organized a weekly lunch with three other department heads. Verbs

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Achievement Activity Made a wardrobe for a 30-something single woman in Manhattan. Designed a wardrobe for a 30-something single woman in Manhattan. Verbs

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V R N N umbers

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Numbers 1. Provide proof that your claims are more than just puffery.

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Numbers 1. Provide proof that your claims are more than just puffery. 2. Concretize your work, making it specific and real.

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Achievement Activity Argued before the New York State Supreme Court. Argued 13 cases before the New York State Supreme Court. Num bers

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Achievement Activity Increased the firm’s followers on Twitter. Increased the firm’s followers on Twitter, from 250 to 1,000. Num bers

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BUT…

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1. I don’t really work with hard numbers. 2. My job leans more on softer skills. 3. I don’t have data to pull from.

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R F P

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R F P ange

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R F P requency

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R F P eople

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Achievement Activity Prepared daily summaries of the top news stories for the firm’s C.E.O. Prepared daily summaries of the top three to five news stories for the firm’s C.E.O. Range

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Achievement Activity Wrote a column, “Sex and the City,” for the New York Star. Wrote a weekly column, “Sex and the City,” for the New York Star. Frequency

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Achievement Activity Recruited volunteers for a charity walk to raise money for breast-cancer research. Recruited 12 volunteers for a charity walk to raise money for breast-cancer research. People

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V R N N R esults

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Results 1. Help the hiring manager imagine that you can achieve the same results for his company.

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Results 1. Keep your résumé consistent. 2. Transform an activity into an accomplishment.

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Achievement Activity Choreographed photoshoots. Choreographed photoshoots that won over a demanding client. Results

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Achievement Activity Spearheaded a media campaign about Smith Jerrod. Spearheaded a media campaign about Smith Jerrod, which helped land him on an Absolut Vodka billboard in Times Square. Results

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GET SPECIFIC

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Activity Was responsible for organizing a gathering of peer professionals to discuss possible steps toward improving relations among diverse department entities

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Achievement Activity Was responsible for organizing Initiated and oversaw

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Achievement Activity Was responsible for organizing a gathering of peer professionals Initiated and oversaw a conference of IT specialists

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Achievement Activity Was responsible for organizing a gathering of peer professionals to discuss possible steps toward improving relations Initiated and oversaw a conference of IT specialists to foster cooperation and communication

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Achievement Activity Was responsible for organizing a gathering of peer professionals to discuss possible steps toward improving relations among diverse department entities Initiated and oversaw a conference of IT specialists to foster cooperation and communication across 7 departments

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You Decide! 1/5 Created a C++ database for a children’s programming course, thus allowing teachers to remotely track 300 students’ progress in real time.

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Created a C++ database for a children’s programming course, thus allowing teachers to remotely track 300 students’ progress in real time. 1/5 ACHIEVEMENT

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You Decide! 2/5 Delegated tasks to a team of three, and monitored the team’s progress.

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Delegated tasks to a team of three, and monitored the team’s progress. 2/5 ACTIVITY

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You Decide! 3/5 Used propriety research about macroeconomic trends in Asia Pacific to upsell clients.

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Used propriety research about macroeconomic trends in Asia Pacific to upsell clients. 3/5 ACHIEVEMENT

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You Decide! 4/5 Update the weekly predictor model used by management to assess company performance.

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Update the weekly predictor model used by management to assess company performance. 4/5 ACTIVITY

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You Decide! 5/5 Designed two surveys that streamlined communication between software engineers and product developers.

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Designed two surveys that streamlined communication between software engineers and product developers. 5/5 ACHIEVEMENT

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AN EXCEPTION

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The Jonathan Rick Group President Orchestrate high-stakes communication campaigns that engender buzz, drive public opinion, and motivate people to action.

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Orchestrates Orchestrate Orchestrate high-stakes digital-marketing campaigns. Orchestrates high-stakes digital-marketing campaigns.

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Orchestrates Orchestrate I orchestrate high-stakes digital-marketing campaigns that engender buzz, drive public opinion, and motivate people to action. I orchestrates high-stakes digital-marketing campaigns that engender buzz, drive public opinion, and motivate people to action.

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RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO GET FLOWERY

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Instead, Do This Don’t Do This Upgraded and deployed a new environmental illumination system without any cost overruns or safety incidents. Changed a light bulb.

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Care About Aesthetics 4 #

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Does the thickness of the paper you use matter?

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What size font should you use?

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Is it ok to use colors?

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How can you vertically align the dates for each of your jobs?

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❌

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1 2 3

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Should you include an “objective” or “mission statement”?

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Objective To get a job that helps me pay the rent.

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Mission Statement To make a lot of money without doing a lot of work.

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Should you include a “summary”?

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Summary 1. Establishes a framework.

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Summary 1. Establishes a framework. 2. Facilitates scanning.

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Summary 1. Establishes a framework. 2. Facilitates scanning. 3. Emphasizes key points.

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Summary 1. Establishes a framework. 2. Facilitates scanning. 3. Emphasizes key points. 4. Identifies common threads.

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Summary 1. Establishes a framework. 2. Facilitates scanning. 3. Emphasizes key points. 4. Identifies common threads. 5. Focuses attention.

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Summary An energetic and enterprising ghostwriter. Excel at delivering copy that’s clear, crisp, and convincing, in formats such as résumés, cover letters, personal statements, elevator pitches, and LinkedIn profiles.

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Avoid Rookie Mistakes 5 #

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Don’t be selfish.

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“The hiring manager isn’t here to make your dreams come true. They’re in it for themselves. OK, that’s harsh, but the truth is that they’re looking for an awesome candidate to come in and do a kick-ass job that’ll help them run their department (or company) more efficiently and successfully.” — Lisa Siva

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Selfless Selfish Expanded my knowledge of GAAP compliance. Stayed abreast of the latest GAAP regulations.

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Selfless Selfish Gained networking experience by meeting with other chapter presidents. Met regularly with other chapter presidents to swap best practices and coordinate activities.

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Selfless Selfish Honed time-management skills. Juggled competing client demands without sacrificing the quality of service.

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Selfless Selfish Learned the importance of corporate social responsibility. Helped define Exxon’s policy on corporate social responsibility by contributing research to the company’s 2018 annual report.

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Be consistent.

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Consistent Inconsistent ❌ Employee of the Month ❌ Served as first point of contact for visitors, deliveries, and phone calls ❌ Recruited interns, and screened them for interviews ü Named Employee of the Month for overtime work ü Served as first point of contact for visitors, deliveries, and phone calls ü Recruited interns, and screened them for interviews

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Consistent Inconsistent ❌ Named Employee of the Month for overtime work. ❌ Served as first point of contact for visitors, deliveries, and phone calls. ❌ Recruited interns, and screened them for interviews ü Named Employee of the Month for overtime work. ü Served as first point of contact for visitors, deliveries, and phone calls. ü Recruited interns, and screened them for interviews.

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Consistent Inconsistent ❌ Short Hills, NJ ❌ Clinton, NY ❌ Arlington, V.A. ü Short Hills, NJ ü Clinton, NY ü Arlington, VA

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Consistent Inconsistent ❌ Human Resources Director ❌ Associate Director of Human Resources ❌ Assistant Director of Human Resources ü Director of Human Resources ü Associate Director of Human Resources ü Assistant Director of Human Resources

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Consistent Inconsistent ❌ 2015 - Present ❌ 2011- 2015 ❌ 2008 - 2011 ❌ 2005 - 2008 ü 2015 – Present ü 2011 – 2015 ü 2008 – 2011 ü 2005 – 2008

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How can I show experience if I don’t have any?

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1. Coursework

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1. Coursework 2. Internships

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1. Coursework 2. Internships 3. Clubs

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1. Coursework 2. Internships 3. Clubs 4. Sports

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1. Coursework 2. Internships 3. Clubs 4. Sports 5. Personal Projects

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Account Executive, Advertising Sales Yellow Book Seriously: I sold phone-book ads. Right when smartphones came out. In the Detroit area. The joke just writes itself. What do phone-book ads have to do with my current copywriting calling? Only everything. As a salesman, I hit the streets and talked every day with small-business owners about their passions, their dreams, their challenges. I realized that the smartest entrepreneurs have a deep appreciation for the power of marketing and a heightened BS detector. So, I learned how to shut up and listen, how to unearth hidden emotional pains and triggers, and how to convince people to buy with their hearts. This B2B knowledge now informs every project I take on.

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Barista Latte Larry’s On the weekends in high school, I was an entry-level, minimum- wage barista at the campus coffee shop. Not the most glamourous job, but nonetheless a critical one. Really? What exactly does the experience of serving cups of Joe have to do with my career in journalism? Only everything. Let me explain. Dealing with people — especially on a campus as big and as diverse as that of the University of Maryland’s — is tough. Some customers are belligerent; others struggle with spoken English; others are exactly the entitled narcissists whom society has come to associate with Gen Z. Yet whatever the situation, I found a way to defuse it. Sometimes that meant giving away a free scone. Sometimes that meant spending a few extra minutes perfecting the swirl on a latte. Sometimes that meant saying “sorry” (even when I wasn’t wrong). As a reporter, I’ll encounter sources of all varieties. Some of these folks will be weird; others will be wonderful. Yet in order to succeed, I’ll have to cultivate all comers. I’ll have to be humble, adaptable, and welcoming — three traits that I mastered as a college barista at Latte Larry’s.

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How long should your résumé be?

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Should you list your references?

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In the “heading” space for each job, how many identifying details do you need?

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1. Employer 2. Title 3. Location 4. Dates

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1. I worked at ________, 2. where I was a ________, 3. from ________. 4. located in ________,

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Samantha Jones PR Founder 1998 – 2004 New York, New York

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Master the Tricks Used by the Pros 6 #

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Is it ok to change your job title?

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Résumé Business Card Senior Consultant Senior Consultant, Alumni Affairs

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Elevator Pitch Contract Lecturer Adjunct Professor

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Describe any employers that your audience might not recognize.

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Clear Unclear Susan Davis International Account Executive Launched and led the digital department. Susan Davis International Account Executive Launched and led the digital department of this boutique PR agency.

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Clear Unclear The USMCA Coalition Executive Director Founded this nonprofit to lobby for congressional approval of the 2018 North American trade deal. The USMCA Coalition Executive Director Founded this nonprofit, which consists of the top business trade associations, to lobby for congressional approval of the 2018 North American trade deal.

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Should you include a “skills” section?

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Embarrassing ❌ Word ❌ Google Docs ❌ Windows ❌ Social Media

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Useful Useless ❌ Excel ❌ Photoshop ü Created advanced pivot tables in Excel to track inventory in real time ü Designed images and ads, in Photoshop, for clients’ Facebook and Twitter accounts

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5 Reasons Why People Think They Need a “Skills” Section on Their Résumé — And Why They’re Wrong JONATHANRICK.COM

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How should you present numbers?

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With Context Without Context Grew sales to $5M/year. Grew sales by 66%, from $3M/year to $5M/year.

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#5 $12,500 #1 $12,329 #2 $12,000+ #3 $12,300 #4 ~$12,500 $12,329

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#5 255 tickets #1 254 tickets #2 Over 250 tickets #3 300 tickets #4 250 tickets 254

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BUT NEVER LIE

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Yahoo Confirms CEO Is Out After Résumé Scandal

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Dean at M.I.T. Resigns, Ending a 28-Year Lie

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A USPS Vice President Was (Quietly) Sent to Prison for Lying on His Job Application

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How do you account for time off?

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Multitasking Might Stay at Home Mom, 2008 – 2018 v Raised 3 young children, instilling in each the values of hard work, honesty, and excellence. v Managed household finances, creating and adhering to a budget for a family of 6. v Implemented HR procedures by resolving all manner of complaints and arguments.

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RECAP 1. What’s the purpose of a résumé? 2. Name a website that identifies key phrases in a job description. 3. Each one of your bullet points should ideally adhere to the “VNR” formula. What’s “VNR”? 4. Name one rookie mistake. 5. How can you align dates? 6. Should you include a “summary”? 7. Instead of calling your job history “experience,” what might you call it?

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LET’S REVIEW YOUR RÉSUMÉ! hi@jonathanrick.com