Private Sector Resume

I Showed My Resume To (Whoever) And They Said (Whatever)

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While it can be a good idea to get feedback on your resume, who you ask and what you ask are important. Everyone has an opinion about your resume, especially if you ask them for their opinion.

It’s important to be strategic about who you ask to review your resume.

There are a couple of people you should ask for feedback, and specific tasks for each of them.

The first is someone who knows you — and your work — well.

This might be a close friend, a spouse or significant other, or a past colleague. (Why not a current colleague? Be careful who you let know you’re looking for a new job. Some bosses presume you’ll stay with your current employer forever and may perceive it as disloyal that you’re looking. You can’t count on your current co-workers to keep your job search completely confidential.)

You want this person to review your resume and answer the following three questions:

  • Do you see anything I need to change or correct?
  • Does this sound like me?
  • Is there anything I should add?

The second is someone who hires for jobs in your field or industry.

This might be a past supervisor (perhaps someone you’re using as a job reference). It should be someone who is currently hiring, not someone who used to hire candidates. The job search process changes rapidly, and the advice that you may get from someone who hasn’t reviewed resumes in a while might be dated. (For example, the one-page resume is no longer a big deal in the age of electronic resume submission—and is totally inappropriate for federal resumes, which easily range 4-6 pages.)

Remember, though, that the person involved in hiring likely sees resumes only after they have made it through the applicant tracking system (ATS) software or made it past Human Resources (HR).

Don’t ask just anyone for feedback. Too many opinions can lead to “analysis paralysis” where you become obsessed with perfection instead of getting started using your resume in your job search.

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Resume Myth Busters

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True or False…

Resumes with facts and and myths signs in the forefront.
The purpose of a resume is to get a job.
  • FALSE: The purpose of your resume is to get an interview. And hiring managers use the resume to determine who not to interview as well. The information you choose to include—or exclude—from your resume can make the difference on whether you will get an interview.
I need to include my entire work history on my resume.
  • FALSE: These days the standard for resumes is to focus on your last 10 or so years of experience. Most employers want to know what you have done recently—not what you did in the early 2000’s, 1990’s, or even earlier.
My resume should be 1 page.
  • FALSE: This is a pretty common misconception. For private sector resumes, 2 pages is entirely appropriate (assuming you have something to say). For the federal government, 4-6 pages is standard. The key thing is that the information is provided in an organized format and offers the level of detail necessary to help the reader determine whether the applicant is a good fit for the role.
Readers of my resume will understand what I do.
  • FALSE: Oftentimes the first reader of your resume is from Human Resources. They are unlikely to be subject matter experts in your technical area. This means that your resume should not be overly technical, and all acronyms must be spelled out. If the first level reviewer does not understand what you have written, your resume is unlikely to be passed on to a hiring manager.
It is important to show my education at the top of my resume.
  • FALSE: Unless you are within 3 or so years of graduation and seeking an entry level role or are preparing an academic curriculum vitae (CV), your education belongs at the end of your resume. In most instances, you are “selling” your experience, not your education. And in both the federal and private sector arenas, there is a renewed emphasis on competencies, rather than education.
I need to include my objective and references on my resume.
  • FALSE: Using an objective and mentioning references is old fashioned. Instead create a skills summary to show the value you can bring and leave off any mention of references.
Reviewers spend time reading my entire resume.
  • FALSE: Private sector studies have shown that most reviewers spent between 5 and 15 seconds looking at a resume. Federal reviewers spend more time, but the point is the same—you need to ensure that your resume immediately demonstrates your value, and all content is relevant to the job you are targeting.

There are other myths circulating about resumes too but at the end of the day, your resume is a marketing document, one that strategically presents your work experience and education as a way to showcase how you can make a contribution to your next employer.

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Preparing a Private Sector Resume

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If you have made a decision to leave the federal government for the private sector, you’ll need a private sector resume. A private sector or corporate resume is much different than the resumes you may be used to seeing in the federal government.

Here are some of the more significant differences:

  • Resume length – Private employers are not under the same type of obligation to review your credentials as are Federal agencies. You can be sure that a ten-page resume will quickly find its way to the nearest waste basket. Therefore, resumes should be concise; just long enough to tell your story but not too long. Two pages is the maximum for private sector resumes.
  • Level of detail – Unlike federal resumes, private sector resumes do not require the name of your supervisor, the number of hours worked per week, or the detailed descriptions typically found in federal resumes.
  • Formatting – While federal resumes are typically devoid of most formatting, private sector resumes can effectively use color and other formatting tools.
  • Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) – The vast majority of private sector companies use ATS. While there are currently more than 50 kinds of ATS in use at the present time, there are a few standard features.

In addition to the above, most private sector employers are looking to understand how you can help them—what is called your value proposition. Who are you and what do you bring to the table? The content of your resume should point to that goal. Without this focus, your resume will be mediocre at best. Great resumes are ones in which every piece of information supports your professional value. If you’ve already established your value (in writing, not just in your head), you’re prepared to write your resume. If not, you need to spend some time establishing your goals.

As you write your resume, keep your value proposition in mind. This will help you decide what to include, what to leave out and will help target your resume. You may want to write your goal on a separate piece of paper and weigh each item in your resume against your goal. If it isn’t clear how the item relates to your goal, then strongly consider eliminating it.

A resume is not a literary document, it is marketing one. The rules of grammar are different from formal writing. Complete sentences aren’t necessary. Avoid the use of “I,” as the subject of the resume is assumed to be the person named in the heading of the resume. Resumes are written in what is called “telegraphic style;” this means that articles such as “the” are typically not used. Avoid long narratives; remember that your resume may be one of the dozens, hundreds, or even thousands that are submitted to an employer.