10 Questions to Ask When Writing a Resume

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© 2010 Ugur Akinci

Whether you’re writing your own resume or writing one for a client, here are the ten questions to ask for a powerful profile:

1) What is the specific position you are ( or your client is) applying for? Be clear in your mind about the exact job position in question since such awareness will influence the way you’ll shape the rest of the resume. “An editorial job” is not specific enough; “Sr. Assistant Editor for the monthly online magazine of the Association of Long-Haul Truckers of America” is.

2) What are your educational achievements? Start with the last degree and school, and list them backwards in time. Make a note of your specialization (majors, minors, etc.) at every school. If you have any non-degree certificates that is related to the position you;re applying for, include them as well.

3) What are the top 3 personal qualities you’d be bringing with you to the job? Try to come of with a single word for each quality, like “leadership,” “tenacity,” “experience,” “stamina,” etc.

4) What is your past related work experience? List it chronologically, starting with your most recent job: Company Name, dates of employment, title or position.

5) How would you summarize what you did at every position/company? Use an action word to emphasize your performance for every position or company that you list. Start your performance summary with that action word. For example: “Sold washing machines to Barnsville Mall.” “Organized project teams for USPS.” Etc.

6) What are the numbers concerning your performance? “Sold 100 cars per month in 2005” is much better than “Sold a lot of cars in 2005.” “Increased ROI by 7.5% within 9 months by reorganizing the marketing department into 6 action teams” is much better than “Increased ROI by reorganizing the marketing department.”

7) Do you have any gaps in your work history? Are you going back to work after a hiatus (for childbirth, military service, graduate school, accidents, surgeries, etc.)? If so, come up with evidence of “experience gained” and “services rendered” even during those gaps. For example, if you volunteered during such non-work gaps, make sure to mention that.

8) What special skills you’ll bring to the job in question? If you have organized poor villagers in Congo into production co-ops, or have coded a new Linux distribution for non-profits, if you’ve won an international prize for your TV show, make sure to mention that in your resume.

9) Are there any dark spots in your work history that needs any explaining? If you’ve served a sentence in jail, fired from a job, involved in a financial or moral scandal, make a special effort to explain the circumstances under which the episode took place, what you’ve learned from it, and how that experience may help you perform better in the position you're applying to.

10) What were the promotions you’ve enjoyed in your previous positions? For those jobs mention the position you’ve started at and the position(s) you were eventually promoted to. Such progress speaks volumes of your professional success.

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