Your Resume Sucks (Maybe)

I have reviewed hundreds of resumes in my career from candidates interested in getting promoted to various positions inside their department to candidates being hired as a police chief.  Many of the resumes I have reviewed were from promotional and/or hiring processes I was involved in.  Other resumes were found on the Internet.

Regardless of where I saw them, I have come to a conclusion about them.

Most resumes suck! 

Are there some good resumes out there?  Definitely. 

Unfortunately, they are few and far between. 

Purpose of a Resume

Before we go any further, I think it is important that I pause here and talk for a minute about the purpose of a resume.

A resume is not designed to get you a job.  That is a misconception held by many.

Instead, a resume is designed to get you to the next step in the hiring process.  In many cases, this is some type of interview.  In other instances, the next step could be some type of assessment center.

Related Post: 18 Mistakes That Will Sabotage Your Interview for Police Chief

Regardless of the next step in the process, the goal of a resume is to just get you there. 

Now that we have established the purpose of a resume, let’s discuss how to make sure it will do what it was designed to do; get you to the next step in the process.

Format for Readability

A resume is not a flyer, designed to catch everyone’s attention.

A flyer typically will have various fonts and interesting formatting arraigned in way to make you pick it up and read it.

The content of the resume, on the other hand, should capture the reader’s attention and not the formatting. 

Avoid using too large or too small of font.  Also, avoid using different type fonts.  Both can be distracting and bring the wrong kind of attention to your resume.

A simple, clean, professionally designed resume will serve you well.

Length Matters

If you stand on a tee box with a driver in your hand, on most holes your goal is to hit it as far as you can.  Length matters!

When it comes to resumes though, length matters but in a much different way.

Brevity is king!

A lot of people start out with the intention of submitting a brief resume.  Somewhere along the way though, they keep adding items to their resume and it ends up being five or six pages and even longer. 

Don’t get me wrong.  A lot of information candidates include in their resume is good information.  All of it just doesn’t need to be included.

I have actually reviewed resumes that were 10 pages long!

When a resume is submitted, the hope is that the hiring authority will read it, be impressed by it and ultimately move the candidate forward in the process. 

If a resume is too long, it will not get read and the candidate will not advance.  Instead, the resume will end up in the pile of unread resumes destined for the trash. 

Specifics Make the Difference

The easiest and less complicated way to draft a resume is to put together a general one that can be used for any opportunity.

Unfortunately, general doesn’t cut it.  Yet, many resumes I have read over the years are drafted just like that.  The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

A resume should be drafted for each specific opportunity.

Period!

What is found out about the opportunity during the research phase (yes, you should conduct research into the opportunity) should drive what is ultimately included in the resume.

For example, you find the department has a broken relationship with the community.  In this case, you would want to highlight a program you developed involving the community or some initiative you lead that built positive relationships with the community.

The hiring authority will appreciate the time and effort you put into drafting your resume and you are more likely to get rewarded by continuing on in the hiring process. 

Bullets Work Best

No.  Not those kind of bullets.  Written bullets.

Too many candidates submit resumes that resemble a short story rather than a resume.  The narrative goes on and on and on.  In many cases, the font and space between the lines have been reduced in order to fit more content on the resume.

Don’t do this!  Avoid it at all costs.

I am not suggesting you should not include any narrative in your resume.  Judicious use of a narrative can be quite effective.  A summary of your knowledge, skills and abilities near the beginning of your resume can set the tone for the entire resume.

A better approach is to use bullets to provide action statements about what you have accomplished.  Let me give you an example.

• Implemented a comprehensive Body Worn Camera program, which demonstrated transparency, fostered accountability, and restored trust in the department. 

Bulleted points can be easily read and more importantly, understood.   

Proper Flow Will Get You Downstream

A great resume will have a natural flow for the reader.

Although a resume can be designed many different ways and still be effective, there are certainly some tried and true principles that should normally be followed.

A good resume with a nice flow will have the identifying information including name, address, email and cell number near the top.  If you are applying for a job outside your agency, don’t use your current departmental email address.  Also, make sure you do not use an unprofessional email name like 2hottotrot@gmail.com or something similar.

A professional summary, in narrative format, next can provide a quick summary of the type of leader and level of experience you have.

Follow your professional summary with your educational qualifications.  After your education, provide a comprehensive list of your experience.

Conclude your resume with your professional affiliations followed by a list of your awards.

Depending on how important it is to a particular opportunity, you may also include a section on your qualifications as an instructor, publications you have authored or other important information.

The important point is the resume should have an easy flow for the reader.

Good Spelling and Grammar is King

Can I get an Amen?

Nothing will sabotage your resume more than a bunch of spelling and grammar errors.  In fact, your resume will likely get discarded if there are more than one or two of these mistakes.

Use your word processor spell check and grammar checker.  In addition, you can use a program like Grammarly that has both a free and paid version to help get your resume just right.

A few words are commonly misspelled and/or misused.  A close check of your resume for these mistakes will be helpful. 

Some of these words include:

• Their vs. there
• Definitely vs. definitely
• Accept vs. except
• Disappear vs. disappear
• Buy vs. bye
• Fair vs. fare

These are just a few examples.

One of the best ways to correct common spelling, misused words and even grammar mistakes on your resume is to let someone else review it.

I am sure you can relate to this problem.

You spend hours working on your resume, correcting mistakes you find only to find another one when you thought it was finished.  After reviewing your resume, for a long period of time, your eyes and brain may fail to see even obvious mistakes.

A good friend or colleague you trust can provide that much needed fresh review of your resume and will likely catch those lingering mistakes that you overlooked.

Your extra effort will certainly be rewarded.

Conclusion

Most resumes suck!

A properly designed and written resume will give you the best opportunity to move to the next part of the hiring process. 

Of course, a great resume doesn’t happen by accident.

If you draft your resume keeping the points I have discussed in mind, you will have taken the first step toward a new opportunity.

The second step is populating your resume with the training, experience and skills that the hiring authority is searching for in a particular job opening. 

Pull these two steps together and you will have a winning resume.

Most of us do not draft a resume very often.  In some cases, it may be the first resume you have written in in 10-20 years.

If you are a little unsure about drafting your own resume, especially about the format, I have an option that you might be interested in.

I have put together three professionally designed resume templates that you can download easily.  Each resume contains sample language that you can use as a guide or you can insert your own.

The cost of these three resume templates is only $25.  Click here to purchase them today and get started on your winning resume immediately.

Once you complete your resume and cover letter, it might be helpful to have another set of eyes review both.  I would be happy to look at both of them and provide a comprehensive, written review with recommendations. 

The cost of this service is only $50.  Click here for this comprehensive review before submitting your cover letter and resume. 

Good luck!