Let your resume RIP. (Image by vectorolie)
Most people struggle with the question, “What should I include in my resume?” Luckily, there’s an easy acronym you can use to guide your writing. Your resume should be:
Relevant
Interesting
Purposeful
(RIP)
Relevant
Interesting
Purposeful
(RIP)
Relevant
Everything in your resume should be relevant to the position you’re applying for or to the position you hope to grow into, such as management or a senior role.
For example, let’s say you’re applying for a marketing specialist position that entails developing marketing materials and planning events. You hope to grow into a marketing manager role in a few years. Which of the following bullet points should you delete from your resume?
* Develop and produce corporate marketing materials, including webpages, social media, sales-support materials, brochures, and email blasts.
* Ensure that the corporate messaging, look and feel, and voice are consistent across all marketing materials.
* Order office supplies, and stock the break room.
* Plan and execute user conferences, sales conferences, and tradeshow displays.
* Manage and direct vendors, including a web developer, a graphic designer, and an SEO consultant.
Ordering office supplies and stocking the breakroom is irrelevant to the position you’re applying for and the position you hope to grow into, so there’s no need to include it.
So, review each sentence and ask yourself:
* Is it relevant to the positions I’m applying for?
* Is it pertinent to the type of position I want to grow into?
Interesting
An interesting resume draws readers in, so use detailed language and specific examples whenever you can. You’ll find that interesting sentences also give employers more information about your skills and ability to produce results. Here are two examples:
Boring: Developed a webpage to promote the company’s new product.
(This sentence shows that you know how to develop a webpage.)
Interesting: Wrote content for, designed, and developed a webpage to market the company’s new Widget Pro Plus, resulting in a 10% increase in customer inquiries about the product.
(This sentence shows that you know how to write web content, design the look and feel of a webpage, and develop an effective page. It also shows that you understand your customers' needs and how your product meets them.)
Boring: Responsible for planning and executing user conferences.
(This sentence shows that you know how to plan and execute user conferences.)
Interesting: Planned and executed 12 technical education conferences to support new Widget Pro Plus users, significantly reducing both calls to the help desk and customer complaints.
(This sentence shows that you planned and executed a substantial number of conferences to educate users on how to use your new product. It also shows that you produced effective conferences that enabled customers to successfully use your product, made them happier, and decreased the burden on the help desk.)
Notice how specific, detailed writing is more interesting and impactful than vague writing.
So, review each sentence in your resume and ask yourself:
* Is it interesting?
* If not, can I write it in a more detailed, lively way?
Purposeful
A resume is a marketing document, and its purpose is to help you promote yourself to employers. It’s important that everything in your resume support your candidacy for the job.
For the marketing specialist position we’ve been discussing, which of the following bullet points does not serve this purpose?
* Develop and produce corporate marketing materials, including webpages, social media, sales-support materials, brochures, and email blasts.
* Ensure that the corporate messaging, look and feel, and voice are consistent across all marketing materials.
* Process payroll statements for employees in the Marketing Department.
* Manage and direct vendors, including a web developer, a graphic designer, and an SEO consultant.
Processing payroll statements doesn’t enhance your candidacy for the marketing specialist position, so there’s no need to include it.
So, ask yourself:
* Why am I including this?
* If I keep it in, does it make me a better candidate?
* If I exclude it, does it matter?
Let ‘Er RIP!
Edit your resume so that it’s Relevant, Interesting, and Purposeful. You’ll have a targeted, impactful marketing document that will get you more recruiter calls and job interviews.
Now you’re ready to let ‘er RIP!
Everything in your resume should be relevant to the position you’re applying for or to the position you hope to grow into, such as management or a senior role.
For example, let’s say you’re applying for a marketing specialist position that entails developing marketing materials and planning events. You hope to grow into a marketing manager role in a few years. Which of the following bullet points should you delete from your resume?
* Develop and produce corporate marketing materials, including webpages, social media, sales-support materials, brochures, and email blasts.
* Ensure that the corporate messaging, look and feel, and voice are consistent across all marketing materials.
* Order office supplies, and stock the break room.
* Plan and execute user conferences, sales conferences, and tradeshow displays.
* Manage and direct vendors, including a web developer, a graphic designer, and an SEO consultant.
Ordering office supplies and stocking the breakroom is irrelevant to the position you’re applying for and the position you hope to grow into, so there’s no need to include it.
So, review each sentence and ask yourself:
* Is it relevant to the positions I’m applying for?
* Is it pertinent to the type of position I want to grow into?
Interesting
An interesting resume draws readers in, so use detailed language and specific examples whenever you can. You’ll find that interesting sentences also give employers more information about your skills and ability to produce results. Here are two examples:
Boring: Developed a webpage to promote the company’s new product.
(This sentence shows that you know how to develop a webpage.)
Interesting: Wrote content for, designed, and developed a webpage to market the company’s new Widget Pro Plus, resulting in a 10% increase in customer inquiries about the product.
(This sentence shows that you know how to write web content, design the look and feel of a webpage, and develop an effective page. It also shows that you understand your customers' needs and how your product meets them.)
Boring: Responsible for planning and executing user conferences.
(This sentence shows that you know how to plan and execute user conferences.)
Interesting: Planned and executed 12 technical education conferences to support new Widget Pro Plus users, significantly reducing both calls to the help desk and customer complaints.
(This sentence shows that you planned and executed a substantial number of conferences to educate users on how to use your new product. It also shows that you produced effective conferences that enabled customers to successfully use your product, made them happier, and decreased the burden on the help desk.)
Notice how specific, detailed writing is more interesting and impactful than vague writing.
So, review each sentence in your resume and ask yourself:
* Is it interesting?
* If not, can I write it in a more detailed, lively way?
Purposeful
A resume is a marketing document, and its purpose is to help you promote yourself to employers. It’s important that everything in your resume support your candidacy for the job.
For the marketing specialist position we’ve been discussing, which of the following bullet points does not serve this purpose?
* Develop and produce corporate marketing materials, including webpages, social media, sales-support materials, brochures, and email blasts.
* Ensure that the corporate messaging, look and feel, and voice are consistent across all marketing materials.
* Process payroll statements for employees in the Marketing Department.
* Manage and direct vendors, including a web developer, a graphic designer, and an SEO consultant.
Processing payroll statements doesn’t enhance your candidacy for the marketing specialist position, so there’s no need to include it.
So, ask yourself:
* Why am I including this?
* If I keep it in, does it make me a better candidate?
* If I exclude it, does it matter?
Let ‘Er RIP!
Edit your resume so that it’s Relevant, Interesting, and Purposeful. You’ll have a targeted, impactful marketing document that will get you more recruiter calls and job interviews.
Now you’re ready to let ‘er RIP!
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