October General Meeting Recap:
Résumé Writing

by Paul Lofthouse

On a warm October 7th evening, a receptive crowd of 20 or so assembled in the Environmental Studies Courtyard at UW to take in a professional's thoughts on that most elusive of the Dark Arts, résumé writing.

Our guest was Val Slomke, a recruiter at SunLife Financial, on whose desk have plopped a thousand lifetimes' worth of gems and howlers. With the credibility of an established and respected local employer behind her, Val graciously spent the better part of two hours disclosing what, during a typical screening, distinguishes those applications that find their way into her "Yes" pile from those that meet a decidedly less gentle fate.

No secrets, really: clarity, relevance, good diction, directness, and a high level of cosmetic care all help. But perhaps Val's most important advice is that the jobseeker understand how characteristics such as these take a résumé only so far. If the document is not conceived with the principles of effective self-marketing in mind, you may have a higher peak to scale than you should. Error-free wording is not enough. Any signs that you are uncertain about your objectives, or not fully aware of what exactly you have applied for, can conspire to make a résumé seem a whole lot less than the sum of its parts.

Val went on to provide a list of action verbs that work for her, suggest a few strategies for following up with employers, and offer opinions on formatting, order of elements, and online applications. I came away with a few welcome additions to my bag of tricks. I also benefited from Val's pointers on the cover letter, which I admit is usually an afterthought.

Equally useful was Val's take on certain controversies in modern recruiting, as well as her response to the frustrations people experience on either side of the hiring divide. This more general discussion had many contributors offering a wide range of perspectives.

The peer review at the end was an opportunity for more specific, individual feedback on members' résumés. By all appearances, this too was constructive -- at least, I did not notice too many tails between legs as we headed for the doors!

So no magic bullets, but none promised. Self-marketing is an ongoing and evolutionary process, and it involves constant recasting, tailoring, practice, and knowledge of audience (which we should all know about!). Remember, for an increasing number of opportunities, our résumés must pass through a Val first, not the peer or technical communications boss we may wish to impress later. It's a very good idea to job-search accordingly.

Until that much-coveted HR Bypass gets built down on Career Road, I'll take the free advice of someone in Val's position any day. Many thanks to Opal Gamble for organizing a most nourishing session!