Three 'What if's' of writing Your Resume
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If you have ever tried to write your own resume you know some of the conundrum and "What if" situations that I deal with on a daily basis with clients. The scenarios are endless ¨C from lack of experience to too much experience and everything in between on every topic in between!



Today, let's look at three 'What if' scenarios to help you in crafting a resume that impresses hiring managers and gets you called for interviews! And, if you are a member of ASIS, ACFE, or FBINAA and want to know more ¨C you could attend one of my three upcoming seminars (see side panel for details).



What If I lack a degree?

List your relevant training courses, seminars, certifications, and any education you do possess. The section might look like this:



Certified Protection Professional, ASIS

Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), ACFE

Certified Instructor, New York State Method of Instruction

Completed 125 security, crisis management, digital forensics, fraud detection, and law enforcement courses throughout career.

University of Ohio, Business Management Coursework (if you went to school but didn't finish)

University of Ohio, Bachelor of Science, Security Management, Expected Spring 2014 (if you are currently in school)






What if I have TOO MUCH education and training?


In this case, you want to focus on the education and training that will be relevant in your next job. Also, leave off details of where or when you acquired training courses to help save space. You can also group programs together. Please note, in 99% of cases, you would not eliminate degrees from the resume. Your training section might look like this:




Courses & Training Include: Public Relations, Team Management, Handling Layoffs, Media Relations...­




or




Investigation & Security Coursework:High Risk Environmental Training, Protective Services, Facility Security

Management Training: Budget & Cost Cutting Strategies, Team Leadership, Executive / Board Presentations, Operations & Policy Development






What if I have experience dating back to the 70's or 80's (or even early 90's!)?

In this case, know what is important in your industry. Don't feel compelled to describe that early experience. You can simply summarize early experience like this:




Additional experience includes security and facility management positions in NYC area hospitals.




Or, you might have an "Early Career Highlights" section that lists the company for which you worked, and perhaps even gives a bullet point describing your impact, but it wouldn't include dates. Like this:




A Force Media, Operations Manager: Established policies and procedures for day-to-day operations within engineering and broadcast team for this cable news provider.




These "What if' scenarios are just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many more that you might face when writing your resume. If that is the case, contact me. I'm welcome the opportunity to work with you to help you strategize your approach!