Jazz Up That Resume

If you're going rock-climbing, you want good equipment - ropes that won't break, for instance, when you're in the middle of a 1,000-foot rock wall. When you're job-hunting, you need a killer resume! The last thing you want on your job search is a boring, stiff resume that feels like it was written by Resume-O-Matic software. Yuck!

You can add some life to your resume. Here are some Resume Spruce-Ups that we've done in the last couple of weeks for the members of the Ask Liz Ryan discussion community. Join our group if you want your resume spruced up, too! The original Objective or Summary from each resume is shown below along with the Spruced-Up version of that Objective or Summary. See what you think ---

Original Version:

Accomplished marketing professional experienced in developing products and messages that penetrate marketplace and deliver results. Combines analysis, creativity and ownership in critical addressing issues. Leads teams to deliver results on time and on budget. Collaborates successfully with internal departments and outside vendors. Supports sales success with top-notch presentations and sales materials. Reduces costs and increases profit margins by incorporating new technologies and processes.

Spruced-Up Version:

My Marketing approach begins at supporting the sales process with top-drawer materials, pitch and message development, and continues on to branding and marcom campaigns that create pull from the marketplace. As a leader, I'm an avid talent developer and cultivator of internal and external client relationships. I live by a mantra of On Time and Under Budget, and view technology as the chief enabler for cycle-time reduction and decreased cost.

Original Version:

Accomplished, resourceful management professional with 20+ years of experience leading initiatives that improved efficiency and workflow across departments at the University of X. Energetic, innovative team player who consistently produces results that exceed quality, quantity and time standards. Possess a Master's in Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Organization Management. Creative and proactive problem solver, with 'big picture' vision and the ability to work with management, staff and clients toachieve objectives. Strong team builder, skilled at motivating employees to deliver unparalleled customer service and attain major companyobjectives. Adept at staying on-task and on-time despite shifting priorities and tight deadlines. Always calm under intense pressure,with superior decision-making abilities.

Spruced-Up Version:

Here is the resume of an OD professional with hefty credentials in an academic environment teamed with a bottom-line business orientation. I've brought innovative and targeted OD interventions to the University of X to improve performance and financial results during its last two decades of tumultuous change. My distinction from the conventional OD practitioner is my ability to combine the 10,000-foot strategic view with spot-on tactical solutions, under tight deadlines and quicksand-like shifts in priority. I'm a mentoring, calm leader with a steady hand on an organization's cultural wheel -and ready for the next daunting, exhilarating challenge.

Original Version:

Highly motivated professional with proven track record of helping customers
reach their business goals using technology. Experience in full life
cycle development of web based and client-server applications, systems integration, distributed processing, designing databases, project management, developing & managing customer relationships.

Spruced-Up Version:

I'm a systems developer/project manager who's equally at home building web-based and client-server solutions. I've designed robust databases to suit sophisticated requirements and managed projects ranging from [X] to [Y]. My strength is getting in at the earliest stage of conceptual thinking and leading a project through its full lifecycle, slaying whatever dragons appear along the way. I thrive on relationship-building with clients, internal and external, and get excited about tackling the thorniest problem on the docket.

Original Version:

Over the course of my life I have lived, studied and worked in four countries – India, Kuwait, England and the US. This has allowed me to gain a diverse perspective on living and working in a global marketplace. In my most recent professional roles, I have been involved in most aspects of running a businessfrom business strategy and contract offer development to supply chain optimization of a global manufacturing system and running the executive office as Chief of Staff for one of the top 30 people in a fortune 100 company. This has been during a period that the business models have transitioned and leadership has changed, which has given me a unique insight into managing change. My contributions to the organization have been recognized by my selection as one of only 89 individuals, for the management development program for employees with the potential to develop into top tier management for a global organization of over 50,000 people. My experience has provided me with a well-rounded spectrum of financial planning, strategic management and client relationship skills that can be applied in all areas of business management and consulting.

Spruced-Up Version:

I'm a an Operations chief, with success in roles from COO to Chief of Staff to head of Operations and Supply Chain. My strategic focus comes from a career spent managing tumultuous change in business models, requiring me to bring teams through massive change processes without losing ground. My global awareness comes from years living in India, Kuwait and the UK. I bring a strong portfolio in financial management and a heavy dose of strategic planning paired with large-client relationship management. I thrive on line and staff assignments that require sophisticated consulting skills, addressing burning issues that involve diverse functions and geographies.