Laid Off: Charting Your Course - Crafting a Powerful Resume

I have been laid off.  What now?

The recent purging of employees from the once steady and secure federal government jobs tells us there is no such thing as a secure job.  What are some of the things you can do to prepare for being laid off.  Writing a resume is part one of a two-part series of articles to help you find a job.  Good luck.

1)        Prepare and write your resume

No matter how well-written a resume is, it is not a job guarantee. Preparation requires you to consider the skills that will be transferable to a private sector job or one outside your usual industry.  Think beyond the skill you acquired at work.  Also, think about your strengths.  For example, you are a data analyst but also good at wordsmithing.   One skill is technical, and the other is more of a social skill.  Can you combine the two to find a suitable job?  Perhaps a job that helps translate data to real-life English?  Could you be hired as a research analyst for a market research company?

2)        Write your resume

A resume is not a guarantee that you will be employed.  A resume is nothing but an introduction to you.  It should include your skills, but it should also introduce what you have done.  It doesn’t matter if the skills you learned are from a paid job or volunteering at the mayor’s office.  A skill is a skill.  Do not discount those skills from an unpaid job.  Perhaps you have taken care of an ailing relative. What skills have you acquired in taking care of an invalid?   

I like to tell clients to list 10 skills they have and then incorporate those skills into their resumes. Those 10 skills can be either technical or “soft” skills. Problem-solving, the ability to communicate effectively, empathy, and the ability to sell are all soft skills listed by Fortune 500 companies as necessary skills in a job.

Do your homework.  Every resume must fit the company to which you are applying.  Therefore, research the company you are targeting. Every company has its culture, even within the same industry.  Thus, use their lingo when you write your resume.    If the company seeks someone with “leadership skills,” incorporate those words into your resume.  For example, “My leadership skills took center stage in effectively managing 100 employees”. 

3)        The cover letter should tell a story about you.

Write the cover letter as if you are telling a story about yourself. Who are you?  What have you done? What can you do for the company? These are things to consider when writing a resume cover letter.  Expect that the person reading your resume has had to read a few other resumes.  How does yours stand out?  Do not write a cover letter that states you are “seeking a job for which you are qualified.”  As an HR professional who has read hundreds, if not thousands, of resumes, I can tell you I do not know what job you are qualified for unless you tell me.  It tells me you do not see what you want or care enough to self-assess which jobs you would be very good at. 

4.        Write your resume to mimic the job description that the company puts out or targets the company.    

Do not think companies will hire you simply because you have a “glow in the dark” resume.  Companies know what they need and want employees who can satisfy that need.  The company may not want to be at the top of the scale in terms of skills. 

5.        Is your resume easy to read?

A poorly organized resume or spelling errors indicates that the applicant does not care enough to show their best; therefore, from my perspective as an HR professional, it is not worth my time to interview.  Use software that corrects grammar and spelling.  A few software programs, such as Grammarly©, are free for a limited time.  It is not always necessary to write whole sentences. 

6.        Send out your resumes.

Find out who will read your resume and decide whether to hire or consider you for hire.  It is not always the Human Resources office that conducts the first interview.  Instead, call the company and find out the name and email address of the person responsible for hiring or interviewing.  If unable to reach a person via email, go to their office.  If that is not possible, look for someone to refer you to the individual. 

Resume writing is a peek into the person applying for the job. A well-organized resume written in a way that closely matches the job description of a job opening indicates that the applicant is well organized, knows what the job entails, and is worth consideration for hire.