I had a friend help me with my resume – she paid a few hundred dollars to have hers done professionally. I feel a little nervous with what she’s done with mine, but I don’t want to hurt her feelings. She seems to know what she’s talking about. What should I do?

Resumes are like the weather – everyone has an opinion about it, and probably as much expertise. Professional resume writers get paid because they have the experience and training required to produce a top-notch resume. They are also usually in close contact with employers and their clients to get constant feedback on their work – was the resume ultimately successful for their client in the market? If it wasn’t they can continually alter and refine their approach.

Your resume is a tool to get interviews

Your resume is an extremely important document. It is a sales tool, designed to showcase your unique combination of skills, experience, and knowledge in an easy to read and professional format. It is NOT an affidavit detailing every position you have ever had, courses taken, personal information, etc. You do have to find a balance between the accuracy of the statements, and how much “marketing spin” you put into them.

There is no “I” in team

Most Canadians are more modest in their approach, and will understate their previous contributions to organizations. In addition, we are bombarded with a lot of “team” type language while at work. While cooperation with coworkers and sharing the rewards for hard work are important, prospective employers are not hiring the team, they’re hiring one person. This type of thinking can lead to too many passive, “team-based” accomplishment statements on a resume, such as, “Member of a team that increased fundraising by 10% … ” or “Participated in…”. Other, bolder statements might be made by other members of that very same team who state, “Increased fundraising by 10%” and leave it to the interview to explain that they did this as part of a team. Both statements are theoretically true, but who is getting the interview?

Your resume is a door-opener

Again, your resume’s main purpose is to arouse sufficient interest from prospective employers to get you interviews. At this stage, your resume is competing for attention with many others. Those that get through this initial screen may not be the best candidates, but may simply be the ones who look best on paper. So, it is important to get different perspectives from people whose opinion you value, in order to make that initial hurdle. Friends can be well-meaning, but don’t usually have the proper mix of employer, industry, or job market knowledge to be helpful, and their advice can sometimes actually be harmful. Try to talk to friends or relatives who actually hire people, or work in senior positions in the NFP sector. Recruiters and HR managers can also be good sources of input. Carefully weigh what they say, and consider whether you want to take their advice and make the change or not. Ask others about the proposed change, also, to come up with more of a consensus.

Accomplishment shock

Sometimes candidates who have their resumes professionally produced by Catalyst Careers consultants are shocked at what they see – a typical statement can be, “Wow! I didn’t realize I was that good!” Sometimes this is followed by, “Am I actually that good?” This can be rather alarming for clients the first time it happens, but don’t let those initial fears shape your thoughts. Ask yourself in this instance if this could be true in your situation. You DO have to believe and be able to support every statement on your resume, so either you change your attitude about your accomplishments and abilities (recommended), or you change the resume to better reflect the story you are prepared to tell in the interview.

The resume test

The ultimate test of any resume is whether it leads to interviews. Additionally, it should help you in the interview to highlight your qualifications to perform the job better than any other candidate.

NEVER lie on your resume, but a sufficient amount of emphasis is important, so don’t be a bashful wallflower.

Michael Mayne, M.B.A., CMA, is Managing Partner and a Certified Professional Career Counsellor at Catalyst Careers, a Career Transition, Counselling, and Outplacement firm. Michael has been involved in the not-for-profit sector for many years, and is Past President and Treasurer of ALS Canada. To contact Michael, visit: www.catalystcareers.com.

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Disclaimer: Advice and recommendations are based on limited information provided and should be used as a guideline only. Neither the author nor CharityVillage.com make any warranty, express or implied, or assume any legal liability for accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information provided in whole or in part within this article.