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Time for some homework - tightening up your resume

When was the last time you gave your CV a makeover?

If it was more than two years ago, chances are your CV needs to be refreshed.

The traditional slowdown in December and January is a good time to revise your resume. Particularly when a well presented resume dramatically increases your chance of securing an interview in a competitive market.

Why is a CV makeover important?

For documentation specialists used to working on large documents - user guides, procedures, policies, online help, training materials, annual reports - a short resume may not seem like a document asking for too much attention.

Yet the humble resume has more chances of making or breaking your career than a few missing details picked up in the review of a larger document. Remember, when a potential client sights your resume it's their first impression of your work.

Your resume shows a potential employer:

your writing style
your ability to pitch information to a specific audience
your ability to format and design information layouts
how keen you are - customising a resume for a specific job tells an employer that you're eager for their role
how well suited you are to the specific role you've applied for.

We've often wondered why clients overlook candidates who we know score well in the areas listed above. After we've assessed their resume we often discover it doesn't do justice to their abilities.

An area that we often find needs attention is the layout of a resume. This is particularly the case with documentation specialists who write mostly for content management systems or create documents based on company templates.

A client who is put off by a resume because it is ugly, too dense or too difficult to navigate through is less likely to give you an interview. The client won't even give you the chance to present yourself and showcase your documentation portfolio, however impressive it is.

With a market that is growing more competitive each day, TechWriter's advice is to pull out your resume and ensure it represents you as a professional. For hints on what makes a good resume, see TechWriter's 6 Golden Rules or surf the web for some samples.

Posted: 09/12/2008