Maximizing Your Résumé's Impact

It is difficult to begin a job search without a résumé, and even more difficult to be successful without a well-written one. Throughout my career, I have critiqued more than 1,000 résumés and have seen several thousand in my career. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind for developing an effective résumé and, ultimately, enabling a successful job search.

Know yourself. Think of your résumé as your calling card. Self-reflection and assessment are critical first steps in developing a powerful résumé. What is the recipient of your résumé supposed to learn after reviewing it? You need to know which skills you want to use in your next role, and how your past experiences qualify you for the job for which you are applying.