Gulp!
I think I’ve got a few backers when I say reviewing your own resume for formatting and relevancy is both a task and a pleasure.
I didn’t want to do it, but I did it anyway.
How do I sell myself on a single sheet? What is the best practice for highlighting my 15 years of professional and personal accomplishments beyond the usual day-to-day job descriptions and company tag lines? What is most important to the person/hiring manager/scholarship committee reviewing my application? What am I applying for? Start and end dates? Format? Font? SIZE? Color? Ahhhh!
I am grateful for support around me during this task, which took me 7 hours total today:
- Me. I persisted. Go me!
- Director of Career Services at OSU, Katie Justice, who spent an hour today with me via phone working through a marked up version of my former “corporate America” resume to formulate a Social Work friendly version. She reminded me that my name matters (a ton!), and that is okay to make it prominent and increase the font. I am memorable!
- Amy, my supportive pal, who sat next to me at the table reminding me that we are worth more than a pay check shows, and that the paycheck should increase exponentially with each worthy endeavor undertaken to increase professional value to an organization. She continues to tell the Universe, “I want to work less and make more.” She helps remind me that my thinking creates my reality. “Even in Social Work?” ESPECIALLY in Social Work. I promise to continue elevating the profession and our paycheck expectations for comparable quality of life.
- My girlfriend, Ann, who made me laugh with her comment, “Ain’t no one in social work know what it means to be an inventory manager, but they do know what it means to interact with clients, use data to drive decisions, develop processes, etc.” I often downplay my talents as simply being friendly and kind, when businesses need to see I can rally a team, adopt change readily, and give large group and community presentations that matter and are remembered.
So how will I celebrate? Fire off an email with the newest resume version for another review. “Good, better, best. Never rest until your good is better and your better is best.”
Oh, and probably a lengthy epsom salt soak and glass of Malbec. I’m so worth it.