The resume represents the cornerstone of the job search and can become a birth certificate or death certificate to a professional career –  kindling or killing chances for opportunities. In later stages of the hiring process, when the employer is deciding whom to choose and what to pay a given employee, the resume wields little influence but credit a strong resume for getting the initial interview and shaping the performance that results in an offer. Its the torch that lights the employers fire and lights the way of the job-hunting campaign. It can also be the ballast that keeps the campaign stuck in the mud.

You clearly want a resume that energizes your job search one that creates impact and delivers results, not wilts in the heat of the fierce competition of todays dynamic job market. Conducted properly, you want to emerge from the resume development process with a sense of career and market direction, not just a well-written profile. Consider the resume your calling card. Develop it effectively, and employers will call.

The best resume model follows an organic, holistic process consistent with sales and marketing principles. Socrates said it best: Know thyself. Aristotle later added the legendary kicker, “Know your audience.” Together, the two classic thinkers formulated a resume-writing doctrine that underlies the process to this very day.

So, the primal task before collecting and assimilating information and putting word to print is first deciding how you want to be perceived by employers.

Weve established that the resume functions as an ad in the job-hunting equation. Hence, understanding how advertisers construct their materials can be helpful to developing a resume that clearly communicates and persuades. When advertising agencies are contracted to craft a display ad or commercial, their first consideration is What message do we want to convey? Firms promoting Apple, Target, and McDonald’s undertake every campaign by first reflecting on the message to be communicated. Delivering a consistent message creates a brand image and acknowledged presence in the marketplace. This is why Apple, Target, and McDonalds are household commodities in their respective industries.

Assignment Instructions

Create a resume. Refer to the sample resumesPreview the documentView in a new window provided as well as Chapter 11: Resumes (pp. 203-220) in MacRae’s Business and Professional Writing: A Basic Guide to complete your resume.

Submission Instructions

Submit a document containing your resume in DOC, DOCX, or PDF format as an attachment in this activity. Include your surname, module number, and title of the assignment in the document name (e.g., surname_M3_Resume).