Communication Conversation: Updating Your Résumé

I recently enjoyed the company of new clients who are in their 50s. These are highly accomplished individuals who, in some cases, have served the same company for 20 to 30 years. However, now they face downsizing, and with at least 10 more years of working ahead of them, they seek new employment – a befuddling task that can be, frankly, downright scary.

“I haven’t updated my résumé in 20 years!” is what I hear most. The two elephants in the room are my clients’ ages and the fear that they are not technologically savvy enough to compete with younger applicants.

But one must face the negative energy of fear and transform it to positive efforts. Focus on quantifiable accomplishments that will be valuable to the next employer. Remember, your past employer was paying you for something. What was it? If the answer is “I ship freight,” then ask yourself to what places and in what ways? What makes you good at that? Simply, put pen to paper and brag … a lot. Remember specific situations when you pulled off something good that would not have happened without you. Did you save the company money? Did you find a more efficient vendor or streamline an inefficient system? Did you lead a team, educate others, prevent an emergency or negotiate an important contract?

This process not only develops vital positive points for your new résumé but also helps get the anger out. Just blab longhand and don’t worry about formal writing yet. Later, these qualities and accomplishments can be grouped under headings. For example, a summary of who you are as a professional can include your areas of expertise, achievements and highlights. Follow them with your experience, the necessary listing of companies you have worked for, the dates, and what your responsibilities were – using bullet points when explaining how you fulfilled them. Education history will follow, and yes, your information technology proficiencies will count. Days while job hunting present the perfect opportunity to update these skills with a course, which can be listed on the new résumé to show recent effort. Format, font choice and size need to be current, eye catching and appropriate to your profession.

But it’s the brass tacks explaining what you bring to the table in detail that will count most. So pull out that pen and paper now, and sing.