When do I need a second version of my resume?

Frequently I run into clients who have more than one direction for their resume. I am not talking about the person who has no target. This person is very different from the person who is throwing out resumes to every potential position out there.

Who needs a second version of their resume?

The individuals looking for multiple versions of their resume are strategically thinking about their career direction. They identified two or possibly three directions. They are equally passionate about the different directions and want to be prepared to submit resumes and pursue different directions. Perhaps they have worked in one business area and would be fine with that direction but also have a passion for another area and they are clearly qualified.

How do you create multiple versions of your resume?

When we discuss at multiple resume versions, I ask my client where their first focus would be. What career path feels most enticing to them? When we determine the primary focus, it becomes easy to create the resume. First that resume is created with the value-added focus on the accomplishments tied to that particular career path. The first resume also includes qualified information about their education, training and professional experiences, we can start on the next resume.

Analyze multiple areas:

• Banner Headline – which would be changed anyway whenever the job title changes if it was created with a specific position in mind.
• The branding statement – originally written to resonate with the value the client has in the first target area and then redrafted for the new purpose. Most likely, a great deal of this will change to reflect the skills and talents that the client has in the new area.
• The keyword section – whether dubbed Significant Strengths, Key Strengths, Professional Value, or some other heading, the keywords need to match the target. The easiest way to do this is to look at the job description.
• The accomplishment section – Fine-tune these to make sure they match your new banner headline (aka job objective), selecting specific items to meet the new focus. Use the CAR formula (Challenge, Action, Result) to determine what qualities are the ones that best fit your goal.

Look at your entire life

Sometimes your work experience is not the only source of your expertise. As I examine my clients background, I find that many times their talents extend beyond the workplace. Some of my Design Resumes clients have worked hard in volunteer roles that match their potential target. Incorporate those volunteer experience to make sure that you give the reader the information about why you feel qualified to do the job at your new focus. You may find that you need to add a page or create an addendum to illustrate your skills in these volunteer roles.

The key is to differentiate the two resumes by putting in the information you need for the job target and leaving out information that would only matter to the other target.

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