Is Your Resume SMART?

Did you ever have to write out your annual goals while working for an organization? If you did, chances are you were asked to make them SMART; Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely.  You can use this for creating your resume too. Let’s look at an example.

I ask:  "What do you do?"

You say:"I am a learning and development specialist."

I ask: What do you do in that job?"

You say: I create training programs for my clients.”

I ask: "So what?"

You say: "So what? This is a huge undertaking..."

I ask: "That's what I'm saying, "so what" does it involve and how have you made a difference in your former company?"

And so it goes.  You need to ask yourself, "So what?" for everything you put into your résumé to make it SMART.  If you don't, your resume will sound like a job description and will be tossed in the trash. Like a SMART goal, your resume statements need to be SPECIFIC and MEASURABLE (remember data) and you have to constantly ask yourself about the results of your efforts (the So What?).  Keep in mind the timely aspects of your achievements and if anything went above and beyond the scope of your position. Now, let's add a bit of 7th grade journalism to the mix. Remember the who, what, when, where, why and how lesson that all good reporters use? You can use some of those questions to beef up your resume statements. Just use the questions that you think will pull out the best information.

Let's look at the Learning and Development example again.  Instead of saying “I create learning and development programs for clients”, the “So What?” can include the following questions:

WHO are your clients?  4000 global and domestic clients in the financial services industry.

WHAT do you create? Employee development programs including performance management, coaching, employee development.

WHAT does this involve? Assess, design, development, implementation, media selection, and evaluation.

WHAT were the results? 98% retention and 96% job satisfaction on internal employee satisfaction survey.

WHEN: According to project schedule

WHY: To increase employee engagement and retention.

Then put it together:

Led the Financial Services department in the design, development and implementation of a worldwide employee engagement and performance management initiative. This model was the global standard used within the organization and resulted in 98% employee retention and 96% employee satisfaction. Responsibilities included assessing employee and management needs via gap analysis, program design and development, vendor management, program implementation and measurement. 

See the difference? If you use the SMART acronym for each of your position responsibilities as well as the "So What?" analogy, you'll be well on your way to creating a stronger, focused resume.