The Scout motto, adopted from Lord Baden-Powell's original Scouting for Boys Handbook, is 'Be prepared,' which means you are always in a state of readiness to do your duty, both in mind and body.
As you continue to build your professional career, a resume is probably the most powerful tool to have in your back pocket. It’s both a convenient resource for prospective employers and for your preparedness during times of uncertainty. In light of the recent events surrounding COVID-19, there’s no better time to update that ol’ curriculum vitae.
The return on investment (ROI) of a resume is tremendous. We encourage professionals to invest their time and/or money into making their resumes excellent and stand out from the mediocre masses. Again, be prepared! For some in our industry right now, it’s about necessity due to layoffs and furloughs. For others, it’s about being proactive. Either way, I encourage you to be prepared—have a solid resume ready.
In a previous Snack article (Oct 2015), I discussed critical Steps Not To Skip When Looking For A Job, covering that one vital component not to overlook—your resume. It may seem daunting at first, but a carefully crafted resume is valuable, and the process itself can be quite rewarding when completed. Another past Snack article (April 2017) I think you might also find of value is What’s The Value Of A Resume? where I discuss the various aspects of having a well-crafted resume. 
For a snapshot of the highlights, here are 10 quick tips on what you should know when creating a solid resume:
- Resumes are strategic marketing documents with one purpose—to get you to the interview. Do your selling and get into greater details at the interview
- Know your target audience(s) prior to starting your resume
- Know the job(s) you’re targeting prior to starting your resume
- Accentuate your positives and de-emphasize your negatives/weaknesses
- Remember, employers want to understand how you fit their needs and create ROI for their business
- Two or three pages is fine. White space is good in terms of ease of reading
- It’s worth saying it again: Your resume is marketing you, not selling you. No one gets a job based only on the resume, so don’t try to say it all in this one document
- Be ready for an interview. Know your resume 100 percent.
- Be able to answer every point when interviewers ask: “So tell me about this?”
- Do not include your street address—city, state, and zip code are enough
Over the years, we have shared information about the importance of various aspects of finding and securing a great job, and now it’s more important than ever that you be organized. At the very least, when you finish creating or updating your resume, you should feel great about your career and accomplishments. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard from industry professionals how they enjoyed the process with our resume writing experts and how much better they felt about the body of their work afterward. It’s cheaper than therapy—and you get a resume, too!
Most of my friends in life, in business, and on social media know that I’m a big fan of quotes and mottos. I love the gift of someone sharing their wisdom in so few words, and how it can stick with us for years, if not decades. Here are some to spur inspiration on your journey ahead:
"Success is where preparation and opportunity meet."
— Bobby Unser
"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."
— Abraham Lincoln
"Proper planning and preparation prevents poor performance."
— Stephen Keague
"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."
— Benjamin Franklin
"Prepare the umbrella before it rains."
— Malay Proverb
"Our confidence comes from our preparation."
— Ronaldinho
"I don't believe in luck, I believe in preparation."
— Bobby Knight
Our team has studied the science of resumes for years now. If you would like your resume reviewed and/or a quote on a new resume crafted by a professional, please visit us at JoeProResumes.com.
By the time this story is published, I can’t tell you how your OTHER investments are faring—hopefully well! What I can tell you is that an investment of your time and/or money in a well-crafted resume can provide you one of the best ROIs ever!
Let’s say that your next potential job pays you $50,000 per year. And let’s say that you’re going to work there for five years.
Easy math: 5 x $50,000 = $250,000.00. The numbers grow as you continue your career!
What is it worth to you? 
