Yesterday's Hero

Wonder Woman makes it looks so easy. She gets up every morning, fights the good fight, calls it a day, and starts the whole process all over again. This is the way most of us begin our workday. We work hard, accomplish lots, and get up in the morning for an encore presentation.

From childhood we were told that if we put 110% into our careers that we will be shoo-ins for promotions and raises. It sounded like an excellent plan and one that you easily bought into-hard work equals a big return on investment. Good deal.

Then one day you walk into your office only to discover that your position has been eliminated. Not through any fault of your own, but because the powers-that-be made an executive decision to reduce costs. At that moment, you quickly realize that not everything comes from hard work, and you are reluctantly thrown into the job search.

THE CHALLENGE

To your surprise, a search that you were convinced would take only a few weeks turned into a year-long process. You quickly realized that no matter how many awards you received and no matter how impressive your career progression, the old adage is true: "You're only as good as your last sale." And if you have been unemployed for a while, hiring managers may view your experience as being out of date.

Since the resume is the first meeting between you and a prospective employer, the way you position your skills is critically important. This is especially true if you want the reader to overlook your unemployment gap and focus their attention on your successes.

If your resume fails to cleverly tackle red flags, the reader will eliminate your candidacy within seconds. With today's job market, it is rare to find a jobseeker who has a flawless work history, and a traditional resume doesn't always properly address the immediate concerns jobseekers are facing today.

THE SOLUTION

This is the reason why professional resume writers recommend a combination resume for those a) who have been unemployed for over a year who want to deemphasize an unemployment gap and b) those considering a career change who wish to highlight relevant marketable and/or transferable skills.

A combination resume integrates the best features of the functional and chronological resume formats. Similar to the functional resume, the combination resume emphasizes skills; and just like the chronological resume, the combination resume sequentially showcases your professional history.


ANATOMY OF A COMBINATION RESUME

The most basic format for a combination resume includes the following sections: Introduction, Accomplishments, Professional Experience, and Education. Below is a breakdown of each section.

Introduction The opening of a resume serves as a teaser and is called a Career Summary, Professional Profile, or Summary of Qualifications. Whatever term you decide to use, the end result must sum up your value to the hiring organization. Let's take a look at an example:

Goal-driven, tenacious sales and management professional demonstrating award-winning sales record in highly competitive industries. Strong leader and team player; excellent motivational skills to build and sustain forward growth momentum while motivating peak individual performance from members. Experience in managing all aspects of sales development cycle, from prospecting and cold calling through detailed presentations and negotiation to closing follow-up activities.

Notice that the example above provides the reader with a checklist of the candidate's qualifications. From the onset, the reader has a feel for what the candidate can bring to the table.

Accomplishments Since this section appears immediately after the introduction, it must keep the momentum going. This is your opportunity to showcase the fact that your experience is still relevant, you're still in the game, and you are a serious candidate. Let's look at a couple of accomplishment- based statements.

* Ranked consistently in top 5 company-wide for sales production among staff of 600+ brokers, bringing in $3.5 million in gross commissions during tenure.

* Contributed to success of supervised brokers through hands-on training and mentoring; led team that generated $13 million in commissions.

Notice that the statements are specific and target key achievements the candidate is most proud of.

Professional Experience This section provides a chronological history of your experience along with a brief summation of your responsibilities. Here's an example of how your professional history can appear.

Vice President, Bay Shore Financial, New York, NY, 2000-2004

Supervised team of 12 brokers in account prospecting and development activities. Conducted in-depth research on stocks and related topics to provide best recommendations for clients. Mentored team members and provided assistance with complex and escalated client issues. Authorized sign- off on large transactions.

Education The education section can include your college background, technical training, and/or professional development.

Bachelor of Arts, Accounting-LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY, Brooklyn, NY

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

A combination resume will allow you to highlight your impressive accomplishments and grab the reader's interest right at the beginning while also providing the chronological work history employers are looking for. Now get out there and knock that employer's socks off!

About The Author

Recognized as a career expert, Linda Matias brings a wealth of experience to the career services field. She has been sought out for her knowledge of the employment market, outplacement, job search strategies, interview preparation, and resume writing, quoted a number of times in The Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, Newsweek, and HR- esource.com. She is President of CareerStrides and the National Resume Writers' Association. Visit her website at http://www.careerstrides.com or email her at linda@careerstrides.com.


More Resources

Three Steps to Writing Your Own Resume
While most professionals hire a professional resume writer, some draft their own resume. People who write a lot for business usually have more success in putting together a sharp, focused presentation; still, anyone can learn the basic steps to prepare his or her own resume.
Workplace Melodrama--A Flair For The Dramatic
A flair for the dramatic is a theatrical term used to describe an actress or actor who has a talent for melodrama, characterized by intensely enacted interpersonal conflict and exaggerated emotions. The central figure in a melodrama is the hero, who spins his tale or portrays the justice of his cause in a positive light.
Workplace Violence - 8 Tips For Spotting Early Warning Signs
One of the greatest threats facing both employees and the companies they work for, is workplace violence. It has become the leading cause of death for women and the second leading for men, following closely behind motor vehicle accidents.
Mid-Life Crisis: Its Not Just for Men Anymore!
A recent story in Career Journal begins:"The "midlife crisis" has long been thought of as something that afflicts men and often involves expensive toys and second wives. But the Wall Street Journal's Work & Family columnist, Sue Shellenbarger, says that as gender roles change, women are increasingly experiencing their own version of these upheavals.
Are You Ready To Start A Business? Take This Quiz and See
Don't get discouraged! A "no" answer to any of the questions will identify an area for development -- not a roadblock. I am available to help if you would like to discuss your options in greater detail.
Troubleshooting Your Job Search
OK. You've posted your resume online.
Planning Your Successful Career: 15 Ideas
"Doing a good job is one of the most important ways to move up the ladder", says Dr. Don Bagin, Professor of Communications at Glassbro State College.
3 Reasons To Hire From Outside Your Industry
While at times it may prove comfortable and convenient to hire from within your current industry, often the best candidate for the job comes from outside your "comfort zone". How can that be? As a recruiter focused on a highly regulated and competitive industry experiencing significant growth nationwide, here are 3 reasons to hire from outside your industry:1.
References: Choose Wisely
Sophisticated job seekers know and understand that sometime during the interview and hiring process you will be asked to supply references. With this in mind, here are five concepts to focus on in developing your reference list.
Make a Great First Impression
Searching for employment is one of the most nerve-racking activities to engage in. As if the direct need for income is not stressful enough, the process of writing a résumé, networking in your industry, and applying for jobs can leave anyone shaking in their tracks.
The Hidden Job Market: Real or Imagined?
The hidden job market has been touted as the place to go if you want to find the best jobs. It's been said that this sector of the job market accounts for seventy-five percent of all the job openings out there.
Searching for a Federal Job
Many years ago searching for a federal job was a long, complicated and drawn out process. Today, it has been become far less complex and is now just a three-step process.
Salary Negotiation Secrets Revealed
Before you go into the interview, it is important to know what salary you want, what you need to live on, and what you will be prepared to accept. Spend some time working out your budget.
Take This Job and...Re-staff It
Deciding to leave a job isn't easy. In fact, quitting a job requires courage, especially in today's soft economy when the unemployment rate has reached 6.
How To Tap Into the Invisible Job Market
Is there a company in your area that you'd love to work for? Do you assume that, because you don't see them advertising in the classifieds or posting jobs on their website, they have no openings? That may or may not be the case. That truth is, only about one-fifth of job openings are actually advertised!Here's how to tap into the huge "invisible" job market.
7 Tips to Deal With a Bad Performance Review
Q. "I wasn't happy with my last performance review.
Tips For Successful Job Hunting: How To Get A Job Without A Resume
I am in my mid-thirties, and, as you can imagine, I have changed and looked for jobs many times in my life. No matter how successful was in my job hunting research, I realized that there are certain ground "rules" that need to be respected; otherwise, we will not get what we want from our careers.
Dynamic Pre-Hiring Practices
The pre-hiring process can be a challenge. Much time and energy can be invested and in the end, wasted, if your approach is not focused, deliberate, and specific.
Technology in the Workplace - Boon or Curse?
Like all new innovations, technology in the work environment can either work for you or against you. What is good for the employer or is not always the same for the employee.
Job Hunting Tips: Staying Active
Unemployment is depressing: financial pressures stress you out, looking for work is humiliating, and your fragile self-confidence reels under the blows of indifference and rejection.It becomes harder to get up in the morning, to take care of yourself, to be supportive and loving to those around you, to swing energetically into job search activities.

More Careers & Employment Information:

Related Articles

Are You Ready To Start A Business? Take This Quiz and See
Don't get discouraged! A "no" answer to any of the questions will identify an area for development -- not a roadblock. I am available to help if you would like to discuss your options in greater detail.
When All Is Not Well With Work
When all is not well with work, what do you do? Do you quickly get frustrated and feel discontent? Do you look at each situation as a tiresome challenge or as an opportunity to learn something new? Have you ever considered looking at work problems from a spiritual point of view?When you look at work from a spiritual perspective, you will see that there are lessons for you to learn. Let's look at a couple of situations that you or someone you know may have encountered.
How to Pick the Best Career For You , Part 2: From Exposure-to-Opportunity
Gain an audience by recognizing opportunityThere's a sexier method to salsa into a great career with less tripping and more flair. Look for problems to solve and create a personalized solution.
It May Be Time to Walk in an Employers Shoes
If you are in a job search and aren't receiving viable hits, it's time to walk a mile in an employer's shoes. Okay, I realize what you may be thinking.
Getting Past Fear
Have you gotten tons of career advice, solicited and unsolicited? You nod when you hear it and think, "Yeah, I know this stuff." So, what else is new?But what have you done with the advice? Fess up.
Searching for Jobs Online
Searching for jobs online is easier than ever, but also more confusing than ever. Any Internet user doing a job search online will find that they can choose from hundreds of national employment listing web sites and the numbers can often be staggering.
Mastering the Job Interview - 5 Tips to Make Yourself Irresistible to the Interviewer
So you've figured out, more or less what you want to do and where the opportunities are. Now; you have been called for an interview.
Now, Do You Have Any Questions?
"Who is that hot babe in the picture?" isn't the type of reply an interviewer expects to hear when he or she invites you to ask questions near the end of an interview. In fact, the way you approach the Q&A session will have a direct impact on the interviewer's perception of you.
How to Manage Your Career Like a Business
Look upon yourself as a company with a product or service to sell. Understand your market and devise a dynamic marketing campaign, remembering that companies hire employees who offer them the best results and the best value for money.
Tips for Requesting a Raise
You probably think you deserve a raise. But does your boss think so?Here's how to go about convincing your boss that you're really worth more than you're being paid.
Three Ways to Transition to a New Career
As a Certified Personnel Consultant working for Find Great People International in Greenville, South Carolina, I receive telephone calls from people who are considering a career change. For some, transitioning to a new career is easier than others.
Job Hunting: Its Still The First Impression Stupid!
In the 1992 USA Presidential election, political strategist James Carville hung a sign in Bill Clinton's Little Rock campaign office that read, "It's still the economy, stupid." His intent? Simply to keep everybody focused on the most important issue of the day.
Im just me - An Overview of an Web er.. Designer, Developer, Consultant and Friend
I am going to give you a breakdown of my ..
Job Search - Understand Employers
Think like an employerTo be successful in your job search campaign you must think like an employer or a recruiter. If you are going to do this right, you need to appreciate the ways that employers sift through the flood of resumes.
50 Things To Do To Your Boss That Are Fun For You, But Not For Them
1. You're eavesdropping and you hear your boss has reservations at his favorite restaurant.
Common Resume Myths & Misconceptions
For the person crafting their first résumé the task can seem a little bit daunting, even a bit frightening. Human Resources [HR] specialists, résumé writing professionals, school advisors, and even friends and family members all have their say.
Adapting To Change In A Changing World
Have you learnt a new skill or improved upon your existing skill in the last six months to one year?According to the world acclaimed management guru and Writer Professor Peter Drucker - "The only skill that will be important in the 21st century is the skill of learning news skills. Everything else will become obsolete over time.
Business Experience is YOUR Security Cover
Some may want to interpret "independent" to mean WITHOUT others. None of us are truly independent or able to make it in life alone.
Need a Job? Put a Gun to Your Head
A legendary marketing genius once said that, if he had to write a killer sales letter, he would imagine he had a gun pointed at his head and that he would be shot if his advertising didn't deliver.This motivated him to create some of the world's most-profitable ads.
Dissatisfied with Your Job? Take Your Power Back!
Apparently, there are all sorts of reasons to be dissatisfied with your job..