Not too long ago I went through a refresher course on how to put together a stellar resume. As it had been several years, the old resume styles were clearly outdated. Several newer requirements, such as formatting your resume toward applicant tracking systems, were now in vogue. As we went through the class, it struck me how the process of putting together a resume was very similar to the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) process used in Process Improvement. To put together a good resume, one can use multiple tools from the DMAIC process:
Define: First, it is imperative to understand who the target audience is for your resume and define what criteria they are looking for . This can be done in a lot of ways, including talking to experts in the field, looking at the job description and obtaining examples from the internet. If you’re exploring two or three different types of positions, then the target audience may be very different for each.
Measure: Once you have defined the target audience for your resume, you’ll need to customize your approach for each audience. Begin measuring your accomplishments over the years. Gather appropriate details on your educational background, work successes and awards you’ve received throughout your career.
Analyze: Once you have all this information together, you then can begin to analyze the data you’ve collected and determine which best the fit the criteria for your target audience and job requirements. While most people will develop multiple pages of information about their career, it is important to hone in on the most pertinent examples that illustrate your ability to meet the requirements of a job description.
Improve: Once you’ve decided what information needs to go into the resume, then you can start to build it. From the rough draft, you can continue to improve the layout and content to form the finished product. You can test the resume out by having a few people in the field that you are planning to go into review it for you.
Control: The ultimate goal of any resume is to obtain interviews. One can look at the number of interviews or contacts one receives as a way to monitor the successful implementation of the resume.
Just as a resume needs to be tailored for individual positions, it’s important that a Process Improvement team also focuses on the requirements set by its customers. For a resume, the customer may be a hiring manager or an applicant tracking system, whereas in a Process Improvement program it could be upper management or a collaborating department or external vendor.
You’ve probably heard the saying that no job is permanent, especially these days. What techniques do you use to keep your resume current — whether you’re in the job market or not?
How are you helping your employees to work smarter by reducing the amount of time they spend on non-productive activities and correcting errors? If your business processes need a “check-up,” please email me at michael@leadingchangeforgood.com! I’d love to help you get back to a healthy, productive workplace.
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