| Richard was a client with more than 20 years | | | | rapport with customers, ensuring customer loyalty and |
| experience in the banking industry, beginning as a Teller | | | | account retention, and fostering good working |
| and culminating in a position as a bank Branch | | | | relationships at all organizational levels. |
| Manager. After a telephone conversation that evening | | | | - Strong organizational and time management skills; |
| to delve into his background and explore his goals, and | | | | ability to think analytically and act with decisiveness. |
| after reviewing Richard's previous resume, three | | | | - High level of energy, enthusiasm and drive. |
| decisions were an easy call. | | | | - Demonstrated leadership abilities with a proactive |
| | | | style of management. |
| 1. The resume should follow a chronological format, | | | | OK, What Was I Thinking? |
| that is, follow his work history in reverse chronological | | | | Regarding the objective statement, keep in mind that |
| order, beginning with his current banker job (he was still | | | | this is not about the candidate. This is not the place to |
| employed), listing companies and dates and | | | | insert a shopping list of your career fantasies. Rather, |
| responsibilities. The chronological format was a | | | | it's about the hiring official - his needs and his wants. I |
| no-brainer; while Richard had held 8 position titles, there | | | | took stock of Richard's attributes and selected just a |
| were only two employers in those 20 years. This | | | | few that would be of undeniable value to a |
| format is highly effective when the candidate's work | | | | prospective employer in the banking industry. |
| history is stable and professional growth consistent. | | | | Regarding the profile section, you'll notice that this is |
| The alternative, a functional format, is... well, let's just not | | | | basically an expansion of the objective; we're putting |
| go there. | | | | some meat on the bones. Because I didn't want the |
| 2. Commercial banking had been in a tailspin in the | | | | section to overwhelm with a large block of text, I |
| aftermath of the recent economic calamities. | | | | elected to separate and italicize the second sentence. I |
| Competition would be keen for any available job. | | | | further broke up the monotony of text by using four |
| Rather than create a generalized resume that might | | | | bullet points to drive home some relevant skills. |
| be applicable to a number of positions - or even | | | | The work history followed, then the education section. |
| industries - I would instead focus the resume toward | | | | Why did education get such a low priority? Each |
| one relatively specific banking objective. | | | | situation is different. In this case, Richard's progressively |
| 3. The resume needed to hit the ground running, | | | | responsible experience easily trumped the college |
| capturing attention within the first few lines. | | | | course work he completed two decades ago. That |
| Here's The Objective Statement I Wrote for this | | | | lineup might have changed - had Richard recently |
| Banker Resume | | | | completed an MBA or some other such educational |
| A challenging, senior-level position in BANKING requiring | | | | milestone that would particularly relate to his objective. |
| a polished communicator and proactive team leader | | | | Again, each case is different. |
| with a thorough understanding of marketplace | | | | Final Thoughts |
| dynamics, and a demonstrated track record of sales | | | | Could Richard have written this resume himself? Most |
| achievement and managerial effectiveness. | | | | definitely. With time, a little study and some marketing |
| Here's The Profile (or Summary) I Wrote | | | | skills, most folks can write an effective resume. Then |
| Dedicated, results-oriented professional qualified by | | | | again, if your resume is going to be fighting for |
| over twenty years of progressively responsible | | | | attention in an extremely competitive field, or if your |
| experience in the Commercial Banking Industry. | | | | work history or job qualifications are difficult for you to |
| Well developed expertise in: Checking, Savings, | | | | express in a promotional and unbiased manner, the |
| Mortgage Loans and Home Improvement Loans, | | | | services of a professional resume writer might make |
| Commercial and Consumer Loans, Drive-In Services, | | | | sense. |
| ATM, Commercial Accounts, Auditing and | | | | If you opt for the latter, seek out a certified resume |
| Examinations, ACH, Wire and Funds Transfer, and | | | | writer, and a writer who will guarantee that the resume |
| Underwriting. | | | | he creates will generate interviews. |
| - Excellent interpersonal skills; adept at establishing | | | | |