My next several posts will be a series on writing a good resume. We’re getting more and more of them in our executive search firm, and I get more and more questions about how to write a good one. Church doesn’t really teach people how, so here’s a collection of learnings I’ve picked up from both the best practices of corporate search world, and my 15 years as a Pastor.

Lesson #1: Be Brief. Be bright. Be gone.

Here’s the cold hard truth: Most people aren’t nearly as interested in you as you are.

Brevity may be the soul of wit, but it is the lifeblood of a good resume. Maybe the biggest reason resumes don’t get read is that they are too long.

Years ago, I got some great advice about how to talk to highly driven leaders from my friend Will Mancini. He says that top leaders are usually folks who process quickly, and are finished with a business conversation within 60 seconds. How do you serve them and communicate effectively?  Be brief. Be bright. Be gone.

“Be Brief. Be bright. Be gone.”

In a normal economy, it’s not uncommon for employers to receive dozens of resumes a day.  With lean times, employers are getting more resumes than ever. If ever there was a time to stand out, it’s now. But increased volume means less time than ever for resume reviewing.

Think of your resume like you would a blog post -

If you had to write your resume with only 100 words, what would it look like?

Try it out, and try to include:

• Who you are
• What you have accomplished (that’s not awards you’ve won)
• An overview of at least one specific initiative you led or helped lead at your previous or current job. Be sure to include results. This is the single most important piece of your resume. (stay tuned for more to come on this subject in a later post)
• Job history with dates
• Your education

Give it a shot. Your professional career in 100 words. Just doing the exercise will make you brighter, bolder, and get you a better shot at getting your resume noticed.

Either post your response, or email it to me at william@faithsearchpartners.com.

The best entry will receive a free ticket to the Church Planters Conference – Velocity in Feb. See more by clicking the tab on the right.