Increase your confidence when going after your first management job by refocusing your resume

With 15 years in systems analysis and some management experience, "Hugh" wants to move into management. The trouble is he doesn't feel ready to make the move with a resume that still looks and sounds like that of a systems analyst. Hugh has tried several times to change it himself, and no matter what he does, the technology details take over the resume.

This is a common problem for people in detail-oriented positions. Systems analysts work in details. Lots and lots of details. They run into trouble when writing a resume that needs to deal with only certain details. Then, the person themselves tends to be too close to the situation to be able to choose appropriate details and omit others.

Hugh's dilemma was how to emphasize the management experience over the technology experience while still letting it be known that his field was technology. To do this, he hired a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) who emphasized his management experience in the title and qualifications paragraph at the top of the resume, followed by a list of management skills he possessed.

Instead of one Professional Experience category, the writer split his experience into Management Experience and Technology Experience. This meant that the chronology of his experience was not strictly followed; however, the dates were obvious enough to allow a hiring authority to see their continuity. In addition, Hugh's management experience was listed first because it was his most recent experience.

In each category, the CPRW chose mainly the information that supported the category. For example, Hugh's previous job was in Systems Management, and he managed 10 analysts. Rather than focus on the technical side of his job, the writer listed this job in the Management Experience category and focused on his management expertise and accomplishments.

Although it is too soon to report the results of his new resume, Hugh is very pleased with the new approach and has renewed enthusiasm for his search for a technical management position.