Resumes 101: Work Experience

Your resume isn't just your sales pitch. It's your story. And a good one will sell you as a strong and unique candidate, in as little words as possible.

The Work Experience section is where the plot thickens. Past and current work, or other relevant experience is concisely described, answering the question of why you should be considered the one for the job. Work Experience usually highlights the following information:

-Job titles

- Employer name/City/State

- Start and end dates

- Paragraphs or bullet points highlighting:

• What you did with PDT(duties)

• More importantly, past accomplishments that will boost your value and uniqueness as a candidate.

Duties + accomplishments will make your resume unique!

When I taught a career development class at a Midwestern college, It was as much a learning experience for me as it was for my students. Among the lessons that will always stick with me is an acronym that guides you on what information you should include in the Work/Professional Experience section (not my own):

BAQQR

Bullet points (don't combine 5 different responsibilities/accomplishments into one jumbled sentence, separate one by one for an easier read.)

Action Verbs (Starting each sentence with a verb makes it active language. It gets to the point,easier to read, and will help to portray you as a go-getter.)

Quantify (add any details that are numbers to what you've done or accomplished.)

Qualify (add details that aren't numbers, like types or categories to what you've done or accomplished.)

Results ( Describe the outcomes of things you did or accomplished. What changes or improvements did you implement?)

Here is an example illustrating BAQQR:

XYZ Incorporated, Johnstown PA

Office Manager 2005- 2010

Oversaw daily operations and supported a team of two Doctors, two Medical Assistants and four Billing Specialists.Sold treatment plans to new patients.Trained new clinical staff in company policies and ABC patient software. Interviewed candidates for both clinical and office openings. Managed monthly budgets exceeding $50k to advertise, restock office and clinical supplies and track monthly targets. Booked patient appointments and processed insurance claims, mostly Blue Cross Blue Shield and Medicare.

• Decreased wait times for appointment bookings in 2010 by training office staff on how to use ABC patient software to schedule.

• Exceeded budgeting target of $70,000 for 6 months in 2010 by 10% by selling comprehensive treatment plans to new patients.

Bullet points: In the example, bullet points were used to highlight accomplishments.

Action Verbs: This Manager among other things sold, trained and interviewed. We understand the impact of their accomplishments using "decreased" and "increased". Common mistake many people make? using the wrong tense (past tense verbs if they are still working at a certain place.)

Quantify: By adding quantifiable descriptors, an employer gets an greater idea about her expertise. For example:

-$50K or more budget -# of coworkers - 10% increase in profit in 2010

Qualify: This Manager also includes several descriptors that turns a resume that could belong to any candidate, into a unique story. For example:

- job titles of coworkers -type of patient software -type of insurances worked with

Let me know if the BAQQR acronym works for you. Any questions about writing a Work Experience? Looking forward to your thoughts and questions:)