Build a Resume Bank

So far in this series on refreshing your resume, we’ve discussed why it’s important to take a closer look at your resume regularly, and we’ve suggested that identifying the right structure for your circumstances is the best place to start. Before we dig deeper into the content of your resume, let’s talk about a handy tool for managing this rewriting process: the resume bank.

When you wrote your very first resume, it was all you could do just to eke out one page. If you’ve gotten a few years of experience under your belt, though, you may find yourself with the opposite problem: If you tried to list every job, responsibility, and achievement you’ve had, you’d end up with a document roughly as long (and interesting) as the U.S. tax code.

Including everything but the kitchen sink in your resume isn’t the way to go. The sheer volume of information will obscure the message you’re trying to communicate-- and even if it doesn’t, no hiring manager has time to read such a Dostoevskyian document. No matter how impressive your experience, it needs to fit on two pages or less. Besides, your resume should tell a story: “You’re looking for X, Y, and Z, and I have them all!” To tell that story well, you will have to remove some details so the most important ones can stand out.

That doesn’t mean the record of your achievements should be lost forever, though. As you begin rewriting your resume, build a “resume bank”: a separate document with a complete listing of your education, service, awards, certifications, jobs, key accomplishments, and references. This document is just for you, so you don’t have to worry about editing it for length. In fact, you want to be as thorough as possible as you build your bank, because you will be coming back to it to find important information when you need it.

And you will need it, since you will be tailoring your resume for each job application. You’ll find there are some roles and projects that are all but irrelevant for one opportunity, but a perfect fit for another. Keeping these written up in your bank will make it easy to swap out each data point as it makes sense.

A resume bank also comes in handy as comfort reading if, despite your best efforts, you receive a rejection after interviewing for your dream job! Competition for good positions is fierce, and no matter how strong your resume is, there will still be times when you just don’t get the offer. It’s important to have ways to remind yourself that you are capable so you have the confidence to try again.

The resume bank is a tool that allows you to remove information from your resume without fear of losing it. In my next post, I’ll talk about how you know what to keep. In the meantime, as always, don’t hesitate to reach out for support with your resume— or any other writing coming up on your professional horizon.