What is the Difference Between A Good Resume and A Great Resume?

Imagine yourself at any stage in your life. It doesn't matter if you are young or old or

somewhere in between. Now, remember everything you possibly can about that

part of your life. That season of your life may have lasted a year or more, or perhaps

even just been one day. Who were you? What were your interests, hobbies, and

passions? Who were you friends with and what did you do? What was the best part

about being you at that time, and what was the worst? We all play different roles in life.

What roles were you fulfilling? Student? Mother? Friend? Employee? Husband? Daughter?

Ok, hold still. I'm going to take a picture (click)!

Even in our technology-immersed world where everybody seems to be caring a camera

with them and taking pictures every 2.1 seconds, one picture of you still would simply

not be enough to portray everything that you are. You would need several large collage

frames even to attempt to include enough pictures that define you and all of the roles

you play in life.

It's a good thing we have no practical use for hanging a gaggle of pictures that

adequately represent you and your life on the wall. Your mom and dad have probably

attempted to do exactly that at some point, though! If you are or have been a parent,

you may have done this yourself!

I was a foster child for a short time in my teen years, and I'll never forget the foster

family that the system found for me. Immediately upon entering their house, you

were besieged by a shrine of family pictures, displayed lovingly and hung proudly with

each photo unique in their apparent attempt to capture the personality and personal

differences of each child.

Some had even grown to be adults, and those pictures included their children, spouses, and family members. And boy oh boy, was it ever a diverse group of family from all over the world! You would've thought you just walked into a meeting of the U.N.!

Let’s get back to that photo I just took of you because I’m going to send that picture to

hundreds of people I know and let them know that this is you, my new friend, “Reader

#643.” I’m then going to ask them to tell me what they see; to make some guesses

about you. Do you think they will determine an accurate estimation of all of the things I

just asked you to think of by looking at that one picture? Of course not! But that is what

a resume asks you to do, except your “camera” is your written words and your one

photograph is your resume.

When we frame this analogy equating your photo to a resume, it’s important to grasp

the concept nobody would ever be able to tell everything about you by looking at a

picture of you. That would be ridiculous. In the same way, your resume will never be

able to reveal everything about you either! There are just too many things to know!

Thankfully, that's not the purpose of a resume. A resume is most certainly a snapshot

of who and what you are to any prospective employer, but it is so much more than that.

A resume is a summary, and a good one will provide highlights of your choosing that

offer what someone who is hiring will want to know about you that directly relate to the

job and company for which you are applying.

And that's wonderful. And there are millions of resume's exchanging hands every day that summarizes your skills, talents, experiences, blah blah blah. Those millions of resumes are condensed carbon copies of each other most of which end up in the shredder and recycling bin. You do not want a resume like that. If you do, you are ready to go, and you can stop reading here.

Good resumes are good. Great resume’s land interviews. You want a GREAT resume. So

what's the difference between good and great? The obvious answer is the interview! So

let’s compare some components of resume’s that make them great vs. good. By the

way, if you have a bad resume you better have either a generous rich uncle or aunt or

an incredibly charming personality. Bad resumes are even more common than good

resume’s, so I’m leaving you out of this discussion. Going from bad to great rarely

happens. Not everybody is the Chicago Cubs.

• By way of juxtaposition, here is the differences between a good resume and a great resume:

• A good resume introduces a candidate to the employer.

• A great resume invites a potential employer to want to know more about the candidate.

• A good resume lists things that you have done to prepare to apply for any particular job.

• A great resume contains things that tell the employer what you have to offer them.

• A good resume asks forgiveness for minor mistakes like typo’s and misspellings.

• A great resume says I care and pay attention to small details.

• A good resume is easily self-created by you and a kind friend.

• A great resume demonstrates collaboration and networking by hiring a

• professional and getting a second, third, fourth, or even more opinions and input.

• A good resume has nearly all, if not everything, included that speak to the job description for which you are applying.

• A great resume is a document that is true to its core and contains nothing that doesn’t reflect who you genuinely are, whether that speaks exactly to every piece of the job description for which you are applying for or not.

• A good resume is delivered as close to the deadline for applying that it can be.

• A great resume is always delivered on time.

• A good resume offers valuable accomplishments that demonstrate success.

• A great resume confidently expresses this is how my accomplishments will help you.

• A good resume contains all of the information one would expect to see in most resume’s education, work history, accomplishments, etc…

• A great resume includes the same but is also thoughtfully formatted to be a tight and clean, attractive read.

• A good resume stands out for all of the wrong reasons (errors, inconsistencies, bad formatting, confusing, etc…)

• A great resume is prominent for all of the right reasons (error-free, consistent from font to format, easily understood, etc…)

• A good resume attempts to answer every question a potential employer may have.

• A great resume has tantalizing secrets that make the employer want to know more!

• A good resume stands on its own.

• A great resume always comes with a date; a cover letter and any other requirements that were listed in the job advertisement.

Life is fluid, and there is no such thing as an entirely accurate snapshot of who you are, where you have been, what makes you the right person for the job, or what makes you the unique person that you are. But none of that is the purpose of a resume. That's what interviews are for.

If I can give you just one solid bit of advice that will resonate with you, hopefully,

throughout the rest of your life, it would be to spend the time and money upfront

investing in a professional career service that offers expert advice on resume's, job-

seeking strategies, interview suggestions, and career-coaching. Make your investment

on the front end. You will never regret that decision.

So, do you now know what the difference is between a good resume and a great

resume is? A job that you love!