[ApplyPedia] You've identified
the relevant competencies for the position you're interested in. You have a better idea of the competencies
needed in the 21st century. Now it's time to think about what you've done that demonstrates your expertise or
experience. To start with, think back on your
accomplishments journal from the first course, here's the example
we used back then. In the readings I've
included the worksheets we used in case you haven't had a chance
to complete those activities. Look back at the pitch sheets you
produced in the second course. I've also included that worksheet
in the readings for this lesson. Your accomplishments journal and
your pitch sheet have some of the material you'll want to gather
before writing a resume. Together with these, you'll also use the 20 questions
we'll go through in this lesson. I'll take you through them quickly,
then you can answer them offline. As we go through these questions, I want you to imagine you
are interviewing yourself. But before we do that I want you to
think about some big picture questions. First, why do you do what you do? What's the purpose you've set for
yourself in your life? What's your why for
the work you do, not the money, but the deeper reason? Next, what makes you unique? What skills and talents set you apart? These are the same questions you asked
when you worked on your pitch worksheet. Next, think about your accomplishments, particularly those enjoyable
accomplishments you brainstormed earlier. Next think about what
qualities make you distinctive and your personal characteristics. You can refer back to your
interpersonal style inventory sheets. Finally consider what
problems you've solved, what projects you've worked
on that you enjoyed. How can these experiences benefit
the organisation you're interested in? These questions might be tough to answer, it's a struggle to see yourself
as others would see you. You'll probably need some time
to work these answers up. But the game of 20 questions that we're
about to go through should help you. Let's start with the basics. Are you writing a resume to
find a new organisation or to change positions in
your current organisation? What specific position are you seeking? Your answers to these two questions
are central to shaping your resume. If you’re looking to change positions
on your current organization, you'll want to drill down into all
the contribution you've made there. If you're looking to change organizations
your perspective will be broader. The answer to this question will
also help you decide how to approach the resume from the very beginning. If you've had professional growth that
progresses throughout your career, think about what motivated that growth. What was it you were seeking? What was it that others saw in you? Similarly, what has motivated
your change in jobs or what has led you to remain
at your current employer? Of course if that question doesn't
apply to you, then you go on. The answer to this question will help
you decide which resume format to use. It will help you decide the best approach
to positioning your competencies. Are there special circumstances
that you need to think about? Gaps in employment perhaps, a major
career change that you want to make. Your answers here help inform not
only your resume strategy, but also your interview strategy. Next think about your work history,
the positions you've held. What work gave you the most satisfaction? Focus on the tasks that support
the position you're currently seeking. What action words describe what you did? Avoid cliched phrases like
I was responsible for x, look for action packed verbs and
keyword nouns. You'll learn more about this kind of
power language in the next module. The next question is also related
to your professional growth, but it gets at growth within
organizations you've been part of. The next set of questions you want to
focus on your accomplishments. Especially those accomplishments
where you did something well, you enjoyed doing it, and you felt
good about what you'd accomplished. You can use the worksheet attached to this
lesson both to identify concrete tasks you've completed and
to rate your interest level in doing so. Think on what you did to contribute to the
success of an organization, get specific. Look for quantitative evidence of your
accomplishments that can be used to demonstrate your value to your current or
future organization. It's important as well that you
ask yourself how you measured your success on these jobs. Think about your favorite projects,
think about what you love, be specific. How about the people you worked with? What traits did they have that
had a powerful effect on you? Were any of these mentors, or role models? These are questions that inform
not only your resume writing, but also your job search. Your answers to these questions will help
you identify the kind of organization you want to work with. As well as the kind of people
you want to work with. On that subject,
what did your past reviews say about you? Consider performance reviews
from supervisors, but don't limit yourself to these. What have clients or customers
said about you, or fellow workers? Or students you've worked with, patients you've helped,
companies you've consulted with. People you've monitored, people you've mentored, people who
have mentored you, cast a wide net. You will of course want to document
any education you've received. As you're writing a targeted resume you
don't need to include all your education. But only that which pertains to
the specific purpose of this resume. Similarly, you may receive certain rewards
or honors that support this resume. Perhaps you have a professional license or
a certificate that provides evidence of a competency you've identified
for the position you're seeking. A related question focuses on
special skills you can offer that apply to the position
you are seeking. For example, do you have proficiency
in certain computer languages or with certain programs or platforms? Maybe you have technical expertise or
artistic talent or proficiency in additional languages. Next, think outside
the realm of employment. Think about professional
organizations you belong to, what positions have you
held in these groups? If you are a recent graduate, what organizations were you
involved with in college? Is there significant
volunteer work you've done? Your answers here might
be especially important if there are gaps in your work history. Finally, the question that
should drive all your thinking. Why should you be hired over
all the other applicants? What makes you the best candidate for the position you've targeted,
what sets you apart? This was a quick overview of the 20
questions attached to this lesson. If you've worked through the earlier
courses in this specialization, you've already done a good
bit of the thinking. If not, it might take you longer
to work up this material. There are worksheets attached to
this lesson that can help you, but feel free to use whatever format you like. Once you've worked up all
the information here, you'll be ready to turn that
data into one awesome resume. [MUSIC]