Page 37 - Complete Idiot's Guide to The Perfect Resume

03 0028633946 CH02 12/21/99 12:25 PM Page 19

Chapter 2 ➤ A Resume for All Reasons

Bonus Check
When you start building your network, remember that you’re starting with a strong foun-
dation of people you already know. Take a minute to look through your Rolodex, address
book, holiday mailing list, business database, and all the business cards you’ve thrown into
a drawn over the years. You’ll find you have a fine start to a hard-working network.

An Intelligent Network
Networking really does work, sometimes in the most unexpected ways. (Remember the net-
working story about Sarah and her former customer, Rod?) Capitalize on every word-of-
mouth opportunity by arming your friends, relatives, and allies with your networking cards
so that when someone asks one of them a tricky question like “What exactly does your
friend do?” your spokesperson can look at your networking card and respond intelligently.
That’s right: A networking card is a cheat sheet!

Instant Networking Cards
To make your networking card, follow these steps:

1. Write your resume.
1
2. Transfer your most marketable information into a 2" × 3 ⁄2"
(the size of a business card) card format. This can be done in
MS Word by setting your margins accordingly (top: 1”, Job-Hunt Hint
1
bottom: 8", right: 1", left: 3 ⁄2"), in which case you’d print one Always have a few networking
per page. Or you could produce them in PageMaker or cards with you in your briefcase,
PhotoShop where you can print more than one per page. pocket, purse, or glove compart-
3. Design the card’s layout using bullet points, indents, bold ment so that you can pull one
out at a moment’s notice.
type, and a few sizes of print so that information is easy to
read.
4. Print the information on card stock, and the cards are ready
to go!

Information that you could steal from your resume and place on your networking card
might include a few or all of the following:

➤ Job Objective statement.
➤ Education.
➤ Work history.
➤ Highlights of qualifications.

19