Newsletter of the East Bay Chapter of STC
November/December 2002

Book Review:
The Resume Doctor

by Lisa Espenmiller
EBSTC Member

The Resume Doctor: How to Transform a Troublesome Work History into a Winning Resume, John J. Marcus, HarperCollins, January 1996

The Resume Doctor is the resume book that I use most often. It is the only book I need when working on my own resume or writing resumes for clients. The author gives pointed, solid advice on what to include, what not to include, and how to write it well.

Not Just for Questionable Histories

Although the subtitle implies that the book is specifically geared toward troublesome work histories, I find it a valuable tool for writing any resume—and besides, who doesn’t have some issue in their work history that they’re trying to make palatable?

I like the way the book is organized—it’s easy to reference the table of contents to know exactly where to go for answers to your questions or concerns.

Action is the Ticket

The best advice for anyone writing a resume is to avoid writing a boring, repetitive resume filled with boring, repetitive verbs. The author gives a list of 220 action words for each bullet point of a resume, and advises, “Begin each accomplishment and duty with an ‘action’ word, such as ‘Revamped the entire organization’s financial systems,’ ‘Created a new style sheet and template,’ ‘Counseled employees on how to handle interdepartmental conflict."

A few action words from the book:

Standing Out

The book also provides fifty before-and-after sample resumes that highlight the points made. There are many creative suggestions that will make your resume stand out in a stack and will help win that coveted interview, not a rejection letter.

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