Resume rewriting

One of the hardest things I've done in a long time: today I was rewriting my scientific resume into something that makes sense for people not familiar with astronomy. That was TOUGH!!

First of all, cutting out my publication list hurt! Though totally insufficient for a science job, this is the most direct reflection of my work over the last 15 years. And I just had to ditch it. Ouch.

Then I had to get rid of all the jargon. Interferometry is really not an every day term in business. Neither are commissioning and verification. And I doubt there is anyone outside of astronomy who has heard of a project scientist in the way we use it.

Having taken these two steps, my resume was still a whopping 4 pages. Way too long according to the leading information: 2 pages. Max! So I took it down to the core and beyond.

Last but not least, there was the major step of considering my skills. What are the skills I have obtained from my scientific work? Surely I did learn *something*. When I talk to people, there always seems a lot of common grounds between our jobs, but how do I convey that in my resume?

I followed advice given in 'The Human Workplace' blogs. Instead of thinking about skills and making a dry list, I thought of major things I have achieved over the last years, and made a small story around them. What did I do, why did it matter, and what did I learn from it? That really helped me to focus. In the process I also decided to include a set of five keywords that describe me, as a teaser right at the start of my resume.

The result is a resume of just under 2 pages, and I feel it captures most of what a do and my potential. I'll be sending it out to some people for feedback, as I'm sure there is still room for improvement. First real test has also taken place: it has been send to a company with a potential job opening. They didn't come back with a resolute "NO" after reading my not-yet-updated LinkedIn profile, so there's hope.