Top Resume/Profile Mistakes
Preaching class at Gordon-Conwell included peer review of student sermons. Some of us handled critique better than others, or at least we masked our sensitivity. A student sermon was followed by comments from fellow students, and then by observations from our professor. Even if a critique comment was “right on”, it could still be hard to accept in a gracious manner – after all, the person who had just preached a sermon had likely spent hours on it and had perhaps been anxious before, during, and after the sermon.
Receiving comments on resumes is, I think, a bit like preaching class. Sometimes we may “get it” and sometimes not. Perhaps we’re so discouraged in the church search, and perhaps we’ve already put so much energy into the resume/profile, that we just don’t want to hear or read anything that can be construed as negative, even if we’ve submitted the resume for critique.
Here are some recurring problems I see with ministry resumes:
Photos: I’m not a fan of photos. I don’t know any profession that encourages its members to insert photos in resumes – so why do so in ministry? If you have a website use it for your photos, if you have a social networking page by all means use photos, but please consider not using a photo of yourself or of your family in your resume. Using a photo may not create a good impression if the people reading your resume are professionals, and frankly many of the photos I’ve seen portray the opposite of professionalism – ministry is not a beauty contest (I hope). Also, while you may be proud of your good-looking family, the fact that your family is good-looking is not what your resume should be about. If the church wants a photo, send it separately; don’t embed it in the resume.
Email Addresses: Cute or catchy email addresses don’t impress – you’re better off with your name followed by your domain – again, think professionally about your email address – being cute or catchy can turn people off.
Your resume is about you and not your family: I know this seems hard, but I’ve seen resumes that give the spouse’s family history; birthplace, education, vocational details, on and on. I’ve seen this at the top of resumes, which is even worse. You can talk about your spouse and kids when you’re interviewing, in the meantime just write a little something at the bottom of your resume, keep it short and keep it simple about your spouse and family – it’s a resume about you – don’t clutter.
References: Don’t include references in your resume and don’t write, “References available upon request.” People assume that references are available upon request. You should have a separate document that lists your references, whether you send it with your resume or not is something you’ll probably decide on a case-by-case basis. When you construct your references the more the better; include reliable contact information, how long you’ve known the person, and in what capacity you’ve known the person: as a friend, a parishioner, a coworker, etc.
Show don’t tell: This is the hardest point to get across to candidates – bullet points don’t really tell the reader much, paint a picture of your current and past positions. How were things before you arrived? How were people affected by your ministry? Weave a story in your profile that portrays who you are – give the reader a reason to contact you. You can supplement your narrative with bullet points, such as, In addition to the above I also….(then use bullet points).
A Ministry Profile is not a Business Resume: Things are changing in the business world when it comes to resumes; one-page executive profiles, narrative in fashion, are often recommended by recruiting professionals. Also, in the current economic climate, where one business job can generate hundreds of resumes, one well-written page can beat 3 – 5 pages, no matter how well-written the 3 – 5 pages are. But there is a big difference when it comes to narrative between a ministry profile (resume) and a business resume or profile – namely the fact that the minister is caring for the souls and lives of individuals and families and that you are going to have a front-row seat in the lives of your new church. Your submission needs to portray not only what you do but also who you are and what you look like as a minister.
The format/structure of a traditional business resume can still make sense for a candidate profile format in the sense of where your headings are. I often see candidate profiles that begin with the candidate’s birth date (irrelevant), where the candidate grew up (irrelevant) and other personal facts that are usually irrelevant, and if not irrelevant they should be at the bottom of the resume under Personal Interests or other similar section – you’d never find these things in a business resume.
High School: Under your education section, leave you high school out unless you’re a recent graduate – people assume you attended and completed high school or received a GED.
Have someone proof read for spelling and grammar and layout: Don’t leave it all to spell-check, and if possible have someone other than your spouse also proof your material. Even better if you can find a church that has recently recruited a minister; ask their search committee to critique your material – I did that once and it made a significant difference in my ministry packet.
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