This document outlines best practices for resume writing based on a survey of Jacobs employees. It discusses improving resume content by starting with a better master resume, tailoring resumes to directly address position requirements, and telling accomplishment stories to highlight an individual's contributions and skills. The document provides tips on resume formatting, using active verbs and quantifiable achievements, and developing resumes specific to requests for proposals. The goal is to provide concise, relevant information about individuals' qualifications and make the resume evaluation process as easy as possible for clients.

1. www.jacobs.com | worldwide
22 July 2015
Catherine Neary
Marrie Watts
Resume Best Practices
Back to Basics

2. Agenda
2
1. Introduction to Presenters
2. We Know This is Important
3. Survey Monkey Results
4. Improving Resume Content
5. Back to Basic Tools and Reminders
Agenda

3. 1. Introduction to Presenters

4. 4
2. We Know this is Important

5. Resumes are important
1. Look at the evaluation criteria – almost always
one of the top 3 rankings
2. We are a professional service firm – our people
are our value
3. Someone on the evaluation panel will identify
with the work done
5

6. 6
4. Improving Resume Content

7. Our Resume Frustrations
No Master Resume
Master Resume Not Updated
No Time to Tailor Resume
Individual not Responding to Request
Individual does not Meet Position
Requirements
Exisiting Resumes do not Include Specifics on
what Individual Did
0 1 2 3 4 5
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8. Why Master Resumes are important
• 23% said that they Always go to a Master Resume when
tailoring a resume
• 35% said they Very Often go to Master
8
77% of us typically use the
Master Resume when we tailor
proposal specific resumes

9. How can we improve?
9
Start with a better Master!

10. Our Resume Frustrations
No Master Resume
Master Resume Not Updated
No Time to Tailor Resume
Individual not Responding to Request
Individual does not Meet Position
Requirements
Exisiting Resumes do not Include Specifics on
what Individual Did
0 1 2 3 4 5
10

11. Disconnect
11
The majority of us are
frustrated that the “existing
resumes do not include
specifics on what the individual
did.”
The majority of us Very Often
(46%) or Always (23%) “write
specific descriptions about what
the individual did for each
project beyond the position title.”
Discussion:
• Are we writing them and they are not getting incorporated into the Master?
• Are we only writing them piece mail so it is a constant change for a select
group of resumes?
• Is the writing not consistent, so we need to rewrite?

12. 12
The difference in some resumes….

13. Define the individual’s specific
role/responsibilities:
• Include a description of specific project role/
responsibilities in resume introduction
• Tailor the resume to show how well the person is
qualified to perform it
• How will this person meet the client’s specific needs?
• Incorporate recent and relevant project proofs
o Proofs - value/contribution provided on referenced project(s)
o Quantifiable in terms of saving the client time/money = time is
money.
13

14. 1. Specifically provide detail on how you meet the
position requirements.
2. What are the top 3 reasons you are qualified for
this project?
The Resume Questions - Relevancy

15. Examples
Jane leads space planning activities for corporate clients
that include similar components of Project ABC: move
management, construction during operations, workplace,
renovations, and interiors. Jane’s 15 years of comparative
building evaluations and analysis of standards allows for
early informed decisions. She works with the local
delivery team and Client stakeholders to develop a refined
approach by leveraging her vast knowledge and
experience.

16. Examples
Guy is focused on assisting clients in the development of energy
efficient, onsite energy and renewable energy projects and
technologies, providing strategic business, technical and government
policy support of clean energy technologies. Guy directs federal
advocacy efforts, providing strategic financial consulting services to
clients in the industrial, commercial, institutional, utility and municipal
sectors. During the past 10 years, he led numerous competitive
federal grant, tax credit and loan guarantee application efforts,
resulting in over $200 million in federal funding awards for his
clients’ energy projects.

17. Examples
John is our Architecture/Interiors Design Lead based on his design expertise and
proactive, collaborative approach in achieving high quality project deliverables,
while meeting budget and program goals. By leveraging his experience with
your projects in some country and the US, he will lead the design with a
continuous focus on accomplishing your goals. John will review all aspects of
project design to see that they are on-track and consistent with your objectives
and promote a ‘client identity.’ He will work closely with the project team to
sensibly and realistically challenge the existing design to identify opportunities
where we can provide you with value throughout the design process to achieve
the greatest return on your investment.

18. The Resume Questions – Project
Experience
1. What did you accomplish on this project?
2. What were the biggest challenges you faced in
accomplishing them? What did you do and what were
the results?
3. Did your actions save the client money or schedule?
4. Did you use any innovations? What were they and why
were they innovative?
5. What are you most proud of on this project?
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19. The Resume Questions – In Practice
Client: Insert client name
Title: Insert title
Start/End Dates: Insert dates; months only if relevant to the description (e.g.. March 2013 - June
2015)
Scope/Description: Description - include an overview of the project including project type, status of
the project. If completed on time (if no, explain); if completed on budget (if no, explain); if time and $
were saved, explain $ or time and explain how that was accomplished (“working in 24-hour
shifts…”). SECOND SENTENCE should highlight the actual scope of work that our candidate
actually worked on (what did the structural engineer do? Size: xxxx SF; Cost: $XX.XM;
Responsibilities: Description of role and responsibilities. Value brought to the project. (what were
the challenges and how did you overcome them?). What did the project manager do?). ROLE: not
just their title, but what they did in response to their work scope.
THEN ADD THE DRAMA with accomplishments stories.

20. Accomplishment Stories
• How To Make Any Resume Better. Add The Drama!
• Facts tell – stories sell
• Be memorable, credible, and relatable
Everyone has an accomplishment – it is the problem below the problem (what we may call gaps.)
The results are equally dramatic and opposite of just a statement of the problem. What was the
absolutely worst-case scenario? Offices close, jobs lost, client is fined…
Every project involves something for which they are proud, have been recognized, and have their
own best practices as a result.
Check LinkedIn for the recommendations and endorsements.
This is what my mother thinks I do….this is what I really do. – What is more interesting?
NOT: “responsible for…” “completed on time and under budget…”
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21. Accomplishment Stories – questions
1. What did you do, individually, for the project?
2. HOW did you do it?
3. What positive, tangible, quantifiable results did you achieve (cost savings,
expedite the schedule, value added)
4. WHAT SKILLS did you demonstrate?
 Management
 Communication
 Leadership
 Presentation
 Team building
 Follow through
 Problem solving
 analysis21

22. Examples of Resume Experience
Descriptions
Some Client, Utility Master Plan, Alternative Financing Evaluation;
Scope / Description: Jacobs prepared an updated Utility Master Plan and
prepared a feasibility analysis.
Size: 9 MW;
Cost: $15M;
Professional Services Completed (of project): 2013;
Construction Completed (of project): N/A;
Responsibilities: Dude evaluated federal, state and local funding incentives to
reduce the capital cost of the proposed project. Dude successfully identified
over $3 million in state energy office grants and local utility rebates that would
reduce the proposed project cost by over 20 percent.

23. Examples of Resume Experience
Descriptions
Another Client, Consolidation/Move Management,
Somewhere Else
The scope included relocating Another Client’s departments and staff
in City to several existing and newly constructed sites around
Somewhere Else. Jacobs led planning and move management of staff
and departments between locations resulting in a more functional and
efficient workplace strategy. Lady was the interior architect who led
the layout and interior design of a 10,000 SM office building and
coordination of construction activities.

24. Examples of Resume Experience
Descriptions
Client ABC, City DEF
Mister developed and implemented a change management strategy to
assist in the transition of 900 employees from a traditional office
dependent environment into an activity based environment. Steps
included project planning, data gathering and client engagement.
Tools used included: surveys, utilization studies, visioning sessions,
focus groups and steering committees.

25. 25
5. Back to Basic Tools and Reminders

26. According to the Survey Results, when
tailoring a resume, we:
1. Open the Master Resume
2. Email the individual with RFP specific questions and
requirements
3. Go to the last relevant proposal and revise that resume
4. Call or meet the individual
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“The easiest proposal resumes to evaluate are the ones that directly
match the functional position requirements to the accomplishments.”
- Shipley Proposal Guide

27. Back to Basic Tools and Reminders:
Example writing plan
Theme - We are bringing a cohesive team with field experience
working together at sites with similar challenges and issues. This
team incorporates our corporate values of Quality and Safety,
with roles that support overall project performance and project
delivery. Most recently, this team has worked together at Site to
remove build a shack under an ABC type contract.
Focus - highlight the experience presented as past performance
or experience in the proposal. Some of the experience in the
resumes can be presented as a “hot box” or sidebar in the rest
of the proposal, particularly if the project experience speaks to
the theme.
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28. Back to Basic Tools and Reminders:
Example writing plan
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PROJECTS:
• Need to show experience at Site first, as appropriate
• Project Other is a similar project in California
• Project Third is another Shack Building project
One Page Resumes – why was each candidate chosen for the org chart – you get this when you are still in the planning stages.
• Program/Project Manager - George Smythe
• Shack Building Project Team:
• Linda Architect – Lead Designer
• Dean Martin – project architect – Registered in State of California
• Tony Curtiss – BIM – worked on Fort Ord
• Al Pacino -
• Paul Newmann – Lead Driver – knows the client procurement
• Bruce Almighty – Senior UXO Supervisor

29. Back to Basic Tools and Reminders:
Template
Set up resume template for the individual:
• Review RFQ/RFP requirements to be sure the resume is
formatted / structured to capture all requested information
• Include notations of where additional information is needed
to complete their introduction and project experience
summaries
• Include examples
Always communicate with the individual to verify all information
for accuracy before distributing for review or to the client
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30. Back to Basic Tools and Reminders:
SF330 Format
Why they are so difficult:
1. It is a government form
2. The form forces you to make every word count
3. No room for fluff
4. Limited ability to tell the story
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31. Back to Basic Tools and Reminders:
SF330 Format Best Practices
• Early selection of projects and individuals is critical – develop project / people
matrix
• Anticipate changes in projects – identify more and write resumes longer than
needed. It is always easier to cut than to add later
• Majority of individual’s experience should represent projects in G – okay to
have some other relevant projects, but make sure relevancy is apparent
• Focus on the individual’s experience; don’t give a project description
• Create buzz work list from Solicitation notice
• Consistency between dates, project values, etc. is time consuming – start
early and develop a master list for the proposal

32. Back to Basic Tools and Reminders:
Tips from Monster.com
Don’t use: “Responsible for ______”
Reading this term, the evaluator may
think of an uninspired employee
mechanically fulfilling project
requirements -- no more, no less.
Having been responsible for something
isn’t something you did -- it’s something
that happened to you. Turn phrases like
“responsible for” into “managed,” “led”
or other decisive, strong verbs.

33. Back to Basic Tools and Reminders:
Tips from Monster.com
Don’t use: “Experience working in
______”
Experience is something that happens to
someone -- not something they achieve.
Describe their background in terms of
achievements.

34. Back to Basic Tools and Reminders:
Tips from Monster.com
Don’t use: “Detail-oriented”
So, he/she pays attention to
details. Well, so does everyone
else. Do they have something
unique to tell the evaluator?

35. Back to Basic Tools and Reminders:
Tips from Monster.com
Don’t use: “Problem-solving
skills”
You know who else has
problem-solving skills?
Monkeys. Dogs. Stick to skills
that require a human.

36. Back to Basic Tools and Reminders:
Master Resume
• Proofread the Master Resume
• Use active voice, present tense
and first person
• Add SF, start and end date, cost
• Append work-type specific
resumes on the end of the master
resume so we don't reinvent the
wheel every time we use
someone for a specific role.
• Start with a manageable number –
identify the top xx amount of people
that you routinely use and divide
that group between your local IS
team. Set a goal that your team will
update these by a certain date.
Even if we only achieve 50% of that
goal, we are in a better position for
the next time.

37. Back to Basic Tools and Reminders:
Proposal Specific Resume
• Tailor the resume introduction
paragraphs to match the RFP/SOW.
• Create a worksheet or matrix with the
project specifics and work scope. Ask
the individual to complete the matrix
and provide examples of where they
have done this type of work.
• Incorporate the individual's
"Accomplishments" (aka proofs of
performance) either as sentence(s) in
the Intro, or bullets under Relevant
Projects.
• Shred RFP for key personnel requirements
and key words.
• Develop questionnaire designed to draw
out the pertinent details. Check recent
proposals for similar questions.
• Send questionnaire to person and draft
resume. Highlight missing information
required by the individual to complete.
• Interview the person to get the answers
and more importantly the story.

38. We can continue to improve…
Start Today

39. Sources of Information
1. Proposals: How to Plan, Write and Manage a Winning Effort.
PSA Associates, Inc.
2. Shipley Proposal Guide
3. Proposing to Win
4. Insider’s Guide to SF330 Preparation. ZweigWhite
5. JacobsConnect
6. Monster.com
7. How to Get the Job You Want Even When No One’s Hiring.
Ford R. Myers
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40. Questions and Answers
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41. www.jacobs.com | worldwide8 June 2016 Jacobs© Copyright