Are you
a slave to your past?
You may be ... if your resume focuses only on the duties you’ve held,
instead of the results you can produce.
Doing so will limit your career progress.
Let’s fix that.
Let’s write a resume that makes employers pick up the phone, call
you for an interview and ask: “Can you do that for me, too?”
Here’s how, using “before” and “after” examples from actual resumes.
1) Start with the right opening statement. Focus on what you can DO
for an employer, not on what you want from that employer.
This “before” example misses badly:
OBJECTIVE
My objective is to find a job that is challenging, and a job that
will utilize my four year degree. Wrong. Employers don’t really care
if you’re challenged or if you picked the right major in college.
Here’s how I rewrote that opening:
OBJECTIVE
Seeking inside sales/support position where sales, client service
and technical skills will add value See the difference? Make it bold
and obvious what you want to do in your next job.
2) Most important information goes first.
As a rule, the more relevant the information is to the job you want,
the closer it should be to the top of your resume.
Example: if you’re a recent college grad with an MIS degree, who wants
a job in computer programming, your resume could follow this order:
OBJECTIVE
COMPUTER SKILLS
EDUCATION
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
If you’re a retail manager with 10 years of experience and a degree
not related to retail, you could follow this order on your resume:
OBJECTIVE
MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
EDUCATION
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Shoot your big guns first. Never assume busy employers will read every
word of your resume.
3)
Make your value obvious to employers. Here’s where almost everybody
could use a little help. To stand out from the hundreds of resumes
most employers see every week, you MUST turn duties and responsibilities
into specific results on your resume.
It’s a major shift in thinking that will pay huge dividends in your
job search.
Done right, employers reading your resume will think: “This person
can do just what I’m looking for!”
This “before” example comes from a client who wanted a job in sales.
Here’s how he described his latest position, in customer service:
· “This job gave me a good look at the financial aspect of customer
service. I learned how to deal with volatile customers, and mastered
the art of defusing a hot customer.”
But what does this have to do with sales? Nothing, really.
Since all sales managers want sales reps who are competitive and beat
goals, I rewrote that description with his desired sales job in mind,
like this:
· “Regularly exceeded goals by providing service during 80% of available
time, ranking in top 10% of employees for efficient handling of inquiries.”
(He left his bank teller job and got a great position in sales last
month, by the way.)
You can do this, too.
By focusing on what you can do, putting the elements in relevant order,
and proving your value with specific achievements, your next resume
could be your ticket to a new and better job.
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Copyright © 2002 by Kevin Donlin
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Kevin Donlin is Managing Editor of 1 Day Resumes. The 1DR writers provide same-day, one-on-one resume writing assistance. He is also author of "Resume and Cover Letter Secrets Revealed," a do-it-yourself manual that will help you find a job in 30 days ... or your money back. For more information, please visit Guaranteed Resumes
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