Three Things Every Resume Should Have
Apr 19th, 2009 | By Bill | Category: Employment NewsA winning resume goes beyond the basics of contact information, chronological work experience and your education. To have your resume stand out above the hundreds of others, you need to take it to another level. Here are three tips for improving your resume to get you noticed:
An objective with focus – A resume which doesn’t have an objective is like having an airplane ticket with no destination. It’s a huge investment in ambiguity. Tell your employer exactly what you are looking for. Make it sound focused and dynamic. It doesn’t have to be more than one statement and avoid using “I” or “my”. An example is, “a strategic role in Customer Service Management in a fast-paced environment”. Simple and yet direct.
Accomplishments – Employers are no longer looking for WHAT you did, but HOW WELL you did it. Don’t simply list all of your duties and responsibilities. Make at least one or two bullet items illustrate what you achieved. For example, “saved the company $2 million by implementing a new tracking database” OR “achieved 130% of quota for three quarters in a row.” Put these in bold so they catch the readers eye.
Personal Attributes – When I read a resume, I like to know more about the person. It’s difficult to convey this in a document, so add a section titled “personal attributes”. List several power words which describe you and your work style and put them in a phrase. Words that work well include, enthusiastic, high energy, strong work ethic, strategic thinker, innovative, creative, hard working, dedicated, loyal and team player. Just remember to think about what exactly you want your resume reader to know about you and keep it professional. Things like “strong family man” and “active church member” don’t relate to the job and therefore, don’t belong on your resume.
Take your resume up a notch by including these three aspects in your resume. You will convey more about what you can offer an employer and stand out above the others!
Claudia Loens is a Silicon Valley based Recruiter with over 20 years of experience. Now, she brings her expertise and insider secrets to the job seeker in her new book “Get Happily Employed Now” Learn how to apply modern techniques and the Law of Attraction to find the perfect job at http://www.happilyemployednow.com Learn more about her job search coaching services at http://www.claudialoens.com
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Good article, and I’m on board with the first 2. Although I agree that personal attributes, strengths and talents can add some flavor to a resume, as a recruiter I often skim over those sections as non-quantifiable personal opinions of oneself. Everyone is a “motivated detail oriented self starter.” I am primarily concerned with the objective and measurable accomplishments. The rest can be gleaned on an interview or assessment once basic qualification has been established.