Five
resume writing strategies from a career coach's secret toolkit
Nimish Thakkar, MS, MBA,
CCMC, CPRW
SaiCareers.com
Ever
wonder how career coaches transform ordinary resumes into wow
documents. Career coaches and resume writers, depending on their
training and background, use a variety of techniques to add “punch” to
their clients’ resumes. I am going to share a few commonly-used
techniques in this article.
1. Speak the employer’s language
Every profession has a unique set of buzzwords (keywords). Using the
right keywords will not only add credibility to the resume, but it
will also make your resume searchable. How? Most companies use
electronic storage and retrieval systems to manage the large volume of
resumes they receive every day. Whenever an opening arises, HR
professionals use keywords to search through their database. Only
resumes with matching keywords will show up during these searches.
2. Focus on your accomplishments
Most resumes use statements like “Responsible for sales and
marketing.” What does this tell the employer? Nothing. Hundreds of
resumes on the employer’s desk would be saying the same thing.
How about this: “Generate sales in excess of $500,000 every month by
targeting client base of 1,900 accounts.”
Even better: “Propelled market share 12% by driving over $500,000 in
sales every month. Achieved results by delivering powerful
presentations and influencing challenging decision makers. Ranked #1
from sales force of 2,000 employees nationwide. Won Top Salesman of
the Year award for capturing 80% of competitor’s accounts.
3. Highlight benefits, not features
If car manufacturer XYZ says, “Our car is red,” that is a feature.
When the same car manufacturer says, “Our cutting-edge car will
deliver record-breaking 80 mpg and save you at least $350 at the pump
every month” -- that is a benefit. Your resume, too, must use similar
language, especially to showcase your work at past employers. In the
above example, “Responsible for sales and marketing” is a feature but
“Propelled market share 12%” … and “Captured 80% of competitor’s
accounts” would be benefits.
4. Format effectively
An effectively-formatted, well-organized resume can reduce reading
time dramatically. Imagine how pleased the hiring manager would be to
review a resume that highlights key quickly.
5. Stay focused
The modern workforce is multi-skilled and cross-functional in the
truest sense of those terms. Flat organizational structures have
necessitated cross-training and have created a new breed of workers
who can adapt to newer roles very quickly. Even if you are qualified
for multiple positions, don’t try to create one resume for every job
on earth. Staying focused is the key.
Related Articles:
Is your resume not working? Six tips to avoid a resume disaster
Career Accomplishments: The key to a powerful resume
Are resume objectives passe
Should my resume be limited to just one page
Write a dynamite cover letter to improve your
chances
Eleven tips for writing a good cover letter
Nimish Thakkar is a sought-after certified
career management coach. He has helped thousands of clients, including
professionals at Fortune 500 companies, through cutting-edge career
management tools. Thakkar has authored hundreds of articles and is
regularly invited to speak on a wide range of career-related issues.
Nimish edits and manages a
free career information site,
SaiCareers.com, and is the CEO of a
professional resume writing service,
ResumeCorner.com.
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