The Resume.Com Guide to Writing Unbeatable Resumes (10 page)

To expand your headline, you can always use the word “including” after you introduce your key attribute. Breaking down our last example, notice how each word helps move the sentence to its conclusion:

Using this type of headline allows you to include numerous duties in one sentence and will expand the openings you can apply for.

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Dedicated finance professional with 11 years of experience in accounts payable, shipping, and inventory management

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Experienced retail sales professional with strong track record of developing customer loyalty and managing retail sales operations

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An effective networking professional with noted success completing numerous projects on time and within budget

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District manager offering exemplary rapport with prospects and five years of proven experience in medical software sales

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Hardworking videographer and multimedia artist with solid background and education in design, photography, and film

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An accomplished sales professional with proven entrepreneurial success and expertise in computer programming, management, and employee training

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A creative management major with a positive attitude and experience in sales and customer satisfaction seeks entry-level position with telemarketing firm

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Accomplished IT professional whose continued advancement in database design, system analysis, and application development predicts continued management success

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Talented administrative professional with over 20 years of experience providing outstanding support to entertainment-industry executives

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Talented administrative and operations management professional with exceptional Fortune 500 background

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Recent masters graduate fluent in Korean and English with strong international business acumen and outstanding background in document translation

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An experienced, detail-oriented systems engineer with strong sales, marketing, and project management skills

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Highly qualified and dynamic professional with expertise in payroll administration, insurance claims processing, and office management

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Top-performing sales and marketing manager with demonstrated ability to increase revenues through creative marketing techniques and exceptional negotiation skills

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An imaginative interior design major with a positive outlook and experience in office protocol and administration

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Dynamic financial professional with demonstrated expertise in product cost and inventory management

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A highly successful distribution systems manager skilled in database design, technology enhancements, and operations

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An experienced, self-motivated business management professional with outstanding customer service and corporate development skills

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A highly experienced senior financial manager with extensive financial planning, profitability analysis, and project management skills

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Talented manager with nine years of leadership experience in warehouse management, possessing dynamic teaming and interpersonal skills

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Talented and well-educated UC Berkeley graduate with successful academic background seeks entry-level opportunity within marketing or public relations field

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A strategic, visionary marketing professional with a master’s degree and extensive experience in new market expansions, new product development, and B2B marketing

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Accomplished machinist with more than 20 years of experience and strong record of successfully resolving critical, time-sensitive problems

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A uniquely experienced bookkeeper and office support technician skilled in accounting software, product quality control, and Website design

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A highly qualified industrial sales and servicing professional with proven track record seeks opportunity to demonstrate technical skills

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Multi-faceted UNIX system administrator with exceptional background in software design, development, and testing; adept at creating key solutions to complex problems

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Talented finance student with strong management skills and demonstrated record of academic success seeks position in business and finance industry

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Award-winning, motivated sales manager with proven track record exceeding targets and building and developing highly profitable accounts

When you think about the 10-second rule, which states that your resume has only 10 seconds to make the cut or be rejected by a potential employer, you realize how important it is to impress an employer right from the start. The Summary of Qualifications is designed to maximize the success of your resume within these tight time constraints.

The Summary of Qualifications directly follows the headline and is a key component of building your professional worth. This section should include the highlights of your professional or academic career, including the key achievements, skills, and talents you can offer a new employer. You should include at least five bullets that discuss these characteristics, but this section should never exceed eight bullets; that would make the resume appear too text-heavy.

The Summary of Qualifications can include:

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Years of experience and the areas of expertise within your field

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Awards or recognition

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Industry-specific certifications or professional training

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“Soft skills,” which are skills that are difficult to quantify, such as communication skills or office administration skills such as “multitasking”

This section is considered your “moment of truth” in an employer’s eyes, so don’t be modest about your greatest selling points. We guarantee that your competition won’t be.

As most hirers will reject your resume if they don’t like what they see in this section, the Summary of Qualifications is vital to getting noticed by hirers.

Bullets play a vital role in accentuating your most valuable skills, accomplishments, and achievements. These are the one- or two-line sentences that
highlight your greatest selling points, indicating why you are the best candidate for the job. Much like headlines, bullets grab the hirer’s attention. Here is a sample bullet:

• Recognized with promotions of increasing responsibility for outstanding work ethic.

There are numerous ways to create effective bullets, and this will depend primarily on your personal background. For example, here are ways to impress employers based on three specific professions:

If you have extensive experience in sales, your resume should be filled with accomplishment statement that use statistics and hard data to highlight your achievements. To convey to an employer that you’re too valuable to pass by, show precisely how your previous sales experience affected the company’s bottom line. As we discussed in
Chapter 1
, use quantifiable results, including:

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Total sales:

Generated $380,000 in sales over six-month period.

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Type of product sold:

Extensive background working with cybernetics and fiber optics.

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Number of times you’ve broken your quota:

Exceeded quota 125% five times during first six months of employment.

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Any awards based on performance:

Received “Sales Manager of the Year Award,” 2003.

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Any accounts that you’ve brought to the company or taken away from the competition:

Adept at penetrating crowded territories and increasing market share.

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Any geographic areas that you oversee, including territories or states:

Oversaw tristate region for four years, growing sales 288% annually.

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Types of sales, such as inside or outside:

Strong experience in both inside and outside sales.

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Any training of junior employees that you’ve provided:

Trained and mentored 11 junior employees on sales techniques.

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Communication skills and developing strong relationships with clients are the mark of a good salesman. Aim to include at least one bullet that focuses on this particular area:

Adept at building powerful working relationships with diverse range of clientele.

PROFESSIONAL FOCUS: MANAGEMENT

Management professionals need to stress the intrinsic value that they bring to a company through both hard data and proof of leadership abilities. Managers occupy a special place in an employer’s organization; they are trusted with making split-second judgment calls and are in essence the key to motivating staff and ensuring high levels of productivity.

Here are some areas management professionals focus on:

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Number of employees they oversee: