Objective Resume Sample

Resume Checklist - Guidelines to Get Noticed FAST!

Your resume can do a lot more than land you a job interview. It can also help position you as the top candidate going into interviews, and even help you get a higher starting salary which could add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of your career.

So how do you know if you've written your resume correctly so it gives you a leading edge over other job candidates? Below is a resume checklist with ten strategies to help you write your resume and put yourself in high demand in today's job market.

1. Showcase key words. Key words are those skills listed as the job requirements in the job postings. Key words are different for every job so you need to look closely at the job description. Then, showcase all of those requirements that you meet in a section called Key Strengths, right underneath the Objective section.

2. Show results. This is the single biggest difference in making your resume stand out from all the other thousands of resumes. I do this myself, and I know this is why I get the interviews. Underneath your Key Strengths section, I list 4-5 career highlights that are results focused.

Quantify each of your career highlights in terms of dollars, percentages, or numbers. For example, let's say that you're in sales and you've brought in an average of 10 new clients per month. That's 120 clients a year, and if you've been doing that for the past 3 years, that's 360 new clients! So one of your career highlights could be, Gained approximately 360 new clients which generated $360,000 in new revenue in three years.

Also, try to quantify each of your accomplishments for every job that you list in the Experience section.

3. Show leadership and teamwork. Hiring managers look for candidates who are strong leaders, AND strong team contributors. Someone who can lead, as well as be led. So highlight your leadership skills ? and what the results were with the projects and teams that you've led. If you're just started out in your career and haven't led any projects or teams, then highlight any leadership experience you may have had in professional organizations, a sports league, in church, or any other extra-curricular activities. Also, list projects in which you were a strong team member in terms of what your role was, and what the team accomplished.

4. Be specific and clear. Don't waste your resume space (or the hiring manager's time) by using "filler" words or vague overarching comments like, "received awards for various contributions," or "launched several products." List the specific awards you received, or the names of the products you've launched. This gives your resume substance and credibility.

Don't worry if it's a product nobody's heard about or is difficult to explain on your resume. You want the hiring manager to be curious about you. That's why they have interviews ? so they can get more information about your qualifications. Be brief. Be specific. And give them enough information that will leave them wanting more.

5. Showcase yourself at the right level. I review a lot of resumes and more times than not, the resume reflects the job candidate at a much lower level than what they really are. Use strong verbs like: managed, supervised, led, orchestrated, etc.

Also, sometimes less is more. You don't need to include every job role you've ever had on your resume. When you keep lower level jobs on your resume, it brings your whole career level down a notch. And conversely, when you delete some of those lower level roles and focus on those jobs where you had more responsibilities and more significant accomplishments ? you're perceived at a level higher.

6. Use the correct format. There's a chronological format, and there's a skills-based format. Be sure to use the format that showcases you in the best way possible. Also, if you're applying for a position posted on an on-line job board, like Monster or CareerBuilder, then make sure you use the text only format.

7. Always be truthful. The last thing you want to do is to overstate what you've accomplished and get into a job that you're unqualified and inexperienced. Also, don't be embarrassed if you have any gaps in employment. It is completely normal to have gaps. Life happens. Hiring managers understand this. If you took a break for more than a year, then just list the years and write next it, Career Break.

8. Relevant, targeted and customized. Employers don't have time to read about every single skill and job that you've ever had. They just want to know, are you qualified to do their job? So spotlight only those skills and responsibilities that directly relate to that position.

Customize your resume to go for the job and company you want. A hiring manager will notice you so much more if your resume is specifically targeted to that position for which you are applying.

9. Write a personalized cover letter. Hiring managers form their first impression of you based on your resume and cover letter. So the last thing you want to do is send out a generic, mass mailing cover letter. It should be short, direct, state your key accomplishments, and be enthusiastic. Make it personal and be specific why you are passionate about going to work for that particular company.

10. Get a professional resume critique. Studies show that your resume has about 20-seconds in the hands of a hiring manager before it gets tossed into the maybe pile, or into the trash. So it needs to make a great first impression! Think of it this way ? when you walk into an interview you want to make a great first impression so you're going to dress well, wear a great pair of shoes, you're going to smile more, etc. Well your resume needs to do the same thing.

You may think that your resume is sharp looking, but are you confident it's going to help you stand out from your competition? Invest in having your resume professionally critiqued. Getting some personalized recommendations from a resume expert could not only get you more high quality job interviews, but it may also help position you at a higher level which could mean getting a higher starting salary!

Sherri Thomas is President of Career Coaching 360, an international speaker, and author of "Career Smart ? 5 Steps to a Powerful Personal Brand." Career Coaching 360 Career Coaching provides career planning, management coaching, and leadership development support to help professionals change careers quickly and easily.

MORE ARTICLES:

Reviving Your Resume
A resume may not be who you are, but to a potential employer, it may be all they see of you and make or break your chance for your next interview. While many of us either spend long hours crafting the perfect resume (or pay someone else big bucks to do it for you) and may not want to mess with perfection, not updating your resume may cause more harm than good.

Crafting A Stellar Career Summary For Your Resume
Are you a career changer?  Or, are you satisfied with your stable career but interested in updating your resume?  Are you a professional who has tried different things but are still searching for the kind of work that best suits you?  Whatever your career situation, what your resume most needs is a stellar career summary. What difference can a career summary make for you?  Here are  4 reasons why you need one in your resume: 1.

Building a Strong Resume with the Right Accountancy Jobs
A professional who wants to build a career as a successful accountant needs to know where to find good accountancy jobs. The growing number of accountancy graduates hitting the job market each year makes it difficult for qualified accountants to find well-paid positions. Your ability to hunt down accountancy jobs in the right industries at the right time will help you find work that is fulfilling over the long term.

Talent Technology Corporation’s Resume Mirror Partners with WorkStrategy
Resume Mirror partnership with WorkStrategy gives customers access to top quality ERP talent management expertise to maximize ROI of their Oracle/PeopleSoft HCM application investment.

Medical Resume Writing
There are two mediums that can assist you in attaining your goal--Your curriculum vitae (CV) and Personal Statement (PS).

Free Job Searching, Networking & Resume Tips for Job Seekers
Montgomery, Gray & Associates is a recognized authority on career transition for over 16 years. It has developed new and very successful job search, networking and resume strategies to accelerate the job search process and assist the job seeker to get in the doors for interviews.

Sample Resume Objectives: Read, Dont Copy
The resume objective statement is typically something that trips people up.Confronted by the silent challenge of the blank page, most folks Google for "sample resume objectives".

IT Resume Tips For More Interviews
As the recruitment firm that introduced IT contracting to Australia we have put together a list of do?s and don?ts for your next resume If you are in IT and want more success out of your applications then you need to follow this advice

Top 10 Resume Writing Tips to Get You the Interview
There are many reasons why you could be in the market for a new job right now. Perhaps.

Create A Rappin' Resume
(Percussion sounds emanating from who knows where while you listen to the cadence of the words below.)It's time to sell yourself.

Business Resume Tips
For most job-seekers, the resume is the only way to get your foot in the door Unfortunately, the employer probably gets so many resumes, that he barely has time to read through them all

Is Resume Distribution a Scam?
There are at least six resume distribution services that have captured the market and millions of people have used them to send targeted resume 'blasts' to recruiters and employers People like these services because they are relatively cheap and fast - it makes us feel good to know we sent our resume to thousands of targets in 24 hours

Optional Resume Sections: Deciding When (And Which) to Include
Writing a resume can be complicated if you?re not sure how to convey the message that you?re the right person for the job A good way to get this accomplished, however, is by choosing the right sections to include in your resume

Resume Tips To Take You From SAHM to WAHM
When looking for a telecommuting position, it is very important to have your resume in tip-top shape. This is often the only thing that a potential employer has to base a hiring decision on since they most likely will not be interviewing you in person, your resume has to make that great first impression for you.