Resume Help: How to Create Positive Energy on Your Resume
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Today’s resume example is very bland. It does not compel the reader to take action. One of the most common resume mistakes is to list one’s career history using very bland descriptions for each job. Some candidates take a short cut by copying and pasting a job description provided by the candidate’s former employer. A resume should have positive energy. The purpose is to motivate the reader to contact the candidate for a job interview. Today’s resume is so low energy that we can barely detect a pulse. Don’t worry, we have resume help!
Separate the Top Accomplishments from the Job Overview
This candidate’s top accomplishments are what separate him from the crowd. We want to highlight those top accomplishments. Let’s examine the entire content for the position. Divide the content into two categories: Job overview and top accomplishments. The overview describes the scope of authority and major job functions. That overview is best described in a paragraph comprised of short phrases. The top accomplishments are best illustrated in bulleted statements, also comprised of short phrases.
Start with a Powerful Verb
Begin each statement with a power punch. In other words, use powerful verbs. Phrases beginning with “Responsible for” are passive and don’t show the action. It says you were responsible for the tasks but did you deliver? Start with a strong verb, such as “Increased,” “Spearheaded,” “Directed,” or “Surpassed” and there is no doubt, you did it.
Lead with the Result
If it takes you three lines and 50 words to say what you did, you may lose the reader before they reach word 37. At the end of that long statement, you mention that what you did: “resulted in a 24% increase in throughput,” you are not knocking the reader’s socks off. Get your results highlighted early on in the statement. Grab the reader’s attention with an example of success.
Invigorate your resume and create positive energy through the above three simple steps. Would you like to read more on this subject? If so, check out these blogs: