Resume Help: What is Important to the Reader

When I first read Mark’s resume I was not certain what type of position he was seeking.  Is he a salesperson who specializes in personal services to celebrities?  Is he providing these services himself?  He states in his third line that he provided services.  What is his goal?   Is he seeking a personal services assistant position or a sales position?   Is he seeking work that involves celebrities?  He used 4 lines to list names of films and names of celebrities and politicians, but it is unclear as to what he is really looking for. Currently, that simply looks like name-dropping.

Besides an unclear picture of his career goal, Mark is not in sync with what is important to the reader. That’s one of the major issues with Mark’s resume.  The first third of his resume includes information that is not important to a hiring manager.   Here are a few examples of what Mark can do to improve his resume and better connect with the reader.

* The first line of the resume should clearly define the value Mark offers as it relates to his career goal. This would be a better opening for his summary: “Polished sales professional with record of increasing revenue as much as 50%. Expertise in personal services industry, catering to unique needs of celebrities and government officials.”

* Mark lists nine celebrity names (all fictionalized in this example).  However, choosing the top three would be a better strategy.  This allows Mark more space for other valuable details. Three names in the profile will have a nice impact and he can include more names in the job description area.

* Mark’s first draft listed three bullets under the “Skills” section.  All three of those skills are rather weak.  After talking with Mark, I know he has much stronger skills that we can showcase. It is unnecessary to list basic skills that are expected of all candidates..  Showcasing stronger skills that are tailored to the role would produce better results.

Mark is a great candidate and after a rewrite, his resume will help him secure the right interviews leading to his next opportunity.  Including information that is not important to the reader is a very common mistake. To be sure your resume is aligned with the needs of the hiring employer, study the job posting.  Be sure you are communicating your most relevant skills and accomplishments based on the posting.  If you would like help updating your resume, contact me. 

If you would like to read more about résumé accomplishments, check out these articles:

Résumé Help: Asking Questions to Uncover Accomplishments

Résumé Help:  Responsible for a Bad Résumé

Résumé Help:  Formatting the Professional Experience Section