Page 118 - Complete Idiot's Guide to The Perfect Resume

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Part 2 ➤ Six Steps to a Perfect Resume

Don’t get me wrong—the meanings behind most of those phrases are wonderful and may
be perfectly true for you. But because these clichés appear on almost everyone’s resume,
they don’t have punch and, frankly, are not taken seriously.

Bonus Check

Writing your Summary of Qualifications section is a great way to prepare for in-person
introductions at networking events. In such quick conversations, you’ll want to say the
most impressive things about yourself in less than a minute. Although you don’t want to
recite your Summary of Qualifications verbatim, you can talk naturally about the ideas
you’ve developed for that section.

Before you put a sentence in your Summary of Qualifications, ask your-
self: Is it a grabber? Is it news to the reader? If it’s what everyone else
says, it’s not news, and it won’t grab the reader. It has to be said in a
way that’s remarkable and memorable.
Always make your point as concretely as possible. Use facts to create
credibility and to instill a sense that you are unlike any other candi-
Job-Hunt Hint date applying for the job. Ask yourself the following questions:
Throughout the resume, write in ➤ What specifically have I done that demonstrates that I have the
the first person without using desired quality?
pronouns. In other words, phrase
➤ How do my skills translate into success at my next job?
your statements as though you
were talking about yourself
Here are some examples of what I mean:
without saying I. For example,
write “Understand the art of ➤ Fred was applying for a pizza-delivery position. Because this type
conflict resolution” instead of of employment has a high turnover rate, he felt his reliability
“I understand the art of conflict was a marketable asset. So instead of writing “Excellent record of
resolution.”
attendance,” he wrote, “Never missed a day of work in 11
months.”
➤ When Sandy was going for a customer service position, she knew
the potential employer was looking for someone with excellent
communication skills. She wrote, “Deemed Customer Service Rep
of the Month for resolving problems diplomatically.”
➤ Instead of “Goal-oriented professional,” Frank wrote, “Exceeded quotas for four con-
secutive years,” on his resume for a sales position.

For more ideas on Summary of Qualifications statements, browse through the following
two resumes.

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