Page 204 - Complete Idiot's Guide to The Perfect Resume

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Part 3 ➤ So, You Need a Special Resume

Likewise, Ronald Reagan’s resume might read:
➤ 40th President of the United States
➤ Known as the “Great Communicator” who drastically improved
U.S. relations with the Soviet Union

The achievement resume is also a marvelous way to throw attention
Career Casualty
onto your strengths while de-emphasizing a weak or complicated
Don’t think that a one-page employment history. Using this format, I’ve created dynamite resumes
resume makes you look like a for many a client whose career history was a mess.
lightweight. On the contrary, a
heavyweight professional can make Asking the Right Question
a strong impression with just a few
carefully chosen lines of print. The key question to ask yourself when writing your achievement state-
ments for this type of resume is “How does the potential employer
define success for the position I’m seeking?” Let the four or five
achievement statements in the body of your resume answer that all-
important question. When you’ve done that, you’ve snagged employ-
ers into calling you for an interview to talk about how your new job
would impact their bottom line.

Oooh, You’re Going to Look Great!
Terms of Employment
An achievement resume looks like a functional resume except that it
Bottom line means different
doesn’t have skill headings (in other words, you aren’t going to cate-
things to different folks. In for-
gorize your skills) in the body of the resume. Instead it just lists five
profit organizations, the bottom
or six strong, relevant achievements under a main heading such as
line is measured by revenue,
Professional Accomplishments or Selected Achievements. Look through
savings, and profit. In nonprofit
your old performance evaluations to find references to relevant
organizations, the bottom line may
achievements and quotable quotes for your resume.
be program effectiveness, enroll-
ment, or budget growth. The key The following template represents an achievement resume. It’s followed
to writing effective achievement by five achievement resumes by real job seekers. A scan of these
statements on your resume is to resumes will tell you that the job seeker in each case is a winner in
understand the reader’s bottom his or her field. That’s the beauty of this format!
line.

Bonus Check
Use the following template as a springboard to launch your one-of-a kind achievement
resume. You can do that by answering only the questions that fit your situation, brain-
storming on your own to come up with dynamite statements, and being creative with the
layout so that it reflects your personality.

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