Get unstuck with these 26resume writing tips

The ABC’s of

Powerful

ResumesA publication by

Match Resumes and Careers

www.matchresumesandcareers.com

Your talents and expertise are valuable!

As you begin your job search and discover the increasingly competitive job

market, think about your past accomplishments and contributions. The key to

creating a powerful resume is differentiation. Communicating the value you bring

to employers will make your resume stand out.

An effective resume creates a picture of relevant knowledge, action, and results.

Carefully read the job announcement and determine specific qualifications to

highlight. Think of your resume as a marketing document designed to sell YOU.

Keep in mind, the number one purpose of the resume is to get the interview.

INTRO

A Resume’s Attention Grabbing Characteristics

FIRST IMPRESSION5 … F

• Organized

• Professional

• Clarity

• Easy to Scan

• Writing quality

• Spelling, grammar

QUALIFICATIONS

… F

• Experience

• Education

• Professional skills

• Technical skills

• Transferrable skills

• Job spec matches

PROBLEM SOLVING

… F

• Proof of abilities

• Success stories

• Progression

• Rewards

• Goal oriented

• Teamwork

1 2 3

Here we go

I am going to walk you through an A-Z list of best practices for creating your

masterpiece resume.

Increase your interview opportunities

Put you ahead of competing candidates

Entice recruiters to want to know more about you

26 essential elements that’ll make

your resume attract attention.

Resume writing ABC’s

Accomplishment statements—

Incorporate success stories that

demonstrate your expertise and

prove your value at work.

A

Resume writing ABC’s

Bullets with metrics—Use three to

five high impact concise

statements for current and

previous jobs to showcase

qualifications and achievements.

B

Resume writing ABC’s

Clarity – A well-organized resume

that is prioritized to the particular

job application will be interesting to

the reader compared with a

generic format.

C

Resume writing ABC’s

Differentiation—Beat the

competition with details and

success stories that set you apart

from other candidates who have

similar basic qualifications.

D

Resume writing ABC’s

Expertise—Employers are looking

for specific problem solving

capabilities. ‘Advertise’ your

expertise and provide proof in your

achievement examples.

E

Resume writing ABC’s

Focused—A resume that is

focused on the position, the

company’s issues, and the

company culture communicates

the candidate’s genuine interest

and motivation.

F

Resume writing ABC’s

Gaps in employment history—

Employers prefer consistent work

history, so use an appropriate

strategy to address periods of time

off from working.

G

Resume writing ABC’s

Headline—Create a visually

appealing headline with a large

font for your name. Below it include

your phone, email, LinkedIn url,

city and state. Next list the job title

instead of an objective.

H

Resume writing ABC’s

Interviewable—an effective

resume will present talking points

for your interviews. Inspire readers

to want to know more about your

past successes.

I

Resume writing ABC’s

Job history with context—

Incorporate numbers and metrics

such as dollars, percentages, and

improvement measures to provide

context to accomplishment

statements.

J

Resume writing ABC’s

Keywords—Sprinkle career

documents with specific industry

buzzwords, qualifications, skills,

software and technology

competencies, and relevant

credentials.

K

Resume writing ABC’s

LinkedIn—Utilize this *FREE

professional resource to serve as

your online profile and networking

platform. Include your LinkedIn

customized URL on your resume.*Note: premium LinkedIn subscriptions may be

beneficial to certain job seekers.

L

Resume writing ABC’s

Marketing oriented—A resume’s

main purpose is to capture the

interest of an employer and get

you an interview. It is your

professional expertise

advertisement.

M

Resume writing ABC’s

Needs based—Answer the needs

of the employer by customizing the

resume for each application.

Generic resumes rarely work.

Recruiters screen resumes for

specific qualifications.

N

Resume writing ABC’s

One or two pages? A good rule to

thumb is one page for less than

five years’ work experience and up

to two pages for higher career

levels and more experience.

O

Resume writing ABC’s

Position title—Reference the

specific job title for the target

position in the resume and/or cover

letter to grab the reader’s attention

and provide clarity.

P

Resume writing ABC’s

Qualifications—Meticulously

incorporate the specific

qualifications language from the

job announcement to ensure any

reader can determine your resume

is a good match for the position.

Q

Resume writing ABC’s

Results oriented—Prove your

value with examples of past

achievements supported by value

impacts to current and past

employers.

R

Resume writing ABC’s

Skills/Expertise—Clearly state you

have the capabilities to solve the

specific problems of the employer.

Readers typically scan the first 3rd

of the document to confirm

qualifications.

S

Resume writing ABC’s

Technical competency—Most jobs

require technical experience and

knowledge in specific areas. An

expertise section on the resume

makes it easy for the reader to

verify these requirements.

T

Resume writing ABC’s

Uncrowded—Resumes are

usually scanned in less than 10

seconds. Avoid filling the pages

with dense text and small margins.

Make it easy for the reader to

quickly capture your relevant

qualifications.

U

Resume writing ABC’s

Visually appealing—Impress the

reader with a well organized

document. Remember, your

resume is your first impression,

make it a good one.

V

Resume writing ABC’s

White space—Clean and wide

margins, and spacing between

sections improves the readability

of your document. It is better to

use two pages than to cram every

detail onto one page.

W

Resume writing ABC’s

X-ray vision—Proof read your

document as if you could see

through it! Spelling and grammar

mistakes are widely referred to by

recruiters as reasons for resume

rejection.

X

Resume writing ABC’s

Years of Experience—Referencing

work experience from twenty years

ago may not be necessary if it

doesn’t add relevant value to the

resume.

Y

Resume writing ABC’s

Zeal—Paint a picture of passion

and zeal for professional success.

Referencing your

accomplishments, awards, and

contributions to your employers

shows the reader you are

enthusiastic about your work.

Z

Resume writing ABC’s

The ABC’s of resume writing are incorporated in custom career

documents produced by Match Resumes and Careers. Serving clients

who prefer collaborating with a certified professional resume writer, we

accelerate the job search, and win targeted opportunities and better

compensation.

For a free consultation please contact Deborah Olson,CPRW; owner

and certified resume writer at Match Resumes and Careers.

www.matchresumesandcareers.com

206.310.7357

A-Z