HOW TO CREATE AN AWARD WINNING RESUME IN 3 EASY STEPS, by Jo-Ann Fair
LINK to original source and complete article (below is a summary)
It only takes 3 meaningful steps to create an award winning resume that gets noticed by recruiters, HR professionals or hiring managers, and it has to be value-based. Meaning it has to show a prospective employer how you can contribute to their bottom line, solve their problems, and meet their needs. It has to show that value quickly and up front where it counts. You have 15-20 seconds to make an impression, so why leave important details that are specific to the job you are applying for at the end?
(A value based resume answers the question "Why should I hire you")
There are only 3 important sections of your resume that will make it a value-based one, the heading, the showcase, and the evidence.
Step #1: The Heading
This is your 1st step and the easiest to do. The heading includes the basic contact information for the hiring employer to reach you. It generally includes your name, street address, city or town, state, zip code, a telephone number to reach you at (home and/or cell phone), and your email address. It’s okay to put the name that people call you by... I wouldn’t use a PO Box, and your email should be a professional one.
Step #2: The Showcase
Here’s where you are going to show your value to a prospective employer, so it’s the most crucial part of your resume. It has to answer the question “Why should I hire you?” This may be the most difficult part to create. It has to be hard-hitting, impactful and clearly communicate your value, so you need to take some time when creating this part.
Sit down and write everything about yourself that makes you unique with each position you had from the current to the previous. Ask your friends and colleagues what they like most about you. Remember employers want to know how you can make a difference in their organization and enhance their bottom line. Your intentions are to spark enough interest in the reader to read the rest of your resume in 2-5 short phrases using a creative format.
Step #3: The Evidence
This last section is simply going to include the rest of your resume such as employment history, education, any certifications, awards, recognitions, or affiliates not included in the showcase section, and it has to back up what you stated in the showcase section, that’s why it’s called “the evidence”. If you included a Career Summary and a Professional Strengths section, then a hiring manager better see the evidence here.
When listing your work history, don’t just list job duties, and try to stay away from the phrase “Responsible for”. Accomplishments or achievements get you hired, not job responsibilities. The hiring manager already knows the responsibilities of the position they are trying to fill. Can you see why I said previously in Step #2, write your resume from an employer’s point of view, not yours, because it’s the employer that is your audience. It makes sense to do so.
If I’m looking to hire an administrative assistant, I already know what they do. All administrative assistants basically do the same thing. So, what’s going to separate you from the other 200 administrative assistants that sent me their resumes? You really need to think about that. Refer back to the list of things you wrote about you in Step #2, and incorporate it into your work history.
You’re going to list only those things that brought the greatest rewards or results to your employer. I can’t write that for you, you have to know these things about yourself. Only you know you! Make sense? Anywhere you can use quantitative measurements, use them, especially in a sales position. Numbers speak louder than words.
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