Top 10 Resume Tip #4 – Use a Resume Target

The resounding theme of these resume tips is focus your resume.

Resume targets or banner headlines catch your attention just like a well-planned commercial or signboard does. You need to capture the attention of the reader to ensure your resume will be read.

We pause when we see something that alerts us to new knowledge.

On a resume, the resume target replaces the worn out objective statement. You know — the one that drones on like this: “To obtain a challenging position in blah, blah blah field or industry to allow me to grow and expand my skills in blah blah blah.” If that’s still on your resume, go remove it right now and come back here.

You’re back? Good. Now, what is it that you are targeting on your resume?

Yes, I did say you need to target the resume.

Your focus or resume target shows why you are uniquely qualified to do the job.

Banner headlines help you do this. Here are the resume targets from recent client resumes:

Customer Service Management | Sales Management
Compassionate Family Practice Physician
Director of Strategic Programs
Sales Management

National Sales Manager | Sales Director | Key Accounts Manager
AV | IT | Facilities Technology Program Manager
Executive Assistant
Pediatric Cardiac Sonographer | Clinical Instructor

What strategies do you use to set off your resume target?

Place your banner in a text box
Set your resume target off with lines
Center your resume target in bold
Use bold in the first line of the resume to showcase your resume target.

The banner is your target position, not your current title you have but it can easily be both. Often, I need to explain this to job seekers. The employer wants to know what position you are seeking. They can easily scan resumes to eliminate people who submitted resumes for positions that the job seeker doesn’t fit. Employers want to know you actually read the job position and aren’t randomly pointing and clicking to apply for every position you see.

Does this help you understand the value of a banner headline or resume target?

I work with job seekers to create targeted resumes to help them get their dream jobs. Learn more.

3 Comments

Ed Han on November 30, 2011 at 6:59 am

Julie, I love it! It’s a lot quicker than a Summary, and it would do double-duty as a LinkedIn headline as well!
- Julie Walraven on November 30, 2011 at 10:09 am
  
  True enough, Ed. I still use a modified summary in resumes under the banner but yes, I often use part of it as the banner headline for LinkedIn.