How to write an excellent job winning resume

To begin a discussion of what makes an excellent job winning resume, we have to eliminate some of the myths and misconceptions of what a resume is and how it should be written.

What doesn’t make a job winning resume?

If you begin your resume with an objective statement, you immediately date yourself and make the reader move on to the next candidate.

Eliminate Objective statements

An objective statement usually begins: To obtain a position that will use my ______ talents in _____ and provide opportunities to grow in skills in XYZ.

Today’s resumes are read quickly.

Replace me-focused objective statements with a target or banner headline:

Senior Executive in Marketing

Vice President, AI and Data Analytics

Vice President, Cybersecurity

Vice President, Product to Marketing

Chief Operating Officer

Senior Director, Treasury and Risk Management

Staff Accountant

Mechanical Engineer

This is the job you want – not the one you have now.

Jason Alba invited me to answer questions in this article on the JibberJobber blog – Resume Objective Statements: Objecting to Objective Statements on Résumés 

Jason: What is the objective statement? Julie: From my perspective, Jason, the better question is “What was the objective statement?” The traditional objective statement, such as “I want a position that offers a challenge working with a committed team of people in a progressive environment.” This is archaic phrasing that went away years ago.

Eliminate repetitive job descriptions that offer little value. First of all, a resume should never be a job description. It might include things that could be in your job description but you need to show your value.

What makes a job winning resume?

Accomplishments demonstrate your value:

• Business Process Standardization – Positioned IT as the driver of business process standardization and improvement across ABC Distribution Center (DC) business, cut application enhancement by 50%.
• Business Transformation – Internalized previously outsourced Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) process by implementing server base Sterling EDI solution, saving $200K costs in one year.
• Talent Acquisition Strategies – Designed an effective talent acquisition strategy to streamline the recruiting process, including creating and enhancing the Careers website. Emphasized employee-company relationships, demonstrated the value of the employees, and used web networking tools to reduce recruiting costs by 55%.
• Program Management – Deployed new $4 million cross-functional Global Testing Standards and Methods authoring system. Incorporated cross-divisional process enhancements and delivered 6% decrease in commercial authoring times.

What adds to your resume?

Showcase your value. Add an opening section with highlights, such as Leadership Success Highlights or Selected Accomplishments. This begins the resume with your “best stuff.” Beyond that, your resume should resonate with your value throughout. Your resume should include quantified value, include numbers to substantiate your statements whenever possible.

Research and include keywords for your field. Note that in the bullets above, there is a keyword to lead each bullet. This strategy adds more keywords in the resume but also helps the human reader move more quickly through the resume.

Land your next role! As the pioneer of unique resume writing services and strategy, I use interactive live writing and coaching sessions to capture your value. I bring out your passion and find your stories as I dig deep into your experiences with you. Learn more here