Resume Value

Take a moment and ask yourself if your resume contains the dreaded and dreary words ‘responsible for’. You think it might? Ohhhh, say it isn’t so! What if I told you that the words ‘responsible for’ translate into ‘absolutely average at’ – would you still use that statement in your major marketing document?  I highly doubt it.  Might as well write: ‘no value here’ because being ‘responsible for’ something (in a resume) doesn’t say much at all.

What about the phrase “duties included”; does your resume say this? Please don’t tell me you pasted a copy of your job description(s) right into your resume!? The sad fact is, a majority of job seekers do dump generic job posting details directly into their resume, despite these adding no value.

Think about it, employers aren’t interested in what was assigned to you; they want to be told how you demonstrated related skills to successful outcomes.  Past success translates into future success, so please revisit your resume and swap out generic statements with concrete examples of achievement and results. Ensure your resume is marketing you as a valuable commodity.

Prevent yourself from coming across as completely average in your resume by avoiding copious focus on what you have been ‘responsible for’. It is a given that you were required to get certain things done; that is the whole purpose of employment. Instead, take care to appropriately emphasize related skills in your resume, along with concrete examples of success and results! Speak to employer’s buying motivators and prove to them you will add value to their open position.

If you are not sure how to set yourself apart on paper and you are not personally savvy at creating an impressive representation of your work history, employ the assistance of a professional resume strategist – who can extract the unique worth of your skill sets and effectively communicate your key messages.