If you visit the Women for Hire website, you can hear me speak about ways to strengthen your resume. One of the people who listened to that speech had this comment:
“The most difficult part of resume writing for me is condensing my experience and accomplishments into a handful of bullets that accurately portray my strengths in a way that grabs the hiring manager’s attention. I am getting better at condensing, but could use some tips on how to make it compelling.”
When you are describing accomplishments, start with a strong verb like “led,” “accelerated,” “increased,” or “improved.” Phrases like “was responsible for” are weak and use a lot of words to say very little.
Trade in vague adjectives (“excellent,” “highly skilled,” “well-respected”) for solid data that shows how and why you are excellent, highly skilled, and well-respected.
Use numbers (“company with 400 employees,” “revenue of $6 million,” “in less than 1 year”) rather than general statements (“large company,” “exceeded revenue expectations,” “timely”).
Read job listings closely (I cannot emphasize this enough!) to make sure you are focusing on the skills, achievements, education, and values that the company wants—then eliminate anything that does not add to your qualifications for that job.
Remember that a 1-page resume is no longer the rule. Companies welcome 2 or 3-page resumes as long as the contents are relevant.
If your resume still rambles or does not attract the responses you hoped for, contact Robin’s Resumes®.