The headline on your resume (the line immediately under your name and contact information) briefly describes the position you want. It might make the difference between a resume that is read and one that is ignored. Keep the following rules in mind.
Rule 1. Do not block yourself from consideration by focusing on a job title that is too narrow. First, your skills, accomplishments, and education might fit you for many different positions. Second, the responsibilities of a President in one company might be the responsibilities of a CEO or COO in another; an Executive Secretary in one company might be an Office Manager in another. Do not limit yourself by your current job title in your current company. An example of a headline that reflects an applicant’s wider talents and functions is: PROJECT MANAGER | LEAD PROJECT ENGINEER.
Rule 2. Try to incorporate keywords into the headline. These keywords should highlight your areas of expertise and the keywords that hiring managers, recruiters, and applicant tracking systems are most likely to search for. Moreover, they will help keep your target job title from being too broad. For example:
DIRECTOR OF PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS
Financial | Internet | Health Care
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
SAP | Manufacturing | Pharmaceuticals | Supply Chain
Rule 3. Make sure you have a headline. You lose a major opportunity if you leave the headline blank for any reason. Hiring managers and recruiters will not burrow into your resume to discover what job matches your qualifications. You have to tell them. The headline is your opportunity to do that in the first two seconds of their search for the ideal candidate.
Rule 4. Use your headline on LinkedIn and other professional social media sites to make you and your “brand” immediately recognizable. You want to have a consistent online presence, as that builds the likelihood that someone looking for someone with your qualifications will find—you!
Writing a brief but impactful headline is an art; but it is also part of the normal services of Robin’s Resumes®. Contact us today so that we can get started on your resume.