Does your resume send a powerful message? Is it aesthetically pleasing, accurate, professional, positive and accomplishment- based? If so, you will send a powerful message to the decision maker and secure their consideration in you as a potential candidate.
In short, a resume is an accomplishment-based or performance-based document that clearly accentuates your achievements. Future employers are considering you as a potential candidate because you can save them money, boost productivity, enhance the bottom line, streamline operations and yes, eliminate personnel. You must send a powerful message that will emphasize your ability to fulfill their mandate. To achieve this, clearly state your accomplishments and past performance using the STAR technique.
What are your greatest quantifiable accomplishments? Will they impress the reader and send a powerful message highlighting your potential to achieve results for them? Clearly state the actions taken and the achieved results based on the STAR technique:
S – Situation
T – Task
A – Action
R – Result
Vice President, Sales – Key accomplishment:
- Played a pivotal role during the high profile acquisition of a 125,000 sq. ft. food manufacturing facility.
- Directed a seamless transition of external manufacturing operations from Hamilton and Kitchener to Oshawa without interruption to customer service.
- Negotiated multi-year, multi-million dollar supply contracts with Fortune 500 companies.
- Directed food production plant audits and production trial approvals.
- Catapulted annual export sales by $16.2 million, contributed to a $4.2 million profit while delivering $2 million dollars in cost savings.
“Increased annual sales” does not send a powerful message however, “Catapulted annual export sales by $16.2 million” does. Use numbers to reflect how much, how many or the percentage of gain or reduction you achieved. Emphasize the amounts associated with profit, cost reductions, productivity improvements and program implementations that are directly attributed to your involvement.
The powerful message you send in your professional resume will get you in the door but you better be prepared to defend it’s contents in an interview. Any indication of a lack of accuracy or embellishment on your part will surely eliminate you as a potential candidate.
Contact Elite Resumes for a free resume critique from a Certified Professional Resume Writer and find out if your resume sends a powerful message.
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