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May 13, 2007
An Easy Acronym for Remembering Key Resume Enhancers
What are the most important things to remember about writing an
effective resume? They can be encapsulated in a six-letter acronym,
FAKTSA, in which the letters stand for:
Focus
Appearance
Keywords
Transferrable Skills
Accomplishments
Focus: A sharp focus is an extremely important resume element. Given
that employers screen resumes for between 2.5 and 20 seconds, a
resume should show the employer at a glance what you want to do and
what you're good at. In a study by Career Masters Institute,
employers wanted resumes to show a clear match between the applicant
and a particular job's requirements. A "general" resume that is not
focused on a specific job's requirements was seen as not competitive.
In a more recent study by CareerBuilder.com, 71 percent of hiring
managers preferred a resume customized for the open position.
One way to sharpen focus is through verbiage at the top of your resume that
instantly catches the reader's eye and identifies the area(s) in which you can make a contribution.
This verbiage can take one of several -- or a combination -- of forms:
1. Objective statement: Described in more detail below.
2. A "headline," usually simply the title of the position you're
applying for, which can be adjusted for every job you apply for.
3. A branding statement, a punchy "ad-like" statement that tells
immediately what you can bring to an employer.
The headline and branding statement are often used in combination. Example:
SENIOR EXECUTIVE
Specialize in raising the bar, creating strategy, managing risk, and
improving the quality and caliber of operations.
If you go with an Objective statement, it should be labelled as such
and use language telling how you'll benefit the employer. Something
like:
Objective: To contribute strong ________ skills and experience to
your firm in a _________ capacity.
You can read more about resume objectives in our article Should You
Use a Career Objective on Your Resume?
http://www.quintcareers.com/resume_objectives.html
Watch for additional information on resume enhancers in upcoming blog entries.
Need help enhancing your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from
href="http://www.resumesandcoverletters.com/">Quintessential Resumes
and Cover Letters.
Posted by Katharine at May 13, 2007 12:00 PM