I will start by stating that 99% of the time the BEST, FASTEST and EASIEST way that you can make your resume and cover letter stand out is to hire a professional resume writer. Look at the...

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I will start by stating that 99% of the time the BEST, FASTEST and EASIEST way that you can make your resume and cover letter stand out is to hire a professional resume writer. Look at the certified resume writers that are members of a gold-standard career services association like Career Directors International. Investing in yourself through hiring someone to professionally market you can and should pay off for you over and over again.

If you can't do this then you need to try to design your resume yourself. I would invest in a current edition resume samples book that coincides with your profession and level.

When creating your resume there are many tips and tricks that will help your resume to stand out from your competition. Here are just a few to get you started:

Choose Your Resume Format

If you are planning on staying in the same industry a chronological resume is best for you. It typically begins with an objective, followed by career history and then academic achievements.

For an industry changer you will want to use a functional resume. This highlights your functional strengths; your skills that are transferable. These strengths can be conveyed at the beginning of your resume in key phrases, in your written objective, in a list of leadership skills or core competencies. Using stand alone keywords is an excellent way to pique the interest of potential employers, because it gives them the opportunity to quickly see how your skills could be transferred to their industry.

Target To Your Market

Your resume must be compelling for the type of position you are focusing on. If you are a sales executive of course you are going to want to quantify your sales skills in terms of territory development, revenue generation, and types of skills associated with sales and secondary support skills such as client management customer service, public relations and marketing.

 Create Your Value Proposition Statement

Under the heading of your resume you should have a value proposition statement. An example of a value proposition statement is a short and sweet overview of your focus and your strengths. Here’s an example of a VP Statement for a technology executive:

Innovative & highly competent business and technology leader with 15+ years  experience developing creative technology solutions that enhance performance, effect change, drive profits and growth. Proven reputation to:

 Note: A value proposition statement is different from a personal objective statement. A personal objective statement is not the best to start out with on a resume simply because it’s a statement about what YOU want. Rather, share with your potential employer what skills and strengths you have to offer THEM.

Quantify Your Achievements 

This is one of the most important components to your resume. You need to communicate in your resume not just what you do, but what HAPPENS when you do what you do! This technique also helps employers envision you working with them, helping them with similar challenges and issues.

Create Key-Word Rich Content

Key words organized in a group called something like “core competencies” for instance, will do two things for you. It serves to potentially qualify you for more interviews, assuming those companies you are submitting your resume to use key word scanners. Second, key words. i.e., your strengths that stand alone allow the reader to view your competencies independent of any past company associated with it. This has a positive psychological affect as again, it enhances the reader’s ability to picture YOU in the position they are working to fill.

Look Like a Good Match

Print out two or three of your targeted jobs. Mark all the key phrases, responsibility descriptions and requirements that closely match your abilities. Are these keywords in your resume and cover letters? If they are not, they need to be!

 

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Four critical components lacking in too many resumes: 1. A clear job target A generic resume that tries to cover too many bases will probably fall flat. If you don’t write to a specific...

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Four critical components lacking in too many resumes:

1. A clear job target

A generic resume that tries to cover too many bases will probably fall flat. If you don’t write to a specific target job, your resume won’t speak to the recruiters and hiring decision makers reading it or help them connect you to the job they’re trying to fill.

2. Personal branding

Your brand is your reputation and promise of value to your next employer – the unique combination of personal attributes, values, drivers, strengths, and passions that people know you for and differentiates you from your competition. See my post What Personal Branding is NOT.

3. Value proposition

Show potential employers with numbers how you impact bottom line. Provide monetized evidence to back up how you achieved results.

4. Career success stories

Describe how you made things happen for other employers and how you were able to capture profitable results. Help your target audience zero in on what you’ll do for their organization and they'll begin to picture you doing the same things for them. Follow a “Challenge – Actions – Results” framework to illuminate your successes. See my article Personal Branding Using C-A-Rs Examples.

Six things that will keep your resume from standing out:

5. A useless “Objective” statement.

No one cares that you want a “growth position that will utilize my expertise in XYZ”. They want to know what you’ll do for them. Instead, lead your resume with a professional headline spotlighting the relevant key word phrases readers will be looking for.

6. Densely packed, hard-to-read information.

More and more hiring professionals review resumes on their PDAs. Without enough white space, you may lose them before they get very far. But even on a printed page, shorter chunks of information are easier to read and will draw the reader to continue down the page.

7. Too many pages.

Keep it as close to 2 pages as you can, if you're an executive or seasoned professional, and 1 page if you're entry level. Remember that a resume is a career marketing document, not a career history. It needs to incorporate just enough compelling information to generate interest in you.

8. Typos, grammatical errors, and/or poor formatting.

This is the kiss of death and your errors may also convey misinformation. Proofread several times and have someone else do it, too. Don’t rely on spellcheck. Keep the formatting attractive, consistent, and easy to read. Don’t use more than 2 different fonts (one for headings, another for content), and don’t choose frilly, unprofessional fonts. Make sure your contact information is correct.

9. Overused resume-speak.

You’re not like everyone else. Write your resume from your own voice. Find the precise words that describe what makes you unique and valuable. Keep the content interesting and don’t fall back on dull phrases that don’t differentiate you – results-oriented, visionary leader, excellent communication skills, proven track record of success, etc.

10. Passive verbs and repetitive job descriptions.

Avoid the tired phrase “responsible for”. Show your vitality with robust action verbs and explain your niche expertise with relevant key words. Use strong words like pioneered, envisioned, accelerated, benchmarked, incentivized, leveraged, etc. Don’t waste precious space in the “Professional Experience” section reiterating obvious responsibilities. Readers will already know the basic duties for your jobs. See my article 65 Power Personal Branding Verbs to Nail Your Executive Value Proposition.

Related posts:

Thinking of Copying an Executive Resume Sample For Your Own?

2010 Top 10 Executive Personal Branding and Job Search Trends

 

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Your resume is simply a brief outline of career accomplishments. It reflects titles, company names, dates of employ, location, education and if germane, professional affiliations. Keep it brief and...

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Your resume is simply a brief outline of career accomplishments. It reflects titles, company names, dates of employ, location, education and if germane, professional affiliations. Keep it brief and concise; a few sentences/bullet points of key accomplishments. It is not a compilation of every strategic action you've ever taken, nor is it a detailed laundry list. 

Your cover letter again should be brief. The goal of a cover letter; introduce the resume and request a meeting/interview. Synergies and appropriate facts aligning your skill sets and the position at hand are key. Your telephone number and email address are important to include. Long cover letters are usually never read. 

Keep it short and succinct. Like this response.

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