Re: ... what makes a resume stand out?

[kcronin -at- daleen -dot- com]

A couple of people have voiced their contempt for the "Objective" portion
that many people include at the top of their resumes, considering it to be
self-serving and basically a waste of space.

I used to agree. But I had a business-writing professor change my mind,
when I went back to school a few years ago.

She felt strongly that a well-crafted Objective section was a good thing,
and could really help you impress the person screening the resume, and the
person actually doing the hiring. Her technique was to craft a two-part
objective. The first part shows what you want to do NOW; the second part
shows what you'd LIKE to do in the future.

Her reasoning was as follows:

Part 1 is a great chance to show that the thing(s) you want to do "just so
happen" to be exactly what they're looking for. It shows that you're a
"fit." (Obviously this means you must revise the Objective for each
submission, to reflect the description of the job being offered. Also, you
need to do your homework, and get detailed job descriptions for the
positions.)

Part 2 is to show your interest/potential for GROWTH. She proposed that by
doing so you show your ambition, your depth of vision, AND an interest in
sticking around for a while, as long as there's room to grow.

Here's an example, from a friend's resume:

Objective:
To secure a position with a growth-oriented firm where I can use my skills
as a developer and systems architect, while continually increasing my
leadership and management skills to better enhance the company?s product.



I've tried this, and I think it works at a number of levels. Typically
your resume will be screened either by software or an HR person who is not
necessarily too clued in as to what you really DO for a living. They have
a shopping list in front of them, listing the qualifications being sought,
and they're basically looking for those words or phrases on your resume.

By "top-loading" your resume with exactly those qualifications, you stand
a better chance of making it through the screen.

Then, when a (presumably) better-informed hiring manager looks at your
resume, they notice BOTH parts of the objective, and think "Hey - this
person sees the big picture, they'll be around for the long haul..."

That's the theory, anyway.

I for one have had a lot of luck with this formula, so I now
enthusiastically recommend it to others. This teacher taught me a lot of
things, and proved me wrong many times during friendly debates. So,
despite my initial antipathy to this idea,  I decided to take her advice.

Hope it works for you! 

(For what it's worth, I also like the Profile section that some people use
instead, which can do an equally good job of listing your qualifications.
It's harder to illustrate your _ambition_ in a Profile, but it can be
done...)

-Keith Cronin


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