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Six Steps to a Blockbuster Resume> STEP THREE: Qualification Summary & Skill-Set

Doesn’t sound like much fun or an effective use of time, does it? And yet this is the same type of frustration hiring managers are exposed to every time an applicant sends in a resume that fails to open with a well-written Qualifications Summary and/or Skill Set.

What is a Qualifications Summary?

It’s a brief paragraph that showcases your most effective skills and experience as they pertain to your job search. More importantly, it’s your chance to convince a hiring manager of the skills you can bring to the position. This is essential, given that hiring managers generally afford no more than 10 seconds to an applicant’s resume, unless they’re compelled to read further. 

So, how do you compel them to keep reading?

Let’s use this example: You’re an accountant who has worked at XYZ Company for nine years and been promoted every time you’ve come up for review. Because of your organizational efforts, the company is saving $2500 monthly. You’ve passed the CPA exam. You’re skilled in Profit & Loss (P&L), audits, taxation matters, and internal controls. Now, you want a Controller position.

Rather than including all of the aforementioned data in the body of the resume, where the hiring manager would be forced to look for it, but won’t (remember, you’ll be given 10 seconds before the hiring manager moves on), the wise candidate would write something like this:

Results-oriented, detailed professional with comprehensive accounting experience. Background includes consistent promotions to positions of increased responsibility. Skilled in P&L, audits, taxation, internal controls, and streamlining procedures, effecting a monthly savings of $2500 at XYZ Company. Recently passed the CPA exam; currently seeking a Controller position.

In five lines and a mere 45 words, you’ve given specific examples of what you can do (P&L, audits, taxation, internal controls), quantified an accomplishment (streamlining procedures, effecting a monthly savings of $2500 at XYZ Company), indicated past performance (consistent promotions to positions of increased responsibility), provided data on certification (recently passed the CPA exam), and provided your career path (currently seeking a Controller position). And you’ve done all of that in a well-written paragraph that’s interesting and easy to read. (Note that personal pronouns are not used here. In business writing, which includes resumes, personal pronouns such as I, me, or my are never used).

Three examples of outstanding Opening Summaries:

• IT Professional, Webmaster
• Government Consultant
• Foreman

Fine, you say, but what about an Objective? Where does that go?

In the modern resume, an objective statement is no longer used.

Qualifications Summary vs. the Objective

In the outmoded Objective, the candidate told the hiring manager what he wanted, whether that was a job at the company, room for advancement, a chance to use a new college degree, or any other reason an applicant could think of and the hiring manager could dismiss as self-serving. On the other hand, the Qualifications Summary proactively declares what the candidate can do for the targeted company, which places the hiring manager’s needs first. A wise applicant always uses a Qualifications Summary, either by itself or combined with a Skill Set.

What is a Skill Set?

Generally speaking, it's a list of your core competencies as they relate to your targeted career goal. Again, let’s take the example of the accountant who has just passed the CPA exam and now wants to be a controller. Rather than presenting all of that data in the qualifications summary, a portion of it would be showcased as a tag line (professional title or title of job you’re targeting) and skill set, and might look something like this (followed by a reworked qualifications summary paragraph):

Results-oriented, detailed professional with comprehensive accounting experience. Background includes consistent promotions to positions of increased responsibility for notable achievements, including $2500 in monthly savings at XYZ Company by streamlining procedures.

This time, the first two lines, which contain just 15 words, present core strengths quickly and effortlessly.

Continue on to STEP FOUR ->

STEP FOUR: Accomplishments and Special Skills

Accomplishments

There is no data on your resume more important than your accomplishments. Why?

Think of it this way: you’re a hiring manager with one position to fill and 10 qualified candidates clamoring for the position. Each candidate has the same basic educational and professional background. So, who gets the job?

The candidate who contributed the most at past positions. Accomplishments are all that separate you from other equally qualified candidates, with one caveat. Your accomplishments must be quantified.

What is an Accomplishment?

Increasing the company’s bottom line (i.e. facilitating its growth)

Streamlining procedures

Promotions

Special projects successfully completed

Decreasing costs

Company- or industry-sponsored awards

Certifications and licensure

What is not an Accomplishment?

Daily responsibilities that are included in your job description

Regular attendance at work

Getting along with co-workers

Working full-time while going to college at night

Volunteer or community service unless it has a direct bearing on your job search

In other words, an accomplishment is service that goes beyond your usual job description. But for an accomplishment to have the most effect, it must be quantified.

What is a Quantified Accomplishment?

One that includes dollar figures, percentages, and time periods.

For example: Our accountant has streamlined procedures, realizing a $2500 monthly savings for his company. The dollar figure quantifies the accomplishment, while the “streamlined procedures” explains how he did it. Now, if he achieved those savings within three months of hire, that would further strengthen his accomplishments, and it might be written thusly:

Achieved a $2500 monthly savings for XYZ Company within three months of hire by streamlining procedures.

Imagine the hiring manager’s reaction to the above as opposed to this entry:

Streamlined procedures for XYZ Company.

Doesn’t say much, does it?

Special Skills

Special Skills should always be presented up-front so that a hiring manager knows what you can do. In some instances, a special section (i.e. Computer Skills, Languages, Office Procedures, etc.) should be created to showcase these special skills.

Special skills will include:

Computer proficiencies

Office procedures (i.e. answering multi-lined phone systems, taking dictation (include speed), transcription, typing (include speed), 10-key, etc.) Linguistic capabilities (i.e. fluency in a foreign language, ability to translate, etc.) Any skill that’s industry-specific for the job you’re seeking Here are a few examples of resumes with outstanding accomplishments and skills showcased effectively for hiring managers: IT Professionals – Project Manager Chief Marketing Officer Executives – Supply Chain Director STEP FIVE: Professional Experience In the Professional Experience section you will list your employers, job titles, and dates of employment in a reverse-chronological order; that is, your most recent job comes first, followed by your next most recent job, and so on. This format is standard and is expected by all hiring managers and admissions directors. With regard to employment dates: Generally speaking, hiring managers prefer years of employment, rather than months and years (i.e. 1999 - 2003 as opposed to May 1999 - April 2003). However, some college admissions programs want specifics when it comes to dates, so it’s best to use precise dates when applying to graduate school. In the Professional Experience section you will also include daily tasks and responsibilities beneath the appropriate employer listing. If you’ve included a Career Accomplishments section in your resume, you should not repeat that data here. Once data is presented in a resume, it must not be repeated. To ensure that your daily tasks are presented in an interesting and easy-to-read manner, you should do the following: Use a bulleted format. This breaks up large blocks of text that could prove daunting to a hiring manager. Delete unnecessary articles and adjectives. Your sentences should be short and snappy. Begin each sentence with an action verb. This quickens the pace of your writing and makes the text more enjoyable to read. For a comprehensive choice of action verbs, please use this link: Power Verb List. An example of a bulleted format, pared down writing, and sentences beginning with power verbs follows: (Again, we use our accountant) Verb tense: For those jobs where you are still currently employed, write your job duties in the present tense. For those jobs in the past, write the responsibilities you held in the past tense. Additionally, Professional Experience can be captured and showcased in three formats: Functional Chronological Combination In the functional format, you are stressing what you know over where you gained your experience. This works for those who have strong skills, but a weak employment record. In the chronological format, you are providing a work history dating back from the present. This is the most common format and is generally preferred by hiring managers. In the combination format, you are stressing what you know in one section, while also providing work history dating back from the present in another. This is a highly popular modern format. STEP SIX: Education and Training Education: Data provided in this section should be prioritized (and included) according to: Your current career level (entry-level as opposed to professional) The purpose of your resume The country in which your resume will be distributed Your current career level: If you’re an entry-level candidate with little or no professional experience, your education should be presented immediately after the Qualifications Summary and/or skills area. The reasoning for this is that education is currently your most marketable asset. Here, you would include: GPA (if 3.5 or above) Awards/scholarships Dean’s list Coursework relevant to job search If you’re a professional with five or more years of experience, Education should be listed last on your resume. GPAs, awards or scholarships, and mention of dean’s lists are not generally provided in a professional or executive resume, except for those used for entrance into graduate school programs. The purpose of your resume: Resumes sent to admissions directors for graduate school can list Education before Professional Experience or after, depending upon these factors: If the applicant has just recently completed his bachelor’s degree, it should be listed before Professional Experience. If the applicant has real-world experience related to the graduate degree she is seeking, the Professional Experience should be listed first. The country in which your resume will be distributed: If you are distributing your resume within the US, high school education is not included. The only exception to this rule would be if you’re applying for a job with the federal government. In that case, you would include high school data. When distributing a resume outside the US, then high school education is included. Training: Include all specialized training that is transferable to your new job target. If you have not attended college, include all specialized training in your target field. Hiring managers generally prefer to see some post-secondary education.