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Add a Profile
Statement
Employers are typically more interested
in what you can do for their company
than what you want to gain from them,
so use a profile statement to share that
with them.
“If you are using a profile statement
category,” said Heard, “you can
incorporate part of your mission
statement and/or values into that area.”
Profile statements let your resume’s
audience know a lot about you right off
the bat, but Skarep warns about making
it all about you.
“Keep in mind that the resume should
not talk about what you want, but what’s
in it for the employer,” Skarep said.
“That is why you should stay away from
the outdated objectives that say that
you are looking for a position to grow
your skills, to advance your career. Tell
the employer what you are bringing to
them instead.”
The profile statement is your chance
to sell yourself. Let your future employer
know how you can bring your purpose,
passions and skills to fulfill their mission
by adding this section to your resume.
Be Intentional About
Design
While your resume should look
personalized to you, you should always
keep it easy-to-read and purposeful in
design. To be intentional about design,
first consider your industry and job
position.
“As in everything—read the room,”
Skarep said. “Depending on the type of
position you are applying for or the type
of company receiving your resume, your
resume should or should not be more
creative than usual.”
Lee explained that being intentional
about the design of your resume
requires you to have a reasoning behind
your design choices.
“Have it for a reason,” Lee said.
“Maybe it’s your favorite color, or it
matches the colors of Texas Tech and
you’re a Tech grad, or this follows the
design of the company you’re applying
for. You want it to be intentional. Don’t
just say ‘I’m going to add color because
I want to.’”
Even if your industry does not give
you a lot of room for creativity, Skarep
described how you can use color to
create a sense of familiarity and connect
with the individual reading your resume.
“One of the easy ways to decide
on the colors to use is to look at the
company’s logo or a color scheme,”
Skarep said. “If their colors are blue and
white, use dark blue for your headings, it
will seem familiar nut not overly obvious.
Just be sure to avoid bright colors and
keep high contrast between the text
and the background.”
A professional resume should not
leave you choosing between design and
content, but basic design elements will
allow you to represent yourself beyond
your word choice.
Show How you Add
Value
When drafting your resume descriptions,
Lee said to sit down and ask yourself,
“How did I add value in this position?”
Then, choose wording that represents
the value you brought. Often, if a
previous employer or advisor saw value
in your contributions, the employer
reading your resume will too. The
following sections dive deeper into
choosing words that reflect you.
Show Your
Accomplishments
Accomplishments are a personal
element to be proud of. More than
likely, no one has achieved the same
set of achievements as you. Not only
are accomplishments very personal, but
incorporating them into your resume is
a way to elevate the descriptions of your
professional experiences.
“Don’t just list the duties you were
tasked with,” Skarep said. “List the
accomplishments and results.” One
example of this format is “exceeded
sales target by 60% in October, resulting
in the Weekly Sales Champion award.”
Like in the above example, Lee said
putting a number in your descriptions
shows employers the exact impact and
value of your accomplishments. You
can quantify the number of interactions
you have, number of projects you
manage, percentage of growth – really,
any element of your previous positions.
Numbers define your accomplishments
and also give your reader a visual break
from words.
Accomplishments are an essential
part of showing how great you are!
Make it Sound Like You
Lee recommends using the combination
of an action verb, example, and result in
each of your bullet points. Even when
using an outline like this, you have the
freedom to choose words that sound
like you.
“You don’t want to just copy and
paste the job description, because
anyone can do that,” Lee said.
However, using singular keywords
and short, key phrases can make it
easier for employers and Applicant
Tracking systems to see that you are
qualified for the position. When it is
appropriate, follow action verbs
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