A sharp focus is an extremely important resume element. Given that employers screen resumes for as few as 6 seconds, a resume should show the employer at a glance what you want to do and what you're good at. Studies have shown that 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 is seen as not competitive.
One way to sharpen your 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:
A "headline," usually simply the title of the position you're applying for, which can be adjusted for every job you apply for.
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 calibre of operations.
Specific verbiage at the top of your resume is always better than a vague or general wording.
Note that objective statements have long been used -- with varying degrees of success -- to sharpen the focus of resumes, but they are currently out of fashion with employers.
To sharpen your focus, consider a section such as a "Summary of Qualifications," "Profile," or the like. Such a section, in a reader-friendly bulleted format can contribute to powerful resume opener that draws the reader in; it can be part of the top third of resume that showcases your best selling points, catches the prospective employer's attention, and immediately demonstrates your value as a candidate.
A Summary/Profile section can contain:
- Title/functional area/level of your current position and/or position you seek.
- Number of years of experience (which, for age-discrimination reasons, should not exceed 15-20; "15+" is a good guideline for mature workers)
- Industry you're in or seeking to be in.
- Core competencies/areas of expertise/strengths/specialization for that field.
- Highlights of representative accomplishments, especially used to demonstrate skills and competencies you've used throughout your career.
- Top business, leadership, craft-related skills, both "hard skills" and "soft skills" (such as communication, interpersonal, teamwork).
- "Value-added" information: Skills/accomplishments/experience that add to your value because they are not necessarily expected of someone with your background (e.g., operations manager with deep knowledge of IT).
- Any advanced degrees, certifications, or licenses that are integral to the type of job you seek.
- Language and international business skills, if relevant.
- Technical/computer skills, instead of burying them at the bottom of your resume (Exception: IT professionals, who should place IT skills in a separate section).
- Personality /management style: Open a little window into your personality with your Summary/Profile (e.g., mention sense of humor)
- Affiliations if integral to the job, otherwise in a separate section.
- Any extremely prestigious colleges, employers, or clients.
- Quantification whenever possible, using numbers for, e.g., revenue generated, size of accounts, typical budgets, money saved, etc.
- Positive quotes, testimonials from supervisors, clients, taken from memos, letters, performance evaluations.
- Awards you've earned, such as Employee of the Month and President's Club, can also be listed in the Summary/Profile section to give them more up-front attention than if they were listed in their own section.
- Keywords/buzzwords from ads or job postings you're responding to.
Your Profile section should not be anywhere nearly that long. Choose 3-4 of your top selling points and craft them into bullets for your Profile section.
