Free Sample Resume Objective

Making the Most of Your Resume: The Qualifications Summary

The Professional Touch ? Qualifications Summaries

A Qualifications Summary is your first and best chance to make a favorable impression on a hiring manager. It is a marketing tool that sells your unique skills to the targeted company. Many individuals overlook or devalue the qualifications summary of their resume, but done correctly it can have a major positive impact on hiring managers. As the managing editor for ResumeEdge.com, I see too many individuals who either do not include the qualifications summary or simply do not give it the level of attention it needs. Begin your resume with a qualifications summary - you'll be glad you did.

To be effective, a Qualifications Summary must

1. Provide a snapshot of you as the ideal candidate for the position.

2. Be concise and to the point, addressing what expertise you can bring to the job to benefit the prospective employer.

3. Address pertinent qualifications in the job posting.

4. List your most stellar and recent quantified accomplishment that pertains to your current job search.

5. Provide additional data that enhances your candidacy, including: A. Linguistic capabilities in foreign languages B. Certifications C. Licensure D. Willingness to travel or to relocate for the new position

6. State specific skills, such as computer proficiencies (if applicable)

7. List your past employers if they are well known, i.e. Boeing, Wall Street Journal, Macy?s, AT&T, etc.

8. Work Permits or Green Card data for foreign nationals.

What to Avoid in Qualifications Summaries

1. Use of personal pronouns such as I, my, me, we, us, etc. Resumes are business documents that should employ a conservative tone.

2. Soft skills ? i.e. being personable or trustworthy ? unless they are backed up by specific data.

Soft skills presented in a weak fashion: ?Personable individual with proven ?people? skills.?

Soft skills that are effective and strengthened by quantified results: ?Salvaged $6 million VIP account with Pepsi-Cola, Inc. through superior communication and client relations skills.?

3. Objectives that are vague and self-serving:

?Currently seeking position in which to grow with dynamic organization.? ?Want to use creativity and skills learned in college.?

4. Any data that is superfluous or does not enhance candidacy for targeted position or career, including:

A. Outdated computer skills for an IT professional. B. A listing of word-processing skills for an executive who would most likely have an administrative assistant to do clerical work. C. Academic data (i.e. GPAs, Dean?s List, Scholarships) for a seasoned Professional or an Executive.

5. Number of years of employment in the field, unless the job posting specifically requires a set number of years of experience.

To avoid age discrimination or the perception of being over qualified for a particular position, it?s always best to state ?comprehensive? or ?significant? experience, rather than the exact number of years.

6. Laundry lists of skills that are assumed for the position ? i.e. a CPA is presumed to know AP/AR, bookkeeping, general ledger, reconciliations, taxes, and the like. Providing this data is not telling the hiring manager anything new or relevant.

Before writing your Qualifications Summary determine:

1. What makes you unique in your given field ? i.e. accomplishments, achievements, post graduate degrees, certifications, licensure.

2. What you have to offer the targeted company in terms of past experience.

3. How you meet their qualifications.

Now that you have the details of a well written qualifications summary, don't underestimate its importance. Begin your resume with a strong qualifications summary and you'll start getting interviews and land that dream job!

Darlene Zambruski is the Managing Editor of ResumeEdge.com and Professional Resume Writer. ResumeEdge.com provides Resume Writing Services and Career Guidance.

MORE ARTICLES:

Create A Rappin' Resume
(Percussion sounds emanating from who knows where while you listen to the cadence of the words below.)It's time to sell yourself.

Hot Tips For Resume Tips That Work For Sales Executives
MAKE YOUR RESUME SELL YOU It?s Not Bragging ? It?s Data Employers need information to determine you are the right person for the job The interview and the resume are the conduit for that information

WorkBlast Provides Expert Tips for Video Resume Success
The new realm of Video Resumes holds exciting possibilities for Job Seekers but can be fraught with self-defeating perils as well. WorkBlast, a Personal Marketing & Networking firm, offers a list of ten tips for success.

Career Planning, Resume Writing and Leadership Development Company Announces Web Site Launch
Career Coaching 360 announces the launch of its company Web site, CareerCoaching360.com. A career planning, resume writing and leadership development company, Career Coaching 360 provides services for professionals and executives wanting to accelerate their careers. The new Web site provides details of the various services, tools and resources that the company offers. Founder Sherri Thomas will be a featured speaker presenting "Six Key Strategies to Accelerate Your Career" at the upcoming American Marketing Association's Annual Leadership Summit in Chicago on April 20.

How to Make Your Resume Stand Out
Whether or not you're planning to look for a new job, it's best to keep your resume updated Get into the habit of updating your accomplishments and skills so that your resume is always ready

Job Search - Resume Tips To Make Your Job Search Easier
With jobs more difficult to find and competition fierce, you need any edge that will make your job hunt easier, or at the very least, more organized A great job may conceivably have over one hundred applicants, so it is hard to make yourself visible without being overly aggressive or too pushy

What You Need To Know Before Writing A Resume
Before you even begin writing a resume or updating your old resume there are somethings you need to know and do.

Established Professional Resume Service Launches New Resume Website for Technology Professionals.
Responding to the growing need for professional resumes for technology professionals, established resume writing company launches new Website, BestTechResumes.com

Do You Need A New Resume?
Maybe you haven?t updated your resume since your first job out of college?10 years ago Or perhaps you haven?t been called in for any interviews despite sending out dozens of resumes

Free Resume Templates Available Online
Service provides users with three different resume formats and can place their information in the resume format of their choosing.

Resume Writing
Resume writing can be a daunting task to those unfamiliar with the process, and even to those who are familiar with it. It is important to do your research and make sure your resume writing skills are up to par, but never fear, for there are several ways to accomplish this.

Finally, a Solution to Resume Writing Stress That Will Eliminate Hassle and Have You Writing Winning Resumes With Ease
Resume writing is a skill that often stumps even the smartest of people. While people may have a knowledge of what resume writing is, it is an art that is used by every person in the workforce but isn't really taught at school. Finally there is a solution to make it stress free.

Why a Professional Resume?
As a job search tool your Resume is your main calling card. It explains who you are and what you have to offer.

Writing A Resume That Gets You Noticed
As the old saying goes, "you never get a second chance to make a first impression." In today's business world, of course, that first impression usually does not come from a face-to-face conversation, but from whatever you can tell your future boss about yourself on paper: your resume.