Writing a Powerful Resume

A resume gives your prospective employer a glimpse of what you can do. The document serves as a one-page snapshot of your professional existence for total strangers to examine repeatedly before calling you for an interview. Writing a powerful resume involves revamping your work acumen on paper to match the available job.

Identify yourself in the first part of the resume. If you have space, include a small picture so your future company puts a name to a face. This infographic states more attractive men and women get hired when a picture comes with the resume. Put a professionally done photo above your identifying information, but make sure you leave enough space for relevant details.

The most important aspect of a powerful resume is the part about job experiences, and it's not just because it shows you are qualified for the job in front of you. Recruiters, hiring managers and bosses check your supervisory references against your listed job experiences to determine if what you wrote correlates to what someone believes you accomplished. If your past positions prepared you for the job ahead, list the skills you gained in those jobs. When recruiters call your previous supervisors, your former boss should be able to list the exact same skills you put in the resume.

Technical skills, not related to one particular job, should be customized to the job at hand. Competencies such as computer software expertise, communication abilities, training programs and leadership skills are noted here. This section gives your future employer a general idea of what you are capable of regardless of what type of jobs you've had in the past.

Achievements help you stand out from other job candidates. No one else won the "salesperson of the year" award at Acme Brick in 2012. You, and you alone, were the valedictorian who graduated with honors from Smithville. This facet of a powerful resume shows your manager that applicable achievements enhance your status as a leading candidate.

Include people who know your professional skills without necessarily serving as your direct supervisor as references. If you developed a working relationship with a CEO who wasn't your boss, ask permission him if you can give his name as a reference. A respected mentor is another person to list in this section. A powerful resume includes people who can endorse your character, work ethic and credentials as an ethical worker.

Keywords are searched by firms through online programs that seek out online resumes and social media profiles. Get rid of verbiage that other candidates may repeat, such as "excellent," "outstanding" and "effective." Replace these words with words more relevant to what you actually accomplished at a past job, including "developed," "increased" and "created." Words in a powerful resume are less about superlatives and more about what you did and how well you performed.

Remain professional throughout your resume, even when making a very brief list of hobbies and interests. A powerful resume gives your future boss some perspective into your personality while maintaining an adept tone. If you can master these two aspects in a one-page resume, it's easier to land the interview.

Photo courtesy of Nguyen Hung Vu at Flickr.com