How to Write a “Value" Based Résumé

If you are seeking employment, a career change, or even advancement in your current career field, the first thing you must do is prepare your résumé. You probably already have a résumé and are quite comfortable with the content. Your résumé may have been prepared just recently, or even many years ago with a few updates along the way. What you may not realize, is that just like your wardrobe, or your home décor changes, so does the labor market. A presentation that may have worked a few years ago doesn’t have the same impact in today’s market, and with the employers of today.

Employers must consider a variety of factors when they hire new members, to include the prosperity of their business. They look first for value in a prospective employee. They want to know right up front what you can do for them and their business. What “value” will you be able to bring to the organization as a prospective employee?

How you portray your overall “value” to employer is an essential element of an effective résumé. Each résumé you submit to a prospective employer is your personal introduction. The résumé will be your first contact; and the first contact you make with an employer should pack a punch. With that in mind there are numerous things to consider as you prepare your presentation.

Did you know that the average résumé receives only 10-20 seconds of attention? That’s right. If you think an employer is going to review and read every word in your résumé, think again. We would all like to think that the words we chose so carefully, each and every one of them will be read and appreciated. The fact is, that 10-20 seconds will pass in a glance, and if something doesn’t invite them to read further, your presentation ends up in the “other” pile.

So, how do you write a value based résumé? You have to tell the employer that you are exactly what they are looking for in the first few lines. Typically, you must portray your value in the top third of the first page. Chances are if you have more than one page, the second page will never get a glance.

If the employer is advertising for an Administrative Assistant and you have an extensive clerical background, and feel that you meet the basic qualifications as advertised, then you must incorporate that title right up front. Even if your last employer called the same position a Secretary, or even an Office Manager. If you have the skills the employer is seeking, portray them first thing in your résumé presentation. Your ability to tell the employer that you are exactly what they are looking for is essential to getting closer to the interview, which ultimately is the purpose of a résumé - to get to the interview.

In addition to telling the employer right up front that you are exactly what they are looking for in your job title, consider listing the skills you possess that mirror those in the job description. Instead of including an “objective statement”, take this opportunity to list the specific skills the employer is seeking. Review the job announcement carefully, and indicate the skills that match your qualifications. Seriously, do you really think the employer cares about “your” objective? Of course they do not. The employer cares about their business and hiring the best applicant that will help them reach their business goals. If you must include an objective statement, be sure you are specific by using the job title of the position you are seeking.

By the time you have placed your contact information right up top (remembering to make your name bold and memorable), the job title you are seeking, and the exact qualifications that you possess; chances are that you have captured the attention of the reviewer in the first 10-20 seconds as your résumé travels through the selection process. Remember that your résumé is nothing more than a screening tool for employers.

Your value to an employer can be portrayed by focusing on the employer’s needs and not your own. In addition to the information you provide in your résumé, consider the information included in your cover letter. Be sure to research the company and let the employer know that you are sincere, knowledgeable, and informed about the services or products the company provides. Do your best not to repeat any information already included in your résumé. Instead, take the opportunity to incorporate new and exciting information about how your skills will contribute to the organization.

If you are still unsure as to how to write a value based résumé, contact a Certified Professional Résumé Writer (CPRW) for assistance. You can identify a résumé writer with credentials through the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW-CC). PARW-CC is the original organization of Professional Résumé Writers, and set the industry standard for certification of résumé writers in 1990.