A basic resume shows an employer what experiences and skills we have and interviews are used to show an employer our characteristics that would otherwise be difficult to put on paper. However, there are other ways to catch an employer’s attention through your resume. Everyone is looking for a job, which means that employers will have more resumes and less time to look at each one thoroughly. As it turns out, most resumes only get about a 30 second look from employers. One way of making them review your resume for more than 30 seconds is to have a summary statement.
A summary statement is a 4-6 lines paragraph that summarizes your professional background. Keep in mind that this is only speaking about your professional background. A summary statement should touch upon core strengths and transferable skills that are relevant to the position, past relevant experiences and notable accomplishments that you intend to repeat in the new position that you are applying for. Do not speak about employment gaps, career changes or personal experiences. If these need to be addressed, put it in your cover letter.
The opposite of a summary statement is a resume objective. A resume objective only shows your own interests as a job seeker. This can potentially result in you being turned down before the interview even happens. Your own interests may not be what the employer is looking for and in some cases, your interests and the employers interests may conflict with each other.
The reason why a summary statement is better than a resume objective is that the statement shows what you can do for the company. It shows you are willing to help the company flourish with your skills and experiences instead of looking out for yourself. Your resume will get more attention from employers if it shows that you are interested in the employers’ interests.
Another way to keep an employer’s attention on your resume is to brand yourself. Branding is like giving your professional experience its own personality. A few examples are being a team player, having excellent communication skills both written and orally, or even being a fast and willing learner. Branding yourself makes you stand out from the other resumes. Branding yourself also shows the employer what you are bringing just by being hired, if you impress them enough.
My brand is being The Jack of All Trades. I want to have a good amount of skills in a variety of positions. This shows my employers that I can work from any position that they give me and that I can work with more than just a few positions at the same time. I also believe that this brand will keep me in a job longer. Should a company decide to get rid of one position entirely, I can simply transfer to a different position in that company. This brand benefits both the employer and me.