How to Start a Resume With a Bang - Colorado State University

So you have found a job opportunity, which seems thrilling.

And you know for a fact that you’d be the perfect fit.

Pause.

Take a deep breath and pace yourself.

Before you send out your resume and breathlessly wait for the call-back, you need to make sure that the recruiter will take notice of you.

Why?

Because you will be competing against 250 applicants, on average.

Worse, recruiters take an average of six seconds to scan a resume.

So if you want to pull the recruiter all the way down your resume, and land your dream job, you need a well-written personalized introduction.

Here is how you can write yours.

Make Your Experience Pop with a Resume Summary

A resume summary is a snappy overview of your professional achievements, which will show the recruiter what to expect from you.

It works as an About Me section that goes on top, right under your name.

You can also think of it as an opening statement, which gives bleary-eyed managers a jolt of adrenaline.

Example:

Passionate Automation Marketing Specialist with 1+ years of professional experience working for a Colorado mobile carrier company. Seeking to leverage expertise in results tracking, data visualization, and quantitative measurement to acquire experience at The Brandon Agency.

Showcase Your Experience and Qualifications With a Resume Profile

An expanded version of a resume summary is a resume profile.

It is either a bulleted list or a block of text that helps you expand upon your professional experience, skills, and education, to show the hiring manager how you can cater to the company’s needs.

Here is an example of how a Social Media Marketing Specialist could write a resume profile:

Social Media Marketing Specialist with 1+ year of professional experience working for a Colorado mobile carrier company.
Obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing.
Grew a company blog from 0 to 7,000 monthly visitors in 11 months.
Launched a weekly marketing podcast with an average of 60 downloads per episode.
Acquired 1,100+ likes running a Facebook paid campaign.

New to the Game? Enter a Resume Objective Statement

Now, if you are a recent graduate, and you don’t have much experience, you can always use a resume objective.

A resume objective is a fantastic tool for showcasing your skills and passion and how you can leverage both to bring value to the company.

Example:

Dedicated team player (captain of the swim team 3 years) holding an MBA in Product Management with proven leadership and strategy skills. Seeking an opportunity to leverage my skills at Newell Ledbetter Advertising, Inc. to achieve the company targets.

See?

Even if you don’t have work experience, you can still show the recruiter that you have valuable college experience, relevant skills, and passion.

Pick Your Selling Points and Tailor Your Resume

Every time you apply for a position, you need to tailor your resume summary/resume profile or resume objective to the specific job posting.

Why?
Because 70% of large companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to quickly scan resumes.

Failing to tailor your introduction will reduce your chances of landing a job interview to little more than a needle in a haystack. — Aleksandra Włodarczyk, HR Specialist / Recruiter at Zety.

So saturate the above sections with selling points that demonstrate how you can cater to the needs of the company, and your resume will never be eliminated as a bad egg.

Key Takeaway

The recruiter wants to know how you can cater to the company’s needs — so serve it upfront.

Placing a tailored resume summary/resume profile or resume objective at the top of your resume is one of the sure-fire ways to grab the recruiter’s attention.And if you combine that with an impeccable online presence and a professional LinkedIn profile, you get the perfect recipe for landing your dream job.

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