Resume Keys

The most important key to remember when writing a resume is to grab the reader's attention early. The best way to do this is to tell the reader what's in it for them. In other words, tell the reader exactly what you will do for their company – give the him or her a reason to keep reading. These reasons should be stated at the very top of your resume in an area called, the career summary.

I firmly believe that the career summary should take the place of the more commonly used "career objective," because an objective only tells a would-be employer what you WANT to do as opposed to what you CAN do. So, right under your name and contact information, bullet point a list of quantifiable results that you've achieved. Don't just list previous job responsibilities, give specific examples of your greatest achievements by using the Challenge-Action-Results (CAR) formula as detailed by in this article by professional resume writer and personal brand coach, Abby Locke.

Here's an example of a quantifiable result: Through the strategic development of new marketing materials and innovative direct mail campaigns, I consistently increased sales by an average of 15 percent per quarter over a two year period despite a slumping market.

Here is the CAR formula for the above example:
Challenge: A slumping sales market

Action: The implementation of strategic marketing materials and techniques

Result: increased sales by 15% per quarter

With three to five opening statements like this, you're sure to grab your reader's attention. Then, you can go on to list your education history, and previous work experience in reverse chronological order.

It's also a good idea to include a skills section at the bottom of your resume. Here you can list any computer programs you are proficient in, training you've completed, or languages you speak fluently.