RESUME GUIDE PART 3

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Part 3 - Skills Experience and Attributes

The single most powerful way to make your resume stand out is to include competency statements that highlight your attributes.

They are succinct paragraphs that tell the reader the knowledge, skills, attributes, and abilities you possess that match those required for the position.

Writing a Competency statement:

  • A snappy title: the words you should use should summarise your positive qualities, preferably using the jargon in the job ad.
  • A statement of fit: explaining that you possess the necessary qualities for the job.
  • Evidence: the recruiter should be able to check the contents of your statement by referring to your qualifications or referees listed in your resume.

Eg. Business Development

My current role involves business development activities to generate new business. I am required to competently discuss BIO Power services to external organisations and to be responsive to the leads for potential referrals. During my tenure with BIO Power I have successfully met all targets involving the development of new contacts and business opportunities. I have also developed proposals/quotes for various services, and have generated and delivered marketing breakfasts for clients involving seminars on services that BIO Power provides. Earlier this year I negotiated and obtained the contract for the provision of our services with a major corporate engineering company, worth $25, 000.

Personal qualities

Communication skills - Verbal & written - assume that communication skills are important for every job and try to demonstrate them in your resume. Assess the role. Determine what sort of situations/ demands would be placed on you, this will inform you as to what type and degree of communication skills you will need.

Draw on your work history to demonstrate communication skills eg. Giving presentations, public speaking experiences (toastmasters' course).

Team Skills / team player - Happy and effective working in groups with other people. Reflect in your resume experience of working in teams, sharing information, and assisting team members.

Eg " Five of us were assigned to investigate why our customer service ratings were down. We divided the tasks up into different product areas and decided on weekly team meetings. We soon discovered that there were some common problems and our recommendations when implemented prove popular…."

Attention to detail - Make sure there are no spelling mistakes in your resume, ensure grammar and punctation are correct.

Energy, enthusiasm, drive, initiative - Looking for someone who is alert, gets on with work quickly without complaints, and finds solutions to problems.

Ability to handle pressure - Evidence that you will respond to a challenge and perhaps work faster or longer hours on occasion to meet deadlines or reduce backlog.

Leadership - Demonstrate that you manage teams of people successfully, either by length of time in the position, or by tasks achieved by a group under your leadership. Other examples may include being elected chairperson role, this would suggest that you command confidence in others.