My friend Sadie asked for help with a resume (also known as a curriculum vitae), and I was happy to oblige.
Sadie's resume began with her name, email and street addresses, and phone numbers. So far, so good.
Sadie's first heading was Objective, which read:
Objective: A full-time sales or customer service position in horticulture.
It is great that she is clear about what she wants. The problem is that hundreds of people in our geographical area are looking for such a position. How can Sadie stand out? How can she get her resume into the "strong candidate" pile?
She can start out strong by replacing her objective with a summary or professional profile, like this:
Summary: A degreed, experienced horticulturist with skills in plant identification, green roof plant specifications, sustainable practices, and cultural care, seeking a full-time sales or customer service position in horticulture.
That summary tells readers immediately that Sadie is educated and experienced in horticulture. She has specific skills and interests. Her resume is worth a close look.
Another approach would be to retain the objective she wrote but to add a separate professional profile. This profile would include the beginning of her summary (above). It might include another sentence like this one:
Experienced in green roof consultations, plant inventory, contract grows, telephone and in-person customer service, and retail and trade sales.
If you, like Sadie, are looking for a job, be sure your resume, CV, or data sheet starts out strong. Try to grab your reader's attention in the first few lines. Sure, readers will scan one or two pages to find the highlights, but summarizing your qualifications at the top makes an instant positive impression.
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