11 Questions to Ask Yourself That Guarantee a Powerful Resume

The secret to a successful resume is to gear it toward the prospective employer’s needs.
Your resume is about convincing them you are the candidate they are looking for. Read the job posting carefully, determine what would make an exceptional candidate and use the following questions to organize your information.

  1. What are the most important qualifications the employer is looking for?
  2. What qualifications do you possess that will be most important to them?
  3. What highlights of your career-to-date should be emphasized?
  4. What makes you and your background stand out?
  5. What are your strongest areas of experience, knowledge, expertise and skills?
  6. What ’soft’ or ‘transferable’ skills or characteristics do you possess that make you a strong candidate? (Note things like:  excellent writing skills, hard-working, ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously under tight deadlines, etc.)
  7. What have been your greatest accomplishments?
  8. Can you quantify those results in specific terms, such as percentage growth or dollars and cents?
  9. What type of results are especially impressive in your field?
  10. What have you produced in those areas?
  11. What “buzz words” should be used on your resume that people in your field expect to hear?

Your end goal is to convince the prospective employer that you are the best person
to fulfill the qualities that are most important to them. Develop convincing statements that demonstrate that you are the person they are looking for.

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43 Responses to “11 Questions to Ask Yourself That Guarantee a Powerful Resume”

  1. Vangie Jimenez - 04. Dec, 2008 at 8:44 pm

    Thank you so much. I never had much knowledge on creating a resume, but with these resume tips, I can go a long way. Because of me now knowing how to do a resume, I will perform a job search as we speak! thank you once again!

  2. Dale Billings - 04. Dec, 2008 at 8:45 pm

    Doing this type of homework and careful preparation shows the prospective employer that you are genuinely intested in the position. It also show the hiring manager the the type of thorough and diligent work effort you will make once you are hired.

  3. Great list of questions to consider during your job search! I can see how these would improve your resume as you look over and review the formating and content!
    Thanks!

  4. Gaurav Sharma - 04. Dec, 2008 at 8:53 pm

    These were very good resume tips. I am sure these will help me in preparing my resume and assist me in my job search. Answering these 11 question will give you a very good insight to your own resume and you will be better prepared for the job you are applying for.

    Nice Post…

  5. JD - http://www.webrokeit.com 04. Dec, 2008 at 8:55 pm

    As an HR director, I come across hundreds of resumes each month. When we are conducting a search, I always look more closely at a resume that highlights the applicant’s experience and skills that are geared toward the specific job we are hiring for, and not just generic skills. When I receive an online resume, I look for less fluff and more specific examples of why the applicant is best suited for the job. The above tips are right on target in terms of what prospective employers are looking for.

  6. I have so much to learn about job searching. I’ve read every article and think I am now ready to write an awesome resume.

  7. Great tips to keep in mind when writing or updating your resume.

  8. I liked this post very much.The questions that should be asked while making a good resume are woth considering. I hope these tips will help me in my job search.

  9. Vijayabasker - 05. Dec, 2008 at 3:09 am

    Really a nice and informative blog about creating a resume and it delivers lot of resume tips which is very useful for the job seekers.

  10. good reminders about customizing your resume towards a specific job posting rather than blasting out a one-size-fits-all resume. Keep the tips rolling.

  11. Sam - http://Website(optional) 10. Dec, 2008 at 10:20 am

    Great article. Having a good resume is obviously the most important part of getting a great job, so I appreciate the help with my job search. Thanks!

  12. brenda - http://Website(optional) 11. Dec, 2008 at 8:43 am

    Very useful suggestions to keep in mind when preparing
    your resume. Such resume tips will help you present a
    more positive pattern and keep yourself better organized.
    Well presented article and putting the ideas to practice
    should enhance your opportunities.

  13. James - http://Website(optional) 11. Dec, 2008 at 2:22 pm

    Finally, an article that tells it like it is. Employers don’t care anything about how great you are. They only care about what talents, abilities and background you have that will benefit them. When you focus on what you can do for the employer to make them more successful, you will get the job. Your 11 questions are right on.

  14. danielle - http://Website(optional) 11. Dec, 2008 at 5:22 pm

    i like this site the resume is a big deal these days and in order for a good job you need to have resources organized into a resume for your adivsor!!! good site

  15. VAE - http://Website(optional) 11. Dec, 2008 at 6:03 pm

    The process of a job search, and creation of a professional resume, brings so many questions to mind, and often times it can become overwhelming.

    This article really helps to address this and narrow down the questions to the ones that will ultimately yield the most value.

    These resume tips are direct and to the point, which is really helpful in guiding focus to the key areas of most importance!

    The better your aim is, the more likely you are to hit the target, & achieve your objectives.

  16. TL - http://Website(optional) 11. Dec, 2008 at 8:47 pm

    Submitting an online resume search when doing a job seach can be a tedious task. It often times appears the resume in .doc forma does not always parse correctly. Great site!

  17. sam - http://Website(optional) 11. Dec, 2008 at 11:50 pm

    Thank you very much.The information bring awareness about resume tips.It gives a very good professional resume template,so that i can apply to many job search with confidence.

  18. RAJARAJAN - http://eeaassy.blogspot.com 12. Dec, 2008 at 4:13 am

    Really this blog and this post is very useful not only for me also to my friends which are also in the initial stage for search the jobs.We know more ideas for Online Resume Builder, Resume Tips, Employment Search, and also known to make the best resume for our future. Thanks to resumebear.com.

  19. John - http://Website(optional) 12. Dec, 2008 at 7:25 am

    Online Resume, Online Resume Template, Online Resume Builder, Resume, Resume Template, Job Search, Resume Tips, Employment Search, professional resume template

  20. Resume Writing Services - http://www.resumedocket.com 14. Dec, 2008 at 11:36 am

    Great post and would just like to add that there is an ethical obligation on the part of the applicant to be honest in the resume. Resume padding at any level should be considered a crime punishable by law. Being dishonest in a resume might help you get the job but sooner or later the truth comes out and may have everlasting effects on any career. Be smart and stick with the truth.

  21. Resume Writing Services - http://www.resumedocket.com 15. Dec, 2008 at 10:21 am

    Great post.

    Thanks

  22. Roy - http://Website(optional) 17. Dec, 2008 at 1:12 am

    Thanks for the tips. I’ll need to update mine soon.

  23. Jharna - http://Website(optional) 19. Dec, 2008 at 4:17 am

    That were some real cool resume tips that helped me refine my professional resume. Thanks

  24. sanjha - http://Website(optional) 19. Dec, 2008 at 4:28 am

    Thanks for the tips. I need to modify my professional resume as per your resume tips. This post was really helpful.Thanks.

  25. FT - http://Website(optional) 19. Dec, 2008 at 5:59 am

    The process of writing a professional resume is so basic to finding a job, but so misunderstood. It is probably the most common failure in not getting “that” job. These resume tips are very helpful in focusing with laser precision on the reason for the resume.

  26. Abunnybus - http://Website(optional) 19. Dec, 2008 at 9:17 pm

    Much the interesting has found here

  27. raja - http://Website(optional) 21. Dec, 2008 at 12:52 am

    Nice resume tips to create a professional resume,
    thank you

  28. Laura - http://Website(optional) 29. Dec, 2008 at 2:58 am

    Wow these resume tips are exactly wht i needed to create a proffesional resume.

  29. MelissaJo87 - http://Website(optional) 02. Jan, 2009 at 5:26 pm

    Great article! These tips are exactly what I need for a professional resume. The resume tips this website contains is essential for the perfect resume. Thanks again!

  30. april - http://Website(optional) 04. Jan, 2009 at 2:22 pm

    thanks for the tips on making an effective resume that will stand out to employers. I will be sure to use these tips on my resume

  31. Sarah - http://Website(optional) 06. Jan, 2009 at 6:22 pm

    I’ve been looking up stuff on how to create a professional resume, and this blog has been extremely helpful. Keep up the great resume tips!

  32. jeff - http://joboutlets.com 11. Jan, 2009 at 10:34 pm

    great tips. This is actually what I am doing with my resume. The key point is to tailor the resume in a way that best suit the employers or position needs. Thanks again

  33. jeff - http://wallpapercollector.com 11. Jan, 2009 at 10:36 pm

    One more thing to add, i can assure you if you follow all the tips here, your resume will become more result oriented which is absolutely more of employers interests

  34. What do you think of having a relatively fixed resume and then addressing most of the things you mention in the cover letter?
    It sounds like the resume you speak of is instead of a cover letter. Thanks.

  35. Doing this type of homework and careful preparation shows the prospective employer that you are genuinely intested in the position.The resume tips this website contains is essential for the perfect resume

  36. This resume format is very easy for students like myself. Nice wizard !

  37. Michelle Hutchinson - http://www.wordhelper.com 21. May, 2009 at 12:41 pm

    Deborah, the writer of this article is talking about resumes, not cover letters. In this day and age of word processing software, it is very easy to tweak your resume so that it targets the specific qualifications mentioned in each job announcement to which you are responding.

    www.wordhelper.com

  38. Most jobseekers depend upon expert resume writers – which is a sensible thing to do. Such professionally prepared resumes stand a better chance of catching a recruiter’s attention.
    But it is no more enough to “ catch attention “.
    A resume must succeed in “ amazing “ any recruiter – by being “ Interactive “.
    In a resume, a recruiter should be able to find additional information about a candidate by
    > viewing “ analytical “ graphs – rather than reading
    > clicking on “ knowledge / skill “ –related keywords
    > clicking on Candidate-Name / Birth date / City location
    You will find this at http://www.CustomizeResume.com

    I will appreciate suggestions for further improvements.
    With regards
    hemen parekh
    hcp@RecruitGuru.com

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