The process of establishing credibility in a resume starts with reading in detail the job listing. More on reading a job posting carefully.
A job posting often has key words that hint at the kind of person the company wants to hire. Here are a few phrasing examples from a job listing:
- on the move
- working closely with Account Executives
- full understanding of our industry
- detail-oriented
Each phrase says something about the personality of an ideal applicant. It’s important to address these individually, and by doing so you will increase the response rate of your resume.
How it looks in the the resume
The ‘Situation, Action, Result’ method of writing resumes is a great way to incorporate competency statements in a resume. To use on of the above examples: “Increased sales by 10% in 03Q10 by working closely with Account Executives, marketing strategists and copy writers. Won accolades from corporate office based on increased earnings.”
Situation
What was the situation you found yourself in? Why did it require action? Sometimes this is implied by the result.
Action
What action did you take based on the circumstances at hand? It gives details before moving on to a result.
Result
How did your action positively benefit the company? How do you know? Is this convincing to someone reading the resume?
Summary placement
Depending on the importance of the personal characteristics noted in the job listing, it may be wise to include one or two characteristics in the summary statement, using the employment history SARs (Situation, Action, Results) and skills sections to verify those claims.
Tags: Competency Statements, Resume
