Career Articles
The Six-Figure Résumé Check-up
By Sharon Graham, CRS, CIS, CCS, CPRW, CEIP
If you are in the market for a six-figure job, you are sure to be up against the best of the best. Most job seekers competing at this level are driven personalities who will do what it takes to rise to the top of their profession. Therefore, it makes sense that the most effective six-figure résumés are powerful marketing documents. They advertise the candidate’s value and benefits to the prospective employer in a most persuasive manner.
As a top-performing professional, you must
have a résumé that can surpass the competition. Here is a six-point check-up
that you can do to assess your résumé's potential and attract a six-figure
opportunity.
1- Is your Value Proposition rock-solid?
Your Value Proposition is your sales pitch
to the employer. Ensure that you have created a unique and vivid
description of yourself that addresses your potential employers’ buying
motivators and provides valid
supporting qualifications. A strong Value Proposition will clearly articulate
to
the employer what you have that they need. More than this, to surpass the
competition, you need to express in a clear, concise way what you bring to the table that others may not. With a distinctive Value Proposition that is a recurring theme through your résumé, you will be able to create a compelling picture of who you are
and let your target
employer know why he/she needs to meet you and learn more about what you have
to offer.
2- Is your résumé strategically positioned?
Your résumé cannot be just a catalogue of
your career history. Rather, it should be an impeccable advertisement designed
to attract six-figure opportunities. Therefore, you need a clear, focused
target to create an uncompromising connection between your potential employer’s
needs and your value. Rather than emphasizing common soft skills, the résumé
should display specific competencies required by the targeted employers and
industry. From top to bottom, strategically position every word, phrase, and
sentence to promote interest and drive the reader to contact you.
3- Have you handled your obstacles effectively?
Most candidates have occasions in their
background that might be construed by potential employers as concerns.
Employers often perceive issues such as a lengthy job search, job hopping,
career gaps, and lack of industry experience as less than desirable. Some might
see entrepreneurial and contract ventures as “temporary fillers” or “wasted
time.” Others might disqualify candidates for lack of experience (too young) or
too much experience (too old). You need to minimize and eliminate such
potential obstacles from your résumé to compete effectively.
4- Does your document promote readability?
Comprehension and retention by the reader
can either make or break your opportunity. Communication in your résumé must be
clear and concise to ensure that your message is absorbed by the reader. We
know that spelling and grammar must be flawless, but there is much more to
promoting readability. Spend particular attention on parallelism and
consistency throughout the document. Ensure that you do not present
exceptionally lengthy lists or too much information. Do not use buzzwords or
acronyms that are not easily understood. For optimum success, your résumé must
be a good and easy read.
5- Do you display multiple, transferable actions and results?
Most experienced professionals have
attained great successes throughout their career. Employers do not need a job
description of positions held, therefore duties and tasks are not nearly as
important as accomplishments. The résumé needs to display many specific
examples that show what value the employer will gain. Rather than focusing on
responsibilities, your résumé should prominently display multiple,
transferable, quantifiable accomplishments. Be assured that every experienced
six-figure professional with whom you will be competing is touting many achievements.
You must too.
6- Is your résumé designed and branded creatively?
Many downsized professionals these days go through an “outplacement process” and end up with a “template” résumé. Others, who do not have that benefit, opt for creating a homemade résumé by following templates that they find on the Internet. With millions of these types of résumés flooding the market, only the most creative, branded document will stand apart and be selected. Most effective six-figure professionals retain résumé experts to create a high-impact, upscale, branded look and feel to their documents. You can be assured that these individuals rise to the top and are perceived as worthy of a higher compensation.
Your résumé is a critical factor in driving how you are perceived by others. Once you have completed your six-figure check-up, take the steps necessary to compete and beat the best of the best!
Sharon Graham is the executive director of
