From Susan M. Heathfield,
Your Guide to Human Resources.
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When an employer receives 100 - 200 resumes in response to a job posting, the resume that catches your eye has to stand out from the crowd. In an earlier article, Gone in Thirty Seconds: How to Review a Resume, I discussed the steps in resume review.

This sample resume was accompanied by an exemplary cover letter. Here, I'll show you the resume that accompanied the cover letter that captured my attention and tell you why. This sample resume sets a standard employers need to seek and candidates need to emulate.

Why This Resume Rocks

• The resume started out with a list of characteristics, traits, competencies, and skills that exactly matched the requirements I had stated in my job posting. This smart candidate drew a line that connected his skills and my needs. The less work the employer has to do the better. This candidate understands that.



• The candidate is applying for an Operations Management job, so note that the initial skills and experience highlights section emphasizes Operations Management. This allows you to quickly understand the qualifications of the candidate for your position.



• The job history is clearly laid out and I had no questions about the candidate's career progression. There are no gaps in employment. The only question that the resume surfaced is why the candidate is seeking a full time position after consulting for a few years.
  
  (I also find this career pattern shows up frequently. Some of the best employees are not cut out for the consulting life; the constant marketing of services takes a particular skill set and personality that not all people possess. Sometimes, the candidate is consulting, too, because the right career opportunity, in the right location, has not appeared.)



• The business of each company that employed the candidate is described so that the potential employer can see the relationship to their business.



• The candidate understands the power of show, not tell. In each of his positions, he demonstrates the bottom line impact of his work. He didn't just manage a plant. He "streamlined inventories by 50% and increased inventory turnover by 145%." He "improved customer delivery performance from 78% to 96% while reducing lead times by 80%."
  
  
• The "Professional Achievements" section of the resume stood out, not just because the candidate has achieved success in his career, but because the achievements so closely mirror his stated career goals and my needs as an employer.



• My reaction to the "Education / Professional Development" section of the resume was the same. The candidate's educational investments echo his career choices.

Sample Resume Conclusions

Part of the power of this resume is that it highlights the smart career choices of the candidate. He served in progressively more challenging positions. He kept track of the measurable impacts of his performance on company goals. He obtained the necessary degrees to progress in his field. And, he attended classes, seminars, and advanced training in the subjects in which he claims expertise.

Additionally, at this point in his career, he seeks opportunities to share his expertise and attains this goal through both writing and speaking. He is looking for employment that appears congruent with the education, professional contributions, and experience that he states on the resume.

The resume's only weaknesses are that the candidate fails to mention professional association affiliations or philanthropic contributions. He also tells the potential employer nothing personal about himself. As the employee-seeking employer, I don't want to know that he has three children, but his work as a March of Dimes team leader or his hobby of golf lend personality to the candidate's application.

This resume rocks for these reasons. As an employer or as a job seeker, these sample resume comments will help you either review or craft a resume that results in a superior candidate.

This resume is presented as a superior sample resume with the permission of its owner.

Read on to view the sample resume.