Writing A Killer Résumé

by Kurt DuNard The Exceptional Life Coach

Write this down:



The best candidate does not always get the job.

Let us say that again:

THE BEST CANDIDATE DOES NOT ALWAYS GET THE JOB!

Sometimes, the candidate with the best résumé gets the job. The fact is if two identical twins had equal job experience and equal abilities with all aspects of their career equal in every way, and one twin had a lame résumé and the other had a killer résumé, then it is almost certain that the one with the killer résumé would get the job. The résumé is simply an ad to get an interview or phone call from the hiring company. Without the interview, even the future world champion would not be invited to the Olympics. If they don’t read your résumé, then they don’t know you exist. Make them want to read your résumé.

Now, recognize the following:

Most résumés don’t get the attention they deserve. Most are never read and are deselected for trivial reasons.

Most companies are set up so the Human Resource (HR) department handles all the initial selection of candidates, sets up interviews, hires, and makes offers. So these are the people that initially look at your résumé. This is an awesome responsibility, because whom they hire frequently determines the success of the company—perhaps even more so than the CEO. In many cases, HR is under paid and overworked with many other responsibilities besides hiring. They can be responsible for employee reviews, benefits, policies/procedures, EEO reporting, and training among other things. When the HR department is responsible for hiring, many are asked to find engineers, sales people, executives, and support staff. Few have the expertise in all these areas but many feel they can look through résumés to pass the “good” ones on to the hiring managers. In most cases, they have to look through hundreds of résumés and because they are overworked and short of time, they are looking for reasons to deselect your résumé. Don’t let them find them.

Take note:



Write your résumé so that someone just out of college that works in HR and is not in your field can understand your résumé and think that it should be passed on to the hiring manager.

If you have sent your résumé to companies or job boards on the Internet and feel like it went into a black hole or was lost, then it is possible your résumé is not being read. It has been deselected. It is worth your time to make sure this does not happen. Make your résumé a killer résumé.

The following will go a long way toward creating your perfect killer résumé.

Truth in Advertising –People can tell when you are exaggerating, overselling, or down right lying. Tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God. Proudly list your accomplishments without being a slick salesman. People want to hire people with integrity and ethics. They want an employee they can trust. Show them that you have both integrity and ethics with a truthful résumé.

Make Your Résumé Look Professional –Read a recent book on résumé formatting. The format is the look of your résumé and is the first thing that is noticed–even before your name or job title. Your résumé is like a pre-interview. The format is your résumé’s interview suit. It must look professional or the first impression could be that you’re not. The reason you want a recent book on formatting your résumé is that just like interview suits, fashions in résumé styles and formats change. You would not think of going to an interview in your suit from the 1980’s. Don’t do the equivalent with a résumé style from the 1980’s.

Put all Your Contact Information at the top of your Résumé –Your e-mail is the most important, without it, it will be deselected. Next is phone number and then your home address.

Write a Goal Paragraph at the Top of the Résumé –If you don’t know what kind of job you want and what kind of job you can do, then how can the HR person know? Without this statement, it is deselected. Create a short paragraph that enthusiastically states what kind of job and work you want to do.

Only use a Chronological Résumé with all Years Accounted for –List most recent job first and all the rest in order. If you have chosen to do a functional résumé without dates, then expect to be deselected. Many hiring managers believe people are trying to hide something when they won’t show their history. Was the candidate in the penitentiary, asylum, or worse during those unaccounted years? If you are concerned about ageism and don’t want to tip your hand as having too much experience (as if you can have too much experience), then show the most recent ten years followed by a paragraph showing relevant experience before that period without dates. Degrees should not include dates either.

Write up Your Job History –State name of company, dates employed, company location, description of the company’s services or products and size, and your job title and description of your responsibilities. Then MOST IMPORTANT

Talk about Your Quantifiable Successes at Each Job –Quantifiable, means numbers and numbers get attention especially if they are at the end of sentences. Put those success statements with bullets after each job. Some examples: Increased sales by $5,000,000. Created new time saving procedure and saved company $12,000,000. Increased branch revenues by 18%

Remember the Hiring Company Only Cares About What’s in it for Them –The way many companies feel about employees is that employees make them money, save them money, or parasitically lose them money. They only want to hire those that will make them money or save them money. They for sure don’t want to hire those that will cost or lose money. In fact, they want to fire those employees. Your job is to clearly show in your résumé that if you are hired you will either make them money or save them money. How have you done this for past employers? How can your quantifiable successes support this conclusion? Use the old salesman’s trick when you write down a feature about yourself. Ask yourself–so what is the benefit of this feature? The “so what?” should be that you are making more money or saving money for the company.



Whether you are looking now for a job or are completely satisfied with your current job, it is imperative that you have an up-to-date killer résumé. Your résumé is part of your family’s security system. Like savings in the bank, one does not want to be unprepared for a rainy day.

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Copyright © 2009 Kurt W. DuNard. Permission is granted to reprint if credit is given in the following way “by Kurt W. DuNard The Exceptional Life Coach.”

Kurt DuNard, The Exceptional Life Coach, is the author of EXCEPTIONAL LIFE: Living the Life You Were Meant to Live. High achievers seek him out to pinpoint their soul’s goals, increase abundance, and find more happiness and joy. If you think you would also like these things, then receive your FREE success tools from Kurt DuNard now at www.DuNard.com.



By: Kurt DuNard

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