resume writing course - part 4

EXPLAIN THE CONTEXT

The secret ingredient that the best professional resume writers use to spice up their clients' resumes.

Notice I said 'the best professional resume writers.' That's because most professional writers don't even know this secret. That's right - incorporate this technique into your resume and cover letters, and your resume will be better than even the ones written by so-called professionals!

What is it all about?

You probably know the old real estate cliche that says the three most important things in real estate are “location, location, location.”

In resume writing, the three most important things are context, context and context.
In order to really appreciate your achievements, the reader needs the context for those achievements.

For example, if a sales person says that she increased sales by 10% over the prior year, it’s hard to know how impressive that is.

Perhaps the whole industry was up 10%. Or worse, perhaps the whole industry was up 30%, and the 10% increase was actually unimpressive.

But if our sales person tells us that she boosted sales 10% during a severe industry downturn when several competitors had gone out of business, we can appreciate what she accomplished.

Context is one of the reasons that my clients get the jobs they want. It's an easy way to distinguish yourself from everyone else and almost no one is using it! Here’s how you can separate yourself ...

Include Context in Your Job Descriptions

This is one of my favorite resume writing strategies because it’s SO powerful! And in this economy, you need every edge you can get.

When you describe your responsibilities in each position, include a brief overview of the situation in that company.

Explain that you were hired as an Executive Assistant but that when you arrived for the first day on the job, you found that the filing system was actually a pile of boxes in no particular order.

Or describe how you were hired as an entry-level salesperson, but then your boss quit on your second day and you had to take on her work as well as your own.

Or explain that your challenge as Head of Marketing was to increase sales for a product that most customers didn't understand.

Or describe how, as HR Manager, you had to lead multiple lay-offs, struggling to maintain employee morale while also protecting the company legally.

Can you see how this works? Without context, your accomplishments float out there, sometimes not making much sense. But with context, you tell an impressive and compelling story and your readers can understand why those accomplishments are so impressive.

ONE KEY POINT: You must convey context without sounding negative and this can be a fine line to walk. Be sure to speak honestly but never trash your ex-employers. This can be a deal breaker.

It can be a tough balance to strike, but trust me ... getting it right makes all the difference.

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Don't forget that, my e-book is on special offer to subscribers for a limited time.

In the book, I go into detail on exactly how to incorporate context for best effect, and provide tons of examples so you can learn from real resumes.

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Include Context when Talking about Achievements

Context is crucial not only in the job descriptions, but also when you write bullet points about the impact you've made.

Yesterday I talked about the importance of proving your worth with action-oriented descriptions of your achievements. I said that would dramatically increase your response rate, and it will.

But by adding context, you can increase it even more!

To go back to the example I started with, our sales person could have a bullet point that reads:

* Increased sales by 10% in one year.

Or she could say:

* Increased sales by 10% in one year. This reversed a 3-year trend of declining sales and was accomplished despite a depressed market in which many competitors had gone out of business.

Context changes everything!

Again, it’s crucial to ensure that the context you provide is not a slam against your ex-employer. But as long as you avoid this pitfall, your resume will be dramatically improved by the addition of context.

Tomorrow's installment is:

REVISE EVERY TIME or: "Why your resume is never good enough"

Start reading "The Complete Guide to Resume Writing" for free - no sign-up, no credit card ... just download and learn more about creating a killer resume

Here are quick links to the entire course:

Part 1:"The #1 problem with 95% of resumes and how you can avoid it."

Part 2: "How to Show Employers Exactly Why They Should Hire You!"

Part 3: "Boost the response rate to your resume by 50% or more with a simple shift in focus."

Part 4: "The secret ingredient that the best professional resume writers use to spice up their clients' resumes."

Part 5: "The simple changes that will ensure your resume gets a great response every time."

Part 6: "How to evaluate your resume to ensure it's the absolute best it can be."

Part 7: "How to use these resume writing techniques to ace your interviews."