Your Unique Promise of Value – Is it on Your Resume?

A truly captivating resume does three things: engages the reader, communicates your value, and lands you the interview. How do you incorporate that information into your professional or executive level resume? Keep reading to find out how your unique promise of value will make you stand out from the crowd and position you as a leader.

It’s shocking to me that the majority of job hunters are still using an objective. First, let me say … STOP THAT! Next, let me tell you why: An objective is all about what you want. Truthfully, hiring managers couldn’t care less. Your objective statement means absolutely NOTHING to them. It does not make you stand out, it does not position you as a leader, and frankly, instead of getting you somewhere, firmly plants you three steps back. However, a personal branding statement, followed by a career summary that is strategically formulated around your unique promise of value, is the golden ticket. If that was Greek to you—and you have no idea what I’m talking about—hold on, it’s about to get better.

Your unique promise of value is comprised of several points: your strengths, goals, values, passion, and talent. Consider those five points. Are words immediately beginning to formulate in your head that would describe you? Ask yourself: What are my strengths, goals, and values? Then ask yourself: What am I passionate about? In what ways am I talented? How you position yourself can depend on your peers and competitors, but ultimately, the goal is to position yourself as a leader and expert so that YOU catapult to the top. Now, in order to uncover your personal brand you really have to know yourself. If you don’t, well then, you’re in trouble. A good place to start is by addressing each of the five points listed above. I recommend taking a sheet of paper and writing down each of the five categories. Then, under each category, list what you know about yourself along with some words/points that describe you. After you have completed the sheet, review the information. After this, you should have a great starting point toward discovering your promise of value. No two people will be the same—and that is what makes your value and brand unique.

Once you have developed your promise of value, use that to formulate your branding statement and career summary. Above all else, be sure that when the hiring manager reads the first third of your resume he or she has a great snapshot of who you are and what you bring to the table. By integrating your personal brand and value into your resume you are already ahead of more than half of the job seeker population—I’d call that one big head start!

Now that you know what your brand and value are, you should take this process to the next level and start building your online brand identity. Research is beginning to reveal that more and more recruiters and hiring managers are turning to social media to either find the ideal candidate or research the candidate they are considering. It would be extremely beneficial to your job search to create a branded, focused, and strategic LinkedIn profile, Twitter account, or Facebook page. Keep these forums professional, as you never know which potential employer may be searching for you.

In today’s job market you have to show the reader why you are different than the thousand other job hunters going after the same position. The first third of your resume is your three million-dollar billboard and best sales pitch. Show the employer why you are in the top tier of your industry—and that you are innovative, forward-focused, and high caliber.

Jessica Holbrook is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, and presenter. She has written more than 100 articles that are featured on some of the best career advice Web sites today. In addition, her writing has been included in Launch pad, a career search strategy guide featuring exclusive information by the top career experts in the industry. Published quarterly, Launch pad is the respected guide used by career development centers and MBA programs throughout the country.

As CEO of Great Resumes Fast, Jessica enjoys collaborating with forward-thinking professionals and executives, identifying their personal brand and value proposition and leveraging their unique talent, passion, and vision to position them as a leader in their industry. Her passion is helping professionals and executives uncover what makes them stand out in the crowd.

Great Resumes Fast holds membership with the Association of Online Resume and Career Professionals, Career Directors International and the National Resume Writers Association.

For a free resume analysis, e-mail your resume to info@greatresumesfast.com. For a free telephone consultation, call toll free at 1.877.875.7706.