The Best Things to Say on a Resume

People, even experienced professionals, often wonder what are the "best things to say" on their resume. As a hiring manager, I appreciate a well crafted, two-page resume that summarizes a candidate's skills and career in a straightforward manner. As a Human Resources professional, I have seen a variety of formats and literally thousands of resumes over the years. Most of these resumes could be more impactful if they followed a few basic resume writing guidelines. Here are some resume tips that can make a big difference:

Contact Information: The most obvious thing to say on a resume is your contact information. Make is easy for the reader to see and remember. Get an email address with your name at Gmail or msn.com. Don't make it cryptic with numbers or code names that will be unusually hard to remember or not easily connect with your name. If you have a cell phone with voicemail put the number up-front in the header along with your name and address so that it will headline each page. Lastly, you might add a LinkedIn address with professional references; however, don't add Twitter or Facebook links which might have information that you would otherwise not want to provide to prospective employers.

Results from your recent jobs: One of the most important things that you can say on a resume are the results that you have attained at previous jobs. Employers look for people who can get the job done. Nothing speaks louder than results. Be careful not to confuse your prior job responsibilities with results. For example, you may have been responsible for a customer service team of six people, but if you can also say that you improved customer service survey scores from 85% to 95% satisfaction in the first year, then you have a more powerful statement. These are the kind of results that will grab attention. Obviously, you must be able to back these kinds of statements up with actual survey results or a letter of commendation, but the message here is clear: Say things in terms of results-based statements.

Core Skills: Analyze what you do best and highlight these as your core skills, perhaps using a functional format. Not only is it important to say what your cores skills are on your resume, but it is also important to think about this in some detail so that you can articulate them in an interview or on an elevator giving your 30-second pitch. Getting clarity about your core skills will help you sharpen your messages both on paper and in person.

Employment History: Generally you will want to summarize your employment history using a chronological format beginning with the most recent experience and then working backwards. This format is especially good if you have had promotions to jobs with increasing responsibility or more advanced technical skills. If you decide to combine both a functional and chronological format, use the functional format on the first page to highlight core skills and place the chronological listing of your employment history on page two with the dates, company, and the position beginning with the most recent.

Education & Awards: Usually employers will also want to know about your education, and perhaps significant awards. This is especially true if you have specialized degrees or advanced education relevant to the job you are seeking. It is also good to note any substantial awards from your industry or profession. This is a way to have others say good things about you so you don't have to say them yourself. Awards will also add credibility with third party endorsements from trusted sources.

These are five key categories of things to say in a resume. Certainly you might include other things, but be careful not to add items that are either not critical or unique. For example, adding items like proficient in Microsoft Office or a member of the local business association are not particularly impressive or likely to distinguish you from other candidates. Thus, these kinds of items are better left off unless they are important to the specific position that you are seeking. Keep your resume to two-pages and use the space wisely to highlight the "best things to say" in these five important categories.

Leonard Kloeber is an author and leadership consultant. He has extensive leadership experience as business executive and as a military officer. He has been a hands-on leader in a variety of organizations large and small. Most recently he was a human resources executive for a Fortune 100 company. His book - Victory Principles, Leadership Lessons from D-Day - illustrates seven bedrock leadership principles that all successful leaders use. Download a free summary of the Victory Principles at: http://www.victoryprinciples.com/ and find other bonus materials for leaders. Contact him at staffride@gmail.com or find his book Victory Principles at http://www.leadershipthebook.com/