'Old school' techniques don’t make the grade in 2012

Dear Sam: I’m really struggling to see why my résumés aren’t effective. I have spent time explaining what I did at each job, highlighting accomplishments, and still I don’t get a response.

I even developed multiple versions with different objectives noted. Help! -- Rachel

Dear Rachel: I noticed that your résumés do not contain qualifications summaries, and instead use very valuable real estate at the top of page one presenting an objective statement.

Defining your purpose or objective is critically important to the development of this section, but instead of simply stating your objective, this section, along with everything on your résumé, should be developed to sell yourself for the type(s) of roles you are seeking.

Develop this section based on a primary objective, presenting a brief summary of your key qualifiers related to your current career target. Engage the reader by performing due diligence to understand the keywords for the position(s) of interest, and infuse those keywords throughout this summary and the remainder of your résumé.

I know that most candidates struggle with this section; it is, after all, the most difficult part of a résumé to write. As a tip, start writing your résumé from the bottom up, beginning with the easier sections and leading to the summary.

Write the summary last so that you have a clear picture of what you have to offer your target audience. Check out samples on my website for inspiration.

Dear Sam: I am very impressed with your website and your column. You have a great talent for breathing life into what could be a very dull document.

Can you tell me the difference between a résumé, curriculum vitae, and a bio? When you might use one over the other? -- Mary Beth

Dear Mary Beth: Thank you for the kind words! To answer your question, some use those terms interchangeably at times but, to those of us in the résumé world, they mean the following:

1. Résumé -- Strategic presentation of a candidate’s background positioning them for what they now want to do. Typically opens with a qualifications summary and flows to a professional experience section with responsibilities and accomplishments highlighted, ending with education and any value-added data.

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