A resume is no longer a chronological history of your career.  It's a marketing tool for you! 

At this stage in the game, potential employers don't want a laundry list of past jobs, they want to know what you can do for them and they want to know in just 30 to 40 seconds.

Effective resume writing begins with a clear understanding of your current objectives, career history and the needs of potential employers.  Successful resumes:

·         Deliver your unique value proposition.

Why are you the best candidate for the job?  What sets you apart from others who are competing for the position?  This statement should be the first thing your reader sees on the resume.  Remember to keep it short, no longer than three lines, one or two
being ideal.

·         Communicate your personal brand.

Who are you?  What makes you successful at what you do?  Everyone has positive attributes that make them successful.  Narrow it down to the most markeable top 3 or 4 and play those up in those in your resume.

·         Highlight your career achievements.

Sharing your winning stories is the strongest way to illustrate the benefits of recruiting you.  This section of the resume powerfully communicates why the company should hire you and the advantages they can expect from your leadership.

·         Properly position you for your target job.

What position are you targeting?  Every inch of your resume should be written with your target audience in mind.  It's not about where you have been, but where you want to go.

·         Contain key words.

Including key words in your resume is no longer optional.  Most resumes are scanned into databases for electronic searches.  Weaving key words into the text, as well as where you place them on the page is paramount.

·         Include a brief chronological career history.

This section needs to be "actively" written to match the achievement section.  Use this space to support the "silent" objective that you have included in the value proposition as well as the career achievements.  Successfully integrating all sections of the resume reinforces your message.