How to write an impactful resume?

Are you writing a resume?

Why?

Reflect on this before you start writing. The reason for writing the resume will direct what content is relevant in it

Context is key

Each role has measures of success and skills required to achieve the success.

The resume needs to communicate content highlighting relevant similar skills and successes from the professional history of the applicant.

Illustration

Amit is applying for a position to pursue and win new clients in the Insurance vertical for a technology services company. Having won them, he will also need to mine and scale business with them.

In recent years, Amit has sold technology solutions to the Insurance vertical on behalf of outsourcing companies and SI’s. For the first 13 years of his 20-year career he worked in technology projects and programs, with the insurance sector.

The resume will be written in 4 sections.

Every section needs to make an impact to interest the reader/hiring manager to want to get read further.

Section 1 - Introduction

The first 2 – 3 lines summarize the professional career in context of the role being applied for.

This is the elevator pitch. It needs to communicate accomplishments relevant to the primary goals of the role.

It is the most important part of the resume. An introduction written with focus on the role being applied for invites the reader to delve deeper into the subsequent content.

Consistently won new business and clients in the Insurance industry in the USA for IT services companies. Pursued and won deals of $ 10+ million TCV & cross sold services across application and infrastructure technologies to grow existing customers to $ 15 + million in total revenue.

This one short paragraph can significantly impact the attention Amit’s candidature gets.

Section 2 – Relevant accomplishments

Having made an elevator pitch Amit now needs to support it with evidence.

a)      Pursued and won 4 new clients among mid & large PNC insurers between 2019 - 21

b)      Since 2021 responsible for scaling 2 clients which I grew to between $ 6 – 8 million each by mapping multiple buying centers and cross selling a range of services from application maintenance, cloud migration, app testing, & data engineering.

c)       Pursued 7 deals from $ 8 – 18 million TCV and won 2 of them.

d)      Proficient in the technologies used for claims, customer care, product development & underwriting processes in PNC Insurance

In sections 1 & 2 Amit needs to make the case that he can do the job, has a track record of similar accomplishments in the past, and hence will be productive quickly.

Section 3 – Professional chronology

The professional chronology outlines when and where Amit achieved what he has highlighted in the initial introductory sections.

Why is chronology important?

The more recent accomplishments get the highest weightage. Writing in chronological order best highlights the time sequence of achievements.

Role 1 - 2021 – present – Client partner – Insurance vertical - Mid-size IT services company

Responsible for growing business with clients in Southeast USA.

a)       Grew business with 4 clients to n $ 6 – 8 million, doubling each of them in 4  years

b)       Pursued 3 deals of $ 8 + million – winning 1 of them for  $11 million TCV

c)        Mapped different buying centers and sold new business in app development, cloud migration, testing, & AI solutions

Role 2 – 2019 – 21 - Regional director – Insurance vertical – Mid-size IT services company

Responsible for identifying, pursuing, and winning new clients

a)       Won 2 new clients in 2020 and 2 in 2021 – each a Fortune 1000 company

b)       Pursued 4 deals of $ 10 + million – winning 1 of them for a total of $24 million TCV

c)        Generated 30 leads working with inside sales & through trade shows

Role 3 – 2013 – 2019 – Project / Program manager – Insurance (claims and settlement)

Role 4 2006 – 2013 – Tech roles in application maintenance - Insurance

Accomplishments should be detailed in the more recent roles, say those in the last 10 – 12 years. These communicate more current skills and replicable, achievements.

How relevant are the initial 10 years of Amit’s career as a coder/project manager to the business growth position he is now applying for?

They are, since they demonstrate that he understands technology and insurance tech. A couple of lines highlighting that in each role will suffice and also keep the resume compact and readable.

Section 4 – Other relevant professional data

In this section, Amit can mention any credentials not already covered which will help him succeed in the role he is applying for.

These can include

a)       Relevant network – Membership of associations of bodies, relevant to the role.

b)      Relevant education – Education which will facilitate success e.g. for project management roles a PMP, or CFA for a finance professional.

c)       Any involvement in the community which will be seen as a plus by the employers who are sponsors of similar community activities.

Like the rest of the resume, this section is also written to support why/how Amit will succeed in the role.  He needs to outline credentials which are relevant.

In closing

Resumes are written for a purpose.

That purpose is to make the case for why you can do the job you are applying for.

Write the resume keeping this in mind. Understand the requirements of the role and highlight relevant achievements, experiences and credentials.

Consider writing four sections

1.       The first a short para summarizing key accomplishments & credentials relevant to the role

2.       Follow this up with 4 – 5 relevant achievements from past jobs

3.       Detail roles going back the last 10 – 12 roles in chronology and the achievements in each. For positions earlier than that, a line or two per role will suffice

4.       Close with academic or other credentials which will help in being successful in the role which you are aiming for

Happy hunting!