One of my recent clients was a top construction superintendent. He had worked on dozens of important projects, across multiple industries, for many years and with an excellent track record. But he had been sending his resume to top recruiters and construction firms for 6 months with NO results.

I crafted a visually appealing resume for him that targeted the size and scope of position he wanted to focus on and to make a long story short, within 7 days of distributing his new resume, he had 4 interviews with top construction companies and an offer was already on the table at double his previous salary. That’s a 100% pay raise! And that is why professionals hire experienced, certified resume writers. The “career” ROI is often phenomenal.

You pay to earn project management certifications and construction degrees and give your all with years of on-the-job training. The above story is a perfect example of why you should not overlook the fact that mastering the art of communicating why someone should hire you is equally important.

Are you wondering what I did to this construction superintendent’s resume to grab the attention of the same key decision makers that had let his original resume slip by them just a few months prior? Here are some key steps I took that you can use too (and by the way – these tips are applicable whether you are writing a senior/executive, mid-level or entry-level/new grad construction resume):

• I focused his resume. The top keywords and opening statement of your resume need to be clearly defined and targeted to what you want. Opening statements should be no more than 4 to 5 lines deep. Your goal is to give your reader a framework of perspective about you that aligns with your career focus. Let’s say you are a PM targeting large construction projects. Your keyword at the top of your resume might read: Project management | Hospital & Healthcare | Projects to $200 Million

• I wrote to his ideal position. Find a few positions that represent your “ideal job.” Highlight all of the keywords and phrases in those positions that match and resonate with you. Now make sure those keywords are integrated into the top of the first page of your resume. I call this the mirroring technique. It is extremely effective.
• I told his story. In his career history section, I began by listing the company name, something positive about the company, their general size and scope, and why they hired him. Then I added some short stories targeting issues this superintendent overcame that ended up making the company more money in the form of more project work from happy clients. I topped this off by including call out boxes of selected projects for each company, highlighting that he had brought those projects in on time and within budget.

If you want or need to write your resume yourself, understanding these marketing elements is going to help you tremendously – not only understand your own real and perceived value, but to communicate your focus, strengths, achievements and branding to potential employers. You’ll quickly get their interest, beat your competition and ultimately land more interviews and offers for positions within the companies you truly want.

For more do-it-yourself executive resume help, here’s a free resource just for you…

Watch this 1-minute video to learn how to get more information on:

• 3 resume mistakes 90% of people make when they write their resumes themselves.
• What they are and how to easily fix them so you can get more interviews and bigger offers!

To your career success!