Transforming Your Résumé From Military to Civilian

Beth Braccio Hering, CareerBuilder.com writer

Duncan Mathison, co-author of "Unlock the Hidden Job Market: Six Steps to a Successful Job Search When Times Are Tough," recalls working with an ex-Navy SEAL who was trying to land a civilian job.

"He realized that most people thought his skills consisted of landing on beaches and blowing things up. Impressive skills, but not really needed in the business world," Mathison says. "As a result, we reframed his experience to highlight his abilities to lead small teams as well as creative problem solving and planning in the face of uncertainty."

While civilian employers may respect military experience, they may struggle to see it as relevant to their workplace. The challenge for veterans is to present their background in ways that civilians can understand and appreciate.

Talk the talk

The first thing that must go is military jargon. Job titles and codes that are second nature to military personnel are like a foreign language to many hiring managers, so translation is essential.

Lisa Rosser, author of "The Value of a Veteran: The Guide for Human Resource Professionals to Regarding, Recruiting and Retaining Military Veterans," suggests converting military skills to civilian equivalents using a tool such as O*Net Online. "The service member can type in his or her Military Occupational Code and see what a civilian equivalent would be and some alternate civilian job titles. The civilian job description will also list skills, knowledge and attributes commonly held by someone in that position. So, for example, a 90A (army logistics officer) would be a logistician or, alternately, an integrated logistics support manager or a production planner."

Armed with this information, Rosser then recommends job seekers "get busy on a site like CareerBuilder and search on the very general and the very specific job titles." Reading through ads will give the applicant a better idea of qualifications needed for various civilian jobs and will provide insight about key words to use on a résumé.

Putting your best self forward

"Military professionals are groomed to lead others and excel in a team-oriented environment," says Abby Locke, master résumé writer and personal brand strategist for Premier Writing Solutions in Washington, D.C. "Consequently, they find it hard to really market and promote themselves as effectively as they should in the job search process."

Experts offer these tips to help veterans sort through their experiences when creating application materials:

• Focus the cover letter on skills most pertinent to the given position; don't give a generic summary of everything you're qualified to do.


• Tailor the résumé to the specific job, and keep it to a maximum of two pages.


• Scour military performance reviews for relevant achievements (and to jog your memory).


• Use numbers, percentages, statistics and other concrete examples when possible to demonstrate competencies.

Education and training

Locke notes that military professionals often have completed hundreds of courses, training assignments and certifications. Instead of turning the education section of the résumé into a laundry list, however, she recommends "cherry picking" to make sure the training that is most relevant to the given position is apparent.

Mathison suggests listing any training that is applicable to the job whether or not you have a degree or a certificate. "For example, you may have had one class in wireless communications and another in management out of 355 hours of training on a wide range of topics. In the résumé under a training or education heading, write 'More than 350 hours of professional development training including wireless communications and management.'"

Remember you're a civilian now

While a veteran's military background will always be a part of his identification, it is important to keep in mind that hiring managers encountered for civilian jobs may not have the same thoughts or experiences.

"Everyone has an opinion about the war," says Michael Coritsidis, a career coach from Lido Beach, N.Y. "Keep emotion out of the equation, and stay neutral."

Experts generally recommend avoiding potentially charged words such as "war," "warfare" or "weapons" (unless applicable to the specific industry). Likewise, it is better to concentrate on your skills and why you are the best candidate for the position rather than focusing on the military conflict or combat.

Remember, though, that military experience has helped you become who you are today, so bring confidence to the civilian job hunt.

"Most, if not all, learned skills can be transferred to any company or industry, whether it is around the block or around the world," Coritsidis says. "The armed forces also instill the highly regarded qualities of being all that you can be as well as being a team player. What company wouldn't want to hire a person who can communicate how their military skills and qualifications can save time, save money or make money for their business?"Get the latest job search news and advice on CareerBuilder.com's job blog, "The Work Buzz," and follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/CareerBuilder

How to write a cover letter for a sales position

Susan Ricker, CareerBuilder Writer 

A cover letter is your first opportunity to impress a potential employer, and when you work in sales, you know how important a first impression can be.

While the goal of a cover letter is to introduce yourself, explain why you're a good fit for the position and express your interest in the company, a cover letter for a sales position will be more targeted. Are you unsure if your cover letter can close the deal? Read on for tips on what to include.

Strut your sales statistics
If you've already held a sales position, this is your opportunity to show off your winning numbers. Sandra Lamb, a career, lifestyle and etiquette expert, says to include your most important achievements:

• Sales success rate, expressed in numbers.
• Customers or clients retained and converted to new product areas.
• New customers or clients gained.
• Increase in profits and sales levels.

Being specific has more impact than simply saying you were one of the best sales team members at your company.

"Stats have to be included," says Marcia LaReau, president of Forward Motion LLC, a career strategy firm. "If they are going from small-number tickets to much higher tickets, they should use percentages rather than the numbers, or at least give context, such as, 'In year two, brought in $800K in contracts, which represented 30 percent of market share in the region, up from 18 percent in year one.'" The company's size doesn't have to determine how well-qualified you are for your next position. By assigning numbers to your past successes, you're giving the hiring manager an idea of how you would perform if on his team.

Share stories of your success
Sometimes, stories can better express success than numbers can. While you should include your sales stats, incorporating a story of how you overcame a challenge or closed an important deal can be just as informative.

"Be specific and provide examples," says Keith Wolf, vice president of marketing at Murray Resources, a Houston recruiting firm. "Include clear and measurable proof, like the number of new accounts opened. Also, consider including a brief story about a particularly difficult sale you made. Perhaps it was a cold call that you turned into a large account. Hiring managers love to hear stories of perseverance turning into results."

Prove you have a plan
While it's important to include your sales records and stats, it's also crucial to show that you understood what you were doing in your role. "A key element in the cover letter for a sales position would not only be the metrics -- increase in sales percentage, overall sales, etc. -- but the how; how did you achieve this success?" says Beth Carter, executive recruiter and certified executive, business and career coach at Carter Consultants Ltd. "Write about your sales tactics; for example, 'I increased sales in two years by 20 percent by identifying an untapped market in this industry.' Companies want to understand how you can replicate your past success for their company." By showing that you understand the market, can spot an opportunity for a sale and can reproduce your sales accomplishments at a different company, you're marketing yourself as a flexible and experienced sales representative.

Reiterate your interest in the company
After you've proved your sales skills, discuss why you want to join the team. A cover letter should strike a balance between introducing yourself and expressing your interest in the company. Prove that you've done your research, and give examples of why you admire the company, what made you interested in working for it and how you could contribute to its goals.

Susan Ricker is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

Lie on your résumé?

One job-seeker's moment of truth

Steve Blank, author of "The Startup Owner's Manual" and "The Four Steps to the Epiphany" 

Getting asked by a recruiter about where I went to school made me remember the day I had to choose whether to lie on my résumé.

When I got my first job in Silicon Valley, it was through serendipity on my part and desperation on the part of my first employer. I really didn't have much of a résumé: four years in the Air Forcebuilding a scram system for a nuclear reactor and a startup in Ann Arbor, Mich., but not much else.

It was at my second startup in Silicon Valley that my life and career took an interesting turn. A recruiter found me while I was working in product marketing and wanted to introduce me to a hot startup making something called a workstation. "This is a technology-driven company, and your background sounds great. Why don't you send me a résumé and I'll pass it on." A few days later, I got a call back from the recruiter. "Steve, you left off your education. Where did you go to school?"

"I never finished college," I said.

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. "Steve, the VP of sales and marketing previously ran their engineering department. He was a professor of computer science at Harvard, and his last job was running the Advanced Systems Division at Xerox PARC. Most of the sales force were previously design engineers. I can't present a candidate without a college degree. Why don't you make something up?"

I still remember that exact instant of the conversation. In that moment, I realized I had a choice. But I had no idea how profound, important and lasting it would be. It would have been really easy to lie, and the recruiter was telling me to do so. "No one checks education anyway," he said. This was long before the days of the Internet.

Making the choice about my résumé
I told him I'd think about it. And I did for a long time. After a few days, I sent him my updated résumé, and he passed it on to Convergent Technologies. Soon after, I was asked to interview with the company. I can barely recall the other people I met, but I'll never forget the interview with Ben Wegbreit, the vice president of sales and marketing.

Wegbreit held up my résumé and said, "You know you're here interviewing because I've never seen a résumé like this. You don't have any college listed and there's no education section. You put 'Mensa' here," he said, pointing to the section where education normally goes. "Why?" I looked back at him and said, "I thought Mensa might get your attention."

Wegbreit just stared at me for an uncomfortable amount of time. Then he abruptly said, "Tell me what you did in your previous companies." I thought this was going to be a storytelling interview like the others. But instead, the minute I said, "My first startup used CATV coax to implement a local-area network for process control systems." (35 years ago, pre-Ethernet and TCP/IP, that was pretty cutting-edge.) Wegbreit said, "Why don't you go to the whiteboard and draw the system diagram for me?"   

Do what? Draw it? I dug deep and spent 30 minutes diagramming, trying to remember everything. With Wegbreit peppering me with questions, I could barely keep up. And there were a bunch of empty spaces where I couldn't remember some of the detail.

When I was done explaining it I headed for the chair, but Wegbreit stopped me. "As long as you're at the whiteboard, why don't we go through the other two companies you were at." I couldn't believe it. I was already mentally exhausted, but we spent another half-hour with me drawing diagrams and Wegbreit asking questions.

Finally I sat down. Wegbreit looked at me for a long while, not saying a word. Then he stood up and opened the door, signaling me to leave. He shook my hand and said, "Thanks for coming in." What? That's it? Did I get the job or not?

That evening, I got a call from the recruiter. "Ben loved you. ... Congratulations."

Epilogue
Three and a half years later, Convergent became a public company and I was a VP of marketing working for Wegbreit. Wegbreit ended up as my mentor at Convergent -- and for the rest of my career -- my peer at Ardent and my partner and co-founder at Epiphany. I would never use Mensa on my résumé again, and my education section would always be empty.

But every time I read about an executive who got caught in a résumé scandal, I remember the moment I had to choose.

Lessons learned

• You will be faced with ethical dilemmas your entire career.
• Taking the wrong path is most often the easiest choice.
• These choices will seem like trivial and inconsequential shortcuts -- at the time.
• Some of them will have lasting consequences.
• It's not the lie that will catch up with you, it's the cover-up.
• Choose wisely.

Steve Blank is a retired serial entrepreneur and author of "The Startup Owner's Manual" and "The Four Steps to the Epiphany." He lectures at Stanford University, the University of California Berkeley's Haas School of Business and Columbia University, and is the author and architect of the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps curriculum. He blogs about entrepreneurship atwww.steveblank.com.

How to get that computer to send your résumé to a real person

Interview with a résumé expert

Debra Auerbach, CareerBuilder Writer

When you submit a résumé online, do you ever wonder where it goes, who reads it and -- if you're lucky -- how it gets picked? In today's electronic world, many companies use keyword-search software or applicant-tracking systems in their hiring process. These systems scan résumés for keywords related to the open position to find the most relevant ones for the next round. This helps companies, especially large ones, sort through a high volume of résumés quickly and efficiently.

Knowing that your résumé may meet a computer system before it meets a human, how do you get it noticed? The following Q&A with Ramsey Penegar, executive-résumé consultant, career strategist and certified résumé writer for cbResume.com, provides helpful tips on how to make your résumé stand out to a computer -- and a company.

Q: Now that most résumés are submitted/reviewed online, what implications does that have for how a résumé is written?
Penegar: Now that the majority of résumés are submitted and reviewed online rather than in print, there are new things to consider in writing a résumé. Will your résumé be viewable online? Will it look the same as it did on your computer when prospective hiring managers read it? Job seekers need to keep in mind that format, keywords, search optimization and file type are all just as important as content, good grammar and correct spelling.

I ensure that clients have two versions of their résumé. [One is] the utilitarian text version for easily posting to Internet job boards or online applications. Since the majority of businesses use Microsoft Word over other word-processing programs, send your résumé in a file format their system will open. The Microsoft Word version is formatted using universal fonts to ensure that the recipient can read the résumé.

Q: Why is it important to include keywords from the job description in a résumé?
RP: An effective résumé has a tight focus and is targeted to the job or job types the client wishes to seek. This targeting includes keywords from the job description to improve search rates. Keywords are usually the hard skills, industry-specific qualifications and job-specific terms or phrases that employers look for in a job candidate. If your résumé doesn't have the keywords that match their job requirements, your résumé may hit the "no" pile early in the process.

Some companies search Internet job boards and résumé databases using keywords to find job candidates, while other companies use this technology to streamline their hiring process. If your résumé doesn't contain the right keywords, your résumé may be rejected even if you have all the experience and other qualifications. As a job seeker, using the right keywords in your résumé is crucial if you want to land the interview.

Q: How can you integrate keywords so they sound natural and not forced?
RP: The best way to incorporate keywords into your résumé is by writing concise action statements regarding your achievements, skills and experience and implementing the keywords naturally within those bulleted statements. An effective résumé is achievement-focused, not task-based. Start each statement about your career achievements with an action verb, followed by a keyword and ending with specific facts and figures resulting from your actions.

Simply creating a list or block of keywords may work to snag hits on the software seeking those words. However, if your résumé lacks a professional, aesthetically appealing look, doesn't explain why you are the ideal candidate or how you benefited your previous employers, you still won't get the interview.

Q: What types of keywords should job seekers include in their résumé?
RP: The best keywords can be found right in the job descriptions and ads of the jobs you want to land. Evaluate 10 job postings with similar titles and make a list of the five to 10 most frequently used words throughout all of them. These are the words you should use in your cover letter and résumé.

Here is a list of general skills and qualifications to consider as keywords:

• Degrees or certifications
• University or college names
• Job titles
• Product names
• Technical terms
• Industry jargon
• Job-specific buzzwords
• Company names
• Professional organizations
• Technology

Q: What are some pitfalls of relying too much on keywords?
RP: Integrating keywords is only one important aspect of developing an effective résumé. Too many buzzwords can be overkill, and a long list of keywords on a Word document will not land you any interviews. Remember that keywords are primarily for the computer software scanning your résumé; the written content is for your human readers. Quality is of utmost importance in your résumé.

Q: What other ways can a job seeker get his résumé noticed by an employer?
RP: Make certain [that] your résumé is visually appealing by using appropriate formatting and white spacing as well as correct spelling and grammar. Your résumé is more likely to be read if it's appealing to read. Don't clutter your résumé with irrelevant or outdated information and, ideally, keep it to two pages or less. College students or those with fewer than five years of experience may use a one-page résumé.

A job search should be directed in the same manner as a sales or marketing campaign. Use all [of] your resources, connections and networks. Get your résumé into the hands of people who can help you in this quest, including friends, family, colleagues, alumni or professional association members, acquaintances at Chamber of Commerce and other business community events and job fairs. Promote your résumé online using LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and even your own professional blog. Rather than sending your résumé to a company or job posting cold, conduct research to find out the name of the person who would be most interested in your résumé, and get the résumé into her hands. Taking the time to develop and work your job-search plan will help you to achieve better results faster.

Debra Auerbach is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

Quiz: Do you know when to rephrase your résumé?

Susan Ricker, CareerBuilder Writer

Sometimes a résumé was once good, but now it's stale. Sometimes it was never that good to begin with. Either way, how do you know if it's time to rephrase your résumé?

Below you'll find five sentences commonly found on a résumé. Each sentence could be rewritten to better reflect the job seeker's skills. Choose the option you think best describes why and how the sentence should be reworded. Once you've finished, review the results to see if you know how to write a winning résumé or if it's time for some rephrasing.

1. "Objective: To obtain a challenging position in leadership that will allow me to apply creative problem solving to achieve optimum results."
A. The objective is pretty vague; it should also include the company or position title, as well as a desired salary.
B. The space for objective statements could be better used if replaced with a summary of your job-seeker brand, or a one-sentence statement that summarizes your expertise and skills.
C. Simplify the objective statement and use language from the job description.

2. "Summary of qualifications: Maintained strong business relationships with new and old clients, and cultivated strong connections with team members to create strong communication at our company."
A. This could be separated into three bullet points to make a stronger statement.
B. The repetitive language should be removed, and there should be individual bullet points with clear descriptions of each qualification.
C. Leave this as is.

3. "Professional experience: Independent business consultant at ABC Co., 2006-present; account executive at JRR Sales Co., September 2000-April 2006; cashier at Jerry's Ice Cream Shop, June 2003-April 2006."
A. Bullet points should follow each title, as well as daily tasks performed.
B. The only work experience listed should be relevant to the job you're interested in and should include three to four bullet points of major accomplishments that relate to the position for which you're applying.
C. This is fine, as long as the location of each business is also included.

4. "Education: College University, Class of 1998."
A. Include the school's location.
B. Include the school's location, your degree information and any training or certificates received. Revise the title to say, "Education and training."
C. Leave this as is.

5. "References: John Baker, supervisor at ABC Co., phone and email included; Linda Cook, manager at JRR Sales Co., phone and email included."
A. Leave this as is.
B. Leave references off of the résumé, and use the space for something else.
C. Use the line, "References available upon request."

Results

Mostly A's: You're on the right path, but most of your answers would make the résumé too wordy or unorganized. You may want to edit your résumé so it's more concise. In each section, ask yourself if the hiring manager would find that information helpful, relevant and easy to understand. Résumé space is too valuable to be wasted on unnecessary information.

Mostly B's: Your résumé rephrasing skills are top-notch. You clearly took the time to research the position you're applying for, and you're able to communicate your personality and experience in your résumé. You've likely included only relevant information on your résumé and everything included supports why you're the best candidate for the job.

Mostly C's: Although minimalism can be an attractive quality in business, your answers indicate that you're holding back on your résumé. Hiring managers can go through thousands of job applications when searching for the right candidate, and it's important that you stand out from your competition by showcasing your individuality, experience and personality. If you don't have much work experience, include information that's relevant to the position of interest, and communicate why you're right for the role.

Susan Ricker is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

10 Ways to Write a Stronger Résumé

Nearly one-in-four human resources managers said they receive, on average, more than 75 résumés for each open position, according to a nationwide survey by Careerbuilder.com.

When a job posting's response is that overwhelming, human resource managers often struggle to distinguish one candidate from another -- particularly since most of them spend only a minute or two assessing each candidate's résumé. That's why job seekers have to be savvy about their résumé's content and presentation.

Unfortunately, even the most talented, qualified candidates sometimes write weak résumés. Whether they're in a hurry, lack writing skills or are unsure how to market themselves to employers, they fail to score interviews because their résumés don't immediately demonstrate what return on investment they offer employers.

To sidestep this dilemma, consider Susan Britton Whitcomb's 10 tips for writing great résumé copy, excerpted from her book, "Résumé Magic":

1. Know your audience before you begin to write. What skills and competencies are they looking for? What knowledge do they require? What trends are they capitalizing on? What opportunities are they interested in tapping? What problems do they need fixed? What projects can you help them move forward?

2. Pack your résumé with keywords -- those words that describe your title, knowledge base, skill set, impressive "name-brand" companies or Fortune 500 employers, prestigious universities attended, degrees, licensing, software experience, affiliations and so on.

3. Find keywords by reviewing relevant job postings online or detailed classified ads in newspapers, reading job descriptions or content at your target companies' Web sites, reading your association's newsletter or trade journals, conducting informational interviews with industry contacts and so on.

4. Position critical information at the "visual center" of the page. Weave keywords throughout your Qualifications Summary and Professional Experience sections, as well as in your cover letter. Create a Keyword Summary section for electronic versions of your résumé.

5. Resist the temptation to outsmart applicant-screening software by, for instance, planting the keyword "project manager" nine times throughout the résumé when you might have minimal experience as a project manager.

6. When writing job descriptions, try to keep your paragraph to around five lines. Summarize any redundant statements and present the material with an emphasis on transferable skills. Always highlight your accomplishments.

7. If you're writing a functional or skills-based résumé, focus on three to five skill areas and lean toward occupational skills (such as event planning, marketing or project coordination) instead of personal skills (such as analytical skills, problem-solving skills or organizational talents) for category subheadings. After you have selected your subheadings, develop two to five sentences, along with specific accomplishments that encapsulate your range of experience for each subheading.

8. New graduates with limited professional experience will normally place their Education section near the top of the résumé, after the Objective/Focus or Qualifications Summary.

9. For categories such as affiliations, publications, presentations or awards and honors, consider presenting information in a bulleted list or two-column format to save space and add visual appeal.

10. Think like an advertising copywriter: Be concise, but give enough data to create interest and a desire to meet you.

By Selena Dehne career writer for JIST Publishing who shares the latest occupational, career and job search information available with job seekers and career changers. She is also the author of JIST's Job Search and Career Blog (http://jistjobsearchandcareer.blogspot.com/). Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/SelenaDehne.

10 Things to Leave Off Your Résumé

Everybody knows that in most situations, less is more -- your accessories, eating habits and especially your résumé.

Job seekers do themselves a disservice when they send out résumés with too much information. Employers don't have the time or the patience to sift through irrelevant information like your hobbies, interests or how many grandchildren you have. Just stick to the basics and you're good to go.

Here are 10 things to leave off your résumé and why:

1. Your picture
Why to leave it off: Unless a job posting specifically asks for your picture (and very few jobs will), don't include it just for fun. Not only are your looks irrelevant to your potential as an employee, but you're putting employers in a bad spot. If they have a picture of you and choose not to hire you, it's possible that you could come back with a discrimination lawsuit. In most cases, they'll throw your résumé away without looking at it, to avoid the issue altogether.

2. Interest and hobbies
Why to leave them off: Unless your interests and hobbies have something to do with the job you're applying for, there's no reason to include them. If you want to show how your passion for art would be an asset to a graphic design position, that's one thing. But telling employers that you love to skydive on an actuary application is another. In general, make any applicable connections between your hobbies and the job in your cover letter. Better yet, save them for the interview when you're asked what you like to do outside of work.

3. Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors
Why to leave them off: Most employers assume that if you're OK with sending out a résumé littered with typos and mistakes, you'll have the same lack of concern for the work you do as an employee at their company. While spell check picks up most errors, it can miss something major -- did you work the late night shift? Or did you forget to include the "f" between "i" and "t"? -- so have several eyes look over your résumé before sending it out to employers.

4. Personal attributes
Why to leave them off: Similar to sending a picture with your résumé, your height, weight, age, race or religion are all unimportant to an employer. Though it's illegal for employers to discriminate against applicants because of any of these factors, some will do so, regardless. Keep everything on your résumé pertinent to the job, and you'll be fine.

5. References
Why to leave them off: Many job seekers still include references on their résumé or they include a line that says, "References available upon request." This tactic is not as effective as it used to be. Jack Harsh, adjunct professor at the University of Richmond Robins School of Business, says that when he receives a résumé with references attached, he gives them virtually no weight. "They seldom are specific to the role my company seeks and are not meaningful in considering qualifications or traits of successful candidates," he says. Wait to broach the topic of references until you're asked for them.

6. Minute details
Why to leave them off: Hiring managers don't need to know the details of every task you've ever done in every job you've ever had. It's just too much information, and usually half of that information isn't relevant. Employers want to be able to see at first glance that you're a great candidate, so pick out those details that are most relevant to the job for which you're applying and omit the rest.

7. False information
Why to leave it off: Plain and simple, no one wants to hire a liar. Don't say that you have a master's degree if you've only earned your bachelor's; don't say you're presently employed at a company if you've recently been fired; don't list your salary history as 20 percent higher than it was. Everything you tell an employer can be verified, so play it safe and be honest.

8. Flair
Why to leave it off: No one wants to look at a résumé on fluorescent paper, covered in crazy fonts and symbols. Similarly, links to personal Web sites, your photo-sharing site, or strange e-mail addresses can also be left off. Employers are less likely to respond to likes2party@email.com than just DMiller@email.com.

9. Negativity
Why to leave it off: Never put anything negative on your résumé. Don't include your reasons for leaving. If you left the position due to a layoff or you were fired, for example, bring it up only if asked. Never write anything bad about a previous employer. Don't explain gaps on your résumé by stating that you were in prison for 10 years for killing your husband. Keep your résumé all positive, all the time.

10. A selfish objective
Why to leave it off: Employers are trying to determine whether you're a good fit for their organizations, so everything on your résumé should point to your experience. Employers would rather see a summary of qualifications that displays your accomplishments and background than a generic objective statement like "To gain experience in..."

By Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com writer