Unbeatable Resumes (8 page)
Read Unbeatable Resumes Online
Authors: Tony Beshara
Once you get the hang of doing a résumé makeover, rewriting almost anyone's résumé (especially your own) will be easy to do.
Terry McDonald, one of the guests on
The Dr. Phil Show
, is a really good guy. Using my techniquesâthe ones I teach on my Web site,
www.thejobsearchsolution.com
âhe found a job. It took him eight months after he got laid off, and it wasn't easy in the California economy, with unemployment at 12 percent at the time; nevertheless, he was successful. However, the résumé he started out with was pretty poor. (You can view a video clip of our on-air résumé critique at
www.tonybeshara.com
.) Here is what Terry's original résumé looked like:
Terry Wayne McDonald
Address Cell # E-mail
OBJECTIVE:
To provide personal dedication to the common cause of profitability and retention of a dynamic team.
QUALIFICATIONS:
EXPERIENCE:
State Farm Insurance | 2005â2009 |
Business Insurance Representative
Production Manager, Producer, and Team Leader
Initiated agency marketing strategies
Created new households and business referral program
Field underwriter for Commercial and Personal Lines
State Farm Insurance | 1993â2004 |
Office Manager-Marketing Coordinator
Managed work flow and supervised insurance representative team
Generated overall profitability with multi-line sales and service techniques
Established and maintained exceptional customer service relations
MetLife Healthcare Network | 1986â1993 |
Sr. Membership Accounting Representative
Supervised and trained department team
Made underwriting decisions with letter notification
Administrated and input new group contracts and mass group terminations
CREDENTIALS:
CA Department of Insurance, Licenses | 1996âPresent |
⢠Accident and Health
⢠Fire and Casualty Broker-Agent
⢠Life-Only
State of California | 2005âPresent |
⢠Notary Public
A brief look at Terry's résumé is very revealing. First, the Objectives statement says absolutely nothing. Second, his Qualifications? Integrity . . . Adaptable . . . Public Communications.
What do those words mean? Really, they don't say anything. Essentially, Terry did not emphasize his sales ability. His function was as much sales and increasing business as it was administration; unfortunately, his résumé did not emphasize that.
Now, look at the revised résumé. With a few minor changes and by emphasizing Terry's percentage of
increase
in business as well as his
profitability
, he communicates being a top contributor. Again,
numbers tell
. Increasing profitability 35 percent, being the number-one agent of health policy sales, and having been promoted three times are facts that say: “This is what I've done in the past for others and therefore this is what I will do for you.” Pretty simple!
Here's Terry's revised résumé:
Â
Terry Wayne McDonald
Address Phone # Cell # E-mail
EXPERIENCE
December 2005âJanuary 2009 State Farm Insurance (Agency Sales & Service), Brea, CA
Business Sales Representative
Increased agency residual
by 30%
Grew agency renewable household count
by 20%
Lowered single-line household ratio
23%
by writing additional policies to existing book
Developed rewards program for the referral of new business that
increased business 25%
Had company authority to write claims checks directly to clients
Suggested target marketing ideas that were implemented and
increased profit by 35%
May 1993âSeptember 2004 State Farm Insurance (Agency Sales & Service), Long Beach, CA
Office Manager / Sales Coordinator
Created sales promotions to motivate team and increase office production
Annually achieved corporate Life Insurance sales goals
105%
#1 agent
of Health policy sales in the district
Oversaw sales and customer service work flow of 2â4 person staff
Educated clients of underwriting requirements and insurance policy interpretation
September 1986âMarch 1993 MetLife Healthcare Network (Corporate HMO), Long Beach, CA
Sr. Membership Representative
Promoted three times during tenure
Administrated employer health insurance contracts and individual health insurance cards