Virtually every serious job candidate has received the following advice from professional career counselors, high school and college guidance professionals, reputable resume writing services, knowledgeable human resources managers, or other experts positioned to offer well-informed resume writing tips: “highlight your accomplishments on your resume!”  But, in articulating your achievements on your resume, remember to make them “SOAR.”

In expressing a personal or career accomplishment, most people simply state a result; such as, “increased sales by 20%.”  That result, however, is largely meaningless outside of the context within which it was produced.  Reading the result only is very much akin to reading only the ending of a novel.  Without an understanding of what came before, the reader is neither engaged nor informed.

To create a persuasive and compelling description of an accomplishment requires four elements:  a depiction of the situation or status quo prior to the arrival or action of the candidate, a characterization of the opportunity that the existent situation presented the candidate, a description of the action(s) taken to remedy or improve the situation, and a delineation of the measurable results produced by virtue of those actions.

By making your accomplishments “SOAR,” you will develop memorable stories that will create a powerful and positive first impression, gain the attention of the reader, and dramatically enhance your opportunities to secure interviews and job offers.

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