Quintessential Careers Press:
Surefire Resumes for New Graduates and Other Entry-Level Candidates
Chapter 5: Focus on Accomplishments
Page 34
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- Use the SAR or PAR technique, in which you describe a Situation or Problem that existed in a given job, tell what Action you took to fix the Situation or Problem, and what the Result was. Some experts call this the CAR technique, in which C stands for Challenge, or the STAR technique, in which the T stands for Task. Resume writer JoAnn Nix notes that a sales and marketing manager could employ SAR/STAR/PAR/CAR technique this way: "Joined organization to spearhead sales and marketing initiative for newly developed territory. Led the aggressive turnaround of a poorly performing district and propelled sales from one to six million in 14 months." See more about this technique:
Susan Britton Whitcomb, author of Resume Magic, one of the most highly recommended resume books on the market, calls accomplishments "the linchpin of a great resume." Her chapter on accomplishments is one of the best sources for getting your accomplishments juices flowing. Here are some of her suggestions:
- Adding nuances to the Efficiency component of the PEP Formula, Whitcomb suggests listing ways you saved time or made work easier.
- How did you make your company more competitive?
- How did you build relationships or image with internal or external constituencies? How did you attract new customers or retain existing ones?
- How did you expand the business?
- How did you contribute to the firm's Return on Investment (ROI)?
- How did you help the organization fulfill its mission statement?
- And if you're really stuck in the accomplishments-listing game, you will likely find Whitcomb's Resume Magic valuable for the "Impact-Mining Questions" she offers for numerous specific career fields.
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