Writing a resume is, as argued before, quite simple; yet made difficult by the need for it to be persuasive. And to be persuasive, you must tell a story. Telling, or in this case, writing your story is hard; no doubt about it.

Yet this story of how you made a real difference in the jobs that you have held is critical. It is critical because, by inference, your story causes the reader to imagine you making the same difference for him.

The clear challenge is in the "how."

But to get to that answer, humor me for a moment and let's talk about a business plan.

A business plan has two objectives. The first is to raise capital or money. And the second objective is to act as an operational blueprint for when you actually start the business. The two objectives do not necessarily mesh. But writing 2 separate, 100 page business/operational plans is not practical nor desirable.

The answer to satisfying both objectives with one plan is the executive summary.

Once the plan is written with all the research and analysis into the SWOT, market competitiveness, financials. And the mission statement is formulated and written. You have established all your operational metrics and benchmarks. When you have everything in front of you, so to speak; you then pull together your executive summary.

This 2 to 3 page synopsis that precedes the plan is not just a condensed summary of what is in the business plan. The executive summary is where you tell your story of how great the business will be and why joining as an investor would be a great idea. You do this by pulling out key points from the business plan and framing it to say what you want. You use it to precondition the investor's mind and to guide that person.

If it is done well, the executive resume reduces the business plan to a reference manual, and to that operational plan that you need.

And so it should be with your resume...

Precede the body of your resume with a summary of who you are. You have at most a few seconds to capture the reader's attention and compel him to read further on. A summary can, and should, do that.

The concept is simple, and you guessed it, the difficult part is in writing it.

Again, to borrow from the business plan; you should write your summary last. After writing the body of your chronological or functional resume; take a critical look at the trends and themes in your work history. If need be, you should ask a mentor or closed friends for another set of eyes.

Once you have determined the trends and themes in your body of work, you can write your first draft of the summary. The first draft can be 7 to 8 sentences long. Let it sit for a day, then you can come back to condense and distill to maybe 5 to 6 sentences. I think you ultimately want to be able to write a summary that is no more than 4 sentences.

For example -

Multi-faceted, efficient & reliable administrative professional with 10+ years of experience supporting executives, sales and managers to improve internal operations for small businesses. Proficient in all of the standard office desktop software, CRM applications and design programs. Diversified skill sets covering administrative support, client relations, writing, human resources & recruiting, account management and project management. Excellent inter-personal, phone and digital communication skills.

But there is not set format for this; as you can just as easily use bullet points, as in this example -

Highly motivated Research Analyst. Accomplishments include:

Completed a major project 50% ahead of schedule.

Played a key role in developing a high-value ROI tracking tool.

Organized multiple seminars and events for more than 80 attendees.

Produced campaign proposals for award-winning World Famous Library.

Helped research and deliver competitive analysis for $100,000 client.

Superior work ethic: Graduated cum laude while working over 35 hours a week.

More even a more novel approach, as suggested by Kevin Donlin -

How:

Discover What the Customers Want;

Drive Design, Development and Delivery;

Act as Technical Evangelist Where Necessary.

"Six Sigma" Methodology.

Examples:

Created XXX's first OC3/OC12 FPGA, which was functional across multiple SONETEthernet interface 'Madonna Metro' products.

Improved XXX's BMS100-Family product line integrity and robustness by 60%, achieved a cost improvement of $30M.

The salient point is that you kick off your resume by hitting the reader with your best shot up front. In essence, it's a "bam, here's who I and what I have done!" From there, the reader can move on to the body of your resume.

Will this make a difference to a hiring manager - well - only a call for an interview will answer that. But as a recruiter looks at the few to a hundred or so resumes for every job opening; you have little options when it comes to setting yourself apart.

An effective summary that tells your story can do that - set you apart.

For free advice, tips and guidelines on writing your best and most effective resume; check out all the great resources and ideas at http://www.LandingOnYourFeet.com. While you're at it, sign up for the newsletter - all kinds of free EBooks and advice.