Putting Your Resume to Work: Why Being Strategic Makes You the Solution, Not Just an Applicant

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the mountain of advice on how to write your resume, you’re not alone. Should it be one page? Two? Three? What font do you use? Do you cram in every keyword you can find? There’s no shortage of “expert” opinions and yet, for something so crucial, most of us were never formally taught how to write a resume in school.

As a hiring manager, administrator, and professional resume writer, I’ve written over 4,000 resumes and reviewed thousands more in my 20 years in leadership. I’ve seen firsthand what makes a resume effective and what makes it sink to the bottom of the pile.

So, how do you cut through the noise and put your resume to work for you? Here are five simple but powerful strategies that will help you present yourself not just as a candidate, but as the solution your next employer needs.

1️⃣ Keep it short and put your best above the fold

Here’s an insider secret: recruiters don’t read resumes. They skim them. It’s not because they’re lazy, they’re juggling hundreds of applications with tight deadlines. Because of this, the top half of your first page is prime real estate. In the newspaper world, we’d say it’s “above the fold.”

This is where you grab attention and make your strongest case. Focus on your most recent, relevant experience. If it’s older than three years and not directly connected to the job you want, trim it down or leave it off. A concise, tailored resume will always outshine a five-page career memoir.

2️⃣ Know the difference between responsibilities and achievements

Most resumes die in the details because people confuse tasks with impact. Saying what you did is fine — but showing why it mattered is what gets you noticed.

Compare these:

• ❌ “Informed customers about products.”

• ✅ “Engaged with 500+ customers daily to drive $300,000 in product sales.”

Or this one:

• ❌ “Attended surgical services meetings.”

• ✅ “Collaborated in a Surgical Services Committee that reduced turnover times by 60% through efficiency strategies.”

A hiring manager reading your resume should instantly see the “before and after.” You want them to think, “Wow, this person makes things better.”

3️⃣ Use your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Wondering how to prove your impact? Numbers are your best friend. Your KPIs are the metrics your manager uses to judge your performance, so why not use them to sell yourself?

Examples:

• “Increased quarterly sales by 30%.”

• “Achieved 95% patient satisfaction scores.”

• “Improved safety compliance to 90%, reducing infections by 3% in 3 months.”

If you don’t have official KPIs, think about results you can quantify: time saved, money earned, efficiency gains. Numbers make your story real.

4️⃣ Weave in your keywords but make them work for you

It’s not enough to dump buzzwords into your resume. Read the job description carefully. What skills are they really after? What language do they use? Now, work those words into your achievement statements.

For example, if the job asks for “customer relationship management,” don’t just list it under skills. Write: “Managed customer relationships to boost repeat business by 25% year-over-year.”

That way, your keywords prove you don’t just know the buzzword, you deliver results.

5️⃣ Craft a clear narrative brand yourself as the solution

At its heart, your resume is your career story. A good one has a theme. Are you the customer whisperer who keeps people coming back? The efficiency ninja who saves money and time? The sales closer who crushes quotas?

Highlight that narrative throughout your resume in your summary, skills, and achievements. Branding yourself as a specialist makes you memorable. And in my experience? Specialists get paid; generalists get worked.

Bottom line: Your resume isn’t just a piece of paper, it’s your chance to prove you’re the answer to a hiring manager’s problem. Keep it tight. Show your impact. Quantify your wins. Use the right words, and tell the right story.

When you do, you won’t just look for a job. You’ll win the one you really want.