Here are 3 tips to creating a powerful opening statement that will quickly get you positive attention:

Tip-1 Create a Qualifications Summary

A qualifications summary should go at the very top of your resume. It does not explain what your professional objective or goal is, but it does give a clear and powerful overview of who you are and what you can do. Why don’t you want to use a professional objective? Because your resume needs to be focused on what yo

u can do for a company versus opening with a statement that leans towards what YOU are looking for.

Tip-2 Create an Authentic Opening Statement

To maximize your focus and clarity try a simple writing trick:

Begin to write about what you are doing when you are at your very best, followed by your other key strengths and attributes. Do not edit yourself as you freely write-up to a page of information. After a quick break, return to what you wrote and begin to highlight the key words and phrases you feel are the most powerful. Your document should be reduced to about half at this point. After another break return to your document a second time and repeat this exercise. Now you have a powerful, authentic and compelling draft statement describing where you really shine!

Tip-3 Use Universal Language

Another common mistake professionals will make is to load their opening statement with industry jargon. Yes if you are a CIO, corporate counsel or a VP of Finance you have very specific language that you use. However your resume has to be written for multiple people in multiple departments. In many cases your resume is being viewed (and thus must be equally compelling) to directors of human resources, division presidents and various managers.