Job Descriptions Decoded: Professional Network Support

When you apply for a job, be sure you take all of the various aspects of the job into account. If you're in a technical role, emphasize those skills, but if the job description incorporates other considerations, such as "visibility," which suggests a different set of skills, don't forget to indicate why you're a good fit in that regard as well.

This position emphasizes many technical skills:



While you can certainly include these in a "laundry list" on your resume, your best bet is to break down each of these skills and indicate exactly how and why you are qualified for this job. For example, what successes have you had addressing change management and performance management? How have you made a difference in your past roles?


"Highly visible" in this description is likely code for something much more important than the phrase suggests. They probably need to hire someone with exceptional professional skills and communication abilities who can engage and interact with people at all levels of the organizational chart. If that's you – or, more specifically, if you've demonstrated your ability to succeed in that type of role, make sure you indicate it on your resume.


This is the all-important "liaison" requirement in so many job descriptions. How well can you communicate with all types of stakeholders? Are you able to identify, document and solve problems? Indicate your background and list your specific results.



Based on this description, it's clear that communication skills are crucial to the successful applicant. Customer service comes up here, too. Be sure you don't omit any of these key aspects of your background in your resume. However, while you're incorporating the "soft skills," or emotional intelligence factors, such as communication and customer service, you'll also want to emphasize the technical abilities listed on the job description.



The requirement that this person will prepare presentations (it doesn't say actually present them), and identify how to resolve problems further indicates how important these skills are for this job. If you have experience with this, describe accomplishments related to these items on your resume or you're unlikely to land an interview.



Be sure to incorporate all of the relevant acronyms as well as examples of when and how you used these tools successfully in your resume.



It couldn't hurt to use this phrase on your resume: Developed new concepts, methods and techniques (as, by or while doing what?), resulting in ________.



Be sure you don't refer to yourself in the third person on your resume by saying "Applies specialized knowledge..." Your resume should read in the "first-person implied" tense. In other words, you'll refer to yourself without saying "I, me or my." Your bullet may read, "Apply _____, _______ and ______ abilities (list how and when), which (list a result).




Here is the all-important team focus! Describe when and how you've worked with a team to make good choices that resulted in successful outcomes.



Mentoring is a little different from supervising; you can describe this skill without having had a true leadership title or role. When did you mentor someone or inspire them to succeed?



If you have any background working in these environments, be sure to say so, as it will distinguish your resume from others with similar skills.



Use the job description as a "check off" list to be sure you've included all of these elements in your resume. Don't omit even one relevant item if you want to be most competitive.