The following is an excerpt from an accountant's resume. He is a plant controller and his approach will work for many individuals.

"Responsible for: All accounting functions at forty-five million-dollar pork processing facility. Supervise four clerks and two degreed accountants."

The following detail provided within his resume is a breakdown of the specific responsibilities.

"Duties include:
- General Ledger: Responsible for monthly closing.
- Cost Accounting: Set direct standard costs, analyze and communicate variances weekly and monthly.
- Budgets: Annual fixed expense and variable costs, monthly forecasts. Set and review payroll burden rates.
- Fixed Assets: Initial requests, tracking expenditures, capitalization and retirement.
- Payroll: Weekly payment, monthly reports, and annual reconciliation.
- Provide meaningful data for management.
- Accounts Payable: Approve all payments from facility, check accuracy, discounts, and tax liability."

You may choose to describe your duties as shown above. Provide simple descriptions, with sufficient detail to enable the reader to feel confident that you are writing and speaking from experience.

Prepare a similar line for each of your prior positions.

Responsible for: ___________________________________________________________________.
Responsible for: ___________________________________________________________________.
Responsible for: ___________________________________________________________________.

What is missing within the preceding resume are the "Power Phrases".

"Power Phrases" change the resume from good to excellent.

Examples for this particular individual are:

1. Developed and implemented new inventory reporting system.

2. Assigned by corporate headquarters to trouble shoot and correct fluctuations in period profitability.

3. Initiated new cost reduction procedures resulting in:
- Increased profits in excess of two million dollars.

The next two pages are to be used to build power phrases as above.