Resume writing examples are dime a dozen these days. You can hop online and do a Google search for the keyword "resume writing examples" and you're bound to find hundreds of examples and templates in cyberspace. The question is, are they any good?

One of the most important concepts you need to be mindful of when writing your resume is this:

Your resume is the direct-advertising vehicle for the product called YOU!

When writing your resume, it is critical to be mindful of what your USP is. No, a USP is not the courier service that delivers your resume. USP is the acronym that stands for unique selling point (or unique selling proposition).

Every product has a USP - guaranteed. It's just a matter of finding the proper combination of its traits and then presenting them in a "WIIFM" format (i.e. "WIIFM" = "what's in it for me"). It may sound a bit absurd to you at first (or even Zen-like, depending on your point of view), but you are the product you're selling with your resume.

You, therefore, have a USP. Therefore, you need to objectively evaluate and examine your marketable skills . . . your background . . . your experiences . . . to determine what your unique selling point is.

Of course, you already know that as individuals go, you're unique. It only goes to reason that you posses a unique set of circumstances to accompany your individuality that makes you uniquely qualified to succeed at the position for which you're applying.

Now, here's the hard part: I can't tell you what it is. You have to search through your very special combination of experiences, education, skills and talents. Then, you need the confidence (Yes! This is a vital ingredient!) to state this on your resume.

As you begin to contemplate your unique selling point, realize that it may be a different USP for every position for which you're applying. Let me give you two resume writing examples to get you "inspired".

When one of my clients John was applying for a communications position with Harley-Davidson Motor Co., he knew in his heart, he was the perfect candidate for the job! Not only did he know he had the writing and desktop publishing skills to create a weekly employee newsletter (the central requirement of the position), but his experience in the manufacturing sector was a plus. He had just spent some five years working for a division of General Motors as a shift supervisor (who got lucky enough to also perform some technical writing on the side for them!). He used this combination of experiences as his unique selling point. And yes, he was hired!

Similarly, when another client of mine Mary applied for a docent position in an ongoing children's program at a state historical society, she emphasized her bachelor's in history, as well as her graduate work in the subject. But she also made sure they knew that she was a home educator. She was home schooling her daughter. As part of that process, she had led many courses in home-schooling coops where she taught children in groups. This unique selling point got her the docent position.