The top portion of your resume (roughly the first third to half of the page) must entice the reader to continue reading. Here's the top half of the first page of Beth's resume:

Notice what Beth has done with this section to grab the reader's attention and communicate a strong sense of her qualifications and brand:

• She leads with a strong headline (Project Coordinator), which lines up nicely under her name. This gives the reader a sense that Beth is already a project coordinator.
• She offers a strong summary that communicates her talents, skills, and initiative. We get an immediate sense of Beth as a capable professional who can œhit the ground running.�
• She adds a testimonial that supports her job target and provides specific, verifiable information on one of her top achievements as an administrative assistant.

The top portion of your resume is what the reader notices first. This is true whether they're reading a print copy of your resume or have just opened it up on their computer. Make it count!