The Resume : From The Employer’s-Eye View

Old Habits Die Hard

Your resume is in pretty good shape. Isn’t it? You have been perusing professional samples online and you have been reading all the how to’s, when to’s, and don’ts. Well, then why no quality interview calls?

Despite unemployment rate still at 9.1% as of the end of 2010, there ARE opportunities out there. It is tougher, let’s face it, but why? Because your competition is talented and highly qualified. Therefore, you, my friend, have to step up your job-search game and dare to take control of your brand on paper (resume) by not playing it safe but standing out. 

What am I referring to? Applying the old Objective plus Career Chronology to your resume, which you learned in high school isn’t going to cut it anymore. It is now imperative that your resume pop and quickly capture attention. It is vital that it convey value over other candidates who are also extremely qualified. It is crucial that you tell a story about how you rescued the company, department, location, region, initiative, client base, and/or project. How? Survey your career from the employer’s-eye view and promote your exclusivity.Then, you will know how to best write a resume that implicitly tells an unmatched story that hogs the job search spot light.

The Basics You Must Know

1. Presentation does matter. Seizing the attention of an employer means you have to break from the traditional  and overly used resume presentation (design). While ultimately, content (achievements and qualifications) is what will win you an edge–by capturing attention first, you net the additional seconds necessary to entice, enthrall, guide, and compel through content (yes, content is still king). Now, know the design of your resume is conceptualized based on the industry you are targeting. Depending on your target industry, it may be necessary to keep the resume design conservative. Yet, conservative does not mean mundane. See below:

 

2. Write storytelling descriptions. As a career professional, I receive resume submissions daily. Most are in horrible shape but every now and then, I will find a few in my inbox that look nicely polished (thumbs up!). Yet, as I begin to read, the truth is revealed. The truth? The resume is an absolutely boring boilerplate; the job seeker has simply regurgitated the job description as if we don’t already know what the job entails.

Get this, your resume is not a job ad. You are not to list all the requirements to perform the job. (Employers already know what a job entails). Your resume is a job seeker promotional tool and you are to show…what YOU did with the opportunities under the given job title—not just that you fulfilled the job title (that is the least expected of you). 

 Example:

Before: Job Description 

Cross-Selling Specialist, Company Name Here, 2007 to Present

Responsible for managing sales of distributor partners and direct customers. Facilitated customer relationships, leveraged marketing programs, provided sales training, and developed unique selling tools to drive sales volume, revenue and margin by translating customer needs to product solutions. 

What is unique about the above? Wouldn’t others who hold this very same position describe their job this very same way?

After: Job Story (Cliffhanger, normally followed by quantifiable achievements in bullet form.)

Cross-Selling Specialist—Company Name Here, 2007 to Present

Identified, tackled, and solved the lack of a systemic processes and efficient tools necessary to uncover account cross-selling opportunities and maximize sales growth despite a down market.Engineered a unique and user-friendly tool by leveraging industry ratios as benchmark to identify product slate. Developed accompanying process. Tested, rolled out, promoted, and launched commensurate sales staff training, successfully equipping this B2B organization to better quantify, target, and aggressively close cross-selling opportunities across 14 sectors. Earned a promotion based on results; tool is recognized as a global best practice standard.

 The above tells a story. Does it not? Let’s see: 1. this person faced and solved an existing problem, 2. created opportunities for growth, 3. engineered a tool that positioned the company for long-term growth.This person’s work was recognized company wide. Wow! They actually produced results and not just executed the job.

Employer’s-Eye View= “This person is worth meeting. Perhaps they can come and dissolve our similar obstacles in reaching increased margins.”

3. Add impact with marketing power. Sometimes quantifiable achievements can be best illustrated with a bit of pizazz (a graph, a table). See here:

Bottom line is don’t be afraid to break from the historic way of presenting yourself on your resume. True, perhaps you will surprise prospective employers and yes, perhaps you will be the only one submitting a resume likes yours. Is that a bad thing? Are you a leader or a follower? 

Playing it safe and blending in does not win interviews for top-paying jobs.

Time to shoot higher and dare to break the norm. 

Scattered Thunderstorms and Your Job Search

"If Plan 'A' fails, remember that you still have 25 letters remaining." ~ Unknown

The morning of June 23, 2012 was overcast with gray skies and storm clouds looming over our son’s wedding day. Someone told me that it doesn’t rain on golf courses and it won’t rain on rose gardens. I checked the online weather forecast and read and re-read the following entry. I kept trying to convince myself that if I read it enough times, it would change:

Scattered Thunderstorms Variable clouds with scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly during the afternoon hours. High 81F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

The outdoor wedding venue had been selected and reserved months ago. Planning had been underway for days. Decorations had been decided. Bows were marked for their respective locations. Bottled water and fans were packed for distribution as guests arrived at the garden. The rental van with chairs was slated to arrive for a 2:00 P.M. set up. The 5:00 o’clock outdoor wedding seemed less and less likely as the hours progressed. At noon, the rain showers arrived. No problem, chairs hadn’t been placed yet – things will be fine. The outdoor wedding will go on. As the skies continued to grow darker, and the showers did not scatter, it became increasingly clear that Plan B was upon us.

Plan B – head to the church some 20 blocks away. Everyone scrambled. Everyone carried something. Everyone decorated something once we arrived inside out of the rain. And did it ever rain and rain and rain. And the string quartet played beautiful music. And the vases of roses stood tall. And the GM (Groom’s Mom) read a heartfelt poem she had written for the bride and groom. And the Officiant delivered a poignant ceremony. And the vows were repeated by the bride and groom.  And the couple married. And they didn’t seem to care one iota if the wedding took place indoors or out.

Plan B.

As it relates to your search for new work, do you have a Plan B in mind just in case Plan A doesn’t work out for you?  Not only do you have a Plan B, how about Plans C, D and E in this competitive job search market?  Here are a few ideas for you to consider about career options:

~~~Consider alternative jobs within an industry of preference.

~~~Conduct extensive research in learning about jobs of potential interest.

~~~Speak with individuals who perform work for which you have some interest – learn from those with strong mastery of their craft.

~~~Build a vibrant career transition team and stay connected to keep ideas and options flowing.

~~~Explore the skillset and credentials needed to perform jobs of interest and what skills, if any, do you need to add (or refine) to become a seriously competitive candidate?

~~~Stay committed to the process of career transition and do not give up until you get what you want, and or need.

Whether you are pursuing a particular job or want to get accepted into a particular university or educational program, perhaps it would be wise and well to consider your options – just in case Plan A gets rained out.