Client's Level or Desired Level...Getting It Right!

The following discussion was started last week by a veteran resume writer with MRW, ACRW, CPRW, CJSS, CCM, CEIP, JCTC credentials in a Linked-In group I am a member of. I think there is much for six figure executives, and those wanting to reach this level to ponder when choosing an Executive Resume Writer; and in determining if you’re truly qualified to write your own resume, if this is the option you are seriously contemplating in your job search at this time.

MRW, ACRW, CPRW, CJSS, CCM, CEIP, JCTC’s Discussion:

I have a client who is a Senior Director in a large corporation but wants to move up to an even more senior level somewhere. At this point, the resume I've drafted for him has, according to his former boss, raised him from appearing to be a lower level manager (his initial resume) "to director level in my mind, but not to a high level senior supply chain executive.

The ex-boss said it was "too specific in terms of numbers: ex. number of people managed, $$$ this and that...all mid-level stuff. Senior execs are all about defining and implementing strategies, building and leading teams to success, customer and supplier relationships, interaction with corp. execs...."

To a certain extent, I agreed and am making a few minor adjustments; however, I disagreed with his emphasis on doing what sounds to me like generalizing the areas that should be covered--if we don't give quantifiable, measurable or otherwise clearly valuable aspects to those areas, how does our client really send a stand-out message? After all, anyone can claim to do a good job in those areas, but not everyone really does them or does them well.

My Response:

Without seeing the document I think the ex-boss is telling you that your focus is off base.

A director level resume is not all about #’s and $’s and %’s. Rather this ex-boss hit it on the head, it is more about implementing strategies, building and leading teams to success, customer and supplier relationships, interaction with corp. execs etc.

I think you have a valid point wanting to give quantifiable, measurable or otherwise clearly valuable aspects of a client’s past to send a stand-out message. But this can be accomplished in many ways, not only with facts and figures.

Without seeing the work, I imagine the message your client, and you by extension are being given is not to make the main focus on the value your client brings to the table, but to focus on what the new employer is most interested in. In other words the desired level, not your client’s level, especially since facts and figures can often be misleading

A decision maker in the know, your client's ex-boss feels he and his peers are more interested in seeing what will make your client successful in the more senior role that they will hire him for as opposed to what made him a success in his previous role.

In my senior executive resumes I tend to agree with the ex-boss and concentrate less on the C-A-R points (challenge-action-results) and more on delineating the subtle points that are paramount for a senior executive and use several unique styles to do so.

MRW, ACRW, CPRW, CJSS, CCM, CEIP, JCTC’s GA’s Reply:

“Thanks for the excellent feedback. I’ll definitely give it serious thought. I think my biggest challenge is still how to make the kinds of points the former boss is recommending without having them sound like generic statements that could be made by a host of executives, so I’ll have to work on that.”

Job seekers, especially those who are unemployed, you know as well as I do that in this economy and marketplace there are a limited number of positions available that offer opportunities for upward growth, let alone an opportunity to secure a position at the same level you’re at or just left. Making matters more onerous, today’s candidate pool is oversaturated with qualified competitors. Therefore you need every advantage possible to get yourself noticed and generate interviews.

An executive resume is a much needed tool. However not all resume writers are equal; and most are not up to the task of crafting a marketing document that will resonate with a discerning audiences at this rarified level, no matter how many letters follow our name.

Most resume writers are excellent writing for recent graduates and low to mid-level personnel. Some specialize in certain technical industries such as IT or engineering and some are qualified to write resumes for a management and professional level clientele.

Still, there is a special talent and experience needed to craft an Executive Resume that only a select few resume writers possess. So if you go this route you need to due your due diligence in order to choose wisely.

Also, with this information in mind, if the vast majority of experienced, professional resume writers find it difficult to determine what exactly goes into an Executive Resume and how to pull it all together in terms of content, format, style and visual appeal, what are the odds that you are up to the task of writing your own Executive Resume?

Author

Perry Newman, CPC/CSMS is a nationally recognized resume writer, career transition coach, certified social media strategist, as well as a AIPC certified recruiter and former executive search firm owner known for his ability to get results. You can view his sample resumes and client endorsements at http://www.perrynewman.com, and request a free resume critique by emailing your resume with contact information to perry@perrynewman.com.

Job Seekers, R-U Lost in the Shuffle?

“My concern was always for the nobody, the man who is lost in the shuffle, the man who is so common, so ordinary, that his presence is not even noticed.” Henry Miller Sexus, 1949  This week I came across this quote from the iconic, 20th century avant-garde author in ‘Literary Brooklyn’, a book about famous authors who lived in my hometown. What I found especially interesting is one of the few real-world jobs Henry Miller held during his life was in the human resources department of Western Union as a high volume recruiter / hiring manager in the 1920’s.


Upon reading this quote it struck me, like a bolt of lightening, how much it parallels my first impression about job seekers throughout my professional career after viewing their resumes for the first time. Whether emailed for a free resume critique or for me to edit or write; sent to me when as a recruiter with the intention of impressing me with how viable a candidate they were for positions with my clients; or submitted to me when I was in corporate HR or a business owner and ultimate decision maker.


I can state with absolute certainty that at least 75% of the thousands of resumes I’ve read went unnoticed. I am also convinced that others who review and write resumes for a living will concur that this figure holds true for them as well.


I readily admit that most of the job seekers whose resumes I read can not be classified as being a ‘nobody’. In truth many, if not the majority have something to offer; and in many cases they might bring great value to a job. However for a plethora of reasons their resumes inevitably get lost in the ultracompetitive shuffle because, as Henry Miller so eloquently put it, “they were so common, so ordinary, that [their] presence is hardly noticed.


Whether it’s a computer or human eye judging your resume it must make an immediate and indelible impression on the reader to get you into the pool of candidates called in for a face-to-face interview.


Resume writing today is akin to marketing a luxury product. You need to get a perspective buyer’s attention from the get-go and intrigue them to find out more. You must identify the needs and benefits they seek and how you offer a solution. You need to be brief, but not too brief, and eye catching in getting your message across. Finally, you must come to the realization, like anyone in marketing will tell you, that the same product is not marketed the same way to all audiences. You need to treat perspective employers as being unique with special needs if you expect them to reciprocate and consider you as an individual with something special to offer.


My first and strongest suggestions to you are to avoid using common, overused resume templates or trying to imitate someone else’s resume in your field.


Next, avoid appearing ordinary at all costs (editorially or financially) and dare to be bold and defy convention if you want your presence to be noticed. This is not easy to do but it is essential to your success.


Remember, your primary goal is to get noticed and get people to view you not so much for what you have been in the past, but for the valuable employee you will become for them in the future.


What was true in Henry Miller’s astute perception of people in his day holds true in our times as well. It’s always in your hands whether decision makers rate you as a significant nobody, invisible in a crowd, or if they recognize you as a top-flight candidate whose resume stands out based on its and your merits.


Author
Perry Newman, CPC/CSMS is a nationally recognized resume writer, career transition coach, certified social media strategist, as well as a AIPC certified recruiter and former executive search firm owner known for his ability to get results. You can view his sample resumes and client endorsements at http://www.perrynewman.com/, and request a free resume critique by emailing your resume with contact information to perry@perrynewman.com.

RESUME WRITING \ EASY OR EFFORTLESS?



 Many tasks and projects are relatively easy to perform and complete with the ultimate result being perfection if you have the proper training and experience. On the flip side the exact same tasks and projects are likely to encounter costly errors, and the final result is prone to be flawed if you do not posses the requisite knowledge and skills. How many of you have tried to clear a critical virus from your computer on your own... need I say more?
One example of something that can be easy is resume writing. For me, and equally skilled peers, crafting a resume that enhances our client’s job search is relatively easy regardless of the client’s occupation, profession or level. In other words writing a resume for a marketing assistant, programmer, nurse or nutritionist is just as easy for us as writing a resume for a Director of Finance, VP Marketing or CTO.

Nonetheless when I say “writing a resume is easy for someone who knows what they are doing,” I do not want you to confuse the terms ‘easy’ and ‘effortless’ because they are not one and the same. Most things that are easy for a skilled professional are far from effortless.

Writing a resume is easy if you know what the finished product will look like before you begin; if you are cognizant of the various steps and nuances involved in the process at every juncture; you know how to anticipate and solve problems and false perceptions as they occur; and you have a review system in place to ensure the best possible results.
 To make this point clearer here are 2 analogies you may relate to.
 For a highly skilled CPA filing a complex individual tax return may be easy. Still it requires an inordinate amount of effort to keep up with the changes in the tax laws, in compiling the proper data, determining which supporting forms the client is required to file, and not withstanding the inordinate number of people-hours that go into meeting with a client, answering their questions, and the time spent actually preparing and reviewing the tax return.

Having done it many times before, being familiar with similar cases and knowing what must be done makes the CPA’s job easy. However the complexity of the project and the need for perfection requires a tremendous amount of effort on behalf of the preparer to make certain the finished return comes out perfect in every way. This is why most people who have a lot to lose or gain when filing a tax return don’t risk preparing it themselves. Instead they entrust the task to an accounting professional with a proven track record.
Next let’s look at an auto mechanic. How many of you feel comfortable changing your car’s oil? How many of you are equally comfortable doing a brake job or tuning up your car? Now how many of you amateur mechanics would feel qualified to rebuild your motor or transmission if that is what is needed to get your car back on the road?

To a truly skilled mechanic all these are easy. However the more complex ones require a concerted effort to get it done right. Dare say maybe 40% of us would change our oil and less than 20% would attempt a brake job or tune up on our cars; and I think very few of us would even consider working on the engine or transmission. Universally, I find when it comes to automobiles people leave the work to a professional because they have the know-how to do the job right and we don’t.
 Now I’m not brazen enough to say a resume is the most important component in a successful job search, but it is a necessary document in a job hunter’s arsenal. The more professional the resume looks and reads the better your chance is of getting the job you want and speeding up the time to find it.
 So if you’re trying to decide if you need a professional résumé or whether you can write it yourself consider these three things:

1: Is there a lot at stake if you submit a mediocre or sub-par resume?

2: Can a professional resume writer do a substantially better job than you can?

3: Is making an investment to get your stalled career back on track as important or even more important to your future than making an investment to maintain or repair your car?

 If in your mind you think there is little to lose having an OK resume or you don’t care how long you remain jobless, and you feel confident you can write a passable resume I suggest you go for it.

For those of you who hire an accountant or auto mechanic because they offer better results than you would get as a do-it-yourself kind of guy or gal, I recommend using a professional resume writer as well.

Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized resume writer, career transition coach, former AIPC certified recruiter and executive search firm owner, and a certified social media strategist known for his ability to get results. You can view his sample resumes and numerous client endorsements at http://www.perrynewman/.com, and you can receive a free resume critique by emailing your resume with contact information to perry@perrynewman.com.

The 4C's of Resume Writing

In a discussion I am following on the Career Link Linked In group – “What are the 4 Cs of business communication?” – a respondent said she believes they are Concise, Correct, Clarity and Complete. You can also say these are four keys to writing a successful resume and conducting a successful job interview.

CONCISE:

Forget the debate about should a resume be 1 page, 2 pages, or can it be more. For each person the answer is dependant on what they bring to the table in terms of knowledge, experience, education, skills and achievements and how they choose to get this information across. For me a 1 page resume is optimum for those in the earlier stages of their career; 2 pages is best for job seekers with 10+ years experience who have a lot to offer, and some cases require going beyond 2 pages to get the full message across, and I have no problem with that.

No matter how many pages you have, the key to success is to be concise with your sentences words and avoid useless information. If in doubt consider whether the information is relevant to the job you’re applying for and see if you can include it on a social media page and direct people there instead of adding extra weight to the resume itself.

In an interview you need to make a conscious effort to be concise with your answers and avoid rambling on and on and going off topic.

CORRECT:

This is especially true in terms of listing verifiable information such as dates of employment, titles, responsibilities, education, GPA, and most important when detailing achievements i.e. if you were part of a team that accomplished something great do not overstate or understate your contribution to the project.

The same holds true in an interview, and I will take it one step further. When asked a specific question only give the correct answer. If you don’t know an answer say so and don’t try to bamboozle your way around the question.

CLARITY:

This to me is the real problem in most resumes I see. Somewhere in the document there is useful information I am looking for. The problem is without a knowledgeable resume wordsmith and someone who knows how to format a resume for optimum effect the information gets lost in the miasma, and the reader is left out in the cold and thought of as being merely mediocre, whether this is true or not.

In an interview clarity is essential. When asked a question you must be clear in your answer and your tone of voice.

Clarity is often a by-product of practice and helps exude confidence. It helps if you think ahead about the questions you are likely to be asked and practice your answer so that they are crystal clear.

COMPLETE:

My take on the final Big C is a resume takes a lot more effort than sitting down at the computer and updating what you wrote in the past. There are numerous steps involved including identifying a core audience, determining value, knowing exactly who you are and who is your main competition, identifying your accomplishments, verifying all your information, getting recommendations, creating a dual (employer/employee) profile and matching it point by point, proofreading and editing the document, and seeing what tweaks need to be made for a particular job. When you have done all of this you can say the work is complete.

In terms of an interview, when you speak to the interviewer you must speak in complete sentences and complete your thoughts. Don’t assume they know what you are talking about and leave important points unsaid.