Is Your Resume Portraying You Correctly?
by Beverly Harvey
Your resume may be well written, showcase great qualifications and
accomplishments, and may be sharply formatted ... but is it telling
the "right" story? Is it marketing you correctly? Are you getting interviews
for the right types of positions?
Writing a resume is all about strategy. Every section ... every statement
... every bullet ... every accomplishment ... and every word ... should
reflect your current strategy.
So what is your strategy? Are you trying to advance to the next level?
Do you need to minimize career path glitches such as a series of short-term
positions, a gap in employment, or 20+ years with the same company?
Are you trying to revert back to an earlier career path? Are you trying
to change functions or industries? Are you targeting a larger company
or a smaller company? Are you trying to break out of a particular mold
and focus on other talents? What ever your situation, you need a strategy
... a plan for presenting your qualifications and credentials to the
reader in a manner that will clearly articulate and support the type
of position you want.
To start, you'll need to have some clarity about the type of position
you will be pursuing, as well as a thorough understanding of the current
requirements for this type of position. What companies expect from their
senior executives continually changes to meet economic trends and conditions.
The CEO role has changed significantly with the implementation of Sarbanes-Oxley
regulations. The CIO role has changed dramatically to keep pace with
the company's technology objectives. CMOs are continually being challenged
to tie marketing to the bottom line. The COO/CFO combination role is
sought after by many companies these days. Human Resource executives
are under continuing pressure to become strategic business partners
... and the list goes on and on. In developing your resume strategy,
you need to be aware of the ever-changing roles of your field, and demonstrate
your awareness of the trends through your experience and accomplishments.
If you're trying to advance to the next level, you need to demonstrate
your ability to function at that next level. Have you served on any
corporate or senior-level committees, commissions, special projects,
executive missions, task forces, or working groups? Have you partnered
with senior management to drive a business initiative? Have you been
given responsibilities above and beyond the typical responsibilities
for your job title? Do you interface with the Board of Directors, investors,
senior management team, or other key stakeholders? Have you been promoted
through a large company at the request of senior-level managers? Presenting
this information in your resume is the catalyst for positioning yourself
for the next level in your career.
The language and tone in your resume needs to support the position
you're pursuing versus the position you've held. If you're interested
in C-level and senior management roles, make sure you leverage your
experience using verbiage commensurate with that level. If you're transitioning
from one industry to another, be sure to convert your lingo to the target
industry. You'll want to do this for two reasons: (1) to ensure the
reader that you understand his/her industry and, (2) to demonstrate
to the reader how your skills will transfer to his/her industry. You
may need to spin some of your experience and accomplishments in a different
way to position you correctly for your next career move.
Think in terms of a beam scale with a dish suspended on each side of
an arm ... you need to tip the scale in the right direction to attract
the right opportunities. Check the "weight" of every section ... every
statement ... every bullet ... every accomplishment ... and every word
in your resume. Does it tip the scale in the direction you want to move?
How
To Add Power to Your Resume
by Beverly Harvey
There are many components to writing a powerful
resume. I'm sure most of you have heard the phrase, "It's not what you
say, but how you say it." This applies to writing a resume as well.
You must consider the tone of your resume. It's a difficult subtlety
to pinpoint, especially in your own written materials, but the reader
picks up on it immediately. Consider a memo from a staff member you've
received that really annoyed you. When you approached the writer, s/he
may be totally unaware that you could have possibly misinterpreted the
content in such a way. "It was just a memo stating the facts, it wasn't
intended to upset anyone," is the reply you get. You go away thinking
to yourself, there was just something about that memo that really ticked
me off. It was the probably the tone of the memo.
Likewise, the tone of your resume is extremely
important. As a professional resume writer, I've provided resume critiques
for thousands of clients who think their resumes are well-written. One
of the major problems I find, is a negative or flat tone - no life at
all - just, this is where I've worked, these are the dates, this is
what my title was, and this is what my responsibilities were (copied
right from their job description).
Writing a powerful resume requires you to step
outside of your daily tasks and activities and take a look at your overall
role in a company. Most of us get so caught up in the minute details
of our daily activities, our relationships with peers, competitive struggles,
and the demands of the management team, that we lose site of the overall
contribution we're making to a team, department, division and ultimately
the company. By providing the reader with an understanding of the environments
you've operated within, you can add a lot of power and integrity to
each position on your resume.
Whether you've already put your resume together,
or you're just planning to put one together, consider the answers to
the following questions:
- Are any of the companies you have worked for
Fortune 100, 500, or 1000 companies?
- Are they national, international, or multinational
corporations?
- Do they have more than one division?
- How many and where (nationwide, worldwide)?
- Are they pioneers in their industry, industry
leaders or world leaders?
- Are they technologically-advanced, best-in-class,
or world-class organizations?
- Are they publicly traded, privately held,
or funded by venture capital?
- Are they a multi-million or multi-billion
dollar company?
- Are they a start up company, in a high-growth
mode, or in a transition? Have they acquired other companies or been
acquired?
- How many employees are in the company, your
division, your team?
- How many of these employees does your work
impact?
If any of the companies you have worked for has
a website, go to the site and see how they position themselves within
their industry and market themselves to the world. If they don't have
a website, read their annual report to their stockholders, marketing
materials, press releases, even your employee manual should include
the company's mission statement and goals.
Now, what do you do with all this information?
Weave it into your responsibility section, contributions section and
accomplishments section. How? Check out these samples:
Before:
Branch Manager - Responsible for all branch
functions including managing, hiring, and training fifty staff members.
Manage a five-person sales force. Accountable for growing business,
marketing/pricing strategy, P&L responsibility, market analysis, purchasing,
fleet and warehouse management, and new product promotion.
After:
Branch Manager - Promoted to manage the 2nd largest branch in the US
for a $700 million rental company ranked 3rd largest in the world. Full
P&L responsibility plus forecasting of yearly budgets in excess of $7
million annually. Managed all branch and sales operations through a
staff of 55. Oversaw fleet and warehouse management, purchasing, staff/workforce
development and training, market analysis, new business development,
marketing, pricing, and new product introductions.
Before:
Southeastern Regional Sales Representative: Developed several new accounts
and exceeded all sales quotas.
After:
Southeastern Regional Sales Representative: As Sales Representative
for an independent sales organization representing 8 industry leading
manufacturers of sportswear and fashion accessories, developed 148 new
accounts, drove sales volume by 112%, and generated annual sales of
$600,000.
Before:
Director of Sales: Managed a sales team selling wedding packages at
WDW.
After:
Director of Sales: Lead a team of six sales managers and eight coordinators
marketing Walt Disney World's wedding packages directly to consumers
and a worldwide wholesale network. Full P&L responsibility for a $10
million operating budget.
Before:
Territory Manager: Responsible for Central Florida territory. Marketed
products to independent retailers and introduced new product lines.
Managed new and existing accounts.
After:
Territory Manager: Recruited to expand market share throughout all of
Central Florida to support company's high growth initiatives. Promoted
over 3000 industry leading products to independent retailers and introduced
more than 14 new product lines. Secured over 20 new accounts in less
than one year. Expanded product lines of existing accounts to include
niche market product lines developed specifically for independent retailers.
Increased monthly revenues from $70,000 to $120,000.
Before:
Quality Manager: Managed customer contracts from start to finish.
After:
Quality Manager: Senior quality manager overseeing all Fortune 100 customer
contracts from initial proposal through project completion for an $826
million diversified manufacturer of hundreds of products for the automotive,
defense, aerospace and construction markets worldwide.
Before:
Purchasing Commodity Manager: Manage all purchasing functions, transportation
logistics and 18 buyers.
After:
Purchasing Commodity Manager: Manage purchasing functions for the third
largest 9002/TUV-Certified contract manufacturer of printed circuit
board assemblies. Lead a team of 18 buyers responsible for procurement
of $12-15 million per month for two US plants and one Mexico plant producing
more than one million completed assemblies monthly. Oversee a 35-person
international logistics and transportation management team coordinating
product movement between Mexico, US, and Taiwan plants.
Before:
President - Sales & Marketing: In charge of all sales and marketing
after a down turn in the market. Assisted in all phases of company operations
as requested. Develop new financial procedures as requested by upper
management.
After:
President - Sales & Marketing: Recruited by the Board of Directors of
this Fortune 500 company to manage sales and marketing initiatives throughout
Russia and the CIS subsequent to the country's financial crisis resulting
in a 40% loss in market share. Requested, after only three weeks, to
assist the CEO in restructuring the entire company with particular emphasis
on the financial infrastructure. Managed a $6.5 million annual operating
budget.
By leveraging company facts, you can add strength
to your qualifications and contributions while positioning yourself
as an achiever with drive and determination. And what my clients love
most about this writing style, is that it is all true - every word of
it - not boastful or overbearing - just factual, straightforward and
full of pizzazz.
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Tips for
Creating A Dynamic Cover Letter
by Beverly Harvey
A dynamic cover letter which properly markets your expertise can be
the determining factor in winning an interview. Whether sending your
resume via e-mail, fax or regular mail, a cover letter generating interest
and selling your qualifications is a MUST.
To win consideration as a qualified candidate, you must position yourself
as a professional who can deliver value far exceeding the investment
the company will be making in you. To demonstrate your value, you will
need to equate your track record of success with the needs of the prospective
employer.
To create an extremely effective cover letter, you should identify
a problem the company is having and position yourself as their problem-solver.
Additionally, your cover letter allows you the opportunity to compile,
group and summarize your qualifications, competencies and achievements
which are most relevant to your current career objectives while simultaneously
demonstrating your written communication skills.
If you are seeking an executive-level position, you should include
philosophies and outcomes regarding your leadership style, management
techniques and ability to champion corporate visions and goals.
Remember, your cover letter needs to speak to the level of the position
you are pursuing. It must be dynamic, confident and hard-hitting.
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How
To Handle A Rejection Letter
by Beverly Harvey
Since the human resource departments have been
downsized, receiving an acknowledgment or rejection letter has become
less frequent. However, after interviewing several candidates, most
companies will send out a rejection letter to the finalists not selected.
If you should receive a rejection letter, here are a few tips to keep
the opportunity alive. Send a letter in response expressing; 1) your
regret at not being selected for the position, 2) your hope that you
would be considered for future opportunities and 3) your sincere thanks.
In many cases, the company's first choice may
decline the offer. Or the new hire may work in the position for a short
time and decide this is not what he/she expected and quit unexpectedly.
Whatever the case, if you have demonstrated exceptional
follow-through and a sincere desire to fill the position, you will be
top of mind when the company reopens their search for a candidate to
fill the position.
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Behavioral
Interviewing Tips
by Beverly Harvey
The most common type of interview is the behavioral
interview.
Questions like "Tell us about a time in
the past year when you had to deal with a difficult team member and
describe what you did." or "Give us an example of a time when
you used your customer philosophy to deal with a perplexing problem."
This type of behavioral interviewing poses open-ended questions to determine
which skills candidates have used successfully in prior positions. The
theory is that past behavior predicts future behavior.
Employers now develop their questions to elicit
your background and strengths in the skill areas needed for that particular
position rather than just asking hypothetical questions about possible
job situations that may arise.
To succeed in a behavioral interview, you must
be able to relate incidences that link your experiences and skills to
the potential position and employer. To prepare for the interview be
sure to research the company paying close attention to the organization's
core values. Consider how your background will fit into this organization
and jot down a few notes to review just before your interview.
Answer behavioral questions with a basic 3-step
response; (1) tell the interviewer about a situation or task you faced,
(2) describe the action you took in response, (3) explain the successful
results of your actions and how this impacted the company’s bottom
line. Remember to keep it brief and to the point, don’t ramble
on.
Top 10 Tips for Getting on the Headhunter's Radar Screen
by Beverly Harvey
Headhunter's typically pursue executives who are employed...executives
who are on the leading edge...executives who are moving the organization
forward and winning market share. The best time to get noticed by a
headhunter is while you have a job.
Here's 10 methods for getting on the radar screen and positioning yourself
to be noticed by a headhunter.
1) Send out press releases to the media and trade associations when
you have successfully led the company in achieving a corporate initiative.
For example, did you structure an agreement with a major vendor or client?
Did you implement a new technology system?
2) Write two or three articles each year for your favorite trade journal.
Using the same examples above, you could expand the press release to
create a 600-700 word article.
3) Speak at industry conferences. If that's too daunting, volunteer
for a high-profile position on a conference committee. A great committee
to volunteer for is registration because you will receive a list of
everyone attending the conference. As you're registering each individual
you'll be increasing your visibility and expanding your network.
4) Participate regularly in business networking events (both online
and locally). There are several online groups including: Linked In http://www.linkedin.com
(professional networking), Ryze.com http://www.ryze.com
(business networking) Networking for Professionals http://www.networkingforprofessionals.com/.
5) Volunteer for industry-wide groups. For example, a group of power
company representatives lobbying for regional benefits, or a broadcast
group pioneering standardization.
6) Conduct enterprise-wide or industry-wide workshops or seminars.
For example, if your company is a major supplier of leading pharmaceutical
product, you may want to conduct seminars to educate healthcare professionals
so they will purchase your product.
7) Volunteer to head a committee in an industry association. For example
a product review committee, advisory committee, or focus group.
8) Spearhead an initiative in your company to sponsor a charitable
event (an American Heart Association Walkathon, or a Golf Tournament)
or educational scholarship through a local college. Be sure to manage
public relations and promote the event to the media.
9) Attend industry-leading workshops and seminars. Then send out a
press release under your company's name announcing your participation
and new area of expertise.
10) If you're of the technical nature, start a BLOG. Short for Web
log, a blog is a webpage that serves as a publicly accessible journal
that reflects the personality of the author. You can use a blog to keep
a high-profile image in your area of expertise.
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F R E E
Seven "How To" Articles on job search, career planning,
and career management.
PS: Your name and email address will never be sold, rented,
or given away. You have my word on it!
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