An executive (let’s call him Martin) approached me wanting to move into a position as vice president of operations at a large international organization. The company had expressed interest in him, but wanted to see a formal resume. That’s where I came in.
Martin and I worked together to uncover his related career achievements, define supporting metrics, and establish his value proposition. Within a week I had a new resume ready for his review.
He loved it. Except…
He thought the CV should include this more content beyond the current 2-page format. His reasoning? He wanted his whole 30 year career history available.
Martin felt deeply attached to his career roles and took pride in each experience. The problem was that previous career details were not related to the executive level objective. He risked “watering down” his message and weakening the impact of the resume by including unrelated content.
As an executive resume writer, I see many professionals mistakenly view their resume as a career chronology (everything they’ve ever done) and not as a strategic career tool. Changing perspectives is not easy, but it is necessary for success in your resume and job search. Your resume may be about you, but it isn’t referred to for you.
It didn’t matter what Martin wanted to see on his resume. Instead, he had to adopt a major executive resume strategy and put himself in the reader’s (the employer’s) shoes. He had to imagine what she she wanted to see and pass on the details that mattered most.
Keep personal preference aside; Use a business mentality
I urged Martin to approach his entire job search as if he were approaching a business project. He would need a clearly defined action plan, actionable steps, a focused goal and a sharp sales presentation.
That’s where the resume comes into play. When a resume is written with the end goal in mind and tailored to the needs of a potential employer, it presents you, the candidate, as an essential business solution. Ask yourself: Is your previous career history going to help you close the deal?
Martin agreed that his previous data was not relevant. He let go of his personal preferences and agreed to position resume details strategically for the reader. He stopped worrying are wishes and puts the employer’s needs first.
If you find yourself falling down the same rabbit hole as Martin, here are three core requirements to keep your resume focused and on track:
1. Know your audience. Have a job opening or job objective in mind, and always write for that audience. Always.
2. Know yourself. Yes, the resume is not intended for you, but it should specifically highlight your qualifications and added value. You can’t sell something you don’t understand. If you’re not sure what your unique value proposition is regarding the job, seek help from a career professional to figure it out.
3. Know what’s important. Make sure you have a good understanding of modern resume trends and requirements. Successful resumes need value, clarity, targeted content, qualifications, achievements and statistics, all packaged into a concise format. If you have trouble digging things up and putting them together on your own, you can seek the help of an expert.
Executives, approach your resume strategy with a business mindset to reduce personal biases. By considering the needs of your target audience, your resume content will remain focused, thought-provoking, and engaging.
This article originally appeared in Forbes.
Another important strategy for 2023: Go beyond just company results in a resume. Read my insights in this Forbes post.
Reference By: careerimpressions.ca
