The Value of the Process

I write a lot about the power of an outstanding resume. What I don’t frequently write about is the power of the entire resume development process. I strongly believe that the process can be as valuable – and possibly more valuable than – the resume itself. So why don’t I go on and on about it? For one, it can sound a bit sales-y. For another, and probably the greatest reason I don’t broach the subject more often, is that I forget that not everybody knows how valuable the process can be.

A new set of job search documents – and my entire process – are an investment.

I was reminded that some of the most important aspects of working with a credible resume writer are not immediately obvious when I read a recent client email. This client shared that they entered into the project simply hoping for a great set of job search documents. They left feeling like they had gotten so much more out of the process.

That email sparked me to share three of the most valuable aspects of the resume writing process:

Confidence – Much of the resume writing process is focused on uncovering accomplishments and speaking to your impact. That allows me to create a resume that is rich with quantifiable achievements. Beyond that, it can reshape how clients see – and speak to – their professional history. Having a clear idea of your impact and the ability to quickly provide examples can improve your confidence in a very profound way.

Clarity – Many of my clients come to me looking for a resume to help them transition into something different. Unfortunately, many of them don’t know what that “something different” is. In order to create a resume that highlights your strengths and positions you for your next big thing, I have to help you identify your strengths. Understanding your natural strengths and transferable skills makes it much easier to determine what you should be doing and where you fit.

Career Trajectory – I am constantly reminding clients that a resume is just one piece of a career management strategy, albeit a very important piece. Not only will a new, achievement focused resume likely help you to more quickly secure interviews or build interest, it can also help you land a more favorable pay package. It is much easier to negotiate salary when you can clearly communicate why you are worth it.

An achievement-focused resume is a very valuable thing. But it’s important to keep in mind that the process of developing that resume is also incredibly valuable – a very wise investment.

The best investment you can make is in yourself. Get in touch if you think you might need help.

Career Booster

I am very happy to announce the arrival of my Career Booster package! The foundation of the package is my popular new guide: Beyond an Outstanding Resume. The guide provides clients with specific, actionable tools and steps for executing a multi-faceted career management approach that goes far beyond simply submitting resumes and crossing fingers. I provide support, ideas and coaching – via e-mail and calls – all along the way.

The twelve activities in the guide along with our partnership make a powerful combination. Most clients choose to focus on tackling one new activity each week for a total of twelve weeks. Naturally, though, you can progress at whatever speed you’d like.

Using Beyond an Outstanding Resume as our structure, the Career Booster package covers things such as:

1) Effectively targeting your job search documents (including a thorough critique of your progress).

2) Incorporating a powerful social media component into your career management plan (including my Maximizing LinkedIn guide).

3) Excelling at interviews (including a mock interview and my Acing Interviews guide).

Get in touch for details!

Listing MBA Next To Your Name On Your Resume

Q. Should I list my MBA next to my name on my resume? A. It depends. If doing so is common within your field or among your colleagues, yes. If not, leave it off.

There are some academic designations that are almost always listed – MD, PhD and JD fall it that category. Listing an MBA is not as common, but still perfectly defensible.

As with everything on your resume, consider how what you are listing will be perceived and whether or not including a specific piece of information adds value.

Tell Me What I Don’t Know

I ask my clients a lot of questions.

“How did the system you implemented impact the business?”

“Do you have metrics to back up the statement that you grew the business over two years?”

“Would you say the site redesign enhanced user experiences? Do you have analytics that support this?”

As a professional resume writer and career strategist, it is my job to ask questions that guide clients to uncover achievements and quantify their impact. It is one of the most rewarding aspects of my work because – through those questions – clients begin to see their experience in a new way.

Every once in a while, a client will ask me to “tell them what they don’t know” about their experience or may even respond to a question I ask with “go ahead and make something up, you know what readers will be impressed by.”

Here’s the deal. I don’t make stuff up and you should be very wary of a professional resume writer who would. Beyond being unethical, there is just no value in fabricating achievements. As a client, you don’t leave with a bolstered sense of confidence when the resume is not an authentic representation of your impact.

If you are having problems developing an accomplishment-focused resume, reach out. We can work together to uncover achievements and create a resume that is a genuine expression of your impact.

Big Brother Employer and LinkedIn

I used to tell clients that it was a good idea to be on LinkedIn. Now I consider LinkedIn to be a core component of a comprehensive career management strategy. Having said that, there is a dark side to using the professional networking site – it can be very easy for your current employer to learn that you are seeking other opportunities. I wish I could say that employers weren’t using sites like LinkedIn to monitor their employees. But I can’t. So here are a few tips for ways that you can use LinkedIn without making it obvious that you are actively searching (or just keeping your options open).

Maintain an active and consistent LI presence – This is just a good career management practice. Consistent networking and exploring your area of focus is one way to stay on the leading edge and a great step in making yourself indispensible. It also eliminates the chance that you will have visible “spikes” in LI activity that could tip your current employer off to your desire to fly the coop.

Get to know the privacy settings – LinkedIn’s default settings can make you an over-sharer. For example, by default everyone in your network is notified when you make any edits to your profile or make a new connection. The first thing you should do when you start using LI is to go in and customize those settings. Yes, making your profile and activity less visible could limit your ability to make new connections. I think that is a small price to pay for the piece of mind that comes with knowing that every move you make is not being broadcast to your network.

Keep your profile concise – Uploading your entire resume to LinkedIn screams “I’m looking for work.” Even if you are, it’s not a great use of the digital space (and it could mean you are disclosing details that could peeve your current employer). Instead, provide high-level overviews for each of your roles. Use the Summary to highlight a few major accomplishments so that your impact is clear.

Even if you work for a employer that is looking over your digital shoulder, you can still make effective use of tools like LinkedIn. It just means you need to be very mindful of what you share and with whom you share it. Actually, this is just a good idea regardless of how nosey your current employer is.

Listing Foundational Education On Your Resume

Q. I recently earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto. However, many of my credits were transferred from another school. Do I need to list all colleges on my resume? A. The standard is that you simply list the school from which you earned your degree. Easy!

It is also not necessary to include an Associate’s degree when you have a Bachelor's degree (although some people like to – especially if the field is different).

Listing Travel On Your Resume

Q. I’ve travelled a lot for work and pleasure.  Does listing travel on my resume make me more marketable?

A. Anything you place on your resume should be professionally focused, so if you are considering listing an extended vacation to Santorini, think again.  However, speaking to professional travel and working with diverse audiences can be very powerful on a resume.

Here are some examples:

• Traveled to Beijing and South Africa to secure multi-year contracts worth a total of US$6M.

• Traveled to Bangalore, India to rally development team and ensure a key project was delivered ahead of an aggressive deadline.

You may also consider speaking to extensive personal travel (i.e. gap year, etc.) in your cover letter.  Even in that case, make sure to expressly outline how that experience bolsters your qualifications and makes you a strong fit for the role you are pursuing.

Resume or Marketing Document?

There are a lot of similarities between a resume and a client-marketing document, both are meant to establish your qualifications, pique readers interests and get you a chance to sell yourself in person. I work with a lot professionals who may be looking to secure a full-time position, but may also choose to look for new freelance clients. Even though the two documents may contain the same experience, there is a critical difference in how to approach those two groups.

A resume is employer focused. This means that you need to highlight ways in which you have made a positive impact on the organizations of which you have been a part. Often times that means speaking to “internal wins” – increased margins, PR successes and off-shoring services are just a few examples. Those are likely achievements that you would not want a customer to know about.

A client-marketing document is customer focused. You want that document to shine a spotlight on ways you will make a positive impact on your clients. These might include successes around delivery times, experience enhancements, value adds, etc. Make sure your accomplishments – even those that fall under previous organizations – are “external wins.”

Whether your creating a resume or a client-marketing document, you’ve got to know your audience. Remember, the document is about you, but it is for them. Communicating your potential impact and the value you offer is a winning strategy; just make sure you are focusing on what is appropriate for your readers.