It Takes More Than Just a Resume

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I often get asked to explain why I frequently reference a "toolkit of job search documents" and not simply a resume. Here are three reasons (of many) why I believe it is critical to have a job search toolkit, including a powerful resume.

The job market is still a bit of a knife fight. There are several opportunities to “tell your story” and improve your visibility among hiring managers – cover letters, resume follow-up letters, and post interview thank you letters being chief among them. In a highly competetive job market, you need to seize on every opportunity you have to set yourself apart.

“Luck is what happens when opportunity meets preparation.” Having a complete set of job search documents means you are prepared to jump on opportunities that arise and see it through. All too often I get emails from potential clients who need something “yesterday” because an opportunity popped up and they aren’t prepared.

You’re more likely to use the tools you have. Sitting down to write a cover letter from scratch or to come up with a thoughtful resume follow-up letter is enough to make most people throw in the towel. It is much less daunting to provide a thoughtful cover letter or send of a resume follow-up letter when you have a template on hand.

A powerful resume is critical, but it is just part of the equation. Increase your chances of job search success by being prepared with a complete job search toolkit.

3 Things Your Resume Does Not Need

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Have you been working with the mindset that your resume is a nuisance that periodically needs to be dealt with. Snap out of it!

If you've so much as thought any of the three following things, you need to evaluate your mindset.

1. I just need to add my latest job to my resume. I cringe. This is why I see so many resumes that read as a series of disconnected job descriptions with no clear through story. What you actually need is to take the time to thoughtfully add in your most recent position.

2. My resume just needs a quick touch up. Let's be really honest here. Chances are, it's been years since you gave your resume some attention. First clue: it still has an Objective up top.

3. I need to tell every detail of every job. If you do, nobody will read it. Instead of boring people with a list of tasks, focus on achievements since they inherently communicate responsibilities. Is your resume task-oriented or accomplishment-oriented?

Speak to the Least Experienced Person (in your field) on the Hiring Panel

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I work with a lot of clients who have extremely specialized experience – data scientists, research associates, programmers, Service Members, etc. – and I have a piece of advice that I give no matter what field they are in: communicate your experience as if you are speaking to the least knowledgeable person (in your field) on a hiring panel.

When I work with a clients in highly specialized fields, I put myself into the mindset of a person sitting on a hiring panel who is not an expert in the same things as my client, which is not too challenging given that I’m generally not an expert in their field! With that mindset, I make sure that the information in the resume is likely to resonate with that person. Doing this ensures that no matter who is part of the hiring process, every person can quickly grasp my client's qualifications and recognize the unique value that they represent.

If you are in a highly specialized field and are finding it hard to communicate your experience in lay terms, you might benefit form getting help from an outsider.

Meet Your Audience Where They Are

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I recently wrote about the importance of writing your resume as if you are speaking to the least knowledgeable person (in your field) on a hiring panel. That post was all about how important it is to communicate your experience in lay terms so that any reader can quickly grasp your qualifications and achievements.

I was reminded of this post whenI worked with an information security professional who shared that he has avoided using the word "cyber" in his resume. When I asked why he would want to avoid a word that seems so common, he made a very good point. "What exactly is cyber and how do you protect it" he asked.

Point well taken, but we ultimately did include the word cyber, very strategically, on his resume. Here's why.

As he went on to point out, despite finding broad agreement among his peers that this term was pretty dumb, it is commonly used throughout the field. In fact, he was interested in a specific position where "cyber" was in the title.

When developing your resume, it is critical to use the words readers will expect to see and meet your audience where they are. Strategically use the terminology that they use so that you are understood and they can see the clear fit. Then, once you are in your new position, you can do the good work of educating people and driving a shift (if it matters that much to you).

Say "No!" to Quick Fixes

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A majority of my clients are referred.

Few realities of my business make me as proud as that fact because nothing speaks louder than the voices of those who have experienced – and loved – what you offer.

My clients – referred or not – know what they're getting into when they sign on with Tandem Powered. And it's not a "quick fix" process. I make that clear across my website and in the robust e-mail communications prior to starting.

That's why it's very bothersome when I speak with someone who has no interest in approaching career development properly. After all, this is your life we're talking about. It's very important to be set you up for success in navigating a career path that will lead to great job success, fulfillment, and – in most cases – greater income.

And you know what happens when you're happier in your career?

• You're happier at home.

• You're more confident.

• You're more interesting.

The list goes on and on.

Here are three ideas for helping you to keep career trajectory top-of-mind:

1. Keep track of your wins as they happen. Start an e-file or an analog file in which you can store all of your positive career movement: commendations, additional training, achievements, etc.

2. Use "comfortable time" as "career building" time. The time to work on your career development activities is when you are all settled into a job. Period. You don't want to wait until things go bad to focus on pulling these things together.

3. Focus relentlessly on what differentiates you. The world of work is increasingly competitive. As you move through the days / weeks / months give a lot of thought to adjustments you can make to become more of a specialist.

Beyond Compensation: Healthier Ways to Evaluate A Potential Employer

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I got a few e-mails about something I wrote in a recent post:

HR departments best serve the company when employees are happy and heard. These are the kinds of HR departments I work with as a Business Consultant. Well oiled HR departments know that their job is to find the link between employee goals and the goals of the company.

So, when you're interviewing for your next job, ensure that the organization you're interviewing with values – truly values – employees' reasons for joining the company. Organizations that walk the talk will have employee-forward initiatives baked right into recruiting materials and employee literature.

More specifically, A few readers noted that they only really consider compensation when making an employment decision. And then – because they are making compensation-based decisions – they tend to be looking for new jobs frequently.

Those readers asked for guidance concerning what to look for in a company, beyond dollar signs:

Culture. No matter what level you are at, ask to shadow someone for an hour or two, or even half a day. The purpose for this is so that you can get a feel for the culture. It's amazing what you can learn by simply taking it all in for a few hours. Do people engage and actively share information? Do you see signs that ideas and diverging viewpoints are welcome?

Goals. Companies that employ new-school HR practices will be very interested in seeing how your ambitions track to the company's objectives. Ask how your prospective employers develop employees' objectives. If goals are completely determined outside of employees, look elsewhere.

Success. How does your potential employer measure success? If it's just "revenue," "attention," or "clicks," you might have a problem. Look for a company that views success modernly. For instance, couch surfing measures success by "net orchestrated conviviality."

When visiting NYC a few weeks ago, I overheard several guys talking about wanting to break the cycle of making employment decisions based solely on monetary compensation. Our turbulent political climate has really got people looking at work and life in a more empowered way. That's a positive outcome in these contentious times.

Your Resume Isn't Working If...

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I often get asked about the biggest resume "fails" that I see as someone who also works on the other side of the table. Here are the five that come to mind today.

Check your resume to ensure that you pass on all five fronts.

You still use an Objective Statement. It's most important to speak to what you can offer, not what you want.

You rely on responsibilities rather than achievements. Most anyone can do; a select few achieve.

You employ the wrong voice. Implied first person is still the expected standard, and past jobs should be referred to in the past tense.

You fail to target it. Generic is out; specific is in. Each position of interest requires a thoughtfully targeted resume.

You don't communicate clearly. No spelling or syntax errors. Period.

Keep Politics Off of LinkedIn

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Advocacy is a very important part of my life. I stand for what I believe in, and I let others know it. Appropriately.

While I don't believe that politics should be excluded from polite conversation – if anything, we need more polite conversation about politics – I do believe that you need to be smart about veering into controversial topics in professional forums.

Here's why.

• LinkedIn is a networking space focused on professional endeavors. Unless you work in politics, these discussions are not work for you. So they don't belong on LinkedIn.

• No matter your political viewpoint, statistics say that about 50% of people will tune you out immediately. Alienating potential professional partners is not smart.

• It's hard to manage our "voice" when it comes to sharing opinions on heated topics. Why? Because emotion gets in the way. As such, most people who do so on public forums tend to sound a bit unhinged. You know what I'm talking about.; we all have that crazy relative who loves to blow things up on Facebook.

Again, I can't stress enough that this is not about proudly sharing your opinion. It's about being strategic about where and how you do it.

Gurus, Ninjas, and Rock Stars (or Why a Creative Title Could Work Against You)

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There was once a time when it was not uncommon to meet someone with a title like Corporate Communications Guru or Web Development Ninja. In many cases, companies created these titles to differentiate themselves and show how unstuffy they were ("Look how modern and different we are! 1970's IBM would never have Guru, Ninja, or Rock Star in their titles").

I was reminded of all of this when I consulted with an executive team who were looking to fill a senior level marketing role. One of the candidates that was most appealing was a very experienced marketing professional whose current tile was Head of Ideas and Storytelling. Despite this candidate's qualifications, that title proved to be a big problem among the hiring team, all of whom thought the title was so undefined that they couldn't determine how this candidate even fit into a typical organizational structure. Worse, many of the executives thought the title was just silly and transferred that perception to the candidate (who, sadly, likely had no role in creating that title).

Here's the thing; if you have an unusual title – even one that seems strong but is not easy for individuals outside of your organization to define (anyone with "innovation" in your title, I am looking your way) – that title could work against you when you are ready to take the next step. If you have control over your title, make sure that it accurately captures your role in a away that outsiders can understand. If you don't have control over your title, then you will need to take additional steps in your job search documents to mitigate the potential negative perceptions or misperceptions surrounding that title.

If you need help figuring out how deal with a creative or vague title – or even a title that simply doesn't align with the realities of your role – on your resume, shoot me an email. I can help.

So You Accepted a Job and Then Got Another Offer

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\When you're on a roll, you're on a roll. So, first, let's celebrate great problems to have!

Next, let's deal with the very real problem of accepting a job offer and then being offered another job (or another interview).

Here's how I recommend evaluating this conundrum:

• Ask yourself why you accepted the first job? Something made you say "yes" to the offer. Was it money? Desparation? Location? Sit with that decision for a bit.
  

• If your reason for accepting the position was less than whole-hearted, ask what it would take to keep this cycle from continuing. What if you accepted the second job and then got a third offer?
  

• Write down all the things that make a job most desirable, from most to least important. How does the first offer stack up? How about the second?
  

• Make the decision – tough as it may be – that most aligns with what the above exercise taught you.
  

It's okay to change your mind. Better to disappoint the company now than to hold on to something that won't work out in the long run (wasting the company even more money).

Going forward, know that job searching isn't like Tinder. Careers involve making tough decisions, and you should move forward in a strategic enough way so that you would never be accepting an offer that you might later need to back out of.