Inconsistencies Between Your Resume and LinkedIn

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Your resume and LinkedIn are your core marketing assets when it comes to applying to a new position. Other than what you’ve shared in your cover letter and, if you’re lucky, what an internal advocate has said about you, your resume and LinkedIn represent all of the information a reader may know about you. So, it is incredibly important that these assets are top notch – compelling, achievement-focused, and consistent.

I understand that it is difficult to create compelling and achievement-focused resumes and LinkedIn profiles; it’s why I have a thriving business. But keeping your resume and LinkedIn in synch should be fairly easy. However, inconsistencies between the two show up every day in the work I do. Here is why that is such a bad thing:

To the above point, you presented a small amount of information by which a reader is to judge your fitness for a position. If the small amount of information you are presenting is inconsistent – job titles don’t match up, dates for the same position differ, degrees don’t align – that person is left to think that you are either lying or sloppy.

I believe that many professionals fill out their LinkedIn once and perhaps update it sporadically. Independent of those updates, they make adjustments to their resume. This leads to differing information between the two. Totally understandable and totally avoidable.

Here is a simple fix: when you update your resume, update your LinkedIn (and vice versa). That way you know the two will always be in alignment.

Remember your resume and LinkedIn don’t have to be exactly the same, but they have to be 100% consistent.

Resume Tips from a Fancy Restaurant Menu

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Next time you head out for a nice meal, I want you to pay attention to the menu. Why? Because that menu is full of best practices for writing an effective resume. Check it out:

Length – How long is the menu? In many upscale restaurants, the menu is a single page that presents a list of items that have been a carefully curated with a specific kind of customer in mind. The menu outlines just a handful of choices, because diners want options, but they expect the expert chef to have whittled things down for them. Take Away: Curate your experience in the same way that a chef curates a menu. Consider your audience and present what you are most proud of and what you feel will be most appealing.

Descriptions – Notice how each dish has just a few items listed beneath? The menu isn’t outlining the recipe. It is not providing a detailed description of each component. Instead, it is just highlighting the most compelling ingredients. Maybe it’s showcasing the protein or a vegetable from a local farm. Perhaps it is mentioning the cooking method. Take Away: When creating your resume, provide a brief overview of each role. But just highlight the most compelling aspects of each role (people you led, size of your budget, etc.).

Strategic Placement – Do you see a few items around the menu that are highlighted? Maybe they have a box around them or are bolded. Those are intended to draw your attention for multiple reasons. They may be there to establish a price base (i.e., an expensive item that is intended to make other items feel like more of a value). They may also be there because that is what the chef would like you to order. Regardless, there is a strategy behind what is highlighted. Take Away: Be strategic with what you highlight. Frame out your compelling branding statement or bold some key phrases. Know what you want readers to focus on and why.

Federal and Private Sector Resume Best Practices

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Many of my clients are surprised to learn that federal resumes and private sector resumes are very different beasts. Private sector resumes tend to be most effective when they are concise and laser focused on achievements. Federal resumes, on the other hand, are most effective when they are more comprehensive and clearly outline each position’s responsibilities.

I work with a lot of professionals who are transitioning from government roles and into the private sector. I also work with a lot of clients who are making the opposite move. In doing so, I have identified that, while federal and private sector resumes are very different, there are best practices from both sectors that can be broadly applied.

Strong Branding Elements – Private sector resumes need a strong open; a high impact introduction that captures readers’ attention and compels them to learn more. Federal resumes can benefit from the same strong opening. Remember, no matter the sector, a real-life, time strapped human being is going to ultimately evaluate your resume. Make it easy for them to understand the value you represent by providing a clear and compelling introduction.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) – KSAs are a common element of both federal job requisitions and federal resumes. A KSAs section on your federal resume is a clear way to map your experience to the requisition, which makes it easy for readers (both human and automated) to identify your qualifications. It is for that very reason that a KSAs-like section makes a lot of sense for private sector resumes.

Achievements – Many of my clients who are transitioning out of government roles have dry resumes that read like job descriptions. This achievements-free approach is an absolute no-no when it comes to the private sector. But it is also not a great idea for federal resumes. Just because you need to outline your qualifications more explicitly – as opposed to allowing achievements to imply responsibilities – on a federal resume, that doesn’t mean that it is not smart to speak to specific, quantified achievements. Clear achievements are always a good idea. ALWAYS.

Regardless of sector, increase your likelihood of getting called in for an interview by leveraging best practices from across the entire job market.

Treat Yourself as Your Most Important Customer

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I am constantly impressed by my clients – professionals who, based on the achievements we uncover during the resume writing process, have moved heaven and earth for their (internal and external) customers. So, it pains me when someone who has devoted an astounding amount of energy to the success of their organization or customers fails to even outline these successes on their resume.

I understand that there is never enough time. I understand that evaluating one’s own success is tough. I understand that resume writing is a skill that many professionals just have no need to develop (it is why I have a thriving business). I understand that success often means sacrifice.

But what if you treated yourself like you were your most valuable client? What if you approached updating your resume with your last big win with the same urgency you tackled a key client’s issue du jour? Would you be even more successful? I bet you would be.

In 2018, make a promise. Treat yourself like your best client.

Confidentiality and Your Career

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Since I'm based in Seattle, many of my consulting projects are with organizations based here in Seattle.

A couple of weeks ago, I had a day of strategy development meetings with one of my top clients downtown. Returning from lunch early, I grabbed a coffee and went through e-mails in the lobby. Immediately next to me were two people having a work conversation that never should have taken place in a public space. 

Long story short... An employee was meeting with an HR leader to discuss inappropriate things that happened in a skip-level meeting (a meeting in which an employee meets with their manager's manager).

Because I am your HR doctor (*grin*), a few things I want to ensure you know:

1) Never initiate a work conversation that pertains to anything confidential in a public place. Ever. Just because you caught a busy person "with a free moment" doesn't mean you can have a sensitive conversation in public that should be occuring in a private setting.

2) Similarly, if approached, don't be caught off guard and enter into such a conversation. Find a 100% private location or schedule a time when you can meet in a 100% private location. Demand this even if the person is senior to you.

3) By "conversation" I mean not only personal things that pertain to your employment, but also any topics that can be tied to anything of a confidential nature (client information, NDA-related matters, etc.).

I'm bothered to know that an HR leader would think that a lobby is a satisfactory location for such a conversation. Just because you may see similar behavior modeled in your organization, that doesn't mean it's okay. Courteously state that you'd be more comfortable discussing said topic in a private location.

Workplaces are getting increasingly fast paced. Each day, slow down and remain grounded enough to do the right thing – to model professional, respectful behavior and to expect it from others.

Happy Holidays 2017!

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2017 has been an unsettling year in this world of ours. The news is full of depressing stories, global relations are very tense, and people seem more disconnected than ever. 

On top of this already disquieting landscape, many people here in the United States – and, more so, around the world – have to endure a lot of day-to-day hardship. About 2 of 3 people lack access to clean drinking water and about 1 of 3 people live on less than $1 a day. In a world with so much wealth, it really is unimaginable.

These realities also give me perspective. Perspective to remember that, as a successful member of society, I can always do more to help in making the world a better, more welcoming place for those not as fortunate as I.

Oftentimes, when I get into these topics, I have to resist the urge to feel as though I am getting “off topic” from the core purpose of Tandem Powered. During those moments, though, I’m quickly reminded that this, too, is what Tandem Powered is all about.

Tandem Powered is, of course, about consulting, resume writing, and career development. Essentially, inspiring people to get better aligned with their authentic selves and, therefore, closer and closer to career (and life!) satisfaction. If you’ve used Tandem's services or have spent some time here on the website, you likely know that it goes deeper than that.

My desire to empower people and communities transcends career development activities. In fact, Tandem Powered got off the ground emboldened by the belief that we are all connected as world citizens. Meaning, what’s good for you is good for me.

In the spirit of doing my part to be a uniter, here are a couple of things I want to share as we enter into the holiday season.

1) First, know that Tandem Powered is committed to the #OpenToAll campaign. No matter who you are, where you're from, who you love, etc., you are wholeheartedly welcome here. I know – from my experience in work and life – that our differences do in fact make us stronger.

2) In the #OpenToAll spirit of connection, I am going to run a promotion through 12/31/2017. If you purchase my Tandem's Essentials package for yourself and someone else, you'll receive a $100 discount. Be sure to mention this e-mail when you get in touch.

Being a responsible world citizen has always been at the core of this business. Thanks to all of my clients – past and future – for trusting me with their personal or organizational development. We are connected!

Happy Holidays

The Career / Business Doctor is in!

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As Tandem has grown over the past decade, more and more clients are requesting coaching sessions. Because I also do HR / Business Consulting (often traveling globally) and Resume / Career Development Consulting, my schedule can rarely accommodate the time needed for a traditional series of coaching sessions of 40-50 minutes/each.

Similarly, I get so entrenched in robust consulting projects that it restricts my ability to help companies with matters that can be addressed quickly.

That's about to change!

Starting immediately, I am rolling out my Spark Sessions service to both Corporate and Individual clients. Essentially, Spark Sessions will be all about providing quick consulting sessions addressing clients' pressing issues – a workplace dilemma, salary negotiation tips, interview tips, etc. Each session will be 15-20 minutes and will allow me to consult with clients who are asking for a brisk, collaborative consultation to address a specific issue.

As the name Spark Sessions suggests, each conversation will serve as exactly the catalyst the client needs to take the next step forward.

I've been testing the service with my top corporate clients and with my Individual VIP clients (anyone who has been a client returns as a VIP client), and it's been very successful. In the coming weeks, I'll be rolling Spark Sessions out more broadly with the goal of fully implementing them in 2018.

Is there something on your mind that could benefit from my perspective? Get in touch so that I can share details and pricing.

Your Rambling Resume is a Problem

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I got a lot of interesting e-mails, asking about the "rambling" I was referring to in my last blog post.

"What constitutes rambling," many e-mailers asked.

Good question.

Rarely, if ever, do candidates get it right on their resume. Many are far too short, which tells reviewers one thing about preparedness, confidence, etc. Far more, however, veer heavily into rambling, which is even more telling.

Why? Because savvy employers know that rambling is an indication of two things:

1. A lack of confidence. Candidates feel so uncertain and lack so much confidence about what they've done, that they feel as though they have to mention every. little. detail. in order to sound busy or important or good at multi-tasking or promotable or like a team player.

2. The inability to gauge importance. Employers want to know how you moved the mark in each of your prior positions. If, for example, you are the Director of Customer Relations, they know that you are responsible for the department that oversees customer satisfaction. They want to know how you increased customer satisfaction (and other KPIs), not the exhaustive list of responsibilities that enable you to do so.

Rambling is a resume (and interview) killer.

Let me help you!

Make More Money by Keeping Your Resume Up-to-date

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The title of this post may sound like click-bait or some late night infomercial, but it is actually true. There is a fairly straight line between keeping your resume up-to-date and increasing what you earn.

1. I write a lot about the power of quantifiable achievements on a resume, but the power of capturing your achievements is not just helpful in the past tense. If you are consistently recognizing your achievements by updating your resume, you are more likely to operate with an achievement mindset – seeing and seizing on opportunities to make an impact. That increased performance is what gets you noticed and increases the potential for a promotion.

2. To that last point, operating with an achievement mindset increases your potential for a promotion, but only if the impact you make is noticed. By consistently updating your resume you are habituating the process of concisely communicating your achievements. So, when it comes time for your performance evaluation, you can come to the table with a clear outline of the impact you have made, which increases the likelihood that you will get a raise or bonus.

3. I can't tell you how often clients get in touch and need a rush resume update because the perfect job showed up, but they are not prepared to apply to it. If you always have your resume at the ready, when opportunities arise, you are prepared. Not only does this mean you can quickly throw your hat in the ring, but because so many candidates won't be prepared, you'll stand out.

Companies Hire Experts and Keep Jack-of-all-trades

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Every employer appreciates someone who is really agile and can wear a lot of hats, but they hire people who are uniquely qualified for a specific role. This can be a very frustrating reality for many professionals, who are broadly skilled and can thrive in dynamic environments but, when it comes time to finding another job, realize that they need to show that they specialize in something.

Here is an example. I recently wrapped up a project with a Customer Success Manager at a data visualization SaaS start-up whose title doesn’t even begin to communicate the breadth and complexity of her role. To combat this, she had created a tome of a resume that essentially covered every aspect of her multifaceted position. Her comprehensive approach was not working; she was essentially presenting time-strapped resume readers with an overwhelming amount of information and no easy way to quickly wrap their minds around how she fit into their organization.

One of the key changes we made was to introduce some powerful new branding elements that enabled her to target the resume toward specific opportunities and highlight certain aspects of your background. By doing so, she was more successful at making it through the resume screening process (which is evaluating the resume for a specific, unique fit based on keywords and key phrases). She was then able to provide some additional texture to tip readers off to the fact that she was broadly skilled and brought so much more to the table.

If you are in a similar position, get in touch. There is a way to position yourself for a specific role, but still honor that you are agile and multi-talented.