Resume Not Getting Results? Time To Turn Your Boring Employment History Into A Marketing Tool
Do you send your resume out just hoping for the best?
Do you share it with friends with the caveat that you just threw it together?
I’ve looked at thousands of resumes. Many potential clients I talk to today think their resume is “not too bad, probably needs a little tweaking.”
When I look at their resume from the perspective of a personal brand strategist and former recruiter, I see a resume that’s rubbish.
Long boring lists of duties and responsibilities, highlighted as achievements.
✔️ Developed and managed marketing campaigns for key clients . . .
✔️ Managed organizational functions for the largest global . . .
✔️ Worked closely with leadership on corporate communications . . .
Time to change that.
Words That Turn Hiring Managers Off (And Words They Love)
I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen someone describe themselves as a team player on their resume. I can say it’s way too many.
However, descriptors like team-player and out-of-the-box thinker make hiring managers cringe according to a 2021 CareerBuilder survey* of hiring managers and human resources pros.
Executive Resume Not Getting Results? This Is Probably Why
You may get away with updating the resume you’ve had since college or hastily putting together a resume on your own early in your career. However, once you reach the executive level or are targeting senior executive roles, you need a results-driven executive resume that tells a powerful career story.
The Career Ladder Myth
Most people think of climbing a career ladder. But the career ladder is a myth. It’s a career pyramid. Competition isn’t as tough for early careerists or even mid-level managers because there are a lot of jobs at those levels. As you move into Director, VP, SVP, and the C-Suite roles, however, there are not as many jobs.
How To Write An Executive Resume That Gets Results
Over the years I’ve looked at a lot of resumes. Some are dreadful. Those that are not as bad need work to get a recruiter’s attention. Particularly, once you reach the executive level.
Common Resume Mistakes
While the resumes are lacking in different ways, they all have some combination of the same problems.
Weak Content
Boring task-focused bullets (managed teams, developed new markets, etc.) or tons of metrics (reached 110% of quota, generated $8M revenue) with no story.
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If you’re on Clubhouse and looking for career information and advice look for our new Smarter Career Moves club.
Smarter Career Moves is the place to learn strategies, techniques, and activities that will help you move your job search forward and advance your career
Join our events to get information and practical advice from career professionals. This is a space to exchange ideas and learn from each other. Come with questions and don’t be afraid to ask.
Most Popular “How To” Executive Resume Writing Questions
Crafting a compelling executive resume that gets results isn’t easy. Many executives and professionals turn to an executive resume writing service. They spend time researching who is the best executive resume writer.
Other professionals looking for an executive position decide to tackle executive resume writing themselves. When talking to a professional resume writer, these are some of the “how-to” questions people ask.
12 Often Asked Executive Resume Writing Questions
#1 What do employers look for in a resume?
Employers are looking for people to solve their problems. A hiring manager wants to know what you can do for them.
People in similar positions at similar companies do similar things. What differentiates candidates from one another is the impact they have had on their employer(s).
More specifically, a recruiter or hiring manager wants to see how you saved time, cut costs, improved productivity, generated revenue, etc.
Five Resume Elements That Should Be Forgotten
You’re probably familiar with the phrase “everything old is new again.” But when it comes to resumes, everything old is not new again. It’s just old.
Resumes have changed a lot over the last 15 years. They’ve morphed from boring employment histories to compelling marketing documents designed to sell you — the candidate — to recruiters and employers. While some basic components like professional experience and education remain, there are other elements that make your resume and, by default, you look dated.
1. Objective Statement
Although objective statements have been passé for years, I still see them on resumes. One reason they fell out of fashion is that they were all basically the same. Every candidate was looking for a great company, where they worked with awesome colleagues, and had room to grow. Boring. Worse, objective statements didn’t address what every employer wants to know “WIIFM?” (what’s in it for me?). Scrap the objective statement and replace it with a summary that demonstrates your value.
10 Strategies That Will Boost Your Job Search Success
These are extraordinarily difficult times. Unemployment is climbing. People on furlough wonder if they’ll be returning to work. Shutdowns across the country make it challenging to look for a job.
Despite everything, this is not the time to stop looking for a new job. The job market has changed dramatically, but jobs are still out there. Employers are hiring. There are steps you can take to move your job search forward.
Here are 10 job search strategies that work. But reading this list isn’t enough. You need to act. You can’t do all of them today, but you can get started.
#1 Make a list of your target employers, companies where you would most like to work. Set up Google alerts to help you follow them in the news. Start contacting family, friends, former colleagues, etc. to see if they know anyone who works for one, or more, of your top employers.
7 Ways To Increase Your Chances Of Getting A New Job
Most of us wouldn’t buy a home or a car or even a new phone without some planning. Before a large purchase we’d check our credit report and research prices. Depending on the purchase, we might read reviews of realtors or retailers. We want to be prepared when we find the perfect whatever.
Yet, many people jump into a job search, a process that could change their life, with no preparation.
They see a few interesting job posts and decide it’s time for a change.
Often, they don’t have their resume or LinkedIn profile recruiter ready. They haven’t researched the salary range for the position they seek. They may not even have a clear understanding of what they want in a new position.
Big mistake.
A job search requires as much preparation as any other big move. Here are 7 steps you need to take before you begin your job search.
3 Executive Resume Must Haves
To be effective an executive resume needs to convey value. Right away. Early in your career you may have been able to get by with a basic employment history. However, once you reach the executive level, or are targeting those rolls, demonstrating the impact you’ve had on your employers is critical.
Unfortunately, most of the resumes that come across the desks of recruiters and hiring managers are boring lists of duties and responsibilities. Nothing to motivate the reader to set up an interview.
The good news, is that if your executive resume does demonstrate value and engage the reader you will stand out from the pile of other candidates. In a good way.
3 Things Your Resume Must Include
Quantifiable Results
Employers expect senior professionals to do more than manage a team, run a department, or be responsible for a sales region. They want to know what you’ve done that’s had an impact on the business.
The best way to demonstrate value is show how you’ve made money, saved money, saved time, anything that’s had a positive effect. While quantifying results may be easier in some professions, like sales, if you take the time to “dig deep” you can come up with results.