Friday, September 11, 2009

[itroundtable] Fwd: Career Rocketeer | The Career Search and Personal Branding Blog

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From: Career Rocketeer - Career Search and Personal Branding Blog <careerrocketeer@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Sep 11, 2009 at 7:07 AM
Subject: Career Rocketeer | The Career Search and Personal Branding Blog
To: lutzpf@gmail.com

Career Rocketeer | The Career Search and Personal Branding Blog

Link to Career Rocketeer - Career Search and Personal Branding Blog

Real Resumes for Real People

Posted: 11 Sep 2009 03:16 AM PDT

It seems like all too often individuals submit resumes which are not written as a true reflection of their actual skill level and knowledge base. This is usually the result of engaging a professional resume writer who may write the resume at a much higher level than would be expected from the typical applicant. Although the applicant may be impressed by the resume writer's work, the hiring manager may not be, and it will most likely become a determining (and detrimental) factor in where the resume ends up. In some ways it may have the same end result as submitting a poorly written resume, which obviously will end up in the rejection pile. The answer is to write a real resume for real people.

Consider this fact. Most hiring managers are just like you or me. The difference is that they simply have the responsibility to hire and interview applicants, but in fact may be no better educated or experienced than the applicant themselves. I would suggest that resumes should be written at the level of the intended reader. In most cases, especially where applicants are applying for entry level to middle management positions there is simply no reason to over impress a hiring manager with a wordy, sophisticated, jargon-filled resume. In fact, a hiring manager could become intimidated by the style of your resume. In my mind if, after reading a sentence, the reader has to wonder "what did that mean?", then I would suggest that although the sentence may have contained a bunch of fancy verbiage, it lost its value in the fact that it was not easily understood. Furthermore when the applicant meets the interviewer in person there could be a big disconnect between the way the resume represented the applicant and the manner in which the applicant presents him/her self in person.

The same goes for cover letters. I recommend that the cover letter contain the pertinent information expected such as why you are submitting a resume, where you found out about the opening, what contacts you have, what your desires are, how your skills and experience meet the posted job requirements, and how will you add value to the organization. In addition to presenting this necessary information, the cover letter gives you a chance to reflect your own personality in the way the letter is written. Do your homework and find out about the "vibe" of the company and write your cover letter in the appropriate tone. The best combination to get the hiring managers attention is a "real resume" paired with a creative and complete cover letter.

Think of your resume as an "audition" for the interview. Just as thousands of wannabe entertainers line up to audition for American Idol, your resume ends up in line with hundreds of other applicants. In the American Idol auditions, applicants want to stand out from the pack to be noticed and to be given an opportunity to perform before the judges and display their talent. A resume does the same thing. A well written or a poorly written resume both get noticed, albeit for different reasons. Obviously you want to be noticed for the former. A well written resume is professionally formatted and error-free with accurate and complete content and will most likely qualify you for the "audition". A poorly written resume gets noticed for poor formatting, errors, sloppiness and incompleteness. You must be absolutely sure that your resume will get noticed for the right reasons, giving you the opportunity to be selected for an interview where you have the opportunity to display your talents in person.

Don't be intimidated by a hiring manager. While you are nervous and anxious to find a position, so too is the hiring manager nervous and anxious to find the right person for the job. They are probably being judged by their boss on their ability to recruit and select the right people, and they want to ensure they make the right decision. So be at ease with the interviewer. While it's important to be professional in the interview situation it is okay to show your personality, and to be yourself. While you should be fully prepared to professionally answer the interviewer's questions, you should also prepare questions to ask them when prompted to do so. In addition to getting specific questions answered or points clarified, feel free to ask the interviewer for their opinion on what they are looking for, what their biggest challenges are, what their personal expectations are, etc. In addition, asking the interviewer about how they got to where they are in the organization can really generate some casual conversation where the personalities of both the applicant and the interviewer come to life. In these conversations common areas of interest may come out. In addition the interviewer will get a feel for your "fit" in the organization. And that could never hurt!

So, I would suggest that you:

Write your resume and cover letter to the level of the person on the other end.
Ensure the resume represents you honestly, and let the cover letter reflect some of your personality and the "vibe" of the company to which you are applying.
Be yourself in the interview, supporting the content of your resume, and be prepared to answer and ask questions.

These few points should make you realize that 'resumes for real people" can be an effective way to get noticed, and to pave the way for the opportunity to showcase your skills in an interview - hopefully leading to a lucrative offer for your dream job.

I'm happy to review your resume and cover letter and give you an objective opinion of its format, content and effectiveness. Simply e-mail it to mark@twofeetinthesand.com.

Guest Expert:

Mark Greenspahn is the Owner and President of Two Feet in the Sand, LLC, an experiential marketing resource helping clients connect one-on-one with consumers to build brand loyalty and drive business results. He is an experienced and well respected marketing executive with a reputation for creating industry leading programs. During his career at Anheuser-Busch, Mark led the company's contemporary event marketing department, which executed promotional programs at special events and retail accounts throughout the country. In this role he recruited, interviewed and hired hundreds of employees and sharpened his skill set into an effective resume writer, now offering these services to individuals as a specialty of his own company.

Mark is a graduate of the University of South Florida. You can check out his website at http://www.twofeetinthesand.com/, and follow him on Linked In at http://www.linkedin.com/pub/mark-greenspahn/2/257/35 or Twitter @markgreenspahn.

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