Your resume screams mediocrity. Yes, it does.
Yep. Another post about how you folks are too humble. Well, you are. Look, I’m not asking you to declare you are God’s gift to public relations. I’d just like you to admit you’re great at what you do and then give me an example or two.
Unless, of course, you’re not great at what you do, which is what the majority of your resumes tell me. They scream mediocrity. And you ain’t mediocre, so why is the paper version of you communicating that?
Each week, I receive a handful of resumes from strangers who find me through friends and the Internet. They ask me to read over them and give feedback, and I do. But I can’t help but think, “Is this really all you think you do? Because if you thought your boss thought that, you’d slap her. Is the fact that you didn’t include any successes on your resume mean that you didn’t have any?” I think not. But how would I know?
So I send back my edits and suggestions, but what I really want to say is this:
If you aren’t prepared to explain why you are fabulous, don’t bother asking a hiring manager to become your biggest fan.
It’s not fair, honestly. From an early age, we are taught to be total team players; that bragging on your own accomplishments is a sin; that the best things come to those who wait, etc.
Why do I want you on “the team” if you can’t tell me/prove what your batting average is? You don’t have to tattoo it to your forehead, but you should track and be able to clearly communicate your talents and accomplishments. On paper and in person. You’re a professional communicator for Pete’s sake!
So, get out that resume and give your past and current job responsibilities and accomplishments a makeover. If it makes you feel better, pretend your writing the resume of a client. Either way, just do it! And sure, I’m happy to give it a read. But don’t get your feelings hurt if I write back and tell you you’re too humble.
Related articles by Zemanta
- Keep Your Resume Out of the Trash by Quantifying Your Accomplishments [Resume] (lifehacker.com)
- Ten Resume Mistakes You Must Avoid (bargaineering.com)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_c.png?x-id=d1647cf7-8052-42cd-a58f-9549554e362a)
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
So Margie what do you think of my resume? http://www.scribd.com/doc/27955296/J-Maluenda-Resume
.-= Janelle´s last blog ..Responsibility =-.
Hi Janelle,
I just discovered Margie’s blog and I was drawn to this post because I’ve written about this myself.
Looking at the front page of your resume, notice how it’s all about things you DID vs. RESULTS you created. Let’s pick the first couple of bullet points:
- “Manage social media sites for multiple clients.”
- “Multi-project management and development.”
These are all ACTIVITIES. What were the OUTCOMES?
More specifically, what are the outcomes that would be of particular interest to the kind of person WHO MIGHT HIRE YOU?
For example, what makes a boss thrilled with an employee doing project management? Out of my hat: Projects are often delayed because people have different interests and priorities and the project manager lacks the clout to *make* them do things. But your boss doesn’t want to hear about how the delays are other people’s fault. He or she just wants it done.
So how about something like this:
- “Skilled at finding and leveraging the personal interests of each party to a project so they all do their part on time and on budget. Clients are in awe.”
Can you feel the difference? Much more likely to stand out in a pile of resumes because you’re the one who really *gets* what the boss most wants. Right?
I agree with Margie. (Hello, Margie.
Nice to meet you.) The way to get the result she’s talking about is by talking about results rather than activities.
You might like my article “Most CVs are Terrible. How to Make Yours Irresistible.”
http://www.gordongroupec.com/CEOTP/17-Most-CVs-Are-Terrible-How-to-Make-Your-CV-Irresistible.html
Dov Gordon
.-= Dov Gordon´s last blog ..How to Build Your Competitive Advantage by Seeing What Does NOT Change =-.
Janelle, thanks for sharing your resume. It’s very nice. I agree with Dov (Hi, Dov, nice meeting you!) that it’s a matter of communicating what you have achieved as opposed to simply what your responsibilities are. Again, think of it as if your boss was writing your resume for you—what would you hope she understood your contributions to be?
Dov, thanks for the thorough resume review! Appreciate your thoughtful feedback.
.-= Margie´s last blog ..Never leave home without a business card =-.
[...] Be a communicator–you’ve got your Master’s degree in X and a passion for X and Y. That’s great, but if you want someone to hire you, you must be able to translate and articulate what that degree and passion means to his company. Stop being so humble (that doesn’t get you any where in a job search) and tell me: What do I gain by hiring you? How are you different? What do you have to offer that others do not? These questions must not only be answered verbally, but also on your resume. [...]
[...] young professionals on the hunt for their next great challenge. Yet, most of these resumes scream mediocrity and naiveté. Maybe it’s because most folks learn how to craft a thoughtful resume in [...]