Beyond the Resume’
Often when those in need of Career Coaching services first approach me, the question that they often ask of me is “Do you help people to write or re-write their resumes?” And, while the short answer to that question is “Yes,” when done to their fullest extent, my services go so much further than that. If you are a person without a professional resume’, or one that has not been updated in a long while, then yes it is important to get it in the best shape possible. However, the concern that I have when many ask me the question is that they believe once the resume’ is completed, and they send it out through job application sites, they will be getting telephone calls and email responses back immediately. Nothing can be further from the truth.
A search for your next career opportunity is a process. It involves knowing you strengths and targeting the type of industries and job positions where you feel you can make your best contributions. It is knowing people who are hiring, (outside of job postings), and more important them getting to know you and what you can do. Above everything else a JOB SEARCH IS WORK!!! When in it, when you do not have a job, it is a 35 to 40 hour a week process. Even when working, and looking to switch careers, a 15 hour a week dedication to the process is essential.
Recently, I participated in a Career Conference held by a professional association here in my home state of New Jersey. There were a panel of 5 professionals, 2 of whom were active hiring managers. Many of the attendees had questions in terms of what the hiring managers look for in one’s resume’. Both hiring managers were very clear in terms of the following thoughts. The resume’ would give them information on what someone had done in the past. It WOULD NOT, tell them what it is that you could do for them in the future. It would not tell them, WHAT YOUR SPECIAL TALENTS MIGHT BE that could help their situation. That type of information they often learned through a Linked In profile, (which was well done, and presented an individual more from a “marketing perspective” of their talents, as opposed as to a listing of just what they had done in the past). They learned that from getting to know individuals at networking meetings, at professional events which the person had participated as a volunteer to make happen, and through individual coffee or lunch sessions with them. Even one of the other professionals on the panel, who is a professional resume’ writer, agreed it was not just going to be enough for an individual to have a well done professional resume’ to get made a job offer, (or even be invited in for an interview).
So, the next time you reach out to a professional to help you in terms of moving your career forward, or help you if you are in job search, take some time to think of the things that you really need. First of all, do you have an understanding of the type of job roles you are seeking and in what industries? (If you say that I just want a job that is similar to the one from which I was let go, ask yourself realistically, how many of those jobs truly exist, and if so, where)? If it has been awhile since you have searched, are you ready to be able to present yourself in interviews, networking conversations, in writing and verbally? If you find yourself having to use a ton of words to explain what it is you do, then you likely need help in getting your presentation more focused. How current is your network? Are they individuals who are still actively working or have many of them moved out of the workforce? Are they predominantly all from one company or industry? Or are they a diverse group of professionals who are currently part of the world of work?
Yes, it would be great if finding that next job or career opportunity was easy. Ease in finding the next job usually means that one does not need much skill in performing it, that it is repetitive in nature, and that it is not really one that you would consider part of a career path. If that is what you want, or need at the moment to bring in income, that is fine. If however, your intent is to keep moving your career path trajectory forward, then realizing that just getting the resume’ to say what you believe it should say for someone to make you a hiring offer, is only one of many steps in the process.
