Know Who You Are

I just read a great post at imediconnection that I want to share with you.  The writer, Adam Kleinberg, gives some “let’s talk turkey-like advice.  

In these tough times, many unemployed people are feeling desperate and don’t want to leave any opportunity on the table. So they try to be everything. And wind up being nothing. 

There’s no better way to find your resume in the trash than not to tell me you do everything. I suspect other people fortunate enough to be hiring in the advertising industry feel the same.

I couldn’t agree more.  The first question I ask someone when they come to see me for help with their resumes is “what kind of companies are you pursuing next and what type of job titles?”  If you are in sales and want to stay in sales then your summary should have in big bold letters “Senior Advertising Sales Executive,” or something similar in nature.  If you are a CMO then put that right at top.  Don’t dilly-dally with your resume.  Let the reader know exactly who you are so they don’t have to do any guessing.   

Don’t be afraid to make changes to your resume once it’s complete.  If you see an ad for a position you’d like to apply for — and you think you are qualified to excel in — change your resume to reflect the needs of that particular job.  If you have sales and marketing experience, write one resume that focuses more on your marketing accomplishments and skills and do a separate one for your sales achievements.  

When you go on an interview, remember to focus in on the core attributes that the interviewer is looking for.  The recruiter or hiring manager is not looking for a jack-of-all-trades. He wants to find the perfect person for his perfect job.

Carpe diem…

1 Comment

  • Adam
    May 15, 2009

    Thanks for the quote!

    I’d take your advice one step further. I’d change my resume EVERY time I apply for a job. If you’re my age, you grew up thinking: I graduate from college, I write my resume once, I get my resume printed on fancy paper, I send it out, I get a job. But in the digital age, you can hone in on making yourself appear as relevant to your prospective employer as possible. Why wouldn’t you?

    Adam

Post a Comment