Be Prepared – not just for the Boy Scouts

Growing up in a Scouting family, I learned the Boy Scout motto, “Be Prepared” pretty early. I was never a Girl Scout but in high school, I joined an Explorer Post, the coed division of the Boy Scouts. My Explorer Post was a Community Service post and that experience literally changed my life. But that’s a blog post for another day.

Are you a procrastinator with your career marketing?

As humans, we are pretty good at procrastinating, putting things off until the latest possible moment. As a professional resume writer, I field calls every week from someone who needs to have a resume and wants it very quickly. Sometimes, I can help them.

When you need a resume fast

This week someone called. I would have loved to work with him, he sounded like the perfect client. He was an articulate senior executive, friendly, and well-versed in technology. He called me at 4pm and needed a new resume by the next day for an internal position. He had a 7 page resume that he needed pared down to about 3 pages.

Whatever was in his old document was probably not the crystal clear accomplishments and quantified results I use to create a value-infused resume. My interactive resume interview sessions (in-person or via video technology allow me to write as we talk. In addition, I schedule 90 minute or 60 minute appointments because beyond that we are counterproductive. There was just no way I could cram an executive level writing and discovery project into 24 hours.

Too little time to do it right

Reluctantly, I told him that I could not do justice to his project in that short of time. I encouraged him to contact me again and schedule time to do it right. I suggested he give this person a revised version of the 7 page using tips I provided over the phone, explain he was in the process of working on it, and would get an updated version within the week.

Will he call me back to write his resume? I don’t know. But at least he made the call. There are people who never even make the call to a professional resume writer. This person met me two years earlier at a Chamber meeting. He remembered my expertise when he had a need. Unfortunately, this happens all too often. He was busy with his work, with his life, and didn’t think of me again until the urgency was there.

Marketing YOU is what I do

If you are reading this and thinking, this is me! Maybe you should call to get your project started? Internal or external, you should always present yourself in the best light. You don’t want to be the one they wanted until they saw how little preparation you put into the resume and career marketing materials.

Figure out your value and accomplishments

You want to make sure you figure out your value and accomplishments in advance of an interview request. One experienced physician hired me because her network connection looked at her CV and told her she didn’t have the experience needed for the position she wanted. She said, “Sure, I do,” and listed five or 6 points supporting the position. The connection said, “but it’s not in your CV.” Sadly, many people don’t get this helpful feedback. They send an old resume because they don’t want to invest. They don’t realize the value of using a professional resume writer and career marketer. They also don’t think about it until the last-minute. Often, sadly, they don’t get the job.

You may think that you are so exceptional that people understand your value intuitively but never count on it.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net