Don't start your job search with a second class resume!

I can’t tell you how many of my clients send me their original resume that is woefully inadequate and doesn’t come close to showcasing the value they bring the employer. They tell me how they are struggling to get interviews much less offers.

When you sell yourself short, you don’t get results!

Let’s show you some examples. A recent client had this statement in his resume which was targeting Director of Operations positions:

Developed business plan and farm budgets, managed all aspects of the coffee farm and nursery.

Here’s how that changed when I worked with him to undercover his actual accomplishments:

Designed business plan for a farm with no operational plan, set up basic plan to transition a neglected farm into a fully functional and more productive coffee farm.

and

Recruited to manage 135 acres of coffee and nursery for one of Kona’s largest producers: 120 acres of coffee at 2000-3200 feet elevation, which produced more than 300,000 pounds annually and the development of a second 15 acre organic farm. Coffee from both farms won various awards, including first place multiple times.

Created structured budget encompassing long-term projects as well as day-to-day operations and generated forecasting reports to improve overall management.

Hopefully you can see the difference. He didn’t change and we didn’t make up content. These were his true skills all along but through discovery and discussion, I changed his content. There’s much more in the actual resume but you get the idea.

When you think you can get by with a non-descriptive document that looks like the same template most of the applicants supplied, you are the one who loses. Whether a professional resume writer like me writes your resume or you do it yourself, don’t just put blah, boring stuff that looks like everyone else who applies. Do your homework and come up with the accomplishments that are there all along.

I worked with an underwriter last week too and initially she was hesitant. She didn’t think she had any value. But by the time we were finishing, she had come up with many, many stories that proved her value to me and would to any hiring manager. Don’t settle for boring!

Stuck in your job search or just ready to move on or up from your existing position? Julie Walraven, a Wausau, Wisconsin-based professional resume writer and career marketing strategist, can help you get ready for your next role! To find out how, Click here!

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4 Comments

Linda on March 11, 2012 at 12:52 am

Thank you Julie, for saying what I’ve long suspected!
Acting on the advice of a local employment agency I paired back my CV to the bare minimum, having been told that employers weren’t interested in reading much detail. Since then I’ve barely made the short-list, let alone got through interview.My gut feeling was that the minimalist approach couldn’t and wouldn’t sell me in a highly competitive field. I’m going back to my bulk!

Julie Walraven on March 13, 2012 at 5:20 am

This comment is critical: “My gut feeling was that the minimalist approach couldn’t and wouldn’t sell me in a highly competitive field.”

While I don’t suggest a lengthy resume or CV either filled with filler… if you have created 2-3 pages of value-driven accomplishments, you bring what the employer needs to know to make decisions. Thanks for stopping by and nice to see your face!

Val on September 8, 2012 at 12:50 am

How do you make your accomplishments stand out if you haven’t accomplished anything??

Julie Walraven on September 8, 2012 at 7:02 am

Sounds like you need a job search and career management coach. Most people have accomplishments, they just don’t see them in that light. When I work with a client, I ask them many questions including the CAR formula. What challenges have you faced, what action did you take, what was the result?

When you stop looking for earth-shaking accomplishments, you will find your own. We don’t all move mountains, but we all make a difference if we try.

Linda on March 11, 2012 at 12:52 am

Thank you Julie, for saying what I’ve long suspected!
Acting on the advice of a local employment agency I paired back my CV to the bare minimum, having been told that employers weren’t interested in reading much detail. Since then I’ve barely made the short-list, let alone got through interview.My gut feeling was that the minimalist approach couldn’t and wouldn’t sell me in a highly competitive field. I’m going back to my bulk!
- Julie Walraven on March 13, 2012 at 5:20 am
  
  This comment is critical: “My gut feeling was that the minimalist approach couldn’t and wouldn’t sell me in a highly competitive field.”
  
  While I don’t suggest a lengthy resume or CV either filled with filler… if you have created 2-3 pages of value-driven accomplishments, you bring what the employer needs to know to make decisions. Thanks for stopping by and nice to see your face!
Val on September 8, 2012 at 12:50 am

How do you make your accomplishments stand out if you haven’t accomplished anything??
- Julie Walraven on September 8, 2012 at 7:02 am
  
  Sounds like you need a job search and career management coach. Most people have accomplishments, they just don’t see them in that light. When I work with a client, I ask them many questions including the CAR formula. What challenges have you faced, what action did you take, what was the result?
  
  When you stop looking for earth-shaking accomplishments, you will find your own. We don’t all move mountains, but we all make a difference if we try.