Equipping You With Superior Resumes and Letters Pt. 2

The resume styles we will create for you

A universal resume. The most essential is a universal resume—a one-page document that will be your introductory resume. Most people mistakenly believe that they need to tell their whole story in their initial resume. The reality is that you get better results when your initial resume is interesting, with a feeling of action—but short. This resume must be suitable for key word scanning, have short paragraphs, and be compelling. It must be headlined by a job title listing (e.g., Director of Marketing) that an employer might have available. Remember, your resume is an ad... not an epitaph.

An “Internet (or electronic)” resume. This second resume needs to be a narrative... usually no more than two-thirds of one page. It is surprising how few devote any thought to the way their resumes appear at the receiving end of an email transmission. When you are online, less is more. All you want is a positive response.

A “quick-response” resume. This third resume makes it easy for you to respond quickly to emerging situations you read about. It positions the text on the right-hand side of the page so you can write handwritten notes and dispatch a resume without a cover letter. Clients consistently tell us that executives respond well to their notes, which cited events that were signals of emerging jobs.

For more information be sure to check out SET Personal Marketing's Twitter, follow SET Personal Marketing's Facebook, watch SET Personal Marketing's videos on YouTube or visit SET Personal Marketing's website.

Equipping You With Superior Resumes and Letters Pt. 1

To appreciate the importance of superior resumes, let’s first talk a little bit about the competition, and why it has devastated so many talented people. And keep in mind that when you look for a new job, you are reduced to how you look on paper.

Today, the number of resumes in circulation exceeds the imagination. GE receives 800,000 resumes a year... but they only hire about 4,000 people. That’s 1 out of every 200. Other well-known firms say they get over 1,000 resumes for every opening. And, when it comes to submitting your resume to an attractive ad... you should know that employers are now getting hundreds of candidates. Leading recruiters, like Korn Ferry and Heidrick and Struggles, now claim to receive more than 1,500 resumes a work day... 30,000 each month.

Despite the enormous competition, many people create a resume, show it to some friends or family members and then assume it’s fine. Ann Landers is famous for many quotes, but one applies here. “Don’t accept your dog’s admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.”

While many professionals still use traditional resumes, with this amount of competition, the fact is they don’t work very well anymore. The reason is that most of these resumes have common weaknesses that can restrict job hunting success.

Image. Your resume must start by projecting an outstanding image... one that sets you apart. It must be eye-catching... not ordinary, plain vanilla and flat.

Liabilities. Even top executives can find themselves continually derailed... because of the negative information they made available... without realizing it.

Transferable skills. Does it just sell your history and experience? Selling skills is an absolute necessity if you want to expand your market... change industries... join a growth firm... appeal to venture capitalists... or impress CEOs and other key decision makers.

How you will contribute. You can’t have a resume that forces the reader to try to figure out how to use you. If so, you won’t get many calls. Why? Because people simply won’t take the time to study resumes. They’ll put it in the “no pile”... or toss it. Your resume has just 20 seconds to make your case... and get people to read further... or better yet... call you. If it doesn’t do this, you won’t even get in the game.

Being scanning ready. Scanning software has forever changed the selection process. Most organizations only keep the best 5% of resumes they receive... and scan just the first page into their databases. When employers are looking for someone, they simply input key words... bring up matching resumes... and review them. That determines who gets interviewed.

Dynamic. In today’s market, you must inspire the reader... being boring doesn’t work. The words you select need to have some reasonable punch, substance and sparkle. Your resume needs to be interesting and compelling. There are a lot of excellent competitors out there... and the worst thing you can do is undersell yourself.

For more information be sure to check out SET Personal Marketing's Twitter, follow SET Personal Marketing's Facebook, watch SET Personal Marketing's videos on YouTube or visit SET Personal Marketing's website.

It's Important to Neutralize Your Liabilities

We will be recommending solutions for best neutralizing any liabilities that you possess. As part of our job hunting information system, you will be able to initially review solutions that we have developed and refined over the years for all common liabilities. We will ask you to review these. Once you have done that, we will custom fit those solutions to your personal situation.

Common liabilities

Few professionals devote enough thought to properly handling their liabilities... in their resumes and letters... and in their phone conversations and interviews. We’ve learned from experience that if you don’t anticipate all of your liabilities and develop strategies for neutralizing them, you will lose out on many good opportunities for which you are well qualified.

Unfortunately, many people are not even aware of their liabilities until it’s too late. The good news is that in the course of serving tens of thousands of clients, we have developed proven solutions for largely neutralizing almost any concern you may have, and they are very easy to put into action.

• Unemployed.
• Unemployed a while.
• Age could be a concern.
• Changed jobs too often.
• Too specialized.
• Too generalized.
• Too long with one firm.
• Too long in one industry.
• Lack a degree.
• Career may have peaked.
• Lack large firm experience.
• Firm has done poorly.
• Jobs are all similar.
• Lack career progression.
• History has gaps.
• Been passed over.
• References are doubtful.
• Haven’t been a leader.
• Been an entrepreneur.
• Short work history.
• Need to change careers.
• Just changed positions.
• Achievements are minor.
• Earnings have been low.
• Need confidentiality.
• Too high previous earnings.
• Job titles aren’t impressive.
• Lack line experience.
• Need much more income.
• Achievements not measurable.

For more information be sure to check out SET Personal Marketing's Twitter, follow SET Personal Marketing's Facebook, watch SET Personal Marketing's videos on YouTube or visit SET Personal Marketing's website.

Uncovering Your Best Industry Options Pt. 3

If you have no knowledge of an industry but have an interest in exploring situations, extra steps are recommended. As mentioned, the easiest way to acquire knowledge of a new industry, and gain credibility for it, is to read trade publications. They will bring you up to date on personnel changes, new products, information on companies, and challenges as seen by industry leaders.

Another way to acquire knowledge is to talk with executives already in the field. In some cases you can go further by getting more formal input, attending trade shows and the like. The most radical approach is to take a lower level job in an industry in order to acquire knowledge.

During the last decade we’ve witnessed declines in many industries. However, don’t overlook opportunities in troubled industries. Executives who have worked for firms under pressure often find they can be valuable to distributors or consulting firms. Those who learned tough lessons in competitive battles can function as veterans in any industry.

As you begin to consider industry options, you’ll also need to decide whether you should take a narrow view. This is essential if there are a lot of growth companies in the industries to which you relate best.

However, if you are part of an industry that is suffering a decline, then you will want to adopt a broad view of your options. The more you understand the dynamics of a market, the more you can spot potential opportunities.

Historically, executives tend to overrate the barriers and to underrate their own abilities to make contributions in new areas. It is, of course, up to you to take the initiative to learn something about new companies, new industries, and the problems and opportunities they face.

As you review potential industries of interest, remember that while glamorous high tech and service businesses receive 90% of the publicity today, many executives will find far more opportunities in industries that are considered low tech or non-glamorous by today’s standards.

For more information be sure to check out SET Personal Marketing's Twitter, follow SET Personal Marketing's Facebook, watch SET Personal Marketing's videos on YouTube or visit SET Personal Marketing's website.

Uncovering Your Best Industry Options Pt. 2

Despite our recent economic slowdown, new companies have sprung up throughout America. Established organizations are reexamining the way they do business. Medium-sized companies are expanding. New industries exist that are employing tens of thousands.

The more you appear to know about an industry, the easier it is to generate interviews. Virtually all employers look for “common ground” when hiring a new person. For example, do you have experience in or knowledge of similar product lines, distribution channels, manufacturing methods or problems in their industry? There can be other similarities. Consider the scope of operations, the role of advertising and promotion, the importance of the sales organization, the influence of labor, and other items.

Naturally, the harder it is to demonstrate knowledge of an industry, the less likely an executive is to make a move into it. That rule applies to all major disciplines: sales, marketing, finance, manufacturing and operations. It is less important in staff disciplines. Here are some examples of commonplace changes:

■ A marketing executive with a tobacco company joined a cosmetics firm. Why? Their methods of marketing are similar.

■ The EVP of a circuit board company was recruited to become president of a firm that makes power packs. Why? These industries have similarities in manufacturing and sales, even though the products are so different.

■ An executive of an aerospace company was recruited to become chairman of a small company that sells high tech services to defense contractors. Why? The key was the new chairman’s contacts and knowledge of the marketplace.

■ The controller of a component manufacturer was brought in as president of a company that produces plastic packaging. Why? The similarities have to do with cost control as the #1 challenge.

For more information be sure to check out SET Personal Marketing's Twitter, follow SET Personal Marketing's Facebook, watch SET Personal Marketing's videos on YouTube or visit SET Personal Marketing's website.

Uncovering Your Best Industry Options Pt. 1

We will want to help market you so that you are attractive to the widest range of employers. Experience has proven that people of all ages are moving into exciting new industries, and with less difficulty than in the past. If industry change is of interest to you, please review this brief discussion.

Transition to a new industry is easier than it used to be. Historically, people have overrated the barriers and underrated their abilities to move into new areas. The vast majority of all new jobs are created by small and mid-sized businesses. So, while major employers are still important, you may want to explore positions with startups or emerging companies.

If you choose the right industry, you will have more growth opportunities, perhaps meaningful stock options, an environment that is likely to be more positive, a chance for more regular pay increases and probably advancement.

Identifying new industry options

The first way to do this is to increase your awareness of the fastest growing industries and companies. These firms have to go outside their industry to find the best talent and skills.

The second way is to list characteristics of your industries... and find similar industries. We use software to compare your industry’s characteristics with 2,500 others... e.g., 35 industries may be an 85% match.

Keep in mind that projecting some form of an “industry hook” is the next best thing to having industry experience. Group your possibilities three ways: (1) close industry hooks, easy possibilities; (2) medium industry hooks, next best; (3) far reach or stretch industry hooks.

When changing industries, you also don’t want to overlook your leverage power... the added benefits you may bring by virtue of your contacts or knowledge. You may be able to bring a team with you that helped in similar situations.

For more information be sure to check out SET Personal Marketing's Twitter, follow SET Personal Marketing's Facebook, watch SET Personal Marketing's videos on YouTube or visit SET Personal Marketing's website.

SOAR Stories

Our SOAR “storytelling” process

■ Situation. Describe a job by outlining the situation when you began, making it interesting.

■ Opportunities. Then describe opportunities the job presented. For example, “When I joined the firm, sales had been declining for three years. I saw the opportunity to target new areas.”

■ Actions. Next, move to actions taken by you and others (the team). These actions are the most important part of the SOAR process, and a great place for the descriptive phrases.

■ Results. Then relate what results occurred. For the “R” in SOAR, try to quantify the results. For example, you cut costs by $100,000 or 20%. In administrative situations, you can measure results with statements like “I did it in half the time,” or “The system I developed was adopted throughout the company,” or “I won an award.” Indicate positive things you did to help your organizations. Describe how you helped your management meet their goals, and the results they achieved. Show how you demonstrated a skill or a personal quality.

Create stories that demonstrate benefits you can bring. If you successfully managed the integration of two teams following a merger, and the new business gained market share and/or costs were reduced—by all means say so. Wherever possible, quantify with dollar amounts, percent- ages, etc. Even an average SOAR story is better than none at all.

Examples of SOAR stories

■ Situation / Opportunity. When I joined MBC Sales, the company had lost nearly $7.5 million on a new product release. I recognized an opportunity to employ my Procter & Gamble experience in marketing.

■ Action. With the help of the Y & R agency, I relaunched the brand, created a new television advertising campaign, and refocused all marketing efforts.

■ Result.Withinayear,weturnedan$8millionlosstoa$4million gain—30% of the firm’s profits.

■ Situation / Opportunity. The company recruited 5,000 people a year but never had a training program.

■ Action. I created the firm’s first training course. With a staff of 20, we introduced it in 57 markets.

■ Result. The firm was able to bring in recruits who produced within four weeks. In the following year, sales by newcomers accounted for $3,000,000.

For more information be sure to check out SET Personal Marketing's Twitter, follow SET Personal Marketing's Facebook, watch SET Personal Marketing's videos on YouTube or visit SET Personal Marketing's website.