Are you a Ferrari?
Then why do you look like a Ford?
Most resume writers are not executives and have no idea how executive resumes are read, used and created unless they have hired executives or worked directly with people who do. So how can they craft the right resume for an executive or technology leader? They can’t.Their services are best used by individual contributors and those young in their career. Executives need to learn to craft their own resumes or use a career or job search coach to learn.
Some of the worst resumes I have seen came by way of outplacement services. They use a template for one-size-fits-none and include puff words like, ‘self-starter,’ ‘accomplished’ and ‘responsible for’ without including proof or outcomes. A fatal flaw in an exec’s CV. And without an objective that tells the reader exactly what you want to do for them, they are forced to figure it out. And they won’t.
You don’t know what you don’t know…which is why vetting the resume writer is critical…and check those references. Make sure you talk to people who do what you do as references. Learn to craft your own resume based on each new job opportunity/job description. Pull out those things from your background in which you excel and the employer claims are a priority. Don’t leave such an important job search asset to someone who has no experience hiring or vetting candidates.
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And how to avoid them.
You know it is true and your frustration is apparent. If you say it out loud, you make it true.
- Job Market is very bad.
- There aren’t a lot of jobs out there at my level.
- I have been looking for quite some time with little results.
- It’s hard to get interviews. I am relieved to have this one.
No one wants to hire a loser. If you make comments like these, that’s exactly how you sound. The folks interviewing you may be friendly, but they are not your friends. Do not confide your frustration. When they ask about how your job search is going, and they may, say instead:
- I am delighted and surprised to see how willing people are to help.
- I am meeting many new people and find networking invigorating.
- There are openings, all those products still need to get created, marketed and sold.
- I like that companies are being very careful in who they hire. It makes good business sense.
People hire positive, high-energy executives. Come across carrying a cup half full. Discuss challenges and solutions, not problems. And most assuredly, ask for the job.
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And you never see them coming. They have popular web sites and products and are freely quoted all over the internet. But if you check their credentials, their only exposure to the employment world is their current hawking of their wares or former extended job searches.
And the worst of it is, they give bad advice. They are the ersatz employment advisers who wield the power of high traffic web sites and general visibility. They use webinars, seminars and CDs to pluck the job seeker’s cash from ever-thinning wallets.
They cast gill nets to trap your resume then sell the information or make their quotas. They don’t get back to you and you lose hope. They seduce you into discussing a bogus job then get the names of your colleagues whom they subsequently recruit using your name as entree.
And when right-minded people speak out against them, alert the prey the predator is lurking, we are castigated; our posts deleted or whole web sites created to malign the truth sayers.
Caveat emptor. You must protect yourself. Vet every bit of advice and be skeptical of anyone who charges for any job search related product. Check references. If they aren’t available, run away. If the references are not people who share your issues or needs, run away.
Check back here periodically as I reveal the many techniques the employment carpet baggers use to take your money or your confidence.
