You Are Not Your Resume

This discussion we have been having around the padding of the resume, essentially the direct misrepresentation of skills so that someone will interview or offer you the position has gotten me moved toward the more front end of the process. I find in the technical profession, that people bend the truth, since without it most managers cannot see past the direct links of keywords in their jobs and the resume application. So they “pad” to make themselves more attractive and get to the next step. So how do we avoid this?

First and foremost, remember one simple truth - a piece of paper can never define who you are. Who you are resonates beyond paper and ink. The key is the expression of that character and most people limit themselves to a simple resume to get that point across. Stop limiting yourself. Playing conventionally will not improve your position of being successful, it only heaps you into the pile of nameless paper, making you as unrecognizable as the next. Do we really think that better words on that resume are going to make the difference. The first thing we need to do is get the person to pick up the resume. A few ideas for how to make that happen:

Send the resume in a special format. I have found for the most important things (and I think job searching for a career is one of them), sending things via FEDEX is a key way to ensure that the person will open it. Time, money and effort are all shown with this and reflect a level of distinction few others are showing. (This has been reflective in our firms billing system for example. We use to email invoices to hiring managers. Payments were delayed, etc. We switched to sending FEDEX, bills are paid on time and normally ahead of terms. We have not no missed or skipped invoices either. People know when they receive the package, they need to open it and read it).
Make sure when they have it in hand, that the read it and not just put it down. Customization. Yes, this takes time but is the only way for the manager not to think that he is one of a million recipients of the same message. Know the role, know the hiring manager’s name, know intimate details about the company and have an opening statement that shows you are an insider who is up to speed on what is going on there.
Make an impact quickly. People waste about a quarter of the first page with their name/address/summary that offers little to the reader. Make the first thing they see a good reason for them to continue reading. You have hooked them with steps 1 & 2, do not lose them with a resume that is boring. Impact statements, signs of concrete substance and positive environmental impact at your old positions. Savings - hard numbers. Facts. Make the most out of the little space you have on that little white piece of paper.
These are just some of the steps in making your job search process easier. However, I think it draws to the fact that when the process is done right, there is no need to lie. If you need to lie in addition to all of this, that position is simply not for you.

By: Jason Monastra

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Jason Monastra is a 10 year veteran in the recruiting industry and current partner with United Global Technologies, www.ugtechnologies.com, a leading recruiting and consulting firm serving the IT and engineering vertical based out of Charlotte NC. Jason Monastra maintains a major career advice and job search blog at www.lambentpath.com, making it easy to access key informational points to better help navigate your search for your next position.