The Dreaded Resumé Shuffle

Applying for jobs?  Get seen, and make it count when you do.....

On one of my previous blogs I shared about the inner-workings of Corporate Recruiting, and how candidates can "get noticed".  And getting noticed is definitely the first step.

However, once they notice you, make sure that you have a resumé that is memorable in the good way, NOT the wrong way.

As you know if you've read my blogs, one of my previous roles was as a security/protection hiring manager for a billion dollar company.  I've literally reviewed hundreds of resumés, and frankly, a lot of them were terrible. Which is a shame because the people they represented could have been awesome. But the document they sent in to convince me to hire them did not do them justice. And at that stage in the process (faced with a stack of resumes to review), that's all I had to go on.

Ironically, many of the resumés that landed on my desk or in my email box were referrals from people I know and respect in the industry, not from a candidate themselves.

These people were good examples of ALREADY having their foot in the door. The luxury of getting a reference to forward your resumé along is a HUGE benefit, and can possibly give you the best leg-up you will ever get.

However, if your resumé or CV does not actually match the glowing reference this person is giving you, it reflects poorly on YOU the candidate, as well as the person doing the referring! Not cool.

There are occasions where a candidate has such a good reference from one of my trusted connections, that I go ahead and make a phone-call to have an initial conversation prior to even reading their resumé.  I actually like this tactic, as I can then determine if their "phone screening" matches what their resumés say.

Many of them, even those with the best references have one thing in common; their resumés do not make me want to meet them. They are either out of date or poorly written,  or simply do not match their phone screen at all.

Think of it this way: It's like wanting to date the perfect girl who your friend ALREADY knows.  Your buddy sends her one photo of YOU, and you hope that she falls in love.  But, the photo you send "sucks" or does not even look like you.  So your buddy, says, "Dude" put some cool clothes on and fix your hair, and re-send her a better picture,  because I have told her you are a terrific guy, and she needs to see what you 'really look like'.

The same is true of your resumé as a means of 'courting' a new employer. Your resumé should be the 'best you' that you can possibly show them.

But, as I'm sure you can all appreciate, it's tough to tell people in an industry of predominantly male "Type A" personalities, that they need to fix something, especially something so personal. Of course, many of them already believe they are "perfect" in every way.   But, I'm here to give you guys some tough love, and help you see your resumé the way a recruiter does. Not the way you see it.

THE most common issue I see with resumés in the protection field relates to the fact that they do not do justice to the candidate, they do not adequately showcase the person applying for the job.

Building a good resumé is all about telling your story in a way that even the HR guy in a cubicle, hiring software developer positions alongside his company's  security roles will be able to read, relate to and see your value. You always have to consider your potential audience, and tell your story in a way that anyone can 'get'.

Get an industry professional to review your resumé.  Someone who does not know this industry is not the best person to advise you about improving your resumé. An outside career coach might help you find a slick template or format your resumé, but they can't help you position yourself as a candidate without knowing what executive protection hiring managers are actually looking for. Finding mentors in this business can be tough, but so very worth it. Our field is finicky, and there are indeed buzz words and protocol that can help you or hurt you in your job hunt. Get industry feedback, and be open to receiving it.

So get yourself noticed, and be sure your resumé reflects you, and your experience.   Oh, and be sure to thank your buddy or friend if he or she helps you get your "foot in the door".   A sincere thank you or an appreciation will go a long way.

At OPStructure, we want EVERYONE's resumé to look great. We believe that all boats should rise with the high tide, and that ultimately we all benefit from a high level of professionalism and shared expertise.  Not everyone has an inside connection to this industry, but find a company or mentor like OPStructure who can be YOUR inside connection.

I will be posting additional resources to help guide you through developing a solid resumé. And in the meantime, if you want me to work with you personally on this, just reach out to me at: [email protected] or visit our website OPStructure.com.