Be A Story Teller!
For purposes of this article you can use the terms Linkedin Profile and Resume interchangeably as most of the time they’re virtually the same.
Resumes are funny things. On one hand they’re nothing more than a generalized overview of someone’s work history (or herstory); on the other they’re an important first look into the details of a career that can be insightful and engaging for hiring managers and recruiters.
Many of us spend hours curating our social media images- Facebook and Instagram profiles reflect idealized, carefully constructed views into to make believe lives so exciting, so fulfilling and beautiful that the rest of us mere mortals are envious, right? Downright jealous. But, is everyone really travelling the globe, eating exotic meals on the sidewalks of Italy, mountain climbing, having cocktails in the finest nightclubs etc.? Nope, not really. But we’re made to believe by the carefully curated photos, stories, dress, backdrops with every item carefully staged just so, lit perfectly and designed to tell a story of a lifestyle that though ambitious, probably isn’t true.
Now how’s this tie into a resume? Am I suggesting you tell a story that isn’t true? No, of course not. I am though suggesting that you can craft, curate if you will a resume that draws the reader in. engages them, makes them want to know you, interview you- hire you!
Resumes need to tell a story of who the candidate is; what they’ve done at each job, jobs need to be woven together with some sort of common or logical thread. That thread should provide a plausible path from one job to the next, each one showing advancement from the previous position. Each job should feature solid examples of successes the candidate created – numbers, percentages, units, scores, rankings etc. Now’s the time to do the “humble brag” thing we used to do on social media (now it’s all just stand up on a chair and scream “look at how great I am”- yes, I know, I’m cynical).
Your resume/Linkedin story has to be captivating right from the top - don’t bury the lead in the details halfway down the page- most recruiters will move on before getting there. Use action words, short phrases, bullet points and specific examples of your work that engage the reader and pull them to continue reading. I look at hundreds of profiles and resumes a day, everyday. I probably scan each one in 5-10 seconds to get a sense of the candidate; if I like what I see I go back and re-read it for another moment or two, deciding quickly to either save it or move on- it’s the only way a recruiter can look at hundreds or thousands of profiles efficiently.
When I see words like “managed, oversaw, executed, developed, implemented, advised, reviewed, rolled out, retained, etc.” I often think “I want to find the person ABOVE this candidate in the organization; the one whose resume must have action words like “Created, Executed, Drove, Delivered, Led, Exceeded, Won, Exploded, Shattered etc.”
These words slow me down, they tell a different story, they tell me the candidate is action oriented, is comfortable saying so and probably can back up their results when I screen them or they get in front of an interviewer. The difference is dramatic. Though the first candidate may have the right skills and experience their choice of words doesn’t suggest it nor resonate with the reader. It’s boring stuff suggesting someone who implements someone else’s plans. Most hiring managers want to hire that other someone- the person creating and driving the plans and results.
Once you fine tune your resume to reflect a logical career path with clear examples of growth, promotion and success make sure you then do the same for your Linkedin profile. Be certain jobs, titles, dates, details all line up with your resume- they need to be consistent with each other. Update your photo- it should be a headshot of you in what would be appropriate business attire against a simple background. No edited photos from the last wedding you attended, no pictures of you in sunglasses or with a hat on backwards, no pouting selfies from the bathroom at the gym etc.
For better or worse your profile and resume are your initial calling card to recruiters and employers. Take the time to curate them like you curate your Instagram account; the resume will undoubtedly generate more income for you than Instagram will.
Tell your story !