We had a senior sales executive come in needing a résumé in a rush. He had a networking meeting with the CEO of a growth-oriented IT company, and was asked to bring in a copy of his résumé. Figuring he could save time and money, he enlisted in one of those much-advertised “build a résumé in minutes” online services, and was thoroughly frustrated with the results. The “finished” product was unremarkable in style, and worse, completely failed to capture who he was and what he brought to the table as the potential leader of a national sales division.

The reason for his frustration is similar to my own recent experience trying to build a new website using off-the-shelf templates. I quickly found the designs to be irritatingly constraining, and wasted endless hours fiddling with the “customization features.” Not only did this take away precious time from creating content, but any content that I did create had to be squeezed into prescribed structures and a menu of variations on a standard cookie cutter theme. I found myself editing and adjusting my text to fit the format, rather than having the content drive the design.

The problem with résumé templates is parallel. You start with a list of headings, and try to develop content to fit each category. You are constrained by simplistic rules of reverse chronological and functional layouts, and it is all too easy to get caught up tweaking the format rather than ensuring that the content is exactly right. Some online services even offer “handy” pre-written text, so that no personal creativity is required at all. At the end of the day, you get something that is undistinguishable from hundreds of thousands of other résumés.

A strategically written résumé is approached as a marketing document, a key tool in your job search arsenal. It needs to present your unique value proposition – the strengths, qualifications, professional attributes and successes that make you “one of a kind.” A strategically written résumé doesn’t used canned text, and is not constrained by time-worn formatting conventions. Every word, every phrase, and every structure is selected with the end reader in mind.

Successful companies know that poor marketing can be the death knell of an otherwise perfectly good product, and would never think of using a canned marketing package to create unique brand presence. Instead, they  invest a great deal of time in understanding their target markets, and create marketing strategies and key messages that align their products with customer needs. It is only once this groundwork is done that the design of the marketing collateral begins.

Similarly, nobody who is serious about landing the right job should start with the résumé format. Instead, take the time to research your target industry and employers. Make the effort to define your unique value proposition, so that you can present a compelling and accurate story of who you are and what you have to offer a potential employer. Only once you have the “story” right, begin to work on layout.

Not sure you have the time or writing talents to do the job right? Then consider doing what successful companies do – invest in the services of a qualified professional who has the insights and expertise needed to distinguish you from the crowd.

Image taken on 2009-01-25 03:25:34. Image Source. (Used with permission)