- October 23, 2014
- 1:30 pm
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Craft a Resume Blueprint? Never heard of it?
Now you have! So what exactly is a “resume blueprint”? Well, first, let me tell you a little more about my style of coaching. I’m a straight shooter. What does that mean? Well, it means that you need to first know what’s on your resume. In other words, countless employers give me feedback on how students left important projects or even recent jobs off their resume, but insisted on mentioning them. In some cases, they didn’t mention them, but should have, as they are relevant and would have helped distinguish them from their competitors. Chances are, they didn’t have a resume blueprint.
Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines “blueprint” as something that serves as a model or provides guidance; especially: a detailed plan or program of action <a blueprint for success>. In our case, that’s exactly what we are looking for, success! In this case, success equals a job offer. Thus, having a resume where you include notes in blue next to bullets, jobs, etc., that further describes the “what”, “how”, “when” and “why”, is a great way to prepare you to speak to your own resume. I call it the “resume blueprint”.
I like to review resumes face-to-face? Why you ask? The answer is simple. I want to ask you what specific job duties actually mean to you and not just interpret them on my own or incorrectly. It also helps me get a feel for your personality and soft skills, so that helps me with coaching you on the right angle to take in a summary or target statement. 7 out of 10 times when I see a resume, it’s not discipline, major, or industry specific. The candidates definitely need a new template. If the template is outdated, it will be that much harder to get noticed if it’s too basic and unattractive. For example, upon initial glance, I may see that there is no summary or professional skills highlighted (transferable skills or core competencies). This obliges me to read each job title and each job duty and then summarize in my mind for the candidate, what they are truly looking for and all about.
I always aim to offer an honest and straightforward assessment. It’s important to take a step back and see how the career-seeker is marketing themselves or elevating their career profile/brand on paper. I was once asked to demonstrate I was a visionary. I created a video resume. I wanted to prove to the hiring manager I wasn’t all talk and could walk the talk. You have all heard of resume gaps. But the gaps I’m speaking about don’t have to do with employment or transition periods. It has to do with having concrete examples of what’s listed on your resume and aligning them with the qualifications of the position you applied for. You can’t list everything on your resume, that’s why you highlight bullets. But it’s important to be able to speak to them in detail as they relate to the position you are applying to. For example, how many times have you gotten the question: “How has your current position prepared you, or give us an example of how your current role relates to the position you have applied to?” Without a blueprint resume, you could be setting yourself for failure.
Having worked with many candidates at various stages in their career, I’ve witnessed a lack of preparation or understanding when it comes to an individual’s resume. Talk about a red flag. We can’t assume that we are projecting a crystal clear view of our employment history and details to the employer. In other words, we must be prepared to describe our career trajectories. Not only that, but we always want to “take it up a notch” or show the employer something new that will keep a lasting impression in their mind. We have a lot to offer an employer, but it may not always be apparent on the resume.
We’ve all been told that looks don’t matter as much as substance. However, when it comes to resumes, that’s not necessarily true. The aesthetics do matter and the appearance must be polished. Content is equally important. Imagine looking at a resume and seeing the statement: “Driving growth through leadership, innovation and value”. What would that tell an employer? The answer? It would most likely make a positive impact and give them an idea of that individual’s work philosophy is. Why should they hire him/her and nobody else?
Remember that your resume is your marketing tool. Like a cover letter, it’s the first impression a potential employer has of you. Thus, every resume needs a blueprint that can be an initial plan of how to build the resume. Then, it can be retained for reference purposes. Imagine you have a phone screen interview and you have the ability to put your blueprint resume right in front of you during the call? If you are asked about any aspect of the resume, you can give sound examples that are relevant. I have personally witnessed this and I could actually hear the nodding on the other line as I answered their questions. It was very reassuring.
When coaching students on resumes, I always try to picture myself as the hiring manager or a panelist on the search committee. They are looking for someone that will not only fit the position, but who will fit their team culture — like a glove. I attempt to identify 4-5 bullets that summarize their key attributes and accomplishments. If I can’t do this readily, I consider it an “uneasy read”. The “uneasy reads” usually get thrown in the shredder. The resume should speak to me, but recruiters argue that it’s usually a “difficult read” or that it’s hard to read. With a summary or transferable skills highlighted at the top, it will be that much easier to extract the key points out of it, which is what the hiring manager is ultimately looking for.
Nowadays, newer resume templates are adding a section called “Target” at the top, above the summary, in an effort to make it clear as to what industry they are targeting. For example, you might see something like the attached blueprint resume example. At first glance, what industry or career is the candidate targeting? It could be business development or even a project manager. Without the target statement, it would not come across easily.
Unfortunately, we many times list task-based job duties and don’t highlight our achievements. In a blueprint resume, you would include notes surrounding the bullets that would describe what you achieved. For example, did you impact the culture? One of the best pieces of advice I received on resumes was that a great resume helps the hiring executive “envision” you delivering similar achievements at his or her company. This helps them say, “he/she would be a great fit”.
Another important aspect to resume blueprints is to indicate how you made a difference. For example, if you are asked to describe a project you have listed on your resume more specifically, you can include an example of how you progressed from start to finish (including the outcomes). This can be illustrated in parenthesis in blue ink next to the column on your resume and used during the interview as a quick reference.
At the end of the day, this is all reinforcement. So let me leave you with the message that the better you are at embedding what you achieved vs. what you did on your resume, the less you will have to reinforce. You deserve to be noticed, but you need to earn that attention by putting in a lot of time creating and crafting your career blueprint. Ask yourself questions before the employer does. Where are you now and where are you going? Does your cover letter nail that first impression? Is your resume your ticket to an interview?
One last note on the resume blueprint. Many employers, including my former employer, use automated tracking systems to evaluate and screen incoming resumes. Essentially, they are “processed” by one of these systems and if you don’t have the right key words, you won’t make it into the hiring bucket. Thus, a resume must be built with the right structure, keywords, and format. This is known as keyword optimization. Unfortunately, most job-seekers are not well-versed in this technique.
My former career coach told me to think of my cover letter as the key that opens a recruiter’s gates. That having been said, even a cover letter needs a blueprint or an outline. It’s like writing a statement of purpose. You have to first decide what is the goal of the essay? If it doesn’t end up aligning itself with your objective, it will actually eliminate a candidate from any further consideration. A carefully crafted blueprint resume, complemented by a customized cover letter, will separate the good from the great in the crowd. It’s not only the best way to make a memorable appeal, but also serves as your cheat sheet that personally links you to the job and positions you for success there.