Career Movers Series: What Is a resume?

When coaching job seekers I will often meet resistance when I direct them toward abandoning their traditional resume for a more persuasive, assertive resume. I have always used the following to explain why I want the changes. A traditional resume often looks like a recipe explaining how to make a "you". Instead, I want a resume to explain why the employer should "buy" you. Because when an employer chooses a candidate over another candidate they are declaring that they are going to invest their time and money in to you and your role with their company. That is an investment or, in more crass terms, a purchase.

A resume needs to explain why someone should make that investment. Recently I came across another way to explain the difference. If you just list what you have done in the past, you are listing your "features". If you explain the impact you have had or provide attention-getting adjectives with your experience, you are listing your "benefits". Anyone can have administrative experience. Not everyone has "provided impactful administrative leadership that streamlined processes and reduced errors resulting in savings for the company". Many people have produced results. Not everyone can write, "Leader in project management with ability to manage voluminous document production within tight deadlines."

Take the time to transition your resume from a recipe to a benefit overview so you can catch the eye of a potential employer.