Helping You to Manage Your Career to Get and Keep the Job You Want and Helping Recruiters to Be More Effective

Thursday, August 18, 2016

It's (NOT) All About Me!



This article was originally published on the author's LinkedIn profile

Okay, here is another quick chapter in the ongoing saga of resume faux pas that I see as people apply for PM roles with me.

Today, I got one that I hadn't ever seen before. Which is really pretty amazing to me considering how many resumes I have seen over the years.

What was this noteworthy mistake?

Under "Key Achievements" which an applicant listed he noted "Developed technical expertise" and "Developed a background understanding..."

I don't know about you, but I admit freely that unless an engagement show signs that it will help me develop or grow in some way, I am not overly eager to take it on. So what I learn in and engagement is important. To me.

A prospective employer doesn't care a whit about what I learned in a past engagement. What they do want to know is what I did that benefited my past employers.

If your resume reflects a WIIFM (What's in it for me?) attitude, chances are good that, like this guy's, your resume will end up in the trash instead of doing what it should do: getting you an interview.

The dance between job seeker and prospective employer is one where both side tries to present their best face and make themselves as attractive to their dance partner as possible.

Don't step on your own foot by crowing about how you benefited from a past dance partner. Instead, show them how you applied your knowledge to get results for others which you can also do for them.

Tom Sheppard has been giving practical help to job seekers since 1993. You can find his latest book at TipsForEffectiveJobSearches.com





(C) Copyright 2016 Thomas K Sheppard and A+ Results, LLC. All rights reserved.

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