Does Your Resume Have Game? By Butch Hawking

As a United States Air Force Academy graduate and former Division I Assistant Basketball Coach at the Air Force Academy, Cal State Northridge, and Kansas State, I’ve had the chance to work with and against some of the best coaches and leaders of teams in the country. I currently head up all Call Center Recruitment for Kaye Bassman International Corporation in Plano, Texas. My passion is coaching professionals, building companies and taking individual careers to the next level. Kaye Bassman International Corporation is the #1 executive search firm in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and among the top 10 retained executive search firms in all of North America.

Ever hear the old adage, "If you don’t sell yourself who will?" Having been a talent scout for the past 9 years, I am here to tell you that you have 20-30 seconds to sell yourself via your resume be it to Human Resources, the hiring manager, or a recruiter. Yep, that’s it! Does your resume read like a job description/consultant jargon or have you truly taken the necessary time and effort (an investment in your future) thus yielding a tremendous return on investment? Is it jam packed with powerful, results oriented information that best describe your well-rounded abilities and achievements? That’s a rhetorical question.

Today’s corporations (CEO’s and Hiring Managers) are looking to identify, attract, land, and retain the absolute best and brightest. Ask yourself this. Have you put your best foot forward on your resume? What are you doing to distance yourself from your peers? Suffice it to say that many hours of careful consideration and thought should go into the ultimate resume formulation. This is not a have to; it’s a want to! Otherwise, you may not "get in the door" and fall victim to the trap many of your contemporaries are facing today the "send out 500 resumes to get one interview scenario." Why not improve this ratio? Time is money you agree?

Let’s get to work! Let me share with you succinctly some key points to consider in giving your resume the firepower needed to get you in the starting line-up.

How many years of experience do you have in the industry?

Who do you report to? Title? Where do they lie in the chain of command?

How many direct reports/reps do you have under you? List titles + numbers.

Do you manage people (managers) and technology? If so, for how long?

Do you have multi-site responsibility? If so, list sites and and personnel.

P&L responsibility? Annual and Capital expense budget accountability? If so, how much? Do you have examples of not just cost cutting but how you’ve reallocated budget items to improve productivity/efficiency? Was there a positive percentage increase or decrease?

What pieces of cutting edge technology are you familiar with? Have you leveraged any to effect positive change?

Bottom line = get specific!!

"What have you done for me lately?" Have you "Showed your company the money?" Made them money? Saved them money?

Was there a percentage increase or decrease with any particular metrics? If so, be specific and in what time period did it occur (6 months for ex.)?

Where was that quantifiable metric/number before you took over … where is it now?

Did you pioneer/institute/implement any processes/procedures that were adopted company/nationwide?

What do you do best? Migrations? Start-ups? Shut-down/consolidation track record? Fix things? Are you into challenge?

Certifications you hold?

Continuous learning/education/seminars?

What have you done to help your people? Reward/Incentive programs? Those under you being promoted? Ahead of their peers? How many?

Intangibles/soft skills you bring to the table: persistence, dedication, conation? Are you visible/hands-on/active on the floor or do you sit in the ivory tower and manage email all day?

What are your 3 greatest accomplishments? What happened as a result? Quantify + qualify. Be honest and do not embellish.

Have 6 solid references: 2 former bosses (superiors), 2 peers, and 2 subordinates. A future employer may require more or less or ask that you provide them with clients (both internal and external) you’ve served.

These are but a few of the important issues to touch on. Ask yourself the question "So? What does it mean?" "What was the impact?" after each sentence/bullet point on your resume. KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) Theory applies = no one wants to read a book. Make your point and move on.

Most resumes read like job descriptions. Summarizing the KISS Theory your resume should consist of 3 key pieces:

What do you do? your duties and responsibilities How well do you do it? put your accomplishments here How is that going to benefit a client? what can you do for them?

When you do get the face to face interview, be ready! Have your scouting report done. Preparation is the key! In the words of legendary UCLA Basketball Coach John Wooden, "Failure to prepare is preparing to fail." Your new resume will speak volumes about who you are, what you stand for, and what you’ve accomplished!

Similar Posts:

• Why The Workplace Office Is Becoming Arbitrary
• Using LunchMeet to Advance Your Career
• Getting A Recommendation From A Past Employer
• Staying Motivated at a Dead-End Job
• Top 5 Employment Trends for 2012