Resumes: Don't go it alone!

As a hiring manager for several departments of a high-profile national non-profit agency, I have seen many, many resumes. All kinds of resumes poured into our office from all kinds of candidates. Our Human Resources department screened out the most ludicrous, but they knew that my requirements could be a little counter-intuitive for some positions, so anyone barely competent-looking was sent my way. And let me tell you, the spectrum was impressive--these ranged from glossy packages complete with Glamour Shots at the top (if you were wondering, not the best use of your page space when applying for an internal position at a non-profit agency) to Word documents with uneven margins and grammatical errors. There were days when I felt like hiring the first person able to actually put together a streamlined, error-free document, regardless of previous experience, education, or any of the other qualifications we all work so hard to gain!

Employers today are overloaded with incoming resumes for open positions. In the old days, you had to put some effort into applying for a knowledge-based position (as opposed to one in the service industries, where you'd typically fill out an application form in person). Not anymore! With job sites like Monster and CareerBuilder, anyone can upload a resume and cover letter in a matter of minutes, ensuring that hundreds of documents with varying levels of readability pour in from every side. On one hand, that's actually good news for the reasonably skilled resume builder; remember my delight as a manager at seeing any fairly well-written resume? Chances are, your document will at least score a read-through if it looks professional.

But there's another aspect of resume writing that goes beyond proofreading, even though proofreading alone is difficult enough to make enlisting outside help valuable for 9 out of 10 applicants. Having a resume that nets a call back comes down to careful research, and a certain amount of PR work. You have to know what the employer is looking for, and explain why you're the best person to fulfill their needs. And while the principle itself is basic enough, the plain fact is that most job seekers don't really know how to do this. It's a bit like a scavenger hunt: in job postings, there are hidden clues and prompts letting you know what kind of phrases, experience, skills and overall tone an employer is hoping you'll present them with. Identifying all of the clues is just half the battle. Once you've done that, you have to be able to look at the job seekers' experience, education, awards, volunteer work, etc., and present all of this information in such a way as to answer as many clues as you can (hopefully all of them, but in many cases not), leading with the points most important to the employer. Some clues will be less vital. Others will be dealbreakers, and if you want to get your foot in the door you must answer these big prompts using every bit of proven ability you've got.

And folks, that ain't always easy. We all have our own opinions of our abilities, our skill set. We are impressed by some things we do, dissatisfied with other aspects of our work persona. These perceptions aren't always accurate. And that's where a resume coach comes in. An experienced coach doesn't just know how the resume should look (what kind of formatting is best? does it really have to be just one page?), they know how to arrange everything to make you stand out among the dozens of other applicants. This lets you score that all-important in-person interview. After that, of course, you're on your own (more or less--coaches will also often offer interview training sessions as well).

If a professional just isn't in the cards for you - and most will charge at least $50 or so to get your materials together - it's nevertheless a good idea to have someone you trust at least read through your documents before sending them off. Ideally, this should be someone who knows your abilities fairly well, and can tell you where you need to toot your own horn a bit louder, or where your attempts to do so may just sound like unfounding bragging (sorry to say, that's always glaringly apparent to a prospective employer, and most won't take it well). Every little bit helps! Remember, steel sharpens steel; even if you don't like what they have to say, at least explaining why you don't like it will clarify your understanding and purpose, and make the end result that much better.

Why editors HATE spell check.

I know we've all seen this poem before, but it always makes me smile:

Eye halve a spelling chequer
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.

Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh.

As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its rare lea ever wrong.

Eye have run this poem threw it
I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect awl the weigh
My chequer tolled me sew.

Grammar and spelling have always been the line of demarcation between educated (and, therefore, reliable) information and uneducated (and, therefore, untrustworthy) information. I know it's hard to believe in this age of LOLspeak, texting, and casual plainspeaking, but in some ways it's even more important now than ever before! Information is so overwhelmingly and readily available, and sharing that information across hundreds or even thousands of miles takes no more than the click of a mouse. It seems overly simple to say "Check your spelling and watch your grammar," but anyone in a human resources or publication submissions office will tell you that this common sense approach is anything but common. Mind your p's and q's!

(And, if your project is truly important, don't hesitate to ask for help from your friendly neighborhood editor for hire!)

When you CARE enough to say the very best...

I find that a lot of folks who struggle with effective written communication (or prepared verbal presentations) do so because it's so easy to become bogged down with all the things that possibly could be said about their subject, rather than picking out one or two key concepts to get across in the best way possible. These are the communicators you're likely to feel "love the sound of their own voice." If you find yourself falling into this habit, you may find it useful to remember to always take CARE when communicating a specific concept or request--including a request for business.

Effective communication is...

Concise. Don't use two words where one will do. Brevity isn't just the soul of wit, it's the key to keeping peoples' attention long enough to say all you need to say.

Articulate. Really look at the tone and connotation of the words you elect to use. Are they the very best tools for your job? Have they been used too many times already; do they need a subtle re-write to increase impact?

Responsive to potential listener concerns. Now this one's tricky, because you don't want to put negative ideas into someone's head as they read. Rather, you should identify the objections you feel people may have to what you're saying, and address their causes--without stating them directly.

Empathetic. Speak from your heart to your audience's heart, even on a business proposal. We're all humans here, and without that acknowledgement of our humanity, your words won't compel. You'll be one more voice in the millions we're bombarded with during this electronic age.

So there you have it. Give it a whirl, see if this little acronym helps you out. And, as always, feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions.

Welcome!

Thanks for stopping by! Please join me in celebrating the launch of this new blog, which is going out just ahead of the formation of my new consulting business, Constant Clarity. In the upcoming days and weeks, I'll be using this space as a sort of sampling plate for the techniques and skills my clients learn in our coaching sessions, as well as thoughts I have picked up along the way in my writing and editing work. Hopefully you'll pick up some helpful hints for your own future communications, whether that involves your boss (or the boss you'd like to have!), your employees, your clients, the community at large, or your family and friends. Hang onto your hat and here we go!

The first concept I'd like to put out into the ether is very simple. Communication determines, in so many ways, our life experience. Stop for a moment and think about the million different ways we communicate, and the impact these different avenues have on your quality of life. You're reading this blog--that's communication. If you like my tone, if it resonates with you as a person and my words are easy to understand, you're more likely to be receptive to the message I'm getting across. That benefits you (in my opinion), because what I have to say is useful and valuable stuff! Your life experience will change based on the information you take with you, even in little ways. It benefits me, not just because I love to be heard--don't we all--but in a concrete way if you refer friends to this site, maybe drop me a line to ask a question or schedule some writing or coaching time. My life experience will change through the joy of knowing you, and possibly through the joy of getting to pay my bills ;-) A reminder from your boss about a project that's nearly due is another form of communication. How does the phrase "You haven't finished the Smith project that's due tomorrow, have you?" affect you, when compared with "I know Smith is going to be floored by that presentation you're giving tomorrow! Is there anything I can do to help with that?"

In how many other ways are various types of communication bumping up against you today? How do they make you feel? What concrete effect do they have on your life? How would these effects change if the form or tone of the communication changed--how could they be better?

I think it's worth a thought or two.