Question
I am an AMA member and wondering if there are resources available or that can be recommended to develop top-notch resumes for professionals.
Answer
There are certainly a number of professional resume services and career coaches out there who, for a fee, will help you write/rewrite your resume. I would, however, recommend a different approach I call “net-workshopping.”
The concept is fairly straightforward: Use your professional contacts – your “network” - to “workshop” your resume, just like creative writers or actors might do. The beauty is that while you are working on your resume, you are building relationships with people who can actually help you get the job you want. The reason you should care about this is simple: at the end of the day your network is more important than your resume. It’s great to use the latter to help you develop the former.
To “net-workshop,” you’ve got to think about your resume as a piece of marketing collateral. Just like there is no such thing as a direct mail piece that is “good” regardless of its goals and the results it achieved, the same goes for resumes. What is the goal of your resume? What specific position at what specific company do you want? Given that, who is your audience and what matters to them? How does your resume address their needs and differentiate you from other candidates? Etc.
Once you have clear answers to those questions, tap into the AMA and your other professional networks. Who has a position like the one you are seeking? Can you take a look at their resumes? This will help you identify folks who have produced or possess what you consider strong resumes in your discipline. Ask them to take a look at your resume and give you feedback it. To help them, provide them with an overview of your goals, etc., as well as your concerns about where your resume might come up short.
The next step would be targeting potential hiring managers in your desired area. See if you can ask their advice on your resume. What do they think? What would they change? And so on. People will be much more willing to give you pointers on improving your resume than they will to consider you for a position and everyone likes be treated as an expert or trusted advisor.
Of course, as you go through this process, you might discover that you don’t need a resume, per se. What you need is an effective way of communicating your abilities to the people who need them. An introduction from a colleague and a targeted letter may do the trick. Or maybe you just need a good portfolio website. Who knows? Ultimately, the key is going to be molding your core message to address the real concerns of any potential client/employer.
Matthew T. Grant. PhD
Minister of Enlightenment
www.aquent.com