Three Ways to Make Your Resume Get My Attention

Are you stressing over your resume?

If you are, I have one tip for you. 

Your resume should be a list of achievements - not a job description.

Too often, I see bullet points that read: 

• Repaired High-Tech Equipment
• Led Project to Repair Broken Stuff
• Maintained Optimal Alignment of Customer Perspective
• Responsible for Major East Coast Sales Account

Excuse me, but "yaaaaaawwwwwwn"...

When I see your job title, I know what you're supposed to do.

Your resume is a scorecard. Tell me the results!

It's simple. You:

1. Reduced something (costs, defects, cycle time, etc),
2. Increased something (revenue, profits, customer satisfaction, etc)
3. Eliminated/fixed something (cancer? the line at the frappacino machine?)
4. Or created something (for example, I invented the virtual frisbee - Catch!!)
5. Or a combination of the above (invented a doohickey that eliminated a whatchamacallit, which reduced costs while increasing revenue - Yay!)

If you didn't do any of the above, I'll assume you just showed up every day.
Good luck selling that.

All right, let's pretend you did at least one of the above five, since the alternative is too depressing.

All you have to do is document your achievements on your resume.

Here's a few ways to do that.

1. Quantify it: This is the easiest. You just need the numbers. Increased sales by 30%. Decreased downtime by 11%. Eliminated customer wait-time by initiating self-service fountain.
   Oh, but you say you cannot quantify how much your customer loves you...
2. Get a Reference: LinkedIn is great for this. Get someone to say how great your are, and then quote them in your resume! Delivered "quickest response of all our contractors" (see reference on LinkedIn). It's that easy.
   Wait, you're really good, but no one knows it yet?
3. Share a Work Sample: You can use Visual CV, YouTube, or your own website. Are you a great presenter? Post a presentation on YouTube. A great writer? Attach a white paper to your resume. I'm shocked at how few people do this...

Is that clear? 

Don't tell me. Show me.

Show me data. Show me a reference. Or show me a sample.

Thanks...

The Leadership "Law of Threes"

You don't have to look very far in the world of sports for examples of positive and negative leadership, management, teamwork, and results.

In this piece at The National Football Post, Michael Lombardi discusses the leadership of Tom Coughlin, head coach of the New York Giants football team.

"Yes, I know he has one of the best teams, but what has impressed me about the job Tom is doing is his ability to handle Plaxico Burress and not let it affect the team. He is using a very simple leadership strategy called the “Law of Threes”. On each team there are three types of players. The first are the ones that will do anything that is asked, willing to help the program. The second group are the undecided players, the players that are not sure what to do. And the third are the malcontents. These are the players that want to buck the system all the time, and try to breakdown the team. As a leader, there is a tendency to try and win over the players in group three, by trying to make them happy. But all that does is move the players from group two into group three, and cause you to start to lose the players in group one. What Coughlin has done is focus on group one. He pays no attention to group three and what has resulted is that Plaxico is on an island and no one wants to join him. The team is bigger than Plaxico."

*Thanks to ESPN.com's Bill Simmons for pointing out this article*

Good leadership is usually good behavioral psychology (so why isn't that an MBA class?).

Do these three groups exist in your company or team?
How are you (or the other leaders) handling the situation?

I have to admit, I've never heard of these three laws before. An internet search only brings up references to this article.
But it makes good sense... maybe the "Law of Threes" is worth a try?

Is Life Coaching Bullshit?

When I grow up, I want to be like Penn & Teller.

They join a short list (which includes Tom Peters, P.J. O'Rourke, Lewis Black, Edward Abbey, Kurt Vonnegut, and Bill Hicks) of provocateurs who make me laugh and think - and, yeah, sometimes cringe a little - in equal doses.

I've seen Penn & Teller perform twice and highly recommend them.

I also recommend you watch "Bullshit!", a Showtime series where Penn & Teller debunk popular beliefs about PETA, second hand smoke, religion, bottled water, and more.

Tonight, Angie and I started watching Season Three, which includes an episode on "Life Coaching".

Now, I do a fair amount of coaching at work, but I've shared my concerns about the coaching industry on this blog.

I looked forward to seeing how Penn & Teller would present the industry.

They didn't disappoint. 

Just about every bad coaching cliche shows up in this episode.

• Pseudo-science? Check.
• Spiritual garbage? Check.
• 'Professionals' with no track record dispensing 'professional' advice? Check.
• Clingy, co-dependent relationships? Check.
• The unqualified leading the unqualified (by setting up coaching schools)? Check.
• No sense of irony or perspective? Check and check.

Is there legitimacy in the coaching industry? 

Yes... a little.

Most of the coaches I've met are smart people who want to help others.

But, I've met others who are trying to make a quick buck in a trendy industry, or take a shortcut to success - "I want to give financial advice, but don't want to take the time to get a degree. I know, I'll be a financial coach!!" Stay away from these charlatans, please!

Even if you are lucky enough to find someone who is smart and wants to help, investigate their track record. Is she a bored housewife who took a weekend course? Is he a self-employed coach who needs to keep his schedule full?

Most importantly, are they driving for real results? 

1. 'Real' coaches get quantifiable results for their clients.
   
2. 'Real' coaches refer their clients to financial professionals, real estate professionals, and health professionals when required.
3. 'Real' coaches 'quit' their clients after the results are achieved.
4. 'Real' coaching builds independence, not dependence.
5. 'Real' coaches aren't psychics, don't channel, and don't cuddle clients (I admit, that all these activities are highly entertaining... but I wouldn't look for guidance from them).

As with most things, buyer beware.

If you're in business, a business coach with a track record might be just what you need.

But, as Penn & Teller point out:
The time, money, life energy, and emotional investment you will make in a life coach would - in most cases - be much better spent on something real... a friend.