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...

Tom Peters: Seven Questions about Brand You

My Dad, Tom Peters and me - Palo Alto, CA (1989)

Some things age well. Some things don't.
My dad looks younger today than he did in this photo 20 years ago.
And Tom Peters is still provoking thought and discussion.

Here are 7 timeless provocations from Tom, from 'the brand you 50', published in 1999. Use this exercise to create your 'personal brand'.

1. I am known for (2-4 things). By this time next year, I plan also to be known for (1-2 more things).
2. My current project is challenging me in the follow (1-3 ways).
3. New stuff I've learned in the last 90 days includes: (1-3 things).
4. Important new additions to my Rolodex in the last 90 days include (2-4 names).
5. My public - local/regional/national/global - 'visibility program' consists of (1-2 things).
6. My principal 'resume enhancement activity' for the next 90 days is (1 item).
7. My resume/CV is discernibly different from last years on this date in the following (1-2 ways).

Trade 'Rolodex' for 'LinkedIn' and it's hard to imagine anything I'd change in this list.