Every Resumé Tells a Story:
An Integrated Approach to a Successful Job Search
The first thing you’re told when you begin the job search is, “Put together a resumé”. You search the Internet for some sample resumés (there are thousands available) and see some that appeal to you. You put your name at the top, list your jobs in reverse chronological order, and include a few bullets to describe your past experience.
Then they say, “Network.” You find opportunities in your area to meet people. You move around the room with a bunch of cards in one pocket and a glass of wine in hand, looking hopefully (or wandering aimlessly) for people with whom to engage in a brief conversation. You chat about almost anything, give a card, get a card, and then move on to the next person.
Then you’re told, “Call everybody you’ve ever known, but don’t ask for a job. Ask them for advice about something, like an industry or a company you’re trying to break into.” You search your data base and make what seems like hundreds of calls. These mostly result in voicemail messages asking people to call you back. They rarely do.
And finally, you hear, “It’s a tough market out there. There are so many people who do what you do. You’re just going to have to wait until things turn around.” Discouraged, you stop sending résumés, stop networking and stop making phone calls. You think, “Maybe they will find me.” And part of you hopes that the job will fall from the heavens right into your lap.
Trust me, it isn’t going to happen that way.
You Need a Plan
In today’s competitive job environment, you need to do more than float your resumé, attend networking events, and make telephone calls. You need to have a plan. Most important, along with knowing what kind of position you want, you need to insure that everything you present to prospective employers, recruiters and networking contacts, is designed to tell a consistent story about you.
You Need a Story
The most effective way for a job seeker to make a memorable impression on prospective employers is to create a story. It should be a consistent story, reinforced through every part of the job search – from the résumé to the business card to the 30-second introduction to the message left on the answering machine.
Here’s an example. Our of our clients is employed in a small business that is declining because of competition from a national enterprise, and he expects to be laid off soon. Realizing that his niche is going to go away, he needs to reinvent himself. He’s held a series of other positions, but they don’t connect in any way—they’re not in the same industry, they’re not in the same functional position (i.e., he was in sales in one position, in finance in another, and he began his professional career in an entirely different kind of working environment).
But he was passionate in his interest in the environment, and had brought that passion to all of his prior jobs. So in re-designing his resumé, we created a story that showed his wide variety of skills that could be applicable to emerging “green businesses”. Then we created a 30-second introduction which began with his passion, and captured how he hoped to find a position that would marry that passion with the wide range of skills he had developed in his professional career.
Rather than attending a wide variety of networking groups, we urged our job seeker to research and attend organizations where individuals and businesses involved in the green world would participate. In this way his valuable (and limited) time would be spent where he would most likely meet people potentially helpful to his job search.
Finally, he created new business cards and other collateral material that emphasized not his history, but his new story.
Now he is telling a compelling story. He is able to express his passion for the environment, to which he is committed to bringing his considerable business skills. He networks with those who can introduce him to opportunities in green businesses. He leaves a compelling phone message, and makes a strong impression on the people he meets. He is making effective use of his time and other resources. And he is well-positioned for success in his search.
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