Are You Embarrassed by Your Resume?
Have you ever lost out on a job to someone who clearly wasn’t as qualified as you? You probably work with some people who don’t have the real chops but talk a good game.
This is an example of the power of a persuasive personal brand. It's actually your secret weapon.
So, that begs the question: When was the last time you updated your resume or LinkedIn profile? Probably the last time you looked for a job all those years ago. I’ll bet you don’t have any accomplishments listed under your current job, right? That’s a shame.
You can take some comfort in knowing that you’re not alone. Every week, we talk with top performers at the peak of their career – like, true Rock Stars – but you’d never know it.
You always hear about “fierce competition.” Well, at your career level, it really IS fierce, and crafting a compelling personal brand can be that one thing that sets you apart and allows your value to shine through. Personal branding isn’t solely about self-promotion… It’s also about authentic self-expression.
It's your opportunity to tell your story in a way that resonates with potential employers or clients, showcasing not just what you do, but who you are and why it matters.
This process requires introspection and a strategic approach to ensure consistency across everything - from your resume to LinkedIn profile and beyond.
Your personal brand is really a combination of three things. Picture of Venn diagram and your personal brand is at the intersection of these three things:
- Who are you, and how do you do business? What defines you or how do you want to be defined?
- How are you different than your competition or anyone else that the hiring manager may talk with?
- What makes you a perfect person for your targeted role and the solution to the hiring manager’s biggest problem?
So, here’s how you want to start. Begin by defining what sets you apart – it could be:
- your unique skill set
- experiences
- your outstanding achievements
- or your personal philosophy and guiding principles
If you don’t have clarity on what makes you unique, which is a common problem, then ask those people who work with you that you trust to give you an honest answer.
Once you get clear on your key differentiators, I want you to get it down to a list of three things. There’s a marketing rule of three: when someone hears a list of three things, it’s easier for them to understand, they retain it longer, and they can recall it better.
Then I want you to weave this into a narrative and state it consistently across all of your branded materials – like your resumes, your LinkedIn profile, and any other online presence you have.
Remember, in the crowded marketplace of talent, it’s really noisy out there – you want to rise above that noise to capture the attention of your next boss.
It’s those who can articulate their value proposition clearly and compellingly are the ones who stand out. In my experience, it’s often the professionals who market themselves better than their competition that win the promotions, the new jobs, and the significantly higher compensation levels. Again, you probably work with a few examples of this.
In the past four years, our clients have received 51% more in their first-year cash compensation than they were making before they engaged with CRC. I’d like to take all of the credit for that, but in reality, a lot of it is because most of our clients come to us very underpaid, and we just help them get what they’re worth.
So what's next?
If you're ready to learn how to overcome resume shame and craft a powerful personal brand to stand out, consider joining our four-week small-group program. We’ll dive deeper into creating a compelling personal brand, mastering your executive interview techniques, and navigating the path to your next great opportunity without going through the conventional HR channels.
Thank you for considering this journey with me — Tammy Kabell with Career Resume Consulting. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter below for more insights and an exclusive invitation to our training program. Your next big opportunity awaits, and it’s time to seize it with confidence and creativity!
So, take a few minutes to start crafting your new narrative today; your future self will thank you.
