If you’ve followed my advice for some time, you know that I use tried and true marketing principles to help get you to first base, or the initial contact with a decision maker. I’ve found that using marketing strategies will greatly increase your likelihood of getting a phone call, which is your foot in the door to a successful hiring process. Then, of course, using sales techniques, namely sales psychology, is the quickest way I’ve found to turn that “foot in the door” into a job offer (sometimes in as little as a week!).
Today, I’d like to quickly remind you of the importance of consistency in your message, specifically between what you say in your written materials and online presence, and what you convey during your conversations with every person you come in contact with during the executive interviewing process.
HOW TO KEEP YOUR DIAMOND POLISHED
If you’re a polished diamond and a top performer in your resume and on LinkedIn, which you absolutely must be in order to rise above the rest of your competition, the biggest mistake you can make is to NOT carry that perception through the complete hiring process.
If you’re a polished diamond and a top performer in your resume and on LinkedIn, which you absolutely must be in order to rise above the rest of your competition, the biggest mistake you can make is to NOT carry that perception through the complete hiring process.
You’ve spent a lot of effort to mold your first impression as impressive – and many candidates drop the ball at this point… YOUCH!!! So, here are some things to keep in mind in the consistency of the marketing message you are giving employers about yourself:
USE THE POWER OF THREE
In marketing, there is a principle called “the power of three.” People easily remember things that are grouped into threes, or listed in threes. So, using this principle, come up with three core strengths that define you, set you apart from your competition, and will be attractive to an employer looking to hire someone like you. Having trouble with this? Check out some of our sample resumes by clicking here.
In marketing, there is a principle called “the power of three.” People easily remember things that are grouped into threes, or listed in threes. So, using this principle, come up with three core strengths that define you, set you apart from your competition, and will be attractive to an employer looking to hire someone like you. Having trouble with this? Check out some of our sample resumes by clicking here.
Then, state these core strengths prominently in your resume, and be sure to have stories to tell in your interviews that validate that those are your key strengths. Consider these three strengths to be the “platform” of your campaign, just as if you were running for elected office.
QUANTIFY YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS
You’ve heard me say it before, but I cannot stress this principle enough. People are attracted to numbers. These do not need to be dollar figures; they can be a savings in man hours, a reduction in cycle time (like improving a process from taking 3 weeks down to under a week), or an increase in revenue vs. the year before or the quarter before. Don’t exaggerate, but be sure to frame these most impressively to make the biggest impact.
You’ve heard me say it before, but I cannot stress this principle enough. People are attracted to numbers. These do not need to be dollar figures; they can be a savings in man hours, a reduction in cycle time (like improving a process from taking 3 weeks down to under a week), or an increase in revenue vs. the year before or the quarter before. Don’t exaggerate, but be sure to frame these most impressively to make the biggest impact.
On your resume, strip away most of the context, to make the achievements industry-neutral, and simply state the action you took, and the resulting achievement – and it helps to BOLD the numbers to capture the reader’s attention as they quickly read through your resume. Then, add context to those achievements in your interviews by setting up the situation, explaining how you took the actions you took, and then, of course, remember to restate the quantifiable result of your actions in your interview stories.
MAKE IT EASY FOR THE DECISION-MAKER
I mentioned above the idea of making your achievements industry-neutral. This is a key point, as it makes it easy for a decision maker to imagine you in their organization, whether or not you come from the same industry as their company. Over 70% of job seekers change industries these days, so chances are you will be moving to a new industry. We always write our resumes to be industry neutral for this reason, and it doesn’t seem to have a deterring effect when sending it to a company within our clients’ own industries.
I mentioned above the idea of making your achievements industry-neutral. This is a key point, as it makes it easy for a decision maker to imagine you in their organization, whether or not you come from the same industry as their company. Over 70% of job seekers change industries these days, so chances are you will be moving to a new industry. We always write our resumes to be industry neutral for this reason, and it doesn’t seem to have a deterring effect when sending it to a company within our clients’ own industries.
In the same way, keep your stories during an interview industry-neutral as well, by making sure you don’t use industry specific or company specific jargon when talking about your accomplishments. Also note that you can use stories from anytime in your career, as the interviewer rarely asks how long ago that achievement happened.
Noticed how I just used the rule of three to highlight three key points for you?
Sometimes it can be hard to do these things by yourself, so if you would like help with your career branding or interview/negotiation assistance, we’re here for you.
With our payment options, this can be surprisingly affordable, given the Return on Investment we provide you! If you’re interested in talking with me or one of my team members about our career services, just reply to this email or call our office at (816) 600-2478.
