Some people keep sending around resumes that are dull, even downright wretched. They don't give the hiring decision any reasons to talk to you. A properly crafted resume does more than get you the interview: it can control and win the interview.

Hiring is a haphazard, untrained, emotional, and chaotic process. A bit of strategy can conquer the chaos.

Managers Are Often Untrained
Companies rarely provide training in conducting interviews. Doug, like many managers, was told to "hire someone," then fed a job description, created by someone else. Such descriptions list job responsibilities, required skills, and (sometimes) desired skills, but not desired results. They're often a far cry from the actual job.

Consequently, untrained managers like Doug begin interviewing with only a rough idea of what they want. They shoot blindly with ineffectual questions -- questions they were asked when interviewed:

--"Tell me about yourself" and
--"What are your greatest strengths/weaknesses?"

Throughout the interview, Doug is thinking, "How do I know who's the best candidate? If I hire a toad, it'll look bad." The interview atmosphere is tense.

Here's What Hiring Decision Makers Want
What does Doug really want? He wants to look good and get a pat on the back from his boss. So, when interviewing, your job is to discover what will impress Doug's boss, then show you're the one who can make his boss say, "Doug, you're a genius and an astute judge of talent!"

In the interview, Doug examines your resume which contains descriptions of past duties. He points and says, "I see you managed press relations. Tell me about that." You explain that you set up press conferences, wrote press releases, etc. That's just listing responsibilities no results and no stories that ended with people living happily ever after!

Doug grunts and points at something else. The process is hit-or-miss. He isn't finding anything terribly appealing, and you aren't scoring points.

Include Stories And Results!
When you write your resume, don't just list responsibilities. Instead, create a document that gives Doug enough information to channel his questions into what really matters: results. Include stories! Since you'll be interviewed on your resume, use it as an interview management tool. Help managers determine what to ask by featuring projects you want to sell.

Specifically, tell a story, concisely describing the challenge you faced, with some description of the available resources: technology, time, budget, people, etc. Then, describe your solution and the results you produced. Rather than saying you managed press relations, describe how you handled a public relations crisis after the company released a defective product. Include numbers showing how you protected product sales.

Be prepared to discuss what you learned from featured projects. Knowing what you know now, how would you do it differently? By discussing real accomplishments, the process and the lessons, you take away the need for the interrogation which occurs in too many interviews. Interviewers feel better about you and about themselves.

Ask The "Genius Question"
After demonstrating that you can generally make Doug look good, zero in on specific needs: what does he want from you in this job so that he will look good?

Make Doug stop, scratch his chin, and think. Ask, "One year from now, what will I have accomplished for you so that when you write my review, you can write the best possible performance review?" "What are your biggest priorities? What projects do you need done? In what order do you need them done?" The clincher is the "Genius Question." In your own words, ask him what you could do this year so that management will think both of you are geniuses.

By uncovering what will make Doug look good, then directing attention to results-oriented stories in the resume, you'll help him interview you--and position yourself as the winner.

FREE RESUME EVALUATION
I will be happy to do a FREE resume evaluation and let you know if your resume is:
a) Fabulous!
b) Very good, but needs tweaking
c) OK--could use an overhaul
d) Poor. Unlikely to get you the kind of attention you want
e) Embarrassing ”don't send it to anyone until you get it fixed!

Steve Frederick
Frederick Career Services
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