Why isn't my resume producing job offers?
Question:
I thought that my resume was laid out pretty well, but lately it just doesn't
seem to be getting the job done, whether I'm using newspaper ads or acting as my
own headhunter.
Can you critique it and make suggestions? I've tried many of the resume books
and services, and none have been better than mine (in my never-humble opinion).
Believe me—any help is better than none!
Reply:
Sorry, but I don't review resumes—so please don't send yours. Resumes don't
"get the job done" because they're dumb, mute, and defenseless.
They're paper, and I don't believe in them.
You're living proof that they don't work. The other proof is that all those
resume books you've read don't have any answers either. This probably led you to
suspect your major premise: Job hunting requires a resume.
Here are the most important things you can do in your job search:
Meet people who do the work you want to do.
Learn what's important to them and their employers.
Find out what their day-to-day work is all about.
Formulate a business plan about how you would do the work profitably.
Go back to those people and ask them what they think of your plan.
Once you know you can add value to the work they do, ask for an introduction
to their bosses.
This process is all about delivering value—not a piece of paper. Please
keep reading Ask The Headhunter. We discuss the specifics of this approach in
almost every column. I think you'll find it as helpful as many others have.
In the meantime, I hope I've started you thinking.
Best regards,
Nick Corcodilos
Ask The Headhunter®