Top 10 Career Transition Questions: #2 How do I best represent my professional brand with a resume?

Blog post by Barton Career Advisors Founder and Managing Partner Chris Barton

This blog is part of a series addressing some of the most compelling questions for those that are beginning a career search. During the last 6 years, we have been asked hundreds of questions related to career transition and best practices. Here we are distilling those queries down to the 10 most critical need to know responses. Here is #2 of 10, discussing the ever-important professional resume document.

#2 Do my resume and search materials reflect the most current trends in professional branding and have I adequately conveyed transferable skills that can be leveraged in other industries or roles?

This is an incredibly important matter when it comes time to start marketing yourself for a new opportunity or when you need to craft a solution to get out of a company or role that is less than optimal. While no resume will ever be the sole solution to open doors for new gigs, it is absolutely critical that the document is a confirmation of the accomplished professional you have become. Imagine getting the opportunity to meet with an influential leader that could help you in your career path. Next, envision that you have adequately impressed that person through a phone conversation or coffee chat. The logical next step then would be that they ask you for a copy of your resume. “Hey, shoot me a copy of your resume so I can forward it to our CEO.” How are you feeling now? Getting “on stage” for opportunities is really hard, so you do not want to treat the resume as a mere formality. That document is the marketing brochure for a very important product, you.

Resumes have evolved over the last 10 years. It used to be sufficient to tell the reader three things. 1. What kind of job you want (an objective) 2. A chronological career list with job titles and 3. Provide contact details. Unfortunately that quick and dirty approach is not nearly enough anymore. You are competing with a marketplace of job seekers that have literally grown up with a personal social media brand. Not only does your resume have to speak to the quantitative nature of your contributions to your profession, it must also show a crispness in demonstrating that you really understand “you” as a resource and solution. Once you have achieved an accurate, compelling digital document, creating linkages to your online profiles will provide the finishing touches. If necessary, get the professional help you need to do it right.  While it may cost a few hundred bucks to do a resume professionally, imagine what it will cost if you get it wrong.