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At a party few nights ago, over cocktails and drinks under a rare starry wintry night, someone dear to me, introduced me as “Meet Nim, she will make a person’s resume stand out and add things that the person has never done!!”A round of laughs followed and I was stunned. The damage was done. It was an eyeopener.
For a layman, impression management is deception.
Of course I knew in the back of my mind that a resume writer is going to be perceived as a personal spin doctor, and spin is always a negative word. We associate spin with all the wrong folks – the sleazy co-worker and the ever more tricky politician.
Over the years, I have seen one thing again and again – good people don’t know how to sell themselves. First impressions matter a lot – never ignore them. I help people showcase their AUTHENTIC SELVES better, and this in turn helps them to open a few more doors and get that break that their career deserves. It’s the same as personal grooming and manners. We are taught the latter/pick up these skills from our environment, but unfortunately it is often wired into us that we need to be humble, not brag about ourselves. Also, not all of us have the aesthetic wisdom to pick up and use the right format, and put forth the work we have done which makes us suitable for the next assignment.
Thoughts become Words. Words become Actions. Actions become Habits. Habits become Character. Character becomes Destiny.
Meanwhile, let me share with you 2 real examples of resumes (all names changed) on which I got an opportunity to wave my magic wand.
Example 1: The Reticent Techie
Shyam is a technology wizard. I know because I hired him 16 years ago, and he was the go-to person for all technology problems. He is now at a niche capital markets products firm as indispensable as ever. Clearly, he is a shoo in for a board position. The problem is that his resume looks like a laundry list of his projects and technologies he was worked on (in this case has immense mastery). It was 7 pages long. Clearly, it needed to be way more succinct and put in perspective the immense value that Shyam brings to the table. My job was cut out – I came back with a precise 2 page summary with visual graphics which was a huge turnaround from the existing resume. It had the right keywords and helped him transition to the bigger roles.
Example 2: The “lost in the woods” data analyst
Richard is a very smart youngster, who after experimenting with a couple of jobs in retail etc, found his calling as a data analyst. He wants to now progress in this field. The problem is that he does not have enough experience. He is recognized at his workplace and is getting progressive responsibilities and challenges. The challenges his resume faced were twofold: (a) “Rolling Stone impression” – 7 jobs in 5 years and (b) Lack of experience in data sciences. First, I helped him understand these challenges, and let me tell you, Richard was very receptive to the feedback. We reviewed the sample jobs he wanted to apply. To counter these challenges, Richard is now making a portfolio of his data sciences work by also proactively working on industry challenges, and we have reduced the space given to his non relevant experience. His resume template is a clean, simple ATS (Application Tracking System) compliant template, because for entry level jobs, he will most likely be applying via hiring portals.
Now, that you have read the above examples, what do you think? If with my assistance, individuals can showcase their AUTHENTIC SELVES better, surely it is not deception. We are real people with warts n all. Ageism, Career Breaks, Rolling Stone, Long winding descriptions, Too short descriptions, missing out key competencies – these are just some of the challenges our resumes could have. I help you dazzle others with the aura of your strengths – so that they look beyond the warts. That’s a strength borne out of in-depth research, depth and breadth of experience in recruiting and HR, and most importantly a passion to go above and beyond for my folks.
Let go the stigma of IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT. DECEPTION IS A NO GO FOR THE LONG RUN.
LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE.
EMBRACE YOUR DESTINY.
I would love to hear from you. Post your comments, thoughts. Lets discuss.