resume writing

Whose Responsibility Is It?

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I was contacted last week by a CFO expressing great frustration in his job search. Why, he asked, was he the only one who could see how easily he could make the transition back into a private industry leadership role after being out of private industry for the last 10+ years. He was confident those last 10 years only ADDED to his ability to lead a finance department. Looking at his marketing documents, I understood why.

My question to him – and to you – is this …

Whose responsibility is it to connect the dots so your value is obvious? Yours? Or, the prospective company?

There is no question that the job search today is challenging. However, it is made all the more exasperating by, in my opinion, these two things … 

—Not understanding your positioning 

It is not what you did (responsibilities) that a company is buying. It is your ability to solve problems, and particularly their problems, that they will pay good money to get. If you aren’t positioned as a problem solver, your positioning is weak, vulnerable, and suspect and relegates you to commodity status.

Maybe you do understand your value proposition, and you can even clearly articulate it. Do your marketing documents convey the same message? Resume writing is about strategy, which is why templates often fail to make the grade. A one-size-fits-all approach isn’t a good marketing document strategy, nor is it a good candidate strategy.

–Being all things to all people

Being niched … and branded … I am a bit biased in this regard. Still, my belief is that being a subject matter expert trumps being a generalist; knowing a lot about a little is more valued than knowing a little about a lot; and everyone has one or two things at which they excel and would differentiate them from the competition. Most people just haven’t taken the time to figure it out. Rather, they rush into a job search trying to be all things to all people in order to get that next position. 

If you can’t clearly convey why you are the best of the best at solving a company’s financial/operational problems, the prospective company probably won’t take time to figure it out either. That responsibility is yours as the seller of Product You.


The Resume Writing Myth

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I was having breakfast with one of my colleagues the other morning, and our conversation circled around to debunking the myths of our industry. For example, you are going to get your next job and stay there until you retire (if retirement is more than 18 months away); or, that networking means asking everyone you know for a job; or, the best way to look for a job is posted positions on the Internet; or, one of my favorites …


I am the only one who can write my own resume. 

There are people, some of my recruiter friends included, and organizations who tell candidates / members that they are the only ones who can write their own resumes. 

Let me ask you a few questions.

Do you cut your own hair? You are the only one who styles it every day, right? You know how it lays the best, which side you prefer to part it on, where every cowlick is, and what styling products you prefer. Why do you not just cut your own hair then?

Did you build your own house? I mean, you envisioned what rooms you wanted and where you wanted them and where it would make the most sense to place every electrical outlet and window, right? Then why did you hand off your vision to someone else to do what you already had in your head?

Do you buy your clothes or do you make them? After all, who knows their body better than you? What styles look/fit the best? Colors that complement your skin tones, hair, and eyes? Why, then, do you go to the store and buy clothes from somebody who is totally unfamiliar with what looks best on you?  

Do you self-diagnose? Get on the Internet when you have aches and pains and decide what’s wrong and then self-medicate. Most of us do. Unless that ache or pain doesn’t go away … then, typically, we seek out a doctor. A professional. Why? Because he is trained to isolate, identify, and fix the problem. 

Many people CAN write their own resumes. Many more can NOT. My experience tells me that identifying their marketable value proposition and writing about their strengths does not come easily to my analytically, numbers-oriented CFOs. To buy into the myth that says  you are the only one who can write your own resume … if you truly can’t … is to do yourself, and your career, a great disservice.

Do You Know What You Don’t Know?

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I’ve gotten some questions and read some articles this week about whether it is preferable to write your own resume or have a professional write it. Since I’m in the resume writing business, my answer is perhaps biased. However, permit me to make my case.

One of the main arguments for self-writing is that you know what you’ve done better than anyone else. Of course you do. The question is … how well can you articulate it? Not every one has a gift or talent for writing. And very few people are savvy at marketing when they are the product.

My finance executives tend to be numbers-oriented rather than words-oriented. They can finesse and lovingly massage P&Ls, keep department budgets in line, monitor profit growth, and set strategic direction, but when it comes time to marketing themselves through the written word, there can be a serious disconnect.

There is also perspective. We always look at the things we’ve done through our own narrow viewpoint and that sometimes does not allow us to clearly see the value in the things we’ve accomplished and the ways we’ve contributed. Sometimes, it is easier to see the worth of our accomplishments if we have an objective person asking us questions that allow us to look at our contributions from a different vantage point.

I’m not crazy about the way my hair stylist styles my hair, but she cuts it exactly right. She has a different perspective than I do, and one I cannot begin to replicate by looking in a mirror with a pair of scissors in my hand.

My clients are senior-level executives who understand that if you don’t know how to do something, you partner with an expert who knows what you don’t know. If you are immersed in a frustrating and discouraging job search, seek the advice and help of a career coach who knows what you don’t know and who can help you see what you can’t see. The insight you gain regarding your marketability and value to a prospective company can give you a fresh approach … even if you do decide to write your own marketing documents.