Every Resume Tells a Story

I was rejected for a recruiter position at campus placements. The reason the hiring manager gave was that I will get bored as my resume told him a bit of my story… but not all of it. As an executive search consultant in the past, I reviewed thousands of profiles and wrote hundreds of candidate reports. While there’s only one search strategy for a particular role, every resume tells you a unique story.

Well begun is half done. So when you’re looking to fill a role, make sure you have the storyline right. It’s the hiring manager or the interview panel who needs to be very clear on the story that will work best for them. For example, a job description will tell you part of the story. And if the story of the hiring team doesn’t match, wear your trusted advisor hat and fix that narrative. Or you’d be setting yourself up for failure.

Looking at the job description of Director Sales & Business Development for a tech company who do you think is your perfect match? A candidate who has more than 15 years of selling similar products or someone who has been buying these products in the target companies?

There’s no doubt that the guy who’s been buying the products would know the pain points, but he has no experience of a sales strategy, sales cycle, funnel etc. The second part of the story is do you want someone who has been selling the same products all her life or someone who has a variety of sales experience.

Well, your perfect match will depend on whether you want the person to hit the ground running & maintain the revenue or someone who looks for challenges & can grow the business to another level but will have a learning curve? This is where you’re looking for the unique stories in the resume.

If you’re reading this article thinking, I want a professional resume! How’s this helping me? Thanks for sticking around, now is when I tell you how this matters to you. Looking back on the past why I was rejected for the job of a recruiter because I had made 2 changes in 2 years before my MBA. What the hiring manager could not read from my resume is that I am someone who not only loves helping people, I need to see the direct impact of my job on an individual & that’s what was missing in my earlier roles.

I had a client who felt his experience was all over the place. Because, mostly, he saw people growing in similar job roles. To me, his resume told me a different story. He’s a quick learner, loves challenges & can incubate, build, scale & turnaround businesses.

The point I am trying to drive home is that there are equal opportunities for both profiles. Those who know the ins & outs of one business type & those who love to face challenges & have built a variety of business. Don’t try to fit in a box, embrace your uniqueness, that’s your strength.

Want me to tell your unique story?