Creating Your Resume – Some Necessary First Steps

Before you put pen to paper and start to list your job history, start by preparing your mindset for a positive and successful journey.   Begin with a blank canvas (or sheet of paper) and develop the first 2 habits of Stephen R. Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”.    The 1^st Habit is:  “Be Proactive” and the 2^nd Habit is: “Begin with the End in Mind”.   Learning and exercising these two habits together from the outset will lead to a more successful and timely career transition.   Instead of searching job postings for something that seems to fit (being reactive), determine for yourself what your ideal position would be (being proactive).   Have a clear understanding of your destination then build your brand and your resume with that destination always in mind.

What is your brand, that is, how do you want to be known or recognized in your job search?   Which of your strengths are relevant to or support this?   Which of your accomplishments best demonstrate these strengths?  What value will you bring to an organization?

In developing your brand, begin with the end in mind.   Do you want to pursue a management level position?  If so, your brand should include a reference to your skills and accomplishments leading and managing people or teams.   Are you targeting a position in marketing?  If so, be sure to emphasize your communication and creative thinking skills and accomplishments.

Clarity around your brand will bring focus to your job search and facilitate the development of your resume and your 90 – Second Commercial, which is a key success ingredient for both networking and interviewing.   Your resume should start with a clear and concise Professional Summary which will flow once you have thought through where you want end up and how you can position yourself to get there.

Staying “proactive” during your job search empowers you to be the source of your results.   It will keep you oriented to action rather than frozen in self-doubt and a victim of circumstances.   It will also facilitate positive self-talk rather than negative self-talk and will keep you from slipping into the negative emotional states of frustration or apathy.

A coach can assist you with the “doing” part of your job change – setting goals, using resources, creating and polishing your tools – as well as help you minimize negative self-talk and maintain an empowering self-image – i.e. who you are “being” during your transition.

To get started today, please contact me for a free consultation.  I can coach you around the actions needed to accomplish your goals as well as your frame of mind during the journey.