Create a Resume that Sells "Brand You" -- by Catherine Kaputa (WCAS70)

Your resume is the often first impression you make on a potential employer or business associate--and first impressions are important. That first minute read of your resume decides whether your resume gets pitched in the circular file, or whether you’re perceived as a six-figure candidate who can add value to the organization and called in for a meeting.

Your resume also helps people position you and compare you to other candidates – and a great resume can pre-sell you before you get the interview. That’s why it’s important that your resume is a marketing document that tells your story in the best possible way and resonates in the current marketplace. Here are some ideas for creating a winning resume:

1. View your resume as an ad for “Brand You.”
   Most resumes are a laundry list of skills and jobs written in “corporate speak” with no focus or message. Develop a single-minded positioning for yourself that differentiates you from others and is relevant to the company and what’s hot in the current job market. The resume should tell the story of that positioning and link the various aspects of your career in a coherent whole.
   
2. Don’t neglect graphic appeal.
   Keeping the ad analogy, make sure the resume looks graphically appealing. Not only is the content dramatically different in a resume that is an effective branding document, the layout and graphic design makes the resume exciting and eye-catching. 
   To create visual and graphic impact, consider adding the company or organization’s logo next to each in the experience section. Made them small so they look good in the context of the experience section. You’ll find that you will have a much more graphically interesting resume that gets noticed. After all, you’re half way there when you have a message and appearance that breaks through the clutter.
   
3. Use the Profile statement to position yourself and grab attention.
   Your profile at the top of your resume is like the headline and lead paragraph in an ad. The profile should identify who you are, what sets you apart from others, and the value added your bring to a job. A profile should not only differentiate you, it should convey a compelling reason to choose you and not the other people you are competing against. And it must say it in an arresting way.

   Here’s a typical example of a profile:
   
   Proven sales professional with over 20 years experience. Team player with good interpersonal skills. Extensive experience in wide range of industries. Successfully managed regional sales force.

   There are two key problems with this profile: 
   One, it uses generalities and clichés we’ve seen before in hundreds of resumes. 
   Secondly, it does not differentiate this sales executive from other people with similar experience.
   
   Here’s a new profile:
   
   SALES LEADER * STRATEGIST  *  MOTIVATOR
   The salesperson’s sales person who thrives in challenging markets and loves to negotiate the impossible. Capture business opportunities by doggedly pursuing new business and marketing brand strength. A sales professional who is a talent motivator known for leading by example, and driven by the desire to add value and achieve new benchmarks. Whatever the goal, I work every day to achieve it.

4. Use action words and specifics to tell a “story” about your job accomplishments.
   In the experience section of your resume, use specific examples to bring your “story” to life. Here are some examples:
   
   • Instrumental in start-up’s rise to become the biotech leader in X. To create market demand, convinced company’s management team to create a variation of an existing product that we sold to companies wishing to gain X experience.
   
   • Repositioned non-competitive product line and developed $20 million + revenue stream by focusing on a new niche market.
   
   • Challenged to fuel growth despite fading product set, poor internal morale and declining revenue.  Refocused business areas resonated with clients, the media, consultants and employees, and led to exceeding $50 million budget goal.

Even if you submit an online resume to a company, follow-up with a hard copy of your branded resume to tell your complete story. It can make the difference that sets you apart and lands the interview.

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Catherine Kaputa (WCAS70) is a brand strategist, speaker and coach. She is the author of U R a BRAND! How Smart People Brand Themselves for Business Success, winner of the Ben Franklin Award for Best Career Book 2007. Her new book on women and success, The Female Brand, will be out in the spring of 2009. She is founder of SelfBrand, a New York City-based brand consultancy that works with companies, products, and individuals. She is active as a speaker and workshop leaders for corporations and organizations.

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posted December 2, 2008.