10 out of 10 professionals in job search mode ask us emphatically – will your team write my resume and will it be ATS-friendly? The focus on the resume is so intense as if it’s the only tool to get a job. No one’s to blame because that’s the traditional mindset. But they miss out on multiple elements crucial in marketing your candidature to prospective employers.
With my over 40 years experience across top management sales leadership , heading recruitment and now career development coaching, I can tell that a resume is only a small portion (10% weightage) of the multiple set of tools required to get a job and is not as important. You can certainly get your dream job WITHOUT A RESUME by focusing on the balance 90%.
The reason I am emphasising this fact is once you understand how crucial the other strategic tools are, you will be greatly successful at getting your desired dream job with ease.
Let me start by guiding you towards the most important first step which is to wear a business consultant’s hat and consider the prospective employers as your clients who you are going to approach as a solution provider for their pain points.
Now, let me list down 7 critical steps that if you commit yourself to, you can certainly get your dream job and that too without a resume.
1] Identify your core skills :
- Action: Write a minimum of 10 of your professional success stories which reflect the use of your skills which helped you deliver the outcomes (results). From these identify the skills which are common across multiple stories which represent your core skills.
- Example: If several of your stories highlight project management, team leadership, and strategic planning, these are your core skills.
- Advantage: This helps you tailor your communication with potential employers, making your approach more targeted and effective.
2] Develop Your Elevator Pitch :
- Action: Craft a concise, 45-second introduction that summarizes your core expertise and what you can offer to a potential employer. Practice delivering it until it feels natural.
- Example: “Hi, I’m [Your Name]. With over 10 years in project management and strategic planning, I specialise in turning complex projects into success stories. I help organizations streamline processes and boost efficiency, ultimately driving growth and profitability.”
- Advantage: Having a well-prepared elevator pitch ensures you’re always ready to make a great first impression, whether it’s during a networking event, a phone call with a recruiter, or a chance meeting with a hiring manager.
3] List of target employer companies :
- Action: Research and identify 10-15 companies that align with your values, mission, and desired work culture. Even if they don’t have current job openings, include them in your list. Use platforms like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and company websites for this research.
- Example: If you value innovation and collaborative environments, target companies known for these attributes. Look at their mission statements, employee reviews, and recent news.
- Advantage: By targeting specific employers, you can focus your efforts on companies where you’re most likely to thrive, and you might discover unadvertised job openings through your network.
4. In-Depth Research on Target Employers :
- Action: Go beyond the company’s website. Look into their annual reports, customer reviews, LinkedIn pages, and recent news articles. Understand their goals, challenges, and culture.
- Example: If a company is expanding into new markets, their challenges might include market research and local partnerships. Knowing this, you can position yourself as a solution to these challenges.
- Advantage: This detailed understanding allows you to tailor your approach when reaching out to these companies, demonstrating your knowledge and fit for their specific needs.
5. Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile :
Action: Headline: Craft a headline that clearly states your core expertise and the value you bring. For example, “Project Management Expert | Driving Efficiency and Growth in Tech Industry.” About Section: Write a compelling summary that highlights your unique strengths, achievements, and core skills. Include examples of your past successes. Skills Section: List your top three skills that you want to be known for and that align with the roles you’re targeting.
- Advantage: A well-optimized LinkedIn profile increases your visibility to recruiters and hiring managers, making you more likely to appear in search results for relevant positions.
6. Strategic Networking :
Action: A] People Known to You: List contacts who work at your target companies.
B] Network Introductions: Identify people in your network who can introduce you to decision-makers at your target companies.
C] LinkedIn Connections: Find LinkedIn connections who work at your target companies and engage with their content. Also study the LinkedIn company pages. Make an intelligent judgement about what are the needs of the organisation and the potential pain points of the job. Start selectively and meaningfully commenting on their posts which should genuinely add value to the discussion. It increases your visibility amongst your target employers.
D] Research Key Individuals: Study the profiles of HR heads, hiring managers, and relevant employees. Engage with their posts meaningfully.
E] Personalized Connection Requests: Send connection requests with a personalized note, mentioning something specific that impressed you about the individual or the company or find some common grounds like you both being from the same educational institute. That increases your chances of getting your connection request accepted faster.
F] Request Informational Interviews: Through your network, ask for introductions to have brief chats with individuals at your target companies. Approach these conversations as a consultant offering initial ideas for improvement. Remember the confidence to do this step will come from the homework you have done on understanding the vision/ mission of the company and their pain points. This is an opportunity for you to showcase your skills and understanding of the jobs requirement and your suitability.
Advantage: This strategic approach give you a direct foot into the door of the prospective employers irrespective of the fact whether they have an actively advertised job requirement or not. You can dazzle them with your homework on your understanding of the pain points and probable solution. You will stand out and they will be more open to talking to you instead of you submitting an online application.
7. Pitch Your Candidature :
Action: Once you secure a meeting with a prospective employer, tailor your pitch to address their specific needs. Prepare a solutions project report that outlines how you can solve their pain points.
- Example: If you’re meeting with a tech company looking to streamline their development process, present a plan highlighting your past successes in similar projects and how you can apply those strategies to their company.
- Advantage: By providing a customized solution, you demonstrate your deep understanding of the company’s challenges and how you can add immediate value, making a strong case for your candidacy.
I also spoke to few highly respected senior HR thought leaders from the industry for their view on the importance of a resume while they are in the hiring process mode. Here is what they had to say:
Biplob Banerjee: CHRO, Emami Ltd
‘A CV is like trailer of a film or the summary as appears in netfilx movies. Most roles have 3 to 5 critical deliverables. Experience and expertise in those are critical. Also softer aspect like ability to articulate learning agility, change agility etc depending on role. Finally ref check is most critical and perhaps has a higher skew than resume alone. Resume is just start of the match. Mid overs and final overs are always crucial too’.
Amit Das: Director – Human Resources & CHRO at Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd (The Times of India)’The importance given to a resume while evaluating a candidate’s application can vary depending on several factors, including the organization’s role, industry, and specific hiring practices. However, a resume can account for 40-60% of the overall evaluation. Here’s a breakdown of how other factors might contribute to the overall assessment: Relevance of experience, Educational Background, Skills and Competencies, Achievements and Accomplishments, Consistency and Stability, Interview Performance (20 – 30%), Technical or Skill Assessments (10 – 20%), Cultural Fit and Soft Skills (10- 20%), Other Factors (5-10%) that can include portfolio reviews, social media presence, and any additional materials or activities related to the application process’.
Marcel Parker: Owner at Marcel R Parker Associates’A maximum of 5 percent weightage. The raison d’etre for this is that today I use the resume to decide whether the person is worth meeting. I can access information about a candidate on social media and the resume does not always tell the full story particularly in senior leadership positions. Sadly today many resumes are crafted with words and phrases which are picked up by ATS AI et al and recruiters which are politically correct. Fully endorse your views on other aspects especially executive presence and gravitas’.
Remember, a resume is just a piece of the puzzle. By leveraging these strategic tools, you can present yourself as a valuable solution provider and significantly increase your chances of landing your dream job. Focus on these steps, and watch your job search transform.
P.S: In case you are interested in knowing about my highly personalised 1:1 Career Development Coaching, send us a message here :1:1Career Coaching
Best wishes for a great career!
Sarabjeet Sachar
Founder & CEO, Aspiration
Career Development & Leadership Coach