Start With The End in Mind
Before writing any resume, take the time to ponder what kind of job(s) your clients will target now and in the future. For example, what job titles, functional roles, specialty project requirements, and industries are of interest to them? Are there any specific companies they'd like to work for?
Success in a job search involves identifying and articulating a clear idea of what the client wants. Ensure that you have a complete picture of what your client wants during this current job transition while understanding their long-term career plans as well.
It might seem immediately obvious WHY you should care about their CURRENT job search goals, but why care about their LONG-TERM career goals?
Most often, careers don't stay stationary. Our clients generally focus on an "onward and upward" career trajectory that means promotions, job role changes, more challenges, and so on.
To help clients get the most "mileage" out of the resumes you write for them, the best approach is to optimize resume content so it fulfills what's being pursued now but also begin optimizing resume content to satisfy what's coming later. Think about relevant and transferrable skills.
Here are three examples:
- For clients planning to pursue management roles in the future, it's time to beef up and emphasize job tasks and achievements that reflect decision-making, resource allocation, and supervisory responsibilities.
- For clients planning to shift from sales to accounting, highlight their sales experience along with any financial (e.g., budgeting, cost controls, expense reporting) experience they have as well.
- For clients planning to pursue IT positions after completing their degrees in the next two years, expand resume content to include every bit of entry-level tech support, troubleshooting, and engineering they have, even though they're focused on a customer support position.
