Writing a professional resume requires careful attention to detail.
When Scott Thompson was tapped to lead Yahoo! in May 2012, those who recruited him were sure his stellar resume and outstanding credentials made him the man to take the e-commerce giant to the next level. When Thompson resigned about six months later, those same people wished they had done their due diligence when it came to fact checking his resume. Thompson unquestionably wished he hadn’t padded it. If you’re in the hunt for a C-level job, there are four lessons you can learn from Thompson’s mistakes.
Always Be Truthful. Period.
In light of the Thompson scandal and many others like it, recruiters have gotten the message loud and clear. It’s not tough for an HR department to fact check and do a bit of research online to make sure a job-seeker’s credentials are factual. If you lie when writing a professional resume, you can expect to be exposed, thanks to employers’ abilities to conduct Google searches, check backgrounds and snoop on social media accounts.
Set Yourself Apart the Right Way
Lying on your resume is a clear no-no. So how are you supposed to compete and land that sweet corner office? The obvious answer is to hire an executive resume writing pro, intimately knowledgeable in c-level personal branding. He or she will be able to peruse your resume and intuitively know how to arrange the contents to highlight your real experience and exhibit to employers you are the right fit for the job. It’s not lying. It’s strategically drawing employers’ attention to the most relevant facts.
The Higher You Climb, The More Disastrous The Fall
It’s one thing for a recent college grad trying to lock in an entry-level position to pad his resume. It’s certainly not ethical, but it’s not likely to have ripple effects that could compromise the entire company. It will probably lead to the employee being dismissed, but it probably won’t land on the front page of the local newspaper or evening news. When you’re a high-level executive working for a well-known company and you are caught lying on your resume, that is big news! Good luck finding a c-level job with negative notoriety surrounding your reputation. Even the most outstanding c-level personal branding campaign can’t erase a badly tarnished reputation.
Pad Your Resume With Facts
If you have big ambitions but your resume falls flat, do something to change that. There are myriad resources to help you bulk it up with actual experience, relatively quickly. Take courses, sign up for webinars, volunteer, join professional organizations, find a mentor to give you guidance and ask him to be a reference. Once you’re armed with more credentials, hire an executive resume writing pro to shine the best light on your experiences.
If you’re ready to take your resume to the next level, contact us. We’ll help you put your best foot forward on paper, targeted toward the position you’ve got your eye on.