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As a professional resume writer, I often hear the words “I own my own business, why would I need a resume?” or “I’m pretty secure where I’m at and not planning on leaving any time soon.” Chills shoot up and down my spine. These are exactly the reasons that they need a resume, and they don’t even realize it. I mean:
How could someone willfully not have all the tools at their disposal? Do they realize they aren’t taking advantage of their full potential? Aren’t they looking to expand their own business? Are they not ready to capitalize on their own success?
Whether you’re looking for a career change, or not… whether the markets are stable… and whether you’re secure in your most current position… or not…
Every CEO needs to have an updated resume — at all times!
Let’s face it, it takes time to craft a quality resume. Most people don’t include the most important content (In fact, 80 to 90% of today’s top candidates are overlooked due to the lack of it). We forget about our achievements. We often face writer’s block. We leave off key qualitative and quantitative data. And, we forget to include some of our most impressive contributions within a team environment.
So, we leave money on the table. We don’t secure those game-changing opportunities. And, we keep sinking marketing dollars into campaigns that just eat away at our capital. Again, we’re not living up to our full potential, and that really needs to stop — like right away!
In the words of the Great Fire Marshall Bill, “Let me show you something…”
Clients
There is a major difference in what a client is and what constitutes as a customer in the business world. Clients come to us for help, whether they’re trying to launch a new product, need a customized solution or are looking for the best price on a service that we offer.
They want to know who we are. Some of them will blindly enter a business arrangement, based on what they think we can provide. Others are more apprehensive in where and how they spend each outgoing dollar in their immediate budget. And, what about those clients that aren’t necessarily the decision-makers? You know, the ones that are reporting back to a third-party executive or shareholder resource?
Some of our most difficult clients will ask for a resume. Some of our biggest spenders will ask for a resume. And, some of our most long-term and loyal clientele will begin a relationship just because of what was that resume, itself.
It’s one reason LinkedIn is gold and one way we become more approachable. In an instance, we are more humanlike. Yet, our journey tells the story of all we have accomplished and all that we can do.
Partnerships
All businesses — small and large — will benefit, at some point, by partnering with another business or non-profit organization. A smart business owner isn’t going to just partner with someone that they don’t know. A smart business owner doesn’t want to affiliate themselves with someone, who can cause damage to their business.
We want to know who we are dealing with, where they have been and what contributions they have made in the past. Scalability aside, we want to know is this a person of value, and can they actually bring something to the table?
No one wants to waste their time, and very often potential partners will ask for the resume of all key persons involved in a project. They want to optimize their workforce just as bad as they want to optimize their teams. And, to create a winning team, this often means shedding the deadweight.
Just because you have made a name for yourself, don’t assume the next person has heard of you. When a project is ready to move forward, you need to be ready, yourself. If not, someone else will be. In a dog eat dog world, competitors are lined up and ready to quickly take your place.
Investors
Executive Summary 101 — Include a resume for all key executives active within the project and/or company. Business plans require it.
Venture capitalists have nothing to gain by just giving away their fortunes. They want to know that they will see a return, how soon they should see it and feel secure in knowing that their investment will, indeed, come back to them — with profits attached.
If you’re not seeking an investor, cool. But will your company try to secure a business-related loan in the near future? What if emergencies should arise, or an opportunity with no budget allotment?
Business is all about risk. But, don’t risk throwing away opportunities by not being prepared.
Opportunities
And, what about those opportunities?
Honestly, with opportunity comes growth. There are opportunities surrounding us every day. It’s just up to us to seize them.
Whether it’s an opportunity to work alongside a Big 4 or to enter a cross-promotional campaign with the largest production house in the country, we need to influence somebody. We need to impress somebody. And, we definitely need to appeal to the opportunity that’s placed before us in our individual journeys.
Right now, we’re just discussing the bigger picture. But, what about those significant milestones that set us apart from the business we’ve become synonymous with? What are we going to include in our “tell-all?” What will our followers most remember us for?
So often, executives engage in projects outside of their main career. They sit on boards and on committees. Some teach as an adjunct professor, others speak regularly amongst industry panels. The humanitarian will work alongside a non-profit, while a mogul will expand their empire — often by teaming up with other moguls in the business.
You might not be ready for this now, but what happens when you are? What if the perfect opportunity presents itself? Are you willing to sacrifice your dream, only because you needed a few days to create a half-assed resume from scratch? What if your workload becomes demanding?
Opportunity doesn’t wait. It only knocks and hopes that someone answers.
Press
Don’t let your marketing dollars go to waste. Frivolous spending will only lead to a deficit. Unnecessary expenses take away from the profits that could otherwise be generated. You are your company’s most key asset. People are our greatest investment. And, you hold the greatest value, while sitting on top of the corporate hierarchy.
No one remembers the guy in the blue shirt, sitting in the back of the mail room. Shoot, they won’t even remember the color shirt he wore a week from now. But, they will remember you.
You’re interesting. You have a story to tell. You hold all the keys to the kingdom.
We want to know about your past. We want to know about your accomplishments. And, we want to know how we can duplicate your journey.
There are so many writers and producers with all the right channels but no story to tell. They offer free press in exchange for twenty minutes of one-on-one time. They have dedicated audiences, full of consumers — ready to buy, traffic — ready to convert, and markets — continually expanding. They offer ongoing promotion, a portion of their web presence and backlinks that will easily serve in the optimization of your company’s site.
What good is marketing, anyways, if you’re not reaching out to the people and connecting with them intimately? Drive them to become loyalists. Convince them to trust. And, cultivate your relationships.
The media is our friend. So, get your resume ready and be ready to hit “send.”
Jessica N. Abraham writes about Business, Career Development and Technology. She is a professional resume writer with Resume.Academy and former owner of Shorty Produkshins, where she spent more than 15 years, dedicated to a life of Social Branding, Public Relations and Design Strategy.