Resume Do’s and Don’ts for Executives with Start Up Woes
If you are like many senior level executives who have demonstrated their risk tolerance by joining a start-up company, you may find that your resume has a few not so glamorous gaps that need to be explained. While failure rates vary, there is no getting around the fact that start-ups are filled with rocky terrain that can sometimes cause a career landslide.
Being perceived by recruiters and hiring managers as a chronic job hopper can be the kiss of death, particularly in an economically competitive landscape. Often, the failure of a start up or two is something that you can do little about, but it can still make you look bad. So what is an executive to do?
Positioning is Everything
I believe this may be one of the reasons why so many professionals prefer to use professional resume writers. Executives understand that strategic and qualified writers will place information into a format that draws attention away from the unsightly bulge of a few short job stints while showcasing the finesse of a well-rounded and successful career.
Many professional writers have a business background; others have spent time in HR or as recruiters. Regardless of where a writer hails from, they understand how hiring managers think. Many, like me, have been a hiring manager, and also have a business and HR background.
Here are a few tips to help minimize the damage a short stint at a start-up can cause:
Minimize Your Focus on Dates of Employment
- Many people put the month and year of their employment on the resume. There is no need to do this. It is perfectly acceptable to use the year to year. This will downplay gaps. Of course, if asked about specifics, (which will likely come up during the application process) you will provide the details.
- Since the resume is a foot in the door, it makes sense to put your best foot forward. Once you have made that all-important positive impression, you can get into more about your reasons for joining certain companies. Remember, less is sometimes more. You don’t have to provide a full-blown explanation.
- Do not bold dates of employment. You can also place dates next to the city and state in parentheses to avoid drawing attention. For example:
ABC Company, New York, NY (1998-1999)
- Do not remove the dates completely from your resume. This is a red flag to potential employers that will get you nowhere. Naturally people will want to see when you worked at a company. A resume without dates begs a lot of questions. This will land your resume in the circular file.
- Add a Career Highlights section in the top 1/3 of your resume. A hybrid format providing details about your accomplishments will serve to “sell” the hiring manager on your value before he ever views your chronological information. If you have done a good job of promoting your attributes, by the time he gets to the actual dates, a job jump or two will seem less significant.
Use Your Cover Letter to Help You Tell Your Story
- While you don’t want to create a full-length dissertation, you can include a sentence or two about the circumstances surrounding the start-up situations. If the second round of funding was not obtained despite the company having generated an incredible pipeline, say so.
- It is all in the wording. Make your letter simple and to the point with verbiage that gets your message across in a way that says that says “I am a success even if the start-up ventures were not.”
Improve Your Personal Brand
Decrease the focus on your most brief career moves by soliciting glowing referrals and focus on improving your professional brand. Asking for recommendations from superiors, colleagues, subordinates, and vendors, will help you bolster your reputation, adding to your credibility.
Thomas Edison is said to have failed more than a thousand times before he finally invented the working light bulb!
What a great post! I search alot about resumes and am relieved I found this. Thanks!