Your Future Role Blind Spot

“I keep getting contacted by recruiters for a type of role that I don’t want.”

I was talking with a client who was frustrated that they had a different path in mind but were stymied in how to get there. They were successful in getting critical first conversations, but they weren’t getting the kind of first conversation they wanted.

In my coaching practice, I work with clients who want to alter their career trajectory. Sometimes they want to do something that’s radically different from what they did before. But often, the change is more nuanced, perhaps a move up rather than the lateral moves they made in the past or a meaningful change in their day-to-day responsibilities.

We look at their resume and that’s when we find it. They have a blind spot.

Following years of advice on how to write their resume, they’ve dutifully documented all their roles’ responsibilities and activities. Sometimes, they’ve gone the next very necessary step of documenting the results and achievements (which is what you should do on your resume).

Their blind spot is that they’re reading their resume with an eye to the past. They’re not “seeing” their future role.

Reading Your Own Resume

If you’re in job search mode, you should read your resume assuming the persona of someone who is interested in hiring for the job you’re looking for in the future. They care a lot less about the day-to-day of what you did before than you would think. They want you to connect the dots between the outcomes of your efforts and the new role you’re trying to land.

So, if your resume mentions a particular job activity, tool, or methodology more than once, your resume will be picked up for roles that use that activity, tool, or methodology.

It follows that if you don’t want to do that thing again or don’t want to be known for it, you should stop mentioning it so much.

Telling the Right Stories

This advice also applies to your networking and interview storytelling. The stories you tell during your job search should illustrate the skills, traits, and type of results that are desired in your future role.

I had another client who kept telling their favorite story about a tough project. On the surface, the story had elements that were desirable in the role they were trying to land – perseverance, willingness to be both a team player and step up to lead, and ingenuity. But it also showed their blind spot. They were wrapped up in a story that was from too far in the past, showing them in a very junior light. They were blind to why they weren’t landing more senior roles.

With my feedback and guidance on choosing a new way to highlight their skills, they ended up landing the role, and pay, they wanted.

Practical Tips

Here are a few things to keep in mind for your resume and interview stories:

1.      Remove or limit language about job duties or responsibilities that you don’t want for your future role.

2.      Include the results you achieved, not just what you did.

3.      Highlight skills, talents, and traits that are essential for the role you want.

As you prepare for your next move, ask for feedback on your resume and the stories you tell in answer to interview questions. This will help you find your blind spot so you can move past it to the role you want.