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Shift your resume from “This is who I am” to “This is what I bring to the table and how I can add
value to your efforts.”
Notice that this is all about using the same ingredients (education, jobs, etc.) and presenting them
with the employer as the focus. It may be interesting to your grandmother that you were employed as
an analyst at a small early stage firm, but unless she is hiring right now, you need to demonstrate how
your experience as an analyst at a small early stage firm will benefit your future employer! How you
present the information becomes as important as the information itself.
Your Resume Is Your Core Source Document
Beyond its popularity as the premier career search document, an effective resume defines your brand
and provides the foundation that you will leverage in all subsequent activities and forms of
communication. For that reason, your resume must be robust and adapted to current use. The message
developed within your resume must be consistent with and carried through to all subsequent forms of
communication.
Verbal (Oral) Resume
You may ask why we call your pitch the verbal or oral resume. (It is also known as an elevator pitch
or rocket pitch.) The simple answer is that it‟s another part of your integrated branding system. As
such, it should be designed to communicate orally what you have already compiled in written form
(albeit in a more concise format).
An effective verbal resume should be engaging and informative. It should not sound like you are
reading a shopping list or reporting your whereabouts to the police. It is essential to employ an
informal delivery method to communicate a highly structured message. Clearly, to be effective your
pitch needs to be delivered at a pace and in a tone consistent with your own style. Nonetheless, the
goal of the message is to advance your job search efforts and therefore it needs to be highly structured
with respect to the flow of information conveyed.
When should you use a verbal resume?
• Starting point in an interview.
• Networking opportunities.
• Accidental meeting with a prospective employer or key contact.
• Cold calls.
• Friends (yes, friends, and we will address this later).
Note that in any of these situations you could be asked, “So, MBA student, tell me about yourself.”
Consider the following possible responses: