Does Your Resume Translate?

Photo by Twitter: @jankolario on Unsplash

I spent some time in Belgium once, and it was an eye-opener! I was amazed at how many people spoke two, three, and even more than four languages. In Belgium, there are three official languages - Dutch, French, and German. I was in the French-speaking area of Brussels. Being new to the country, I tried walking around to get a sense of the culture and feel of how things worked. Initially, I approached people in the same manner that I would when I was in the United States. I'd walk up and offer a hearty "BONJOUR!" only to see startled looks. Eventually, I learned that for many French-speaking Belgians, a slight nod and a normal "bonjour" was enough to elicit an acknowledgment and possibly a smile. The more I tried learning the language, the better I seemed to maneuver the daily living. Today, whenever someone asks me for resume guidance, I often use that example to help paint the picture.

Every company has its own culture - it's own language, so to speak. I talk to so many of my peers in other companies, and they share their company-isms, those terms, acronyms, situations, and languages that are unique to them. These are manifestations of their culture having evolved over time. It can be ingrained in the company values, tied to a specific-company event, a favorite saying of one of the leaders, etc. The point is that they embody themselves in nearly every aspect of the company - in many cases, this includes job descriptions.

I want you to try something for me. Go to your favorite search engine type the words, "Sales Jobs." When I do it and click on the corresponding jobs, I see titles that include: Midwest Sales Rep, Territory Sales, Inside Sales Representative, Pharmaceutical Sales, Account Manager, Sales Specialist, Manager Sales, Sales Rep, Sales Supervisor, etc. You get the idea. Each company has its own title for what could be similar roles. In addition, if you were to go to the same site and type in the words, "Marketing Manager Jobs" and look at the section under "Responsibilities," you will find even more about the focus areas for the companies. Some of the phrases I found in my search included "customer-centric marketing," "innovative marketing solutions," "responsibly marketed," "curiosity is essential," etc. At each company, the titles and descriptions in them provide you with a clue as to the language of the company and what's important to them. I call this out because so many times when it comes to resume writing, we are focused on what's important to us.

I get it, some of what I'm saying might already seem like common sense. Most of you probably already write a different resume for each job and include a cover letter, but what I'm really talking about is using the vernacular of the company in your resume when you are applying to that site. A lot of us will use the same terms for a job and descriptions that our company uses and it's possible that it's similar to other companies. However there are cases where titles used in your company are not the same as other companies. If in your current or former company, they use the title "Territory Manager," but the same position in the company in which you are interested, uses the title "Strategic Account Manager” or “Account Manager"; you should use "Account Manager" in and throughout your resume (assuming it still accurately describes what you do/did). By doing so, you are portraying your resume in a manner that's easier for both the hiring manager and the recruiter to discern.  

Think about it, if I'm the hiring manager and I review your resume, and your title is different, I have to try to translate your experience or decide if it's even relevant. I may look at the title alone, and decide it's not relevant. But, if the title is the same or familiar to me, then I can look further at the qualifications, or I may even quickly surmise that the experience is relevant - one hurdle cleared! Furthermore, if I incorporate wording in my resume that includes the words that are important to the company e.g. "responsibly," "solutions-oriented," etc. in a way that honestly reflects my experience, I am allowing the manager and the recruiter to see that there are similarities in our cultures. I'm speaking their language, rather than forcing them to speak mine.  

I've shared this advice over the years and recently shared it with a friend who received a job offer a couple of months after submitting his resume. He thanked me for the perspective and has been happily in his role for some time. This is just one step that I suggest in what is a generally a multi-step process. I wrote last week that you could do everything correctly and still not get interviewed. The recruiting process has so many variables to it - what I've tried to do with others is to control the variables within your control, because so many are not. Through this, I hope that the perspectives offer you new insights and ways to accomplish your career goals.  

You certainly can get around in Belgium, speaking only English. However, you should realize that in many places, you won't be fully understood. Taking the time up front to learn a few keys words and phrases of the country goes a long way towards achieving your goals. Your resume is no different. Good luck!

Votre coach de carrière,

Ha-Keem