Time to Buy Some Seeds
It’s spring, and it’s time to plant.
So right now I want you to call your local print shop, and order some seeds.
“Wait,” I can hear you say. “Shouldn’t I be going to a garden store for that?”
No, I mean the print shop, because the seeds you’re buying are made of card stock and have your name on them — they’re business cards.
These are the seeds of your career management program. Each business card could grow a new opportunity. So look at your seeds. Get better ones if you have to, and be mindful where you plant them. You never know what might grow!
Don’t Write Your Resume
I love to write — I’ll let you decide whether you think I’m any good at it — but either way I enjoy doing it. I also read a lot of resumes of people who also share that passion. Too bad.
Writing resumes is not about writing. It’s about reading. Not your reading — your prospective employer’s.
How long does the average employer give to a “first-read” of a resume? My un-scientific guess is about 15 seconds. In that 15 seconds, will that employer stay focused on a well-written paragraph describing your last job and all your successes? No.
In your resume, focus on bulleted points.
Under the name of the place where you worked, the dates you worked there, and a two sentence (at most) description of your responsibilities, create a bullet for each of your achievements on the job. Quantify each achievement. For example:
- Raised $1,500,000 in six months from individuals and corporate partners.
Be assured, simple, quantified bullets will get your next employer’s attention and could get you the interview. Save your writing for your cover letter.
On the Hunt
I have friends who like to hunt. For some it is an active sport. They’re out moving all the time, flushing out the game. Others just park themselves in a tree stand and wait for something to come by.
Even if you see hunting as a “blood sport,” my guess is that how you approach your development job is what kind of hunter you would be. Are you sophisticated — would your prospect benefit from a lead trust? — or do you take the simple path — just ask for the big gift now? Do you scatter a lot of bait, like a direct mail campaign, or put all your effort into a single, well thought out snare, like a foundation proposal?
How does this reflect on your career? Do you sit in the tree stand waiting for the perfect job to pass by (it’s easy to fall asleep on a nice warm day — when things are easy at work) or are you working with your dogs — your network — with a “nose for a job” ready to point out the best opportunities?
