Project – Resume and Cover Letter Development for a
Chief Information/Technology Officer
BEFORE • AFTER
Client Scenario & Strategy: Thomas Scherer had progressed to an executive-level IT position after a 20-year career with primarily four employers.
Although he felt his 9 year tenure with the last company had been beneficial for his career, the company had shifted direction in response to an activist investor. Consequently, he decided it was time to “test the waters” and explore other opportunities.
Existing Resume: Thomas did not have an existing resume, but he provided a list of career highlights used as the foundation for a lengthy telephone interview with Colleen. She asked specific questions to capture the unique qualities and contributions critical to his success, knowing she would translate those attributes into a “big picture” framework that conveyed the story of a high-performing leader.
Branding/Unique Skills: Thomas was multidisciplined in that he had a unique blend of both IT and finance experience as well as expertise in business-technology integration that had positioned him as a strong driver of end-to-end business transformation rather than limiting him to IT change management only.
Development Strategy: Colleen’s objective for Thomas’ resume was to position him for C-level opportunities by demonstrating the tremendous impact he’d made to the growth of his last employer. She focused on his strategic vision in driving both business and technology goals to achieve 65% annual growth.
Colleen believed it important to stress Thomas’ achievements as a change leader that had restructured the IT organization and built a strong team, leading to restored credibility, streamlined operations, and cost reductions of $24 million.
Thomas’ new resume was stronger, more focused, and clearly conveyed his overall career, key strengths, and primary accomplishments. With a definitive “headline” and branding statement, a career profile full of “action” language, and a list of targeted keywords, Thomas’ new introduction made a more significant impact on the prospective employer.
Replacing the bland and brief listing in the original document, Thomas’ professional credentials (education, training, and affiliations) shine, underscoring the foundation of learning Thomas had acquired over the course of his career.
Results: During his five-month search, Thomas turned down an early offer as Senior Vice President of IT with a global technology company to accept a position as CIO with a mid-size – and rapidly growing – technology firm. Although he seriously considered the first offer, he ultimately remained true to his goal of a leadership position driving both business and technology decisions.
