Here is a secret most veterans don't know about the job hunt. When someone says, "Shoot me your resume," those are magic words. "Shoot me your resume" is not a pleasantry, unlike, "We should get together sometime." During military transition, "Shoot me your resume" is an incantation that makes the day of your job offer leap forward.
But only if you respond correctly.
As the transition master coach for Military.com's Veteran Employment Project, I can tell you that just sending any old resume to the person is not the right response. Do you really know what to do when someone says, "Shoot me your resume?" Take our quiz and find out.
Question: You reach out to a friend who works for a big local company. You have a warm chat. They are happy to hear from you but don't exactly have a job in mind. At the end of the call, they say, "Shoot me your resume." What do you do?
a) Shoot them a resume and expect to hear back by the end of the business day.
b) Roll your eyes. You have been through this before. You know this is just the polite way people blow you off in the corporate world.
c) Wait until you know exactly what you want to do in the corporate world so you can write a perfectly tailored corporate checklist resume. Which you never do. Then you feel guilty every time that contact pops up in your field.
d) Congratulate yourself for taking our free employment master class, "The Shoot Me Your Resume" Resume, so you already have exactly the resume and materials they need.
Answer: D. Be ready for your big chance by signing up for our free master class today.
So much of the job hunt is full of unwritten rules and secret handshakes. As a job hunter, you can beat your competition with your openness to new things. Hearing the magic words and knowing what to do next signals to the hiring manager, recruiter or friend the message that you are ready to work now.
Question: You decide to get that resume to your contact ASAP. Which resume do you send? After all, they do not have a specific job in mind for you.
a) Your one-page "Shoot Me" resume. The greatest hits version of your career.
b) Your two-page corporate resume that you used to apply the last time you saw a job at this company.
c) Your federal resume that you paid a professional resume writer to put together. It looks weird to you, but it must be the right thing since you paid for it.
d) Your master resume. It has every job you have ever done, along with every accomplishment since your senior year in high school. Something for everyone!
Answer: A. The friend or acquaintance in your network who asked for the resume is likely not a hiring manager. They don't have time to skim your resume, much less dig for buried treasure. Send them the one-page "Shoot Me" resume, so that all of the info they need is easy to find.
Question: You have your "Shoot Me" resume ready to go. Well done, you! Now how do you send it so it is most likely to lead to an invitation to interview with a hiring manager?
a) You copy and paste it into the email.
b) You send an email, saying: "Here is the resume you asked for. Please let me know if you need anything else from me."
c) You attach your "Shoot Me" resume to our exclusive bull's-eye email and send it.
d) You blow it off and write a nine-page master resume, because that is what they said to do at TAP, the Transition Assistance Program you had to take before you left the military.
Answer: C. Just writing the one-page "Shoot Me" resume is not quite enough. It can be better. Your friends and acquaintances don't really remember what you said you wanted to do, even though you told them three times. Use our exclusive "Bull's-eye" template to get your message out instantly. Sign up for our free "Shoot Me Resume" master class, and I will give you both templates for free.
Question: Your friend or acquaintance receives your email with your "Shoot Me" resume and your "Bull's-eye" email note. How do they react?
a) Impressed how quickly you responded, they run an eye over your visually elegant resume and easily find what your specialty is.
b) Flush with gratitude that you provided them with a direction, they take a minute and think of who they might know that you should talk to next.
c) Seeing that you worked with a certain kind of ship, aircraft or weapon their company builds, they forward your info note to a friend immediately.
d) The next week when a job pops up on their company website, they message you that you would be a good fit and send you the link.
e) All of the above.
Answer: E. People in your network really want to help you find a job. After all, someone helped them back in the day. Getting the right materials together for every situation helps move your job hunt forward. Sometimes you need the undeniable federal resume. Sometimes a checklist resume is the way to go.
When someone says, "Shoot me your resume" or, "Send me your resume," or "Do you have a resume?" be sure to have the right document available so you can respond right away. Get the right answer now by signing up for our newest free employment master class, "The Shoot Me Your Resume" Resume, today.
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