Do NOT send an Extreme Guerrilla Resume to anyone in the human resources (aka "Hiring Resistance") department or anyone else but a person with the authority to hire you. Why?
Human resources types, administrative a.s.sistants, and other "gatekeepers" simply won"t know what to do with this style of resume-it breaks too many rules. While every company "claims" to want to hire bold, courageous leaders (that"s really just the president speaking), rank-and-file staff rarely want to hire people better than themselves.
To recap, your Extreme Guerrilla Resume has all the components of the Standard Guerrilla Resume, plus plus one or more of the following (the more you include, the more powerful your finished product will be): one or more of the following (the more you include, the more powerful your finished product will be): 1. Proof section (mandatory),2. Grabber statement at the top (optional), and3. Career driver section (optional).
Ready? Let"s start with the ... ...
Proof Section (Mandatory)
This part runs down the left-hand side of your paper, below your name. It should be about 1 inch wide and it will include third-party information to "prove" you are a candidate every sane employer would want for his or her team.
What goes in here? The 2 best things you can include are: 1. Logos Logos of past/current employers or clients. Doing so lets you piggyback on the value of company brand names. It"s called the of past/current employers or clients. Doing so lets you piggyback on the value of company brand names. It"s called the halo effect halo effect and it sets your resume apart. and it sets your resume apart.Essentially, you"re borrowing the credibility a.s.sociated with that company. The opposite is also true, so be careful how quickly you claim Enron as a customer, for example. You know who the most-respected companies in your industry are, so try to find a valid reason to insert their logo in your resume. You can often download logos from company web sites-that"s the easiest way to do it. Simply save them to your computer and insert them in your resume.
2. Quotes Quotes from people familiar with your work. These serve as mini-testimonials and are very powerful. You can get them from past/current managers, clients, suppliers, college professors, newspaper or magazine articles about you-anyone who"s seen you doing what you want to do in your target job. You can also lift quotes from personnel/annual reviews of letters of reference. from people familiar with your work. These serve as mini-testimonials and are very powerful. You can get them from past/current managers, clients, suppliers, college professors, newspaper or magazine articles about you-anyone who"s seen you doing what you want to do in your target job. You can also lift quotes from personnel/annual reviews of letters of reference. Obvious warning: Obvious warning: don"t ask anyone for a quote whom you don"t want to know about your job search. don"t ask anyone for a quote whom you don"t want to know about your job search.
GUERRILLA TIP.
If you need help setting up your page so that you can include this "proof" section, refer to the Extreme Guerrilla Resume Master Template in the downloadable Word file available at www.gm4jh.com. Open the Master Template and simply paste your quotes and/or logos down the left side of the doc.u.ment.
When it comes to quotes, you must must have written versions of any material that you quote from to back up your claims. Never, ever include a quote that you cannot verify in an e-mail, performance review, letter of recommendation, or other written format. have written versions of any material that you quote from to back up your claims. Never, ever include a quote that you cannot verify in an e-mail, performance review, letter of recommendation, or other written format.
Refer to the Extreme Guerrilla Resume example for Mark Smith, or the other examples in Appendix 2 to see how these logos and quotes can be used.
Grabber Statement (Optional)
This section at the top of your resume is supposed to-yes, you guessed it-grab a reader"s attention from the get-go and compel him or her to keep reading.
Your grabber can be a dictionary definition (rainmaker for a sales pro or for a sales pro or catalyst catalyst for a manager, for example) or a brief testimonial from someone familiar with your work. for a manager, for example) or a brief testimonial from someone familiar with your work.
Example: Mark Smith"s grabber from his Extreme Guerrilla Resume in Chapter 3 has this dictionary definition at the top:
rainmaker-One whose influence can initiate progress or ensure success
Did this get attention? You better believe it.
Was Mark able to back up this rather bold claim? You better believe it. And you had better be able to back up any claims you make, too, whether it"s in your Grabber section or elsewhere.
Here"s another example Grabber statement, from a sales operations manager who used his Extreme Guerrilla Resume to get hired:
Entel"echy-Becoming actual what was only potential.
And here"s the Grabber successfully used by a president/CEO:
catalyst-An agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action
Keep in mind that, unlike the Proof section, this Grabber section is optional. If you can come up with something that suits you and that you"re comfortable using, go for it. If not, leave it out. You won"t lose points with the employer for leaving it out. You will lose if it"s dorky!
Career Driver Section (Optional)
This third and final Extreme Guerrilla Resume component is also optional.
Your Career Driver Career Driver is an aggressively worded statement that comes right before your Experience section. It"s the part of your personality and skill set that literally drives your career forward. is an aggressively worded statement that comes right before your Experience section. It"s the part of your personality and skill set that literally drives your career forward.
Think of it like this: what one thing about you will make employers ecstatic about their decision to hire you? In other words, why should they hire you? The answer to that question is your Career Driver.
Here"s an example:
Career Driver Taking the surety of success, the pa.s.sion to succeed, and the deft handling of economic drivers to build great organizations.
Here"s another:
Career Driver Inspiring and leading teams to develop breakthrough products, which solve customer demands and have real commercial value in the global market.
It"s easier to show you how all these elements fit together than it is to describe it. So please take a moment now to view the example Extreme Guerrilla Resumes you"ll find in Appendix 2.
After you"ve reviewed the examples, decide which formats and wording are most attractive to you. Then, consider including those in your own Extreme Guerrilla Resume.
And, as we"ll explain in Chapter 8, be ready to bring a longer version of this resume to the job interview, if asked. Some managers or human resource types may ask to see more information to flesh out your Experience section, and this is a simple matter to provide, once you have the Extreme Resume framework in place.
As with the Standard Guerrilla Resume, if you need to send a resume to an employer today, refer to the resume examples in the downloadable Word file available through www.gm4jh.com. Pick one that appeals to you, customize it with your own information, and you have an "instant" Guerrilla Resume.
GRAPHICS THAT ADD PUNCH TO YOUR RESUME
Advertisers use their knowledge of human nature to evoke emotional responses from you like cool, sophisticated, comfortable, and secure-that"s what prompts your buying decision. You don"t buy a car because it"s made of metal and gla.s.s. You buy it because of the way it makes you feel. You can motivate a hiring manager to action through the clever use of 3 types of graphics: 1. Logos: Logos: The advertising industry knows all too well that a picture is worth a thousand words. Today we buy the value implied by our favorite brands, and employers do the same! Do you buy generic beer-clothes-cars? Not likely. Put your employer"s logo on your resume if the company has a good reputation. The advertising industry knows all too well that a picture is worth a thousand words. Today we buy the value implied by our favorite brands, and employers do the same! Do you buy generic beer-clothes-cars? Not likely. Put your employer"s logo on your resume if the company has a good reputation.2. Symbols: Symbols: One million dollars is less likely to be noticed than $1,000,000. Numbers and symbols jump off the page so use $, %, not dollars or percent. One million dollars is less likely to be noticed than $1,000,000. Numbers and symbols jump off the page so use $, %, not dollars or percent.3. Charts: Charts: A graph adds visual appeal and is ideal for demonstrating any type of quant.i.tative improvement. A graph adds visual appeal and is ideal for demonstrating any type of quant.i.tative improvement.
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* The purpose of graphics is to draw the reader"s attention and lend credibility.* They need to be in line with your accomplishments.* Use logos and product pictures sparingly.