Writing a Management Resume

mikester · 04:53 PM

Okay, there is a job in my company - a Director position that I am not qualified for but want to apply for. I am as qualified or close to the fellow who vacated the position...

I don't meet all of their wish list but I do have some respectable credentials from a technical standpoint.

I find it highly unlikely that they would put someone with only 3 years in a 'supervisory' role into a Director's position but it's not for me to turn me down - it's for them.

I run most of the projects for this particular part of the company, I'm considered an Engineer and do have some of the qualifications.

How do I turn my Engineering resume into a 'Management' resume?

charlesbahn · charlesbahn's Garage

Focus on projects that have been successful because of your leadership of others, give examples of how your interpersonal skills motivate others, describe how you are equipped to deal with difficult employees (and customers).

mikester · 02-25-2009, 04:58 PM

Nice, I like that. I can do that.

masraum · 02-25-2009, 05:23 PM

Also, give little details of your "wins", ie, came in $XX underbudget, finished before deadline, saved $XX, quantifiable benefits. Put your most relevant stuff at the top of the resume.

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

"Requirements" only REALLY matter to the first-round H.R. clowns whose only purpose in life is to round file resumes in order to justify their own existences. They're just looking for reasons to can 90% of what comes in.

If you can somehow circumvent those boneheads and get the ear of the people you'd actually be interviewing with and/or dealing with in the position, you should be able to show them you're qualified regardless of what the description says.

Easy to say, hard to do. That's where networking comes in. My best prospect right now is with a firm I was able to COMPLETELY bypass H.R. with because of a connection. I guarantee I'd NEVER have gotten an interview trying to go through "normal" channels.

You've got a 10X better chance (in my personal experiences) getting on board if you can go in through "backdoor" channels (no comment perverts) versus "front door" channels and all the H.R. crap.

dd74 · 02-25-2009, 05:39 PM

Your ability, skills, drive and desire to do the job have to be stated in the cover letter. If the cover letter is bad, no one's going to give two craps about the resume.

lendaddy · 02-25-2009, 05:46 PM

Blow the guy in charge.

stomachmonkey · 02-25-2009, 06:02 PM

How many "fans" do you have internally.

Sometimes it's not who you know, it's who knows you.

Put the word out that you are interested.

Had an opportunity to hire an old staff member at a new co.

CEO comes into my office and does her interview with him right there.

The guy blew it big time. He literally could not have done worse.

If he had interviewed with me like that the 1st time it would have lasted 5 minutes.

Next day CEO and I meet, she was like what the f? I agreed he gave a horrendous interview and if I did not already know what he was capable of I would not hire him based on it.

She says fine, if you say he's the guy then he's the guy, make him an offer.

jcunning · 02-25-2009, 06:53 PM

In my experience, the resume doesn't really matter.
What you need is a higher up sponser for you...

If you can get a fellow director or even a VP to give you the OK to the hiring person then you are in like flinn.

I've seen many unqualified people take much higher roles with very little experience when they have a backer.

Start calling the higher ups that you know and trust and let them know you want the job. If you don't have the sponser then you are just a piece of paper with very little chance.

Good luck!