"Doug," Andrea says, "Look at my Resume! Check it out for me! Something must be wrong with it - I'm just not getting consulting engagements! Look - I spend days of calling, calling, calling, getting in to meet with the CEO; then I sit with him in his office, talk about my work, present my Resume - and the next call I get is from his HR department, asking me to come in to schedule my physical for a permanent job!"

Then she goes on some more:

"But, I don't want a permanent job with this firm - I want a consulting engagement. What am I doing wrong?"

Just what is Andrea doing wrong with her Resume, anyway?

Let's see:

• Umm….should she have her Resume printed on really expensive linen foolscap?
• Perhaps have it hand-lettered by an Irish monk in old Donagal?
• I know! What about hiring a skywriter to display it 5,000' over the CEO's parking lot while you are coming back from buying his lunch at Chez le Boueff?

Or how about this!

• See - you have the Resume reduced in size and printed on a piece of really thin paper - then you fold it up real tight, and stuff it into an empty walnut shell. Then, you put the walnut shell into an expensive mahogany box along with a silver nutcracker, gift wrap it in gold paper, and FedEx it to the CEO, along with a cryptic note that says:
  
  DEAR MR. JONES:
  THEY SAY YOU'RE A TOUGH NUT TO CRACK!
  SINCERELY,
  ANDREA SMITH

Actually, none of these are going to be the solution, and there is nothing wrong with Andrea's Resume. What's wrong is,
Andrea is using a job-getting tool in a futile attempt to sell a specialized consulting product!

Don't use a Resume to sell a consulting service! Use a brochure to sell a consulting product!

What did you expect! Andrea walks into the Prospect's office with her Resume, just like all job seekers! Can you blame the CEO for seeing her as "just another wannabe-employee? Or worse - a "Temp"?

Andrea - sit down and pick a menu of the services that you can perform for a Client.
Next - design a single-fold brochure in three or four colors, that promotes exactly that service - on a standalone basis.

You do the words, but have a graphic artist do the layout for you.
Take the layout to the printer and have a couple of thousand printed up.
(Use the extras for direct mail).

Next time you get an appointment with a CEO - go sell your PRODUCT using your brochure - instead of selling yourself with a Resume!

Now, Andrea - go make money!

Doug Kenney

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