Almost every week, a client tells me they need two resumes. Almost every week, I talk them out of it.
“What? You could double your money! Why would you do such a thing if they think they need two resumes and are willing to pay for them?”
Because I would be selling them something they don’t need and isn’t in their best interest.
Usually, if you want two resumes, it is because you haven’t narrowed your target enough. We think that if we make the target bigger, we will have a better chance of hitting it. That may be true in archery, but it doesn’t work well in the job hunt.
The more apt analogy is painting a wall. A gallon of paint won’t cover a whole house. No matter how hard you roll, the old color will show through. Aiming at every job in the world doesn’t guarantee that you will hit one. It just guarantees a lot of unnecessary work.
If you have two resumes, you’re probably going to apply for two types of jobs at the same time. You will be researching two types of companies at the same time, staying up to the minute on two positions at the same time, preparing for two types of interviews at the same time, possibly even learning the language of two industries at the same time. It’s too much. You are spreading yourself too thin.
Prioritizing your search and focusing your attention on one type of position at a time gives you a much better chance at success, particularly if you are following the best practices of job search and NOT applying for every position that shows up on the job sites.
Write one resume. Give one job search your best shot. If it doesn’t work, the second type of position is your Plan B. This is the time for the second resume. Before this, you may never have needed it.
If you are ready to stop spreading your paint too thin, if you are ready to focus on the one thing you want to do next, contact me.
