As an experienced Animal Health recruiter and Veterinary recruiter, I’ve seen a lot of resumes. In fact, I’ve seen thousands of resumes, if not tens of thousands, but I saw something on a resume recently that I had not seen before. It was a question, and that question was, “What do I want?” That was how the resume started, and I believe that kind of question sets the wrong tone for the rest of the resume. And for the person’s candidacy, for that matter.
Instead of asking “What do I want?” Animal Health and Veterinary professionals should be asking this question instead: “What do I offer?” This is the one question you need to ask to grow your career more effectively. The reason is because the more that you can offer in the way of skills and experience, the more attractive you are to potential employers and the better your chances are of being hired.
By asking this question, you shift the focus from what you want to what the employer wants. When you do this, when you focus on what other people want, you stand a better chance of getting what YOU want. This is also referred to as “The Principle of Reciprocity.” It’s the best way to deal with other people, both in the workplace and also in the employment marketplace.
So when you submit your resume to a hiring manager or a recruiter, you need to brand yourself the right way. You should brand yourself as someone who provides value and solves problems. Do NOT brand yourself as someone who is only thinking about themselves and what they want.