Goin’ for a Walk

Walking or standing, someone else’s shoes can be revealing

There is an old phrase about walking a mile in someone else’s shoes. (There was also a song in the late ‘60s by Joe South.) Believe it or not, this is sage advice for today’s job seeker.

Of course we’re not talking about literal footwear. Our perspective concerns putting yourself in someone else’s shoes as an excellent strategy when approaching your job search however.

For instance, when you’re writing your resume, be sure to avoid listing acronyms. Those letter combos may be quite familiar in your past job, but on the outside – unless they are very familiar, such as IBM, FBI, or GE – they may leave recruiters or hiring managers scratching their heads.

This is especially true for professional societies or clubs and organizations. You can’t assume that those abbreviations will resonate with everyone who sees your resume. Spelling out the names will ensure that the guesswork is taken out of the equation. There is one minor exception: You need only spell out the complete name at the first mention. For subsequent mentions, the acronym should be acceptable.

The same holds true for company names. Within its industry, everyone may know who ABC Manufacturing is and what it does, but you can’t take for granted that the person reading your resume will know. While it’s not necessary to include a company tagline, mission or vision statement, some frame of reference will aid the person on the other side of the desk. A short description of the company should be in order: a Midwest manufacturer of widgets with $500 million in annual sales.

Last, but not least, your job title also may not register with everyone, or it may be so vague to be almost meaningless. “Supply chain” and “business development” are common examples. You really can’t expect a hiring manager to understand those monikers without some explanation.

The easy rule of thumb – as the song alludes – is to put yourself in the other person’s shoes and don’t assume that what’s familiar to you is commonplace to everyone else.

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