SDS 052: Getting things done

Today I’m going to share a quick tip for your resume. When I was working at Deloitte, or in the industry, of course I had to maintain a very up-to-date resume with all my experience and I went through lots of different variations to understand what works best and how to structure it, how to format it, how many pages, what experience to describe, how to describe it, what words do you use, lots and lots of stuff. I actually at one point had two resumes, one was a shorter version that I would send recruiters, and then I had a longer version. So the short version was like one page, and then the long version was like four pages with all my experience.

So I went through a lot of iteration and testing, but the one thing that I found that I really want to share with you, that makes a huge difference for employers, is this one phrase that I used in my resume, or when I came to interviews, one thing that I would really focus on and that I would make sure to convey to the recruiter. And that thing is simply getting things done. So I would specifically say at the very top of my resume, in the summary somewhere, or in the “Skills” section, I would answer the question, what do I think is my biggest skill that I will bring to the job. And it’s not Python. And it’s not Tableau or “ability to communicate well” or other things that might come to mind, or that I’m a critical thinker, like a lot of people put on their resumes. By the way, be careful of those templates. Those really stand out, like “critical thinker”, everybody has that on their resumes. It’s something you shouldn’t probably have. You don’t want to be like the crowd. You don’t want to have a templated resume.

But one thing that I would make sure to convey at the very top is to say that my most powerful skill, the biggest advantage that I bring to the table, that I will bring to your company, is the fact that I’m a person who gets things done. And it’s very important to understand the essence behind this. And actually running my own business now, and being a person who looks at resumes, and works with people, I can see the other side of things. I can see why that is such an important skill.

People in businesses, they solve problems. Businesses solve problems. They constantly evolve, there is constant business development, there’s things that need to be done, things that need to be taken care of. And as much as ideas are important, and as much as ideas are valuable and people who can come up with ideas, they’re fantastic, they’re great, at the end of the day, if you have a good idea but you don’t get it done, what’s the point of that idea? There are so many businesses, you can’t imagine how many businesses there are, how many startups start in the US, or in the world, that never actually come to fruition. That never actually see light of day. And the sole reason for that, for a lot of them, is that there was not a person in place who was able to get things done and carry out the mission and the goal, the purpose of the startup. And the startups that you hear about, the big ones, like Facebook, Twitter, and so on, they just had the perseverance, they had the right people in place to get things done. There are so many startups that could’ve changed the world, they just never lifted off, just because there wasn’t a person who could get things done.

And that being said, having an idea is important, that’s where all things start. But then getting things done is the main part that actually turns things, turns ideas, into reality. And that’s why it’s very important to convey to the person that is hiring you that you — and also ensure that this is the case, that you are a person who gets things done, who is reliable, who, if they give you a project, you will carry it out from start to finish and that everything will be spotless, everything will be shining, and that you will make sure to deliver on the tasks that you’ve been assigned.

And again, as a person who is actually now running a business, I can see how that’s very valuable. It’s incredibly valuable when you give somebody a task and they can just go away, get it done, come back to you, and you don’t have to worry about it. There’s one less headache that they have. So a very important skill to be able to convey, both in your resume and CV, and also in the interview process. There’s actually a book about this. I haven’t read it, I have the book. But as with many things, there’s just not enough time at this stage. I haven’t read it, but it’s actually called “Getting Things Done” by David Allen and the abbreviation is GTD. You might have heard it, or you might hear it somewhere, especially in circles of people who are very conscious about their productivity. So check it out, I’ve heard lots of great things about this book. If you want to work on how you get things done and increase your productivity, then this could be a great place to start.

And hopefully that was a great tip for your resume or CV, and if you’re looking for a job at the moment, or you’re open to opportunities, then I wish you the best of luck. I’m sure you will find what you’re looking for. And I look forward to seeing you next time. Until then, happy analyzing.