Powerful Career Writing Gets Results

"The art of communication is the language of leadership." - James Humes

The ability to communicate well is a clear differentiator in executives' job search and career success. Adapt these six steps to see your written communication skills soar and your “career capital” climb.

Dig to differentiate: Dig deep to discover the talents and accomplishments that define you. Wow your reader with your past and your potential!

Distinguish to create attraction: Leverage your differentiation (your personal brand). Answer the question “Why should I hire you rather than another candidate?”

Dollarize value: Prove that you can create profit, cut expenses, increase efficiency, motivate excellence, deliver new systems, or do many other tasks that impact profitability or revenue generation.

Deliver a picture of potential: Take your differentiation and dollarization components and put them together to create a “picture of potential” to demonstrate that you can do similar great things for the decision-maker’s company or organization.

Doodle to develop delivery devices: Play with ideas for formatting and messaging career communications. Question yourself: “Is the format delivering my message in the most compelling way possible? Is the document inviting and easy to read?”

Dynamite what doesn’t work: Mark Twain said, “I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” Take the time to edit and dump what doesn’t work. A near-obsessive attention to detail makes the difference between mediocre and magnificent communication.