A number of years ago I had the honor of assisting in the design of a curriculum for a major business school. Our task was to assess what top companies are looking for, and then develop coursework and experiences to accelerate the knowledge, skills and abilities for our graduates and alumni. The goal? To become the first choice hires for blue chip companies. We were highly successful.

What I found most interesting was the critical factors hiring companies are looking for in top candidates, including mid-level management. In summary, there were three overriding themes:

• Acquire functional skills to help the hiring manager solve today’s issues
• Demonstrated potential for additional responsibilities in 2 to 5 years
• A team driven ability to work effectively with others while fitting into the culture

Taking a deeper dive into the research, the key attributes broke out into two segments:

Situational attributes – Within your function, you have:

• Mastered key skills; able to teach others; seek new approaches; work across functional lines
• Know our industry, products, services, customers, regulations and competitors
• Understand the global factors affecting our business and help change for the future
• Contribute beyond your functional area; sees and understands the larger picture

Personal attributes – Skills beyond your functon:

• Communications: Write and speak effectively; make presentations; influence decisions
• Teamwork: Work effectively within a team environment; lead a team and mentor others
• Leadership: Build partnerships; adapts and Improves; flexible; lead change for the better
• Analysis and problem solving: Anticipate issues; develop potential solutions; solve problems
• Strategic thinking: Think beyond the immediate job; influence and improve performance

So now ask yourself, “What can I do to design my resume and prepare for interviews that will leverage me as a finalist candidate? Here’s a checklist:

• Key on the position description of the open position. Make a list of the experiences and results you have achieved for each and every item. Make sure they are prominently displayed on your resume and concentrate on them during your interview
• Focus on your progressive growth in responsibilities, ability to mentor others, projects of teamwork and the mastery of the most important skill sets that the hiring manager needs
• Have case examples of how you problem-solved issues, improved performance and developed solutions that were outside-the-box of your responsibilities
• Be an effective communicator, using power words in your resume and speak with confidence, commitment and passion when interviewing

If you can’t meet at least 70% of the position description requirements or demonstrate competencies based on the lists above, then move on to another job opportunity. This one is beyond your grasp.

I’ll provide a FREE assessment of your resume. Send to: wkaufmann44@gmail.com

Help a colleague to find a new job? Refer them to: Mygreenerfuture1@gmail.com