Okay, Pietrack has finally lost it! What do tattoos and breadcrumbs have to do with resume advice?

If you did a web search seeking resume advice, you would get pages of information about resume construction to format to length. So much of how a resume should be constructed is subjective or based on your industry, so I didn’t want to add to the noise. Instead, I wanted to give you two bits of resume advice that is unique: Tattoos and Breadcrumbs

Tattoos: Every job you take goes on your permanent record. It’s like getting a tattoo; there is no erasing it, which makes each job change a big decision. Now working with a recruiter, who has proven to be a fiduciary, can help you make that decision. But I wanted to propose another way.

Before you accept the role, put it on your resume and see what it looks like. Look at the progression of companies. Look at the progression of the titles. Would that resume tell the career narrative that you want? Is this move on-strategy? This is a tattoo, make sure if looks good!

Now if you’re considering multiple offers, do the same thing. Make a resume for each company and role, print them out and look at them side by side. Which tattoo do you want? Sometimes, the visual helps people make a good decision before they go to needle and ink.

Breadcrumbs: Did you know that writing your resume begins t he day you start with a new company? Every time you do something in that new company that is resume worthy, leave yourself a breadcrumb. On the first day of employment, send yourself an email from your work email to your personal email. Write, “Started with XYZ company on this date.” Then save that email in a separate folder in your personal email.  Throughout your tenure with that company, send yourself emails. These emails should not have proprietary information; the intent is to just trigger memories.

Here are some examples of what I mean:

• “Led a cross functional meeting today with _________.”
• “Won an award for our big project.”
• “Assisted the VP on a steering committee.”
• “Was the SME on a focus group.”
• “Was the conference lead for ______.”

Leaving yourself these breadcrumbs will help you construct your resume later, when your up for that big internal promotion or when the time comes to change companies. By sending yourself these emails, it will help you not have to rely on memory. These breadcrumbs will really help you maximize the strength of your resume, and by going over these emails, you will have these experiences top of mind to discuss in the interview.

I hope this resume advice, Tattoos and Breadcrumbs, was unique and brought you value. To see more helpful tips, please visit TMAC Direct’s YOUTUBE channel under Candidate Resources. As always, thanks for watching.

~Michael Pietrack

About the Author: Michael Pietrack is a leading executive recruiter in the Pharmaceutical Industry and arguably the top recruiter in the Medical Affairs space. His specific expertise is recruiting in Field Medical Affairs placing Medical Science Liaisons, and therefore, he has been dubbed “The MSL Recruiter” (www.TheMSLRecruiter.com).

What is TMAC Direct?: TMAC Direct is an executive search agency that serves the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industries. This boutique firm fills critical staffing needs on a retained, partially retained, or contingency basis. TMAC Direct is the direct-hire recruiting division of The Medical Affairs Company, commonly known as TMAC. Together TMAC and TMAC Direct, provide an unmatched staffing service in the Medical Technology arena, whether the hiring needs are on a permanent placement or outsourcing basis.