Extreme Halloween Resume Makeover: The Addams Family’s Cousin Itt
Do you ever think about fictional television characters from the 1960s and wonder, “How would he survive in today’s job market?”
Glad we’re not the only ones!
With Halloween hitting our calendars today, we set out to brand one of our favorite characters from the classic television series, “The Addams Family.” Cousin Itt and his kooky clan are more popular than ever, thanks to the newest iteration hitting theaters earlier this month. The lovable hairball is played by none other than Snoop Dogg, bringing Cousin Itt into the 21st century with a bark.
So let’s take a look at how our executive branding specialists at Resume Footprint might go about positioning Cousin Itt as a successful fashion executive looking for a new role in 2019.
Enjoy!
Download the full resume here: Cousin Itt Resume
Extreme Halloween Resume Makeover
Resume Design: Clean and modern featuring plenty of white space, this resume design gives Cousin Itt a format that speaks to his fashion-forward approach. Recruiters do not have time to dig through pages and pages of information. We hit them with the most critical components of any great fashion designer candidate: A personal statement, executive summary, professional experience, and education.
Non-monster branding note: For senior leaders looking to differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace, it’s highly important to consider your audience and their preferences versus your own. You may be tempted to share every past experience or achievement, but the art of knowing what to share – and where to share it – can make or break your chances of landing an interview.
Personal Statement: Not every resume should include a personal statement. In fact, our team of executive branding specialists rarely includes one, saving more personal information for cover letters or LinkedIn profiles. But given Cousin Itt’s industry, we felt it necessary to give recruiters, headhunters, and hiring managers a little taste of his value statement. Good luck not singing it aloud as you read.
Non-monster branding note: Take a few minutes this weekend to think through your personal statement. Do you clearly understand your personal value proposition and what you bring to the table professionally? If not, how are others supposed to derive it from your resume?
Meet the new Cousin Itt played by Snoop Dogg!
Professional Experience: Obviously, brushing over your professional experience – no pun intended – is one of the biggest mistakes you can make when creating a resume. This is where the meat of your past experiences, skills, and achievements live within the resume, so it’s critical to tell a succinct, yet powerful story here.
Non-monster branding note: For the sake of space, we kept Cousin Itt’s professional experience section pretty light. When detailing your past positions, it’s crucial to separate “tasks” from “achievements.” This way your reviewers can get a quick glance of what you feel to be your most important accomplishments within each role.
Executive Summary: A strong executive summary helps recruiters and hiring managers gain an immediate understanding of how you will fit into their company. We positioned Cousin Itt as a “Fashion-forward innovator respected in the industry.” We also added keywords we know will show up in ATS parsers, including “problem-solving” and “communicator.”
Non-monster branding note: Our executive branding specialists think outside the box when crafting custom executive summaries. You must find your unique voice, tone, and content for a strong executive summary if you want to stand apart.
Education: Cousin Itt’s educational activities are tongue-in-cheek, but they give recruiters a bit of color around his academic pursuits. We included them to help him land a new opportunity (after all, he’s been with the same brand for 55 years!).
Non-monster branding note: Ditch the details if you’ve been out of college for 10+ years. Recruiters do not need to know about your GPA, coursework, or sorority or fraternity affiliations once you’ve established yourself as a professional. Keep it simple and let your degree or university do the talking for you.
Ready to rebrand your resume? Give the ghouls and boys at Resume Footprint the opportunity to help get you market-ready. Check out our services and reach out today!