Lose the Resume, Land the Job'? by Gary Burnison, Korn Ferry's CEO

 

-Best Selling Author Advises “Be a Learn-it-All”-

-Why People Need to “ACT” to Crack Their Career Code-

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 13, 2018 — Today’s job seekers maximize their networks on LinkedIn, contact their colleagues on social media, and send their resumes in hopes of landing a job. But they’re going about it all wrong—and for the wrong reasons. In his new book, Lose the Resume, Land the Job, Gary Burnison, CEO of Korn Ferry (NYSE: KFY), warns job seekers that failing to look inward first, before leaping outward, is a recipe for a passionless, purposeless career.

His advice? Know yourself first. Lead with your curiosity and become a “learn-it-all” at every level.

“Far too many people today can’t find the right path to landing their next job,” Burnison says. “They feel stuck – they’re in the wrong environment, the culture is not a fit, and they hate their boss. They can’t find a way forward to a job that not only is a better fit but that also motivates them with a sense of purpose.”

Burnison offers advice to professionals at every level – from recent college graduates to senior executives – not to rely too heavily on their resume. “People mistakenly think that polishing the resume accounts for 90% of getting the next job or promotion, when it’s only 10%. Building relationships and telling your story are far more impactful,” he adds.

And Burnison knows what he’s talking about. Korn Ferry places professionals in new roles every 3 minutes.

In “Lose the Resume, Land the Job,” Burnison offers unvarnished truth that no one — not spouses, partners, parents, mentors, or anyone else — will share about the right way to land the right job.

He lays out clearly defined steps that will help move beyond the resume and successfully advance careers:

1. Know Yourself – The First Step That Makes the Big Difference

Long before job seekers look “out there” for a job, they need to begin inward—with who they are and what they have to offer. The book includes assessments and practical tips to help people really understand what the right role would be.

2. Showcase Your “ACT”
During each part of the job seeking process and throughout their career, people need to understand how they ACT – an acronym that means being authentic, creating a connection, and giving bosses and colleagues a taste of who they are, what they do and the contributions they can make.

3. Target Your Next Opportunity
A job search without targeting will result in an awful lot of dead-ends because the fit-factor simply isn’t there. Even more alarming, job seekers could land a job or promotion for which they aren’t really suited or that isn’t a good culture fit for them. Burnison encourages readers to think of job targeting like a marketing plan—and they are the product.

4. Network Like It’s a Contact Sport
The truth is, networking is not about you—actually, it’s the opposite. Networking is about relationship-building, and relationships are two-way streets. Burnison says the best approach is to make networking a natural part of ongoing interactions with people, by focusing first on how you can help them.

Providing deep, expert insight into what actually will help land the perfect job, Lose the Resume is the definitive book for guiding job seekers on their journey.

The book complements Korn Ferry's newest offering for professional-level job seekers, KF Advance (www.KFAdvance.com). KF Advance offers online assessments, resume review, career coaching, and other services that leverage Korn Ferry's vast IP and more than 70 years of consulting expertise in leadership development to help people find opportunities and advance their careers.

Through KF Advance, job seekers find the expertise they need and the encouragement they desire to find the career path that will bring them more purpose and passion and elevate their performance.

About Korn Ferry

Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm. We help companies design their organization – the structure, the roles and responsibilities, as well as how they compensate, develop and motivate their people. As importantly, we help organizations select and hire the talent they need to execute their strategy. Our approximately 7,000 colleagues serve clients in more than 50 countries.

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