Meet Your Audience Where They Are
Kent R.
I recently wrote about the importance of writing your resume as if you are speaking to the least knowledgeable person (in your field) on a hiring panel. That post was all about how important it is to communicate your experience in lay terms so that any reader can quickly grasp your qualifications and achievements.
I was reminded of this post whenI worked with an information security professional who shared that he has avoided using the word "cyber" in his resume. When I asked why he would want to avoid a word that seems so common, he made a very good point. "What exactly is cyber and how do you protect it" he asked.
Point well taken, but we ultimately did include the word cyber, very strategically, on his resume. Here's why.
As he went on to point out, despite finding broad agreement among his peers that this term was pretty dumb, it is commonly used throughout the field. In fact, he was interested in a specific position where "cyber" was in the title.
When developing your resume, it is critical to use the words readers will expect to see and meet your audience where they are. Strategically use the terminology that they use so that you are understood and they can see the clear fit. Then, once you are in your new position, you can do the good work of educating people and driving a shift (if it matters that much to you).