Author: John J. Rindy, MPH
So, how important is it to reflect “initiative” in your resume, in your cover letter, in your job interview and in your daily work? Highly critical. Generally speaking, employers are not looking for employees who need to be told what to do for 8 to 12 hours a day. Remember the “to-do” list that mom left on the refrigerator during those long summer months back in middle school and high school? Well, most managers simply do not have time to make to-do lists for their employees. Sure we have project plans and division of duties in most organizations, but to-do lists? I think not.
Let’s start with the resume and cover letter. What is the purpose of a resume? You will see that I ask that question over and over on this blog. Most people either say “To get a job”, (incorrect) or “To feature my skills and knowledge”, (partially correct). With the latter response I usually ask the question “Why do you want to feature your skills and knowledge?” Inevitably we reach the reply that I am seeking “So that I get the interview.” Eureka! Right! During a search for employment, a resume and cover letter should be mainly crafted for one purpose, to earn an interview.
With the previous paragraph in mind, should your cover letter and resume reflect that you take orders well or carry out written lists of tasks with efficiency? Perhaps with some jobs, but put yourself in the role of a manager who oversees 10 to 15 employees. Would you prefer to make a list of “things to do today” for all 15, every morning, or would you prefer they have the get-up-and-go to arrive at work, explore what needs to be accomplished and get to it? Again, there may be instances or certain projects where monitoring the tasks of individual employees might be warranted, but generally speaking, managers and directors would prefer to serve a work team that displays initiative – doing things without being asked.
So, where are some places in your past work and volunteer history where you might have displayed initiative? Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
- Did you ever grow tired of a process and help to change it?
- Have you worked to help pick up the slack for someone who was overwhelmed?
- Knowing that important visitors would visit your office, did you lead an effort to make the space look professional?
- Did you notice something in your community that needed set straight and work on a team to fix the problem?
- While assembling a report, did you ever add extra data and explanations just to help out the intended audience?
- Did you ever market your company, institution, its products or services, when marketing and sales was not a part of your job?
- Instead of saying “Here, let me do that.” did you ever take the time to show someone how to do something according to procedure so that they would do it correctly in the future?
- When engaging newcomers to your building or campus, did you show them to their destination or always give directions?
- Have you offered to give presentations or share your knowledge with your work team, all without being asked?
- Do you say “Yes.” to a lot of things and sometimes feel overworked? My guess is that you have shown initiative.
If you weave these into your cover letter, remember that a cover letter should not repeat everything that is going to appear in the resume. A traditional cover letter has a short introductory paragraph, a paragraph where you talk about your fit with the organization (which means that you need to first research the organization), a paragraph where you talk about your fit for the job itself and a rather short closing paragraph. Paragraph 3 (why you are a good fit for the job) might be one of the best places to express your initiative. Look at the job description. What are they looking for? Can you think of a time you displayed initiative that answers to one of the sentences or bullet points in the job? Voila!
Now let’s look at the resume. Whether you use bullet points or short paragraphs to describe your past growth, learning and range of abilities, be sure to weave in lots of action verbs (avoid using the same ones over and over). Some examples of action verbs that can lead-off sentences or bullet points about your initiative might include: established, customized, originated, promoted, projected, aided, prevented, rearranged, revamped, upgraded and volunteered. Here is a link to an extensive list of action verbs to be used in cover letters and resumes.
How about during interviews? Well, let’s first hearken back to the resume. Remember first that a resume is not intended to tell all of the “stuff” that you have done in your career. It is intended to reveal the “best stuff” so that you are given a shot at an interview. Leave out everything else, and then use it in the interview as extra examples of your initiative, your adaptability, your written and verbal communication skills, your work ethic etc. Be careful about how you express initiative in the interview. Two to three strong, well-expressed examples are probably enough for each person or group who interviews you. Add too many, and you might come off sounding like a bragger or as if you were the single source of all good ideas and initiative at your former or present place of employment.
Finally, let’s not forget that you must continue your initiative. I am just not convinced that a high percentage pf people are fully committed to their work and their employer in terms of their daily 8 to 12 hours (or more). You, dear reader might very well be in that percentage who are fully committed, and if you are, you probably know of whom I speak; “get in, do the minimum required and get out”. Not much initiative there. The problem with these folks is two-fold as far as I see it. First, they are not creating new examples of initiative that they can refer to in future cover letters, resumes and interviews, which means they are probably going to be around for a while. Secondly and more importantly, their dedication is shallow and if you get enough of these folks on the team, it lowers everyone elses propensity to do good work and to take initiative – “if no one else cares, then I do not care.”
So keep up the good work and the hard work. Document examples of where you have taken initiative. Look for places where you can affect positive change without being asked (and without accidentally stepping in it, of course).
It’s your future! Take charge!