Resume, Branding & Job Search Strategies Flashcards

A client is applying to a startup versus a Fortune 500 company. How should a career coach advise adjusting the resume?

Answer: Emphasize entrepreneurial spirit, versatility, and direct impact for the startup; stress process, scale, and team leadership for the Fortune 500

Cultural context matters — startups value agility and ownership of results, while large companies often value process management and cross-functional leadership.

What does it mean to 'activate' a LinkedIn network during a job search?

Answer: Proactively engage connections through messages, comments, and requests for informational meetings rather than passively waiting

Activating a network means initiating meaningful engagement with existing contacts to surface leads, referrals, and insider information.

A client is struggling to identify their unique value proposition (UVP). Which coaching exercise would BEST help clarify it?

Answer: Ask the client to identify 3 peak professional accomplishments and extract common themes of strength and impact

Peak accomplishment analysis reveals repeating patterns of strength, passion, and impact that form the authentic core of a personal brand.

What is a 'T-letter' (T-format cover letter) and when is it most effective?

Answer: A two-column cover letter that aligns job requirements on the left with matching qualifications on the right

The T-letter format visually maps employer requirements to candidate qualifications side by side, making fit immediately obvious to screeners.

Which of the following best illustrates 'targeted job searching' as opposed to 'spray and pray' applications?

Answer: Identifying 20–30 target companies, researching their needs, and applying with customized materials and a warm referral where possible

Targeted searching prioritizes quality and fit, using research and relationship-building to increase conversion rates per application.

How should a career coach advise a client to handle salary history requests on a job application when the client was underpaid in prior roles?

Answer: Omit or decline to provide salary history where legally permissible, and focus discussions on target salary based on market data

Many states prohibit employers from requiring salary history; where legal, clients may decline to share it and redirect to market-aligned salary expectations.

A client asks whether to include a photo on their US resume. What is the correct career coaching advice?

Answer: Include a photo only on digital portfolios and LinkedIn, not on a US resume

In the US, photos on resumes are not standard practice and can expose employers to unconscious bias claims, so they belong on LinkedIn rather than resumes.