What can you learn from resumes and cover letters of middle managers?
If you consider yourself a mid-level manager, it would be in your best interest to examine the resumes and cover letters of managers in this section, even if they are not in your field. For example, resumes and cover letters in this section will help you learn the language to use if you're in a career change. They will help you see how to choose the most effective words to let employers know that you're relocating. You will gain valuable insights into people who are aggressively managing their careers, even if they are in a different field than you. For example, you will see a service station manager who is yearning to get out of management and back into the technical, hands-on activities he likes. You will see examples of managers who don't enjoy managing people and who want to restructure their career along the lines of consulting and training management.
What's different about mid-level managers?
What differentiates a junior manager from a mid-level manager? In general, a mid-level manager has learned more about himself or herself professionally, and the mid-level manager usually has more distinct preferences than junior managers. Many of the resumes for junior managers were written to help the junior manager "branch out" and "try new things." On the other hand, many of the resumes in this section were written for people who have worked long enough that they have gained some insights into what they want to do next-or what they definitely do not want to do. A mid-level manager has usually had experience in managing people and assets, and he knows if he likes it. The junior manager often has not been tested on as many different kinds of management soil. Sometimes the best way to advance in your career is to seek advancement within your own company, and mid-level managers know that; therefore, some of the resumes in this section are written for people who seek advancement with their current employer.
Mid-level managers aggressively manage their careers.
By the time a manager is at the middle management level, she usually has gained insights into what interests her and what she's good at. Making sure she places her-self in a job which truly interests her is a distinctive feature of the middle manager. So even if the mid-level manager is in a career change, she is usually quite targeted in her job preferences and career choices. The mid-level manager has a longer "won't do" list than the junior manager because the mid-level manager has usually "been there, done that," and experience has taught her whether or not she's good at it and whether or not she likes it. (You can be good at doing things which you don't enjoy, but that's no reason to keep doing them. It's very important to enjoy your work, and mid-level managers understand this concept.)
