Hello everybody. I’m John Self and today I’m going to talk about your resume, your value and how to make yourself stand out from all the other job seekers.

As I travel across the country I have a chance to talk to a lot of people who ask about the resume. When I tell them that the resume is the first job interview, they start nodding their heads. And when I tell them how important it is for them to connect their value and success with the needs of the client, they nod their heads. And then, when they begin the job search, they jump back into what they’ve always done which makes them look like every other candidate. They’re like lemmings over a cliff.

Here are three things you can do:

  1. Understand it’s not about you. If you keep that in the back of your mind throughout the search you’ll be much more successful. Who’s it about? It’s about the needs of the client. It’s a competitive marketplace. They can afford to be picky about who they choose. So you have to stand out if you want the job.
  2. You shouldn’t send the same resume for every job you pursue because that makes you like everybody else. Why do you want to do that?

You’ve got start connecting your experience with the needs of the client. So how do you do that without tearing up your resume every time? Well, simple. You use the career summary and put it at that top of your resume. Get rid of that endless list of all your strengths and capabilities, all the programs you know how to operate, all the things you know how to do. Believe me, the client could care less whether you’re proficient with Excel and Outlook. They want to know can you address their needs and if you can, point it out in the summary. Why? Because the first time anybody looks at your resume in a job search it’s probably going to get 15-20 seconds of airtime. So hit it off right at the top of the page. Make your pitch. Make an impact. Make it count. And don’t be like everybody else.

If you have other questions, write me at asktherecruiter@johngself.com.