Of course, we all want to stand apart from the competition when we apply for a job or assignment. However, there is no one unambiguous way to do that. With so much change in the work world and so much new technology going mainstream, we have to figure out how to present ourselves so that we are communicating: hire me, I am the best fit for your needs.
The first clue for that is in the tone and content of the help-wanted ad. We have to read that carefully, probably twice, including between the lines. Of course it will spell out some things such as whether to send a resume or not. In THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, there's an article about alternate ways employers and prospects for our business want us to present ourselves. Instead of the old-fashioned resume, it could be through a video we make of ourselves, what's in our social media, ranging from our blogs to our LinkedIn account, and the passion we transmit in the transmittal.
More often, they want both - the resume and all the rest, especially the enthusiasm for the mission, vision, and actual job tasks. The challenge is to be concise. A laundry list of credentials and accomplishments - that's boring and no one has time for it. What might help us to develop the art of brevity that packs a punch is the book "Made To Stick" by the Heath Brothers.
And way back in the 1970s, when "What Color Is Your Parachute" first came out, the reality was outed that the person who gets the job is not necessarily the best fit or the most talented. It's the person who's best at applying for jobs. The game is to speedread what's needed and then present that, no more and no less. With practice, most of us can get better at being the best presenter for the job or assignment.
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