You Are Not Like Everybody Else . . . Or Are You?

We are desperate to be different.  And rightly so.

Our ability to stand out in this busy world is a constant effort.  And the minute you silence your voice, even for a day, others can grab hold.  Has the potential to be a bit stressful.  An impossible task.

I’ve noticed it on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.  That on the days that I don’t share a thought or a new idea that the overall noise dramatically reduces.  And so does the growth of my personal brand.

I’m not saying we lose value.  If you are working hard and contributing in a positive way, all is not lost.

But . . .

Is that what we are all destined to become?  Constant creators of content and noise?  Because without that effort, we become less known to our network?

So in trying to differentiate our brand and to stay top of mind, there is some truth to the need for a regular presence.

But, even better, I think the following is true:

That it is the quality of our participation and the lasting value of our contributions that matter most.

And if you contribute something great to your network, that contribution will insulate you from a few days of silence.

As I write those words, they sound right.  But perhaps not so original.  I’m guessing that it is really just a reasonable and logical way to act in a crowded environment.

But now to apply it to some of you who are job seekers.  And those of us actively networking and managing our careers.

You say you want to be different.  You want hiring managers to see your abilities.  The obvious ones.  And the potential ones to do a wide variety of jobs outside of your historical experience.

So you say you want to be different.  But you are not.  At least not based on your resume, cover letter, elevator pitch or interview answers.

You are, in fact, just like everybody else.  And you are not getting the job offer.  Someone else is getting it.

So as much as you say you want to stand out.  It’s not working.  You want others to see something that only you know about.  That only you think about.  Because you haven’t displayed the quality and lasting value that hiring managers want to find.

Where am I getting this?  Making it up?  Actually it is a reaction I had today based on the last few years of reviewing resumes and talking with job seekers about their resume.

You tell me things that are really cool.  But your resumes and other marketing tools make you sound less interesting.  Because it is hard to market ourselves.  And most of us decide to go it alone.  No professional help.

But what I learned from my own self-marketing experience was that I was really bad at promoting myself.  Once I figured out how to scream my benefits in a compelling way, I started getting more attention.  And the tone of interviews changed.  The conversations became more progressive.  A lot of head nodding as I shared my relevant and tangible successes.

If you truly want to stand out and be seen as different from the slew of fellow applicants.  And I know you do.

Push yourself to develop words, phrases and stories that make hiring managers sit up in their chairs.

And realize that their job opening just got filled.

By you.

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