I’m a firm believer that a job search is largely about sales and marketing. No matter what role you’re seeking, essentially the job search is about selling yourself and the value you can contribute to each prospective employer that you contact. And the employer also needs to sell you on the benefit of you working for them. But if you’re an active job seeker, you need to get their attention first. And your resume and cover letter are your advertisements that should be strategically designed to capture the attention of a hiring manager or recruiter and to showcase the benefits of having you in their business.

A lot of job seekers make the key mistake of focusing not on what they can contribute, but what they’ll get out of the deal if they’re hired. Of course, the package you get (salary, vacation time, benefits, incentives, etc.) is important, and there is a time to focus on that discussion. But first you need to show what the employer receives as a return on their investment in you.

You’ve probably heard the old expression “sell the sizzle, not the steak.” In other words: sell on benefit, not on features. One of the best examples of this that I’ve seen live and in person through the course of my career happened when I was a sales manager for a conference company in Tokyo. We were selling strategic business conferences, and they weren’t cheap. They certainly didn’t sell based on price alone. It was the benefit that guests received by attending - the current, relevant information from experts in the field, high-level networking, peer recognition, etc. Scott Ragsdale, now CEO of Naseba, was the sales director at that time, and on his blog he re-tells the story here:

Black Gucci Loafer

If you think about it, the average resume is filled with features. This is mostly in the form of rehashed job descriptions, tasks and responsibilities (especially that overused phrase “responsible for” …when I see that I feel like the job seeker is responsible for making me yawn).

To make your resume sell your sizzle, pack it with action (such as action verbs instead of passive verbs), focus on accomplishments, quantified with numbers wherever possible, and show how you went above and beyond the so-called job description. Then, in your cover letter, show your enthusiasm and how you intend to perform in your new role (another sales technique - “assume the sale,” or confidently assume that they have been waiting just for you). Spell out the benefits you have to offer and sell prospective employers on what they will get if they hire you (and you accept their offer), and you’ll automatically set yourself apart from the job seekers who don’t. This is not just for sales positions, either.

So are you, as a job seeker, an overpriced shoe or an exclusive, benefit-laden “must-have”?

Put another way, are you a generic round peg for the round hole of their job description? Or are you an overdelivering, one-of-a-kind superstar that will help them increase revenues, reduce costs, attract more (and better) clients, with a unique perspective that radiates success and desirability?

To your success,

David B. Wright
Author, Get A Job! Your Guide to Making Successful Career Moves
www.thegetajobbook.com