Philosophy

1 - Resumes Are Marketing

Let’s get one thing clear - when you are looking for a job, you're marketing yourself. You’re no different than a company trying to get customers. Your customers are potential employers and your first goal is an interview.

Thinking about this as just a resume exercise is too shallow. You should be developing brand awareness for yourself using multiple means: blogs, web sites, social networks, networking events, etc.

2 - The Game Has Changed

Marketing has changed. Marketing guru Seth Godin knows this well.

Interruption advertising (like your resume) is a difficult game these days. People are becoming more savvy at ignoring ads:

Spam meet spam blocker

TV commercials skipped by TiVo, DVR’s

Radio ads avoided by satellite radio, ipod, station change

Web banner ads easily overlooked

The old methods of advertising aren’t working. Neither is mass e-mailing your boring resume.

3 - How To Get Noticed

There are two ways to get noticed:

1. Create something of enormous value (you are the best hire ever)

2. Be bold (do something totally different)

The first is hard to quantify in a resume. It’s what everybody tries to do. I can spot bold and different pretty quick.

4 - The Word "Busy" Is In Business.

Guess what? Business people are busy. They don’t have time for you or to look at your resume. Even worse, the ones looking to hire you are the busiest of all, which is why they’re hiring.

Every essence of your resume needs to take this busy factor into account.