Would you pay someone to teach you how to skydive if they've never jumped out of a plane before?
Ok, jumping out of a plane is a bit extreme but here's my story.
Recently I needed someone to power wash and stain my deck. I'd attempted to do it myself a few years ago and decided it wasn't worth the time and frustration, so I decided to hire someone to do the job.
I did an "Ok" job, but clearly I could have had a better result if I'd paid a professional to do it for me. Also, the opportunity cost was huge as I'd lost about a week of total time that I could have focused on other higher priority things that needed my time and attention.
So, where did I find someone qualified? If you guessed "online" you're on the same track.
I went to a contracting online service directory called Angie's List and was able to find an A+ rated contractor within minutes, but what converted me to this particular contractor wasn't only the A+ rating, it was the quality of work that they did by the photos and testimonials on their website.
And this idea of converting your prospects into customers, or your job interviews into "getting the job", is clear...
You must prove to your audience that you know what you're doing.
In this post, I wanted to share with you something that I've personally experienced this year since I started working again.
Traditional resumes are a thing of the past.
Not quite completely dead, but I think resumes serve a different purpose as a secondary tool rather than the driving force behind displaying your qualification for a particular job role.
Maybe you've noticed the online shift to personal branding, and there's a good reason why.
Watch the video here:
Why are traditional resumes a thing of the past?
Normally, you have a resume that’s a Word document or a PDF document. You fill it out, and you do the best you can to highlight your skills and the results that you've provided to a business or company. So, it's like marketing. You’re marketing yourself, right?But the thing is, those forms and formats of resumes are a dime a dozen.
Everybody, who’s looking for a job, has a PDF resume. Everybody has a Word document of their resume. So, how do you set yourself apart from everyone else who’s applying for a job?
It's not by sending another resume or tailoring a resume specific to a job posting and cold submitting it to a recruitment website. It's has to be much deeper than that.
What should you have instead of resumes?
You have to be building relationships. Building relationships with people who are in your industry or in your space, and you only can do that by being both active on and offline.
If you're shy in social media, get over that shyness. If you don't have a website (and this is probably the most important take away that I’ve learned), well then, you need to get one, right now. You need to build a personal brand to showcase and highlight the skills that you have to offer for that potential position that you're looking for.
If you look online, there's a million different website providers that you can sign up with for free. There’s Blogger.com, WordPress.com, Squarespace.com, and lot of other different platforms. You don’t have to be a tech genius to set up a website for yourself.
How does having a website help you get the job that you want?
Having your own website is like an extension of your resume. It's breathing and living online at all times. Anyone can look at it, so then, your potential employers or clients can see what you're all about. It's going to help them in their decision-making process. If you’re looking to get interviewed by a potential new company, you have a website out there to market yourself.
People can browse your content, can look at what you know, and basically, what you're about. They can have that idea in their head whether or not you’re the right fit. Even before you walk into that interview or you get on that phone interview, chances are, they’ve seen your website, and there’s also a really good chance that the reason they’re asking you to come in is because they have a good feeling about you. So, by sharing yourself and your personality, it's going to help you in that process and in getting that job.
If you are looking to set yourself apart in your industry or in your company, then start getting outside your comfort zone and letting people know what you do, even if it's just in your office or in your team. Be more vocal about it because you are your best marketer when it comes to getting a new job position.
I hope these tips help you in your career journey.
If you have any questions or would like to share your thoughts, leave them in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you! 🙂
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