Summary

Hiring Managers need much more than just another warm body that can complete the tasks for a position. They need solutions to much broader problems. Being that solution not only finds you a way into the Hiring Manager’s heart, but also into the "yes" stack of resumes!

What Are You Worth?

Those of us who have asked that question probably answer to themselves that they are worth plenty. In today’s market, maybe a little less than they were worth two years ago, but still enough to live nicely and take a couple of vacations a year. Then why is it that when many of us apply for a job - one where the Hiring Manager promises us big bucks if we can describe why and how we are worth those big bucks - we respond with lame, boring resumes?

Your resume is your answer to the Hiring Manager’s challenge to Show Her What You’re Worth! And in the pile of resumes that the HM is going through - praying for one of them to save her from the gap in her team’s talent - most fall sadly short of putting a smile on her face. Why is it that when we think we are worth the world, we can’t prove it to the HM? I think we just don’t know how. We think of the HM’s problem in terms of "giving out a job," instead of "requiring a solution." There is a big difference!

Getting a Job

The HM’s profession requires her to give out jobs, but that is a secondary task; it is the last thing she does. The real ultimatum that management puts before the HM is to find Solutions. A good example of how giving out jobs and finding solutions might not go together is: a HM awards a job to a candidate who proves not to be able to do the job. She didn’t supply a solution for her team or the company; she just gave out a job - Every HM’s nightmare.

The overwhelming response to this HM’s challenge for a solution is a stack of resumes that are very similar, in that they faithfully list all the tasks that someone with that job would have to do, and which they have done. That makes the content of all these resumes frighteningly identical. Which means the HM either has 100 solutions, or she has none. Chances are, she has none.

Being the Solution

When you send a resume that is a list of tasks you can perform, you are, in effect, promising that you will be at your position so many hours a day, and execute the standard tasks that get this job done. This is pretty uninspiring, since in most of our jobs there is much more involved than the standard tasks. What about "putting out fires," or "addressing conflicts," or "making changes," or "innovating," or "pursuing excellence?" None of these are on the standard job-task list. They are on the Solution list!

The HM has a whole lot of resumes from people who believe they can do the tasks. If she is lucky, she also may have a few from those who can innovate, and be creative in their work, and make forward-thinking decisions…and can learn to do the daily tasks, if necessary. These are the qualities she is looking for in her new hire. Perhaps you have them, but are they represented on your resume? If not, you probably won’t be the solution.

Think like a Hiring Manager

Here is a list of questions to ask yourself about being the solution. They point to activities a HM would consider in assessing a candidate.

• Have I ever discovered a more efficient way of completing a task, and perhaps, bringing a product to a client early?

• Have I ever thought ahead on a project and discovered a probable danger my team was headed for, and worked on avoiding it with the team lead?

• Have I ever brought a tense, troubled client or co-worker disagreement to a successful, happy ending?

• Have I ever invited team collaboration on a task or project that would benefit from a surplus of ideas?

• Have I ever stood out as a leader and had complete support from my team?

• Have I ever designed - or contributed to the design - of a new model, for anything?

• Have I ever inspired a sales team to exceed all quotas?

• Have I ever found a means to capture the credibility, trust and loyalty of my customers?

• Have I ever provided the solution to a particularly sticky client problem?

• Have I ever encouraged a change that improved the employee quality of life in my department?

Once you get the hang of the list, and this way of thinking, write in your own questions; there are hundreds of possibilities. And there are plenty of ways to be the solution.