The "me too" Job Seeker

Are you a "me too" Job Seeker? You know, the job seeker who seems to be a carbon copy of the average job seeker. Or the job seeker who tries to match his skills to every single job he applies for - in effect, a shotgun approach. Well, the general rule of thumb is that general résumés generally get tossed. If you have not spent the time to figure out who you are and what you can do better than the average person, then pretty soon you'll just be the average job seeker. And the average job seeker is akin to the "me too" product you find at your local retail store.

Let me backup and explain the "me too" product and how it came to be. The "me too" product has always been around since mankind began making tools and crafts. It's the product that tries to imitate a quality, original, or innovative product but falls short everytime. You ever wonder where the expression "The Real McCoy" came from? Well, Elijah McCoy, the African-Canadian inventor educated in Scotland, made a successful machine for lubricating engines which spawned many copies, all inferior to the original. Be the "The Real McCoy"! The "me too" product has a place in society if you are a consumer shopping for a product and you don't want to spend a lot of money. And so the same is true for the BIG Consumer that you are seeking to "buy" you - the HIRING Company!

If a company is in this hiring mode, then being a "me too" job seeker is the worse thing you could be. Why? There is virtually no way to distinguish yourself from your competition. It's a race to the bottom of the payscale and job responsibility. There will never be a "me too" Barack Obama. Or a "me too" Nelson Mandela. Or even a "me too" Michael Jordan". Why? Because those people have established a brand that clearly communicates who they are and what they have done (or continue to do). They are "The Real McCoys". You don't "buy" a Rolex because of the price tag, you buy it because of the brand image and lifestyle you want to project. So people will spend their money if they believe in the perceived benefits of having a high-priced product. And what are companies made of? People! So when people are making the hiring decision, you can always positively influence the outcome if, and only if, you are able to clearly communicate what they will gain by hiring you.

The same is true for you too, my dear "me too" job seeker. For I wish not to see you sit on the shelf at the retail store hoping and praying that some cost-conscious company will pick up your dusty carcass and take you to the cashier for checkout. No, no, no. It really does not have to be like this. Spend some time talking with people who know you. Everything starts with talking to people. You will never know what you are good at or what you can be good at if you don't talk to others. Once you get a sense of what you are good at, look for ways to apply that to a business in a way that is unique to your personality and style. As you go through this process, you will slowly begin to build your "career brand".

Now, if you think this process is a 2-week process then you are sadly mistaken. It takes months and years for people to craft a "career brand". Do you think Coca-Cola established their brand in 2-weeks? Companies have to invest time and resources to develop their products into trusted and established brands. So stop being a "me too" job seeker who only seeks to imitate the competition. Be like Apple and Google and "out-innovate" the competition! You'll be more creative and you'll stand out in a crowded marketplace full of "me too" job seekers.