One definition of commodity is: “A basic good used in commerce that is interchangeable with other commodities of the same type.” In the world of job search and career management, you do not want to be a commodity! Interchangeability is not your friend.
Avoid the “Me Too” Syndrome
If your resume and other career marketing/job search tools paint you as just another candidate like the scores whose resumes preceded yours across the employer’s desk, you have set yourself up for failure at the start. You don’t want to come across as a copycat or someone without any original ideas, experiences and value.
It’s fatally easy to look for a shortcut that avoids the hard work required for a successful job search, such as convincing yourself you don’t really need to develop a professional resume that clearly and compellingly showcases your value-add message. Or maybe you’ve just looked at a few samples and decided you can kluge together a generic version that will work for you. (By the way, the definition of kluge is: “Use ill-assorted parts to make (something).”)
The “me too” approach means you have zero chance of standing out to potential employers or being memorable enough to them that they will think of you when scheduling interviews.
Present Yourself as a Special-Value Candidate, Not a Commodity
You can take a number of steps to present yourself as a desirable (special-value) candidate and prevent the commodity label from being applied to you. For example, you can:
- Identify uncommon qualities and qualifications you can offer employers. You might, for instance, have demonstrated the ability to bring together people who don’t much like each other and are ready to fight to defend their turf–and get them to collaborate productively on business-critical projects. Not everyone can do this.
- Research potential employers and their probable needs or challenges. What can you offer them that hits really close to home? What obstacles have you overcome for other employers that would resonate with their needs or challenges? Also, have you broken new ground in doing so, rather than just following in someone else’s footsteps?
- Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses; then look for creative ways to accentuate your strengths and distinguish yourself from the herd (that is, your competition). Let the weaknesses just drift out of the picture unless one of them is standing in the way of setting yourself apart as a non-commodity job seeker (in which case, take active steps to eliminate it as a problem).
- Start now (if you haven’t already) to acquire a unique skill or specialty that will help you gain an edge in a competitive job market. Do your homework first, though, to make sure you have identified something with real promise, not just the next “shiny new thing.”
If your name comes up in a hiring discussion and people say, “George [or Georgina] who?”–you have some work to do to make sure you’re not viewed as a commodity job seeker the next time you pursue a new job.
