Dear Joe,

I run into many people who think they will find a job faster if they are not specific about their career focus, and try to be “open to anything.” Paradoxically, these people often take the longest to find a job. The flexible “jack of all trades” who can learn to do anything is inevitably passed over, in favor of the candidate who is focused on THAT specific job. You need to demonstrate a clear focus. As comedian Lily Tomlin once said, “All my life, I always wanted to be somebody. Now I see that I should have been more specific.”

Not that being flexible and a fast learner are bad things. Most companies highly value those traits. It’s just that, when a company decides to hire an employee, it’s because they need to fill a specific job with specific skills. This is an example of “The Lego Paradox”.

You probably played with Legos when you were younger. Legos make great toys because they are so flexible. You can make almost anything you can imagine from them. However, the Lego company discovered many years ago that simply showing all the different Lego pieces on the front of the box was not very compelling.

Instead, if you walk into a toy store to buy Legos today, you will probably find a package with a picture of a Pirate Ship on the front, next to a set with a Castle, next to a set with a Space Fighter. Lego’s marketers discovered that what compels a customer to purchase a Lego set is the desire to make that ONE really cool model they see pictured on the front. Ultimately, that same customer still wants Legos for their versatility, but when he is taking it to the cash register, it is with that specific Pirate Ship, Castle, or Space Fighter in mind.

Employers are the same way. When they decide to hire a new employee, it because they want to fill a specific need. They are seeking somebody who clearly demonstrates the set of skills needed for that one specific job. Further down the line, they may value versatility, but that does not solve today’s need.

So, your resume must position you as the perfect candidate to fit one specific role. You may use an Objective, which describes the specific job you want, or a Summary, which describes the specific job you have experience in. Either way, your resume needs to keep a clear focus on just the skills and accomplishments relevant to THAT job. Anything else just distracts the reader and dilutes the impact of your message.

Now, your work history is still your work history, and not every past job will be as relevant to your current goal as the others. You need to minimize the amount of detail you give to the less relevant jobs, and maximize the detail on the relevant ones. For every line and every bullet you put on that resume, ask yourself “So what? How is this supporting my qualifications for THAT specific job?” If the relationship is not clear, consider cutting it.

If you are still undecided about what job you want to pursue, consider creating three or four different resumes, each one focusing on a different potential job. That will give you the flexibility to pursue several different possibilities, while still appearing to an employer to be clearly focused on the one job you are applying to.

I hope that brings some focus to your job search, Joe. Good luck!

Job Coach Jeff