At almost any hour of the day, you can flip through your cable lineup and find at least one show airing that teaches home owners how to spruce up their houses, either for their own enjoyment or to make improvements before listing them on the market. Because selling a house and looking for a job both involve marketing a product, there are some lessons to be learned from our friends on HGTV.
1. Make sure there’s curb appeal
Many home improvement consultants start by upgrading a home’s exterior. In real estate this involves better landscaping or maybe a fresh coat of paint. In job searching it means putting together a snappy marketing package for yourself that includes a fresh looking resume, a LinkedIn profile, and networking business cards, at a bare minimum.
Almost every home improvement show starts with the consultant walking around the home, deciding what needs to be removed before they show the house to potential buyers. This same strategy applies to your resume. Are there jobs listed there that don’t support your current credentials? Are there outdated technical terms on your resume? I recently saw a resume where a candidate listed that she had researched records using microfiche in the ’80s. You wouldn’t leave a junky old machine sitting around your home during an open house, and it doesn’t belong on your resume either.
3.Redecorate if necessary
If you’re not currently working and finances are tight, one of the easiest lines to cut out of your budget is expensive personal grooming procedures like haircuts and manicures. However, you absolutely cannot let your personal appearance go while you’re searching for a job. Invest in a new suit if needed, and make sure your hair, nails, and makeup (ladies) look tidy at all times. Just as you wouldn’t feel confident showing a home that still had flowered wallpaper from the ’70s in the kitchen, you’re not going to feel confident in an interview unless your suit fits well and looks stylish.
Selling a home and landing a job are both tough in the current economy. Both require savvy marketing, putting your best foot forward at all times, and frankly, a little bit of good timing. Take a lesson from HGTV and make sure your job candidacy is “show-worthy”! Check out our blog for additional career, job search, and resume related advice. You can also view professionally-written resume samples.
Author:
Jessica Holbrook Hernandez is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, speaker and President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast. She creates high-impact, best-in-class, resumes and cover letters that transform job searches into interviews and ultimately job offers. For more information about professional resume writing or to read more career and job search related articles visit http://www.greatresumesfast.com/ or call 1.800.991.5187.
