The advertising industry knows a secret about us, and it never fails to use it.
It knows that no matter what product, service or experience it offers us, it will always, without fail, sell us the promise of a far superior future. One that we can have right now, if only we’d buy it, subscribe to it or sign-up for it this moment.
It’s a universal truth that none of us care to admit falling for. Yet we all do. Luxury brands are the best at it. Selling us a future we can have today; one that is better, faster, richer, fuller and far more exciting. Just look at any commercial for cars, perfumes, hotels or clothes.
Yet we never seem to apply this future forward approach when selling ourselves. Maybe it feels a bit too icky?
In fact, we do the opposite.
Take most resumes.
They focus almost exclusively on selling what we’ve done in the past.
Imagine if the advertising industry approached commercials like this?
How about a car advertisement opening with the line, “Between 2009-2012, we got 28 miles per gallon”.
Or a beauty product that claimed it was the best skin care brand in the world - in July of 1998, for 3 months.
Not quite as attractive is it?
Yet this is what resumes sound like.
Advertising - as manipulatively evil or as creatively exciting as you believe it to be - works because it shows the potential purchaser that they can have exactly what they desire, today. It focuses on outcomes both real and perceived; how you’ll look, feel, behave, be seen, or even accepted.
We buy outcomes.
So do hiring managers.
Taking a page from this approach when marketing ourselves can be powerful.
We’re not saying your resume needs to be an empty splash of glittery false promises about a future you can deliver today. It needs to be routed in tangible skills and experience.
But we are saying you need an orientation of your language to communicate to the prospective buyer (the hiring manager) that you are what they need to deliver their future.
A resume is no different from a commercial that communicates brand Y.O.U.
Let’s say you have led teams throughout your career, and your resume says -
“Led a team of 6 across multiple functions”.
With an outcome orientation, it could read as -
“Experience leading cross-functional teams to execute growth goals”.
The point is this: outcome orientation, where we demonstrate that we can deliver the future they want if they hire us today, substantially increases our value.
It also applies to the language used in the interview.
For example, the answer to the question, “tell me about how you got here today”, (and we don’t mean you say “by bus”), is often heard as the invitation for a five minute diatribe of past career histories.
With an outcome orientation, that answer shifts into future value mode. It can become, “My career has been spent (quick summary of skills), and now I want to bring those skills to you so I can help (grow/build/create)”.
Outcome orientation is powerful. It’s not a false voice, and it’s not a false promise. It’s moving your language and approach from what you did for others, to what you can do for them.
And don’t just use it to find a job.
Use it everyday.