What Do a Perfect Bouquet of Flowers and Your Job Search and Resume Have In Common?

How much time are you investing in creating a job search, position, or opportunity that you really want? Do you know exactly what you want from your job search or from your next position? Outside of x number of dollars for salary, said perks and benefits, and perhaps even desiring to work for ABC company … what experience are you hoping to create, what environment are you hoping to cultivate? Or are you just in it for you? I just recently got married; and maybe I’m still experiencing the newlywed high you get when you marry your soul mate and have the most amazing day of your life. You know, the whole fairy tale scenario. But despite the marital bliss I’m experiencing—and cloud nine I’m floating on—I think it could be valuable for me to share a story about one of two vendors I hired that created a very memorable experience for me—and what it means for your job search. It all started with a desire to “go the extra mile” to obtain certain results—and a culmination of several meetings and chats about what I liked and disliked. It took four visits to the florist, lots of photos, and some lengthy conversations to create the perfect bouquet. We took four different photos, and we then combined the elements that I liked from each one in order to create the perfect bouquet. Where am I going with this? I knew in my head exactly what I wanted; but ultimately, I had to weigh my options and prioritize. I had to choose various flowers from the photos I had available, and combined with the information I had gleaned from my numerous talks with the florist, I had to make decisions that would then allow her to create a masterpiece for me. Think of your resume the same way. You have to pick and choose the best accomplishments and contributions that support you as the perfect fit for the available position—and that reinforce your professional brand. You cannot just throw any old experience and duties together and hope that the arrangement comes out all right and you land the interview. That would land you one jacked up, mismatched bouquet of flowers (AKA – NO INTERVIEWS RESULTING FROM YOUR RESUME SUBMISSIONS). Sure, you may have to invest more time into the development and customization of your resume. But if that extra 10-20 minutes cuts your job search by one day, wouldn’t it have been worth the investment? All I am trying to get you to see is: If you know what you want, don’t be afraid of investing some extra time into ensuring you get it. If people plan weddings, bouquets, photographs, dinners, etc., then why can’t you plan your job search? It doesn’t have to be “shoot from the hip”, “a shot in the dark”, or “shooting blanks.” Instead, it can be a culmination of hard work and time invested that results in interviews, open doors, networking opportunities, new careers, and changed lives. Don’t be afraid of customizing and investing time … you could end up with the most beautiful bouquet of flowers you’ve ever seen … AKA the best career you’ve ever had. Wishing you the best in your search …