One of the biggest hurdles to overcome when job searching is just how personal it all feels. No one wants his or her body of work judged as not worthy of the job for which he or she applies. Not to mention, one’s very personal life is further involved when the job equals livelihood. Feelings wrapped up in the pursuit make the entire process very tedious.

Separating your feelings from your search seems such simple advice. But, how to you do that? I came across Arnie Fertig’s article, “3 Employer Concerns Every Job Candidate Must Address” which presents a perspective sure to help reframe your search so as to put your energy not into keeping your emotions at bay but to focus on the important nuts and bolts of the process.

Fertig’s formula is actually quite simple in that he suggests looking at your candidacy as a commodity, and the hiring manager is in the position to make an intelligent, purchasing decision. In this analogy, Fertig breaks the hiring manager’s decision-making questions down as follows:

Is making this decision within my budget?
Will I receive, and will it operate, as represented?
Will my expectations be met or exceeded?

Looking at your candidacy in this way, it is much easier to determine what to communicate both on your resume and to a hiring manager. Consider how your qualifications fit into the structure:

Their budget means your salary. Fertig states while “you are wise to resist naming a particular (salary) number or even a range early on,” you should provide information about your history to give a hiring manager a sense if you are affordable. Be fair with information you provide, assume you will be treated in kind, and keep your main focus on finding out if you are a good fit for the position.

Delivering and operating as represented means you are capable of doing the job. Not only is this decision assessed by what you outline of your skills on your resume, but you will also be tested in a number of ways during an interview. You might be asked to perform a job function or to come prepared with a presentation. Or, you might simply be asked specifically designed questions that best reveal your thought processes and critical thinking skills.

Meeting and exceeding expectations isn’t just having the ability to do the job; it’s how well it will be done. This is where the language on your resume is critical to make it a stand-out. Rather than listing past and present duties, outline accomplishments. Use action verbs whenever possible to describe your history. This is important in the interview, too. It is face-to-face where you should provide details of your accomplishments including particular successes, struggles and your thought process while working through situations. Include specific statistics or other measures of your accomplishments, and be sure to give credit to others who supported you in the endeavor.

Of course the search process feels personal. But, that personal tie can keep you from determining what information to include and what to filter out. So, try looking at your candidacy from a commodity perspective. That might help you better see the real questions that need addressing rather than trying to determine from your own perspective what will make your candidacy stand out from the crowd.

Fertig, Arnie. “3 Employer Concerns Every Job Candidate Must Address.” U.S. News and World Report. U.S. News and World Report LP. 2016. Web. (15 May 2016)

Nancy Stoker is a Senior Client Services Representative and Research Associate with ExecSearches.com.

For more information about our career coaching and resume review writing services, email review@execsearches.com.

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Last updated on May 19th, 2016 at 04:59 pm