Each day I receive requests from people who need help finding work. During these conversations, I inevitably hear something about their resume. Usually it’s something like:

“I’d like to send you my resume so if you hear of ‘anything out there’ you can refer me.”
or
“I’d like you to look at my resume and hope you will keep me on file should a great opportunity arise.”
or
“What’s the best way to present or format my resume?”
or
“I’m sending my resume to a lot of different places.”
or
“I just found out I’m being laid off, so I have got to get my resume together.”

What would happen if people realized that their resumes are just a piece of paper; just a chronology of where they’ve been and an inventory of skills they have acquired?

 
OK – so if resumes aren’t the most important place to start in the job search process, then what is?

You are.

You are the most important place to start.

Move forward in your search under the assumption that you are more important than your resume. Shift your way of thinking for a moment and try rephrasing the above statements:

 
“I’d like to send you my resume so if you hear of “anything out there” you can refer me,” becomes: “I’d like to set up a meeting to introduce myself to you so if you hear of “anything out there” you can refer me.”

 
“I’d like you to look at my resume and hope you will keep me on file should a great opportunity arise,” becomes: “I’d like you to look at my talents, experience and goals and hope you will keep me on file should a great opportunity arise.”

 
“I’d like to know the best way to present or format my resume,” becomes: “I’d like to know the best way to present myself to a potential employer.”

 
“I’m sending my resume to a lot of different places,” becomes “I’m showing up at a lot of different places to network with people who can help me connect with my next employer.”

 
“I just found out I’m being laid off, so I have got to get my resume together,” becomes “I just found out I’m being laid off, so I have got to get myself and my job search strategy together.”

 
Is it possible that your resume, the tool you think moves you forward in your career search, is actually getting in the way?

 
Is it getting in the way of you reaching out and building relationships with the people in your network who can help connect you with your next job?

 
I’m not suggesting that a resume is unimportant. I’m only suggesting that you use it how it was designed to be used: as a report of what your career has been so far — and not for what your career has yet to become.