Moe and Joe had nothing in common—yet
they had everything in common. Their similarities were striking, if not a reflection
of the other. Both were of the same gender, age, race and marital status: They
even lived in adjacent suburbs. They held identical master degrees, one
graduating Ohio State and the other from Ohio University. They held nearly
identical positions with competing organizations. Coincidentally, both applied
for the same opportunity when the advertised position opened up.
Beyond those similarities, Moe and Joe
had nothing in common. Moe was a listener, while Joe was a bragger. Moe had
mojo and moxie. His outlook on life slanted toward the holistic, and he
observed the principle of do unto others
as you would have them do unto you. Joe’s outlook on life slanted in one
direction—himself, first, foremost and always. He observed the principle of do unto others before they have a
chance to do unto you.
Both Moe and Joe had come to me within
days of each other for résumés. Suffice to say, Moe’s project assembled as easy
as setting up lawn furniture. Joe’s project quickly became a headache. Moe
encouraged me to apply my creativity, while Joe insisted I adhere to his
preconceived notions. In short, Moe’s résumé was solid and concise, while Joe’s
job-seeking material ran in all directions.
Moe’s résumé project zeroed in and
targeted the new position. Joe’s résumé—upon his insistence, of course—remained
general, vague and cluttered with everything under the sun. (In the résumé business, we refer to this as
the shotgun approach.)
While Moe’s résumé was well focused, Joe
stated, "I need to remain open for whatever becomes available." Moe
presented an image of what he could do for the next employer, while Joe's project
morphed into Mulligan Stew. He laid claim to being able to do anything and
everything. Naturally, his top concern focused on what the next employer could
do for him.
The last I heard, Moe was in the
second-interview stage for the position. Joe never made it past the washout
screening process. No surprise there.
You work at anything long enough, such
as corporate recruiting, résumé writing or interviewing people, by default; you
become a student of human nature. Eventually, you are able to spot the Moe’s
and Joe’s, or if you prefer, the glad handers and wannabes from the real
McCoy.
If you are finding your job search more
difficult and disconcerting than you might otherwise prefer, you may need to
look within. As the comic script character, Pogo once quipped, “I have met the
enemy and it is us.”