We live in the age of the generalist, where multi-faceted job candidates are the biggest contributors.
They’re curious, energetic, lifelong learners. They evolve with the times while single-skill workers fear the future. They do their jobs better because they understand the jobs on either side of them. They do 3 jobs at once. They run whole departments, then whole companies.
Why, then, is it so difficult for a multi-faceted candidate to get an interview?
Because of human nature. We like stories that start simple, then grow in complexity.
Here’s how multi-faced candidates can position themselves for the jobs they want:
ROUND HOLE, ROUND PEG
Before you can grow in the job, you need to get the job. Let’s assume you’re not being introduced by a sophisticated recruiter or an inside contact:
Hiring managers don’t have time for stories, and they’re too busy to use their imagination when it comes to your varied career background.
They have a round hole to fill, they need a round peg to fill it, and they’ve got exactly 9 seconds (scientific fact) to look at your resume.
So if the job you want is “apparel designer” and you’ve also got skills as a “product developer” and “art director”, leave those last two things out.
Tell your story in a simpler way.
Your positioning is not the same thing as your capabilities. Keep your full capabilities list in your back pocket and lead with your positioning.
Clarify your identity, then clean up your resume, and tailor it specifically for the role in question.
BLOSSOM AS YOU GO
In the first conversation, your multiple capabilities come across as distractions.
In later rounds of interviewing, they become welcome side perks.
On the job, they are your vehicle for advancement. Get in the door, then tactfully look for opportunities to do more.
“Her career has been all over the place; I don’t know what she’s best at” says the hiring manager who dismissed you after glancing at your LinkedIn.
“She really stepped up to the plate and proved herself” says the boss who hired you for a specific thing, then discovered your highly varied skill stack and promoted you.
Positioning first, then capabilities.
START EARLY
Like, way before you need the job.
Be this person:
You’re gainfully employed, but you love your vocation and have built a social circle around it. New opportunity? Sure, I’ll chat. Need a connection? A referral? No problem. You convey the impression of increase. You’re in your current role because you want to be there, not because your only option.
…not this person:
You WERE gainfully employed, and during that time, you kept your head down. Then things changed, so you’re coming out of your shell to “network”. The conversations you have with people in your industry are oriented around what you need (a job), vs. the friendship / connections / expertise / value you’re able to give.
“To him who has, more will be given” (the Bible), and “desperation is a stinky cologne” (Super Troopers).
Why are relationships especially important for multi-faceted candidates?
Because if you’re multi-faceted, you require more explanation, nuance, context. This can only be provided by someone who knows you, to someone who’s patient enough to hear it.
In other words, you need friends.
