It's not the stupid resume(, stupid)!

Something happened to me this month, that happens every month.

A job seeker I was counseling was passed over for an interview by the company to which he'd submitted his resume online.

"I'll get to work improving my resume," he said.

And I told him - not for the first time or the tenth time - that it's not the resume. It's his method of distributing it.

In general - there are exceptions to any generality of course - the following is true:

A "C" resume, shared with an A-list of contacts, will take you farther and faster, than an "A" resume, shared with a C-list of contacts.

I've been saying this for decades, to people ranging in age from their teens to their 60s.

The 5% of candidates who take this seriously get a good job, fast. The 95% who duck the issue wind up with no job - but boy, does their resume sparkle from all the refining!

Who belongs on an "A-list" of contacts?

• Those who know and respect you,
• And who have influence in hiring where they work, or with other people who might hire you,
• And will use that influence on your behalf

This could be a:

• Friend or relative or neighbor
• Past colleague
• Headhunter with good client relationships
• Person you've met through networking - even virtual networking on LinkedIn

Those who tap their contacts tend to be less effective the farther down that list that they get. Meaning that they might be comfortable working through a friend or relative or neighbor, but they're TERRIFIED of reaching out on LinkedIn to expand their network. But, again, those who do all these things are going to get a better job, and far faster, than those who don't.

The "A-list" people won't just email your resume to a human resources contact. They'll share it with hiring managers and department heads who might be looking for someone like you. They'll get it in the hands of HR and/or talent people who are recruiting for someone like you. They'll TALK to these contacts, and ADVOCATE for you.

Here's what happens if you apply for a job by emailing a resume blindly, or uploading it to an applicant portal:

• A human may or may not see it; it's likely scanned by a computer algorithm
• It's "in the mix" with resumes of dozens of other candidates with qualifications similar to, or better than, yours - and likely hundreds of other candidates wholly unqualified. Honestly, what are the chances it gets seen by the right person? You're facing odds of 500:1 against you.

Now what happens if you get the resume into the hands of an "A-list" contact?

• He or she will get it into the right hands, fast, and convincingly make a pitch for you.
• You might not fit the need - but at least you've been seen.
• You might look great, but the manager doesn't have an appropriate need - but, again, at least you've been seen.
• If the manager has a need, and your background is even remotely close, he or she is going to talk to you based on the recommendation. At that point, it becomes two binary decisions being made about you: Can you do the job? And does the manager like you?

What odds does that translate to? Well, if the manager doesn't think you're a fit or doesn't have a need, there'd not have been interest in you anyway. But if there's a fit and a need, it comes down to a near-100% chance you'll get talked to, and then the two binary decisions. What's better - those 4:1 odds against you, or the 500:1 odds of "applying online?"

Do you have at least a "C resume?"

• Is the information accurate and complete?
• Does it reflect your quantified accomplishments and results (which not everyone attains), versus merely your "responsibilities" (which everyone has, but on which few achieve)?
• Is the spelling and grammar correct?
• Is it easy to read, with your achievements seemingly jumping off the page?
• Have you compared it against the stated requirements and expectations for a job that interests you, making sure it addresses those?

Checking over a complete resume for the above takes no more than 15 minutes.

Depending on whether you're currently employed, that leaves you at least three, and perhaps as much as 15+ hours in a day to work on the meaningful part - finding the right people to cultivate as "A-list" contacts, with whom to share it.

It's not the stupid resume(, stupid).

It's those with whom you choose to share it (and yourself). Now start engaging with them.