Who You Are Speaks So Loudly...

I love quotes. I have even been called a "quote junky". One of my favorite quotes is from Ralph Waldo Emerson, and works perfectly as job search advice:

Who you are speaks so loudly I can't hear what you're saying

Yes, I realize that the great American essayist probably wasn't talking about resumes, or anything even remotely related to looking for a job. But still, this quote is so approriate.

Whether it's your resume, cover letter, or even responses to interview questions, who you are speaks so loudly I can't hear what your saying.

Having a list of generic qualifications on your resume won't get you noticed. Just because you wrote that you are a "team player" or "results oriented" doesn't make it so. Cite real successes and accomplishments that demonstrate that you are a team player. In an interview, discuss examples of when you were a team player, and how that helped the company.

The key is: show, don't tell. Here are a few resume examples:

Tell	Show
Top performer	Exceeded sales goals by 25%, earning Sales Executive of the Year...
Customer Focused	Achieved 99.4% Customer Quality score...
Experienced in balancing budgets	Increased revenue 9% while reducing operating expenses by 13%...

Look through your cover letter and resume. Do you have generic statements that lack evidence? Answer questions like, "What does that means?", "Why is that important?", "How did I do that?".

Focus your interview preparation on specific accomplishments. Even if you're not specifically asked a situational interview question ("Tell me about a time when..." or "Give me an example when..."), it is best to answer with a specific example.