By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
EP 3146 Most resumes are ignored because they read like boring job descriptions instead of high-impact marketing documents. Learn the “So What” test to strip away the fluff, prove your value with tangible data, and finally get the interview call.
Okay, today we’re going to talk about a super simple but incredibly powerful test that can take your resume from just another document in the pile to, wow, we need to call this person right now. So let me ask you something. Does this sound familiar? You’ve sent out what feels like a hundred resumes and you’re hearing absolutely nothing back.
It’s so frustrating, isn’t it? You know you’ve got the skills, you know you can do the job, but for some reason you just can’t seem to get noticed. So what is going on? Well, more often than not, this is the culprit right here. Your resume reads less like a highlight reel and more like a, well, a boring job description.
It’s just a long list of all the things you did. But here’s the thing. Companies don’t really hire you for the tasks you’ve done.
They hire you for the results you can get them. To get us thinking the right way, we’re going to borrow a brilliant idea from job search coach Jeff Allen, who you might know as the big game hunter. He came up with this fantastic little quality control test.
You can apply to every single line on your resume. He calls it the so what test and it is literally that simple. It’s just one little question that’s designed to slice right through all the fluff and get to the heart of what actually matters, the value you bring to an employer.
Branding Yourself Is Important and Easy
And using it couldn’t be easier. You just pull up your resume and go through it one bullet point at a time, read the line and then out loud, ask yourself, so what? And if you kind of stumble or if you don’t have a really solid answer, that’s a huge red flag. It means that line needs a rewrite.
See, this whole test is really about forcing a change in your perspective. Asking so what is just a more direct way of asking the only question that a hiring manager is thinking, which is, why should I care about this? If a bullet point on your resume doesn’t answer that question, it’s honestly just wasting space. All right, so theory is great, but let’s see how this works in the real world.
We’re going to take a super common resume line and see what happens when we run it through the so what test. Okay, check this out. The before says, manage the company’s social media accounts.
You read that and ask, so what? Well, I guess you posted some stuff. It’s pretty weak, right? Now look at the after. Increased social media engagement by 35% in one quarter.
Now that answers the so what question, doesn’t it? The so what is a number, a real tangible result that’s actually impressive. And that’s the whole game right there. The after version passes the test with flying colors because it shows your impact.
It proves you didn’t just show up and do the job. You actually made a positive difference. You got results.
And that is what makes a recruiter pick up the phone. This all comes back to Jeff Allen’s core idea. You have to remember, companies hire people to solve their problems.
So your resume needs to position you not as a task doer, but as a problem solver. It’s all about the solutions you’ve provided in the past. Now, why is this small shift so important? Well, for three big reasons.
First, it instantly highlights your actual value. Second, it proves that you’re a results-oriented person, which is what every company wants. And maybe most importantly, it immediately lifts you out of the pile and separates you from all the other candidates who are still just listing their old job duties.
I want you to start thinking about your resume in a completely new way. It is not a historical record of your job duties. It is a marketing document, plain and simple.
And the product it’s selling is you. Its only job is to be so compelling that it gets you in the door for that interview. So I’m going to leave you with a challenge.
Go open up your resume right now and start applying the So What Test to every single line. I promise you, there are amazing, valuable solutions hiding in there, just buried under a bunch of boring tasks, waiting for you to uncover them.
Master Executive Branding: A Guide for C Suite Professionals
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
People hire Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter to provide No BS Career Advice globally because he makes many things in peoples’ careers
easier. Those things can involve job search, hiring more effectively, managing and leading better, career transition, as well as advice about resolving workplace issues.
He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 3100 episodes.
Networking Like a Leader
You will find great info to help with your job search at my new site, JobSearch.Community Besides the video courses, books and guides, I answer questions from members daily about their job search. Leave job search questions and I will respond daily. Become an Insider+ member and you get everything you’d get as an Insider PLUS you can get me on Zoom calls to get questions answered. Become an Insider Premium member and we do individual and group coaching.
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Also, subscribe to JobSearchTV.com on YouTube and No BS Job Search Advice Radio, the #1 podcast for job search with more than 3100 episodes over 12+ years.in Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Play, Amazon Music and almost anywhere you listen or watch podcasts.
You can also have your #jobsearchquestions answered Tuesdays at noon Eastern. Search for Career Coach Office Hours on LinkedIn and mark that you’re attending. You’ll have access to the recording if you miss it live.
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Schedule a discovery call at my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us to discuss one-on-one or group coaching with me
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The Game For an Executive Resume Is Different
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