Focus on L, M & O
If you ask two people with the same job title at two different companies what they do at work, they are likely to tell you they do A, B & C and X, Y & Z. Six letters out of the twenty-six letter alphabet will describe what these two people do for a living. If we generalize outside of the two person example, we’ll see most people are doing A, B & C and X, Y & Z, so shouldn’t you be doing L, M & O too?
Rarely does anybody ever tell you they do L, M & O. Maybe they aren’t brazen enough to admit they are doing something out of the ordinary, but whatever the reason, I think they have the wrong fear in mind. I’d be more afraid of admitting to focusing on A, B, C, X, Y & Z rather than the other three letters that will distinguish you from the pack.
Define what A, B, C, X, Y, & Z stand for in your industry, and do them, they are still important, but they won’t differentiate you from your competition or other applicants after your job. Finding your own L, M & O shouldn’t be hard - just find things you don’t like about your job/industry, and fix them in your own way. There has to be three things (one for each letter) you do not agree with within your industry or at your job, right? I’d bet there are more than three, but for now, pick the three agitating you the most and make change happen.
Put the change (L, M & O) you made on your résumé. “Change” helps you get ahead, not the all-too-familiar A, B, C, X, Y & Z.
