If I had to look for a job today

By Jim Thompson / BrightTrail.biz

I would do it differently.

It was 2019 when I sent scores of “seeking‑new‑opportunities” emails -- my first job search in a decade. If I had to do it again, I wouldn't worry so much about the damn resume.

The approach would look more like my son's.

He recently moved to Houston and was having trouble getting approved to substitute‑teach in Texas --until he sent a 30‑second video with his resume. It showed students at NJ's Martin Luther King Elementary giving him an all‑school “clap‑out” on his last day.

The Houston school loved it, bent the rules, and approved him late in the school year.

That clip captured attention and earned trust that his resume could not.

Resumes are just not the door‑opener they used to be. Today, there’s a much bigger opportunity for job seekers to evolve -- from job searching to building trust in their expertise. Before you hit "Apply", you need to become your own media brand.

The average senior‑level search now drags on six months or more, according to The Wall Street Journal. Fewer roles, higher salaries, and ultra‑picky hiring teams mean the winner is the candidate who offers maximum value with minimum risk.

So instead of fixating on months of rejections, ghosting, and uncertainty -- and wondering why no one is noticing your decades of quality work -- use that time to your advantage.

Leverage that window to build your personal media brand. Show, instead of tell, what makes you a special, talented, low‑risk candidate who can help their organization by proving it.

The Problem With Resumes

A resume lists what you’ve done.

It rarely shows who you are or how you think on your feet. In an algorithm‑saturated hiring world, that's blending in by hiding in plain sight.

"As algorithms reshape the job market, blending in has become the new career killer. Think of your unique perspective and experiences as your superpower,” says Lamees Butt, CEO of RISER. "By cultivating your personal brand ... you create meaningful connections that unlock transformative opportunities in ways that traditional resumes cannot."

There you have it -- this is not a job for resumes. You need a message that is serial, subscribable, engaging, and valuable -- one that can be delivered in person, on video, via email, on social media, or your website.

But How Do Job Seekers Build Trust?

The same steps we use to guide business owners apply to job seekers -- they need to invest time (which they now have) into building their personal media brand. Here are three ways to get started:

1. Share Valuable Information

Show what you know.

Offer insights about your industry, your specialty, your role. Share your mistakes and how you fixed them. (see a great example here). Share your dreams and why you’re chasing them. Write posts, share photos of the real thing, summarize lessons learned.

Do all this through the lens of what would be most valuable to the receiver, not you. When you give people something useful, they remember you.

2. Create One-on-One Engagements

Hunt for ways to create personal engagements with people.

Comment on posts, interview a thought leader, share a free analysis, point to resources you found useful, assist someone’s son or daughter, or help connect others looking for jobs.

Every thoughtful interaction builds credibility and trust. In short, bring a gift, not a pitch.

3. Share Your Values

Tell the story behind your work -- not just what you do, but why you do it.

Show what it looks like whenever possible -- a photo of your first computer, all your badges from CES, a thank‑you text message from a client, that sweatshirt with your nickname that the development team gave you.

Hiring managers aren’t just buying skills; they’re buying commitment, resilience, leadership, and character. Make it easy on them.

Bottom Line: Show Don't Tell

A personal media brand isn’t about being an “influencer.”

It’s about creating a living breathing resume -- one that employers can see, touch, engage with, watch, read, and follow.

When hiring managers trust that you are who you say you are, they see you as the solution to their hiring problem.

The first steps are simpler than you think -- and they’re the best investment you can make when writing your next chapter.

Written by Bright Trail founder Jim Thompson. Jim has grown digital audiences for some of America’s top media brands, including The Dallas Morning News, Fox Interactive, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Modern Luxury, and Gary Vaynerchuk’s personal brand.

If you need a little professional help growing your customer base or building your personal media brand, reserve a 30‑minute chat with Jim -- it’s a free, no‑judgment‑zone experience.