Standing out in a stack of 25—or 250—résumés is a challenge every job seeker faces. When qualifications, degrees, and bullet points start blending together, what actually makes a hiring manager stop, smile, and remember your name? Or better yet, trigger them to want to talk with you to learn more?
A recent article in The Wall Street Journal, titled “The Key to a Killer Résumé Is Your Perfect Scrambled Eggs,” highlights an intriguing shift in white-collar recruiting. In a competitive job market, professionals across banking, law, and corporate leadership are finding success by listing quirky, authentic personal details alongside their professional achievements—such as perfecting scrambled eggs, competitive hot dog eating, or building birdhouses.
Additionally, upcoming Minnesota Crossroads Career speaker, Dale Henry, will be sharing a presentation entitled, “Different is Better than Better.” Trying to convince an employer that you are simply 5% “better” at a standard job duty than 20 other qualified candidates is an uphill battle. But presenting a story that is distinctly different immediately sets you apart.
These unique distinctions are far from superficial gimmicks. When integrated thoughtfully into your résumé, authentic personal details ground your professional story and turn a flat sheet of paper into a memorable dynamic profile.
Why Unique Distinctions Matter
In previous Crossroads Career blogs, we have explored how God did not create you to be a duplicate or a generic commodity. Your career journey, your professional skills, your giftings, talents, motivations, abilities, passions, and personality are all distinct and is woven into who you are…your character!
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul is instructing the church about spiritual gifts and uses the analogy of how each part of the body is important for the overall functionality of us as humans. Let’s apply this principle for how God equipped each of us to serve in working with others. Here are a few verses from 1 Corinthians 12 that convey that point:
v.12 “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.”
v.18 “But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where He wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part!”
v.22 “In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.”
No two candidates share your exact combination of professional accomplishments, character traits, and personal passions. Embracing what makes you distinctive isn’t about bragging; it is about showing authenticity and stewardship of the unique individual God crafted you to be.
What Makes You Stick After 25 Résumés?
When a hiring manager reviews resumes for a dozen qualified candidates back-to-back, competence might get you into the “maybe” pile, but distinctive character and memorable personal connection get you the interview.
Consider how unconventional, authentic touches work in practice, as highlighted in The Wall Street Journal:
- Breaking the Monotony: Including a distinctive pursuit—like mastering a specific culinary technique or crafting woodwork—gives the reader an unexpected moment of genuine human warmth.
- Creating a Natural Conversation Starter: Interviewers sometimes use the “Additional Information” or “Interests” section at the bottom of a résumé to build rapport. An entry about “hot dog eating contests” or “custom birdhouse building” provides an instant icebreaker that could break through corporate awkwardness. CAUTION: While I agree with the Journal’s concept, you’ve got to be careful with this one. It could backfire. Instead, I’d advise to weave the 3-5 differentiators together to create a headline and magnet at the top of the resume to help the reader see a meaningful reflection of you. (examples coming below)
- Demonstrating Passion and Discipline: Quirky side projects reflect focus, curiosity, and a drive to master a craft—traits every employer looks for in an employee.
Finding the Confluence of Your 3–5 Distinctives
Here is the secret: you aren’t looking for just one single magic trait. What truly makes your résumé unforgettable is the confluence of 3 to 5 unique distinctions.
Individually, lots of people are accountants. Lots of people run marathons. Lots of people bake sourdough bread. But when you combine your specific combination of 3 to 5 background experiences, skills, and personal pursuits, that exact intersection has likely only been lived by one person on the planet: you.
However, discovering these distinctives can be tricky. Because you live with yourself every day, it is incredibly easy to overlook what makes you special—to you, it’s just “normal.” That is why gaining an outside perspective is essential.
3 Practical Ways to Uncover Your Unique Distinctives
If you aren’t sure what sets you apart or what personal details to highlight on your résumé, here are three actionable steps you can take today:
1. Leverage Outside Perspectives to Break Your Blind Spots
Because you are so used to your own background, ask 3 close friends, mentors, or former colleagues: “When you think of my combination of skills, experiences, and quirky interests, what stands out to you as uniquely ‘me’?” An outside voice will immediately spot the distinctions you take for granted. One of our Crossroads Guides can also help give you an independent outside perspective. (Click here to request a free consultation)
2. Map the Confluence of Your Core Distinctions
Write down 5 distinct areas of your life: your core professional functional skill, an industry sector you know deeply, an unexpected life experience, a hobby you’ve mastered, and a personal value or cause you care about. Look for where those 5 points might intersect—that unique cross-section could be your résumé’s secret weapon.
3. Test Your “Different Is Better” Pitch
Look at the top section of your résumé. Does it have an “Objectives” or “Summary” section with 3-5 sentences in it? Blah, blah, blah! Instead, what if it contained 3-5 unique distinctions that would attract and impact a future employer with who you are. Below are a few examples. All are real ones I’ve assisted job and purpose seekers in highlighting…initially none of these were even mentioned on their resumes:
- Marine rifle marksman whose discipline and precision earned top 3 recognition in his 10k-person division
- Collegiate soccer captain whose leadership helped turn around a freshman year 1-11 season to a senior year 10-6 result and play off opportunity
- Six sigma master black belt from Fortune 5 company who can decipher root cause problems and develop measurable solutions
- Concert pianist who brings orchestral alignment to senior leadership teams
- Food scientist turned senior pastor who can create recipes for compassionate execution
Bringing It All Together
Your résumé shouldn’t look like everyone else’s because you are not like everyone else. Remember Dale Henry’s reminder: different is better than better. When you layer your professional achievements over the unique confluence of who God made you to be, you give employers a reason to remember you long after the stack of 25 résumés has been set aside. They’re going to want to learn more about you!
Read more about Unique Distinctions in these previous blogs: Top Tips Tip #5 – Unique Distinctions and Is Your Resume Distinctive?
Dave Sparkman currently serves as the volunteer Crossroads Career board chair and local ministry leader. He is also the founder and managing director of Spark Your Culture, a corporate culture consulting firm. Prior to that he worked at UnitedHealth Group, a Fortune #5 public company, serving in the role of Chief Culture Officer. His unemployment experience came from the implosion of Arthur Andersen, where he served as the West Region Managing Partner, People.
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