In case you haven't guessed, I'm in the process of selling my home.  In a down economy, making your home stand out is as crucial as making your resume stand out.

In order to attract the most buyers and the highest possible price, I've been watching home staging shows on HGTV, such as "Get it Sold" and "Designed to Sell." After digesting and applying the top tricks of the trade, I realized they have much in common with the "rules" of job application.

Let's explore some of the top lessons in home staging, and what they can teach us about maximizing your job candidacy:

1. Declutter.  In home staging, we remove clutter and excess items so that prospective buyers can see through to the core of the space.  This is a time consuming process involving "editing" and "reediting" every room in one's home.

In job searching, seekers must pare down excess information to make sure their resume and cover letter are as succinct as possible.  Too many words may discourage the reader from giving the resume serious attention. 

Here's an interesting metaphor.  Before I staged my home, I assumed buyers would be impressed by how many clothes I could fit in my closet, or pieces of furniture I could fit in my bedroom.  After staging my house, I realized my home was much more impressive once the excess clothing, furniture and personal items were removed.  Those excess items were distracting from the essence of my home, just as too many lines in my resume would distract from who I am as a professional.

2. Highlight your best features:  To stage a home, you must first identify each room's focal point.  In my living room, for example, I've chosen the fireplace.  I then arranged all of the furniture around the mantle to draw a viewer's attention to it.

For the job search, it's important to get clear on your key features.  What are the skills that make you stand apart, or the accomplishments of which you're most proud?  Once you've identified your key assets as a professional, make sure they are clearly represented in your resume and cover letter, and that those qualities are woven throughout the documents so they "pop" for the reader.  This is the personal branding process, the process of identifying and selling your key features.

3. Keep it neutral: In home staging, it's important to downplay personal style, especially where it diverges from the preferences of the average home buyer.  This involves using neutral paint colors, and removing personal photos from around the home.  That way any home buyer can picture themselves living in a particular home.

Job seekers who are changing fields or companies can neutralize their resumes by toning down company- or sector-specific lingo.  I've reviewed resumes that are so lingo-heavy that they are nonsensical to most readers.  The average hiring manager would assume that the writer of such a resume had skills that were only relevant in the job/department/company from which they came, that their experience couldn't be generalized to other positions.  In order to avoid pigeonholing yourself, have someone outside of your field review your resume and give you feedback.  Note: this advice may not apply for job seekers who are staying within specialized fields.


Whether you're trying to sell your house or sell your candidacy, the challenge is the same.  Make your product appeal to the widest possible audience of "buyers."  By showing off your key assets in a clear way that is accessible to everyone, you'll set yourself up for a successful sale.