Dear Sam: I would love your opinion on a couple of things, please.

My daughter is 23 and just out of college with a Public Health degree, which included international study in Edinburgh. In her now bona fide search for her first “real job,” I don’t think she’s getting past many of the readers or scanners with her resume. She is ultra-responsible and worked one job as an assistant manager of a retail chain and has been a nanny to twin girls practically since birth, who are now seven years old, all the while going to school full time.

At 22, she had managed to travel to 22 countries. Doesn’t this count for something? She researches and snags the best deals, finds accommodations, and figures out how to get from Point A to Point B, whether by connecting planes, trains, subways, boats, etc. She is so independent!

Yet she doesn’t feel that any of this belongs on her resume, not even under an “Interests” heading. I’m sure a prospective employer would find this not only fascinating but would see that she is a go-getter. She feels it would be something to bring up in an actual interview. Do you have any thoughts on this?

Secondly, I have suggested that she mail her resume or drop it off directly to companies she may think she’d like to work with because it would show her intense desire and initiative to work. Perhaps I am misguided on this option, but I am old-school — I still can’t get over the impersonal nature of applying for jobs solely online. It’s just not the same as appearing in person and making an impression as a potential employee.

Any insight you have on this would be greatly appreciated. – Anne

Dear Anne: Great questions! I probably would find a way to present your daughter’s world travels on her resume, as it would undoubtedly be a talking point and a differentiator. I would perhaps connect it to her interest in public health because I imagine she has been exposed to incredibly diverse cultures and public health needs, so her travels could certainly inform her work as a public health professional. Rather than just stating it as an interesting fact, I would draw a connection between her travels, her exposure to different health care structures, perhaps the ways different countries engage in health promotion, and possibly even her research interests.

Regarding her distribution strategy, it may be challenging, depending on the organization she is applying for, to show up in person with a resume. I am certainly not opposed to that strategy, as I, too, agree that for the right organization it can set you apart. Unfortunately, most organizations do not allow for that type of engagement before the screening process. My hope would be that she would have such a differentiating resume based on her tenure as an assistant manager, the responsibility shown as a nanny, her public health degree and international studies, and also her world travels, that she would land the interview, regardless of whether she has to go through the traditional application, pathways or not.

Your daughter is an excellent example of why some of my favorite clients can be my recent graduates. A differentiating presentation can truly change the first step in their professional journey. I can see so much opportunity and creativity allowed within your daughter’s resume presentation, and I hope she will capitalize on it to the full extent.

Samantha Nolan is an Advanced Personal Branding Strategist and Career Expert, founder and CEO of Nolan Branding. Do you have a resume, career, or job search question for Dear Sam? Reach Samantha at [email protected]. For information on Nolan Branding’s services, visit www.nolanbranding.com or call 888-9-MY-BRAND or 614-570-3442.