I just read Seth Godin’s blog about ‘Why bother having a resume?’ and it is worthwhile sharing.
So here is my shortened version;
Top students at universities are applying for my internship.Each of the applicants just sends a resume. Sort of, “here are the facts about me, please put me in the pile.” There is no attempt at self marketing.This is controversial, but here goes: I think if you’re remarkable, amazing or just plain spectacular, you probably shouldn’t have a resume at all.Here’s why: A resume is an excuse to reject you. Once you send me your resume, I can say, “oh, they’re missing this or they’re missing that,” and boom, you’re out.If you don’t have a resume, what do you have?How about three extraordinary letters of recommendation from people the employer knows or respects?
Or a sophisticated project they can see or touch?
Or a reputation that precedes you?
Or a blog that is so compelling and insightful that they have no choice but to follow up?
Some say, “well, that’s fine, but I don’t have those.”
Yeah, that’s my point. If you don’t have those, why do you think you are remarkable, amazing or just plain spectacular? It sounds to me like if you don’t have those, you’ve been brainwashed into acting like you’re sort of ordinary.
As I said, I find it brilliant and I think this relates to how we do all things in life.
Especially his punch line; “you’ve been brainwashed into acting like you’re sort of ordinary.”
His post confirms what I have been thinking lately.
Most learning brainwashes us into thinking that there are guaranteed ways of doing things and if we just stick to those ways, everything works out fine.
We even ask for that guarantee when we ask for fixed outcomes and benefits of the learning we are about to buy.
With that we hope to buy a recipe for a good life, buy success and the guarantee that we prevent making costly mistakes in real life.
That that is a myth becomes very clear when job hunting and writing resumes.
Most people are stuck with an idea how a resume and job hunting should look like, because that’s how they were taught to do it.
Even if there is overwhelming evidence – and there is!- that their learnt way is not working, they still hardly dare to move away from the learnt way.
Another thing that is blindly obvious from Seth’s post is the limited solutions we can think of when we set out to get what we want.
Not many people could come up with things Seth talks about such as having three extraordinary letters of recommendation from people the employer knows or respects?
I wouldn’t even think of finding out who the employer themselves respect and even if I knew I might not have thought of getting letters from them.
To get that smart and effective you need to live, try things out and be okay about egg on your face and a dented ego.
6 comments
Thanks Wilma – first person to make a comment and now a contributing author 🙂
g
It is all part of learning to walk the talk and appreciating what this great blog is about…giver’s gain…
There are some great posts.
Wilma – we have shortened this post a little in order that we can use it as the weekly Educational Workshop. It has just gone out to all 93 chapters. Many thanks for sharing this material – it is inspirational and I am sure that people who follow the link to your own blog site will be as impressed as I am with your thoughts and ideas.
Graham Southwell
The link to his blog is
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/03/why-bother-havi.html
The link in your text is incomplete (sort of)
Jochen
Oops – my bad! Thanks Jochen – I have put in the correct link.
g
Thank you Graham for amending the post and doing the connecting and networking that you are such a stand for. Isn’t the internet fun.
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