Resumes and Remarkability Revisited
26 March 2008
Photo by mondoagogo
Nate saw Seth Godin’s post, “Why bother having a resume?” and asked the following question:
…do you really need a “Beautiful Resume Design” to cover up for your lack of effectiveness or are you just asking to get rejected by taking lots of time to “stand out from the rest” who will probably get hired over you? Just wondered…
Good question, Nate. I read that post as well. Here’s my off-the-cuff response to your question:
Most folks aren’t going after “remarkable” opportunities like Seth’s internship. Similarly, very few people can be considered truly “remarkable” (or exceptional or amazing, etc.). While we’d like to believe that all our children are above average, it’s statistically impossible. If we assume that the population fits a normal distribution, less than 2.5% of us (i.e., those outside the upper end of the two-standard deviation distance from the mean) are “remarkable,” and less than 0.15% of us are really “amazing.”
So, statistically, some 97.5% of us–those of us who lack remarkability–should have resumes.
While my initial response is more tongue-in-cheek than off-the-cuff, Seth is right: if you’re doing cutting edge, really cool stuff, people will know about it and know about you. Your reputation will precede you, and a resume won’t open any doors that you couldn’t already walk through on your own. Who fits this bill?
- Steve Jobs
- Bono
- Brad Bird (writer/director of The Incredibles and Ratatouille)
- Lance Armstrong
Again, most of us don’t have the kinds of experiences or credentials that are part of the common body of knowledge. But in our own little corners of the world, we may well be “experts” or “the best in world” (I love the way this is defined in The Dip
Or you could be just another guy or gal looking for a job, along with 20 other guys/gals–all of whom have resumes. And a resume is a tool to introduce your skills and experiences to someone who doesn’t know you. No amount of clever design work, though, can obscure a lack of qualifications. In my teaching career, I’ve seen a few students over the years who have been “more sizzle than steak:” they make a great first impression but lack the skills/character/substance required to keep performing day after day. But I’ve also seen students with good skills, experiences, and qualifications that haven’t been marketed well. If the only thing that separates you from the competition is a good-looking or even beautiful resume, then why not?
Filed under: Job Hunting, Marketing by Michael
Michael,
Thanks for the follow up response. I agree that it takes a lot to be “remarkable” and that there are probably a small percentage of the population that meet the criteria. However, I feel it’s debatable what “remarkable” is - everyone has a different perspective or definition.
As I said in a recent post about
persistence and goals, in the movie “Rudy” remarkable characteristics were shown in the little things Rudy Rudiger did on a day to day basis. He wasn’t Steve Jobs, Lance Armstrong and definitely not Bono, but what he did was “remarkable”. His heart, dedication and commitment to succeed made him “remarkable”, even though he was never going to be the next NFL super star. “I’m tired of people telling what I can’t do.” I’m sure many of us have said (or felt) that too - the problem is, many of us accept that idea and are trapped by the expectations of others.
I really believe that we can become “remarkable” at whatever we want; it’s just about KNOWING what we want and defining a clear path to get there. Resumes are really only a small piece of the big pie. I’m in an administrative position now with a big company and a resume wasn’t even looked at or presented to get this job.
Well said, Nate. I’m in complete agreement with you: a person can be “remarkable” without being a superstar/celebrity. This is why I so appreciate Seth Godin’s perspective in The Dip: being the “best in the world” depends on how you define or understand your “world.” A person could own the best independent bookstore in a small town or provide the best real estate business on the Near North Side in Chicago or have the best Japanese restaurant within 50 miles. All of these depend on carefully pursuing a niche–that is, defining your “world.”
Or a person could, because he has more motivation and desire to succeed than anyone else, be the most remarkable football player at Notre Dame (my wife and I are big fans of ND football–Go Irish!).
The world is full of incredibly talented people who never do anything noteworthy, but also full of otherwise ordinary people who work hard and set goals–and do some really extraordinary things. Good point.