Not too long ago my family and I went to a water park in Myrtle Beach, S.C. As I was climbing up the steps toward the fastest slide there, I thought of the similarities between writing effective resumes and having fun.
Writing an effective resume is as much an art as it is a science. Many experts have varying techniques. Some almost seem contradictory. Most of them work if properly implemented.
I was thinking about that recently when my family went to a water park in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Several experiences there reminded me of the attitude you should have as you begin to write your resume.
One of the first things I saw when we entered the park was the “lazy river.” Going through and around all the lightning fast water slides was a slow moving canal.
You went down the lazy river on a big inner tube. Every once in a while you’d get sprayed with a little water, just enough to cool you off on a hot day. It was perfect for relaxing and thinking about the joy of being with your family.
As I was leaning back and enjoying the unhurried pace of the water, I thought about how conducive it was to considering the deeper questions of life. Those are the types of questions you should think about before you even start writing your resume.
Ask yourself what you want to do with your life. What gives you the greatest joy? What makes you feel like you’re doing what you should be doing?
Once you reflect on those matters you can start thinking about what type of job best fits you and your skills, talents and abilities.
After riding the lazy river, we moved on to some of the more exciting rides. Whenever we go to amusement parks, I always have an internal conversation with myself. Part of me wants to ride the fastest, most exciting ride there. Another part wants to stay in the lazy river.
The thrill-seeking part of me always wins. So, I looked around for the scariest looking slide. After I spotted it, I announced that I wanted to ride it before we left. A short while later, I was climbing a long set of stairs that was much higher than it looked from the ground.
I momentarily considered excuses for making my way back down the steps, but eventually talked myself into going down the slide. It was a whole lot of fun even though it felt like my body was about to come flying off the slide about halfway down.
When my feet were back on solid ground, I thought about how many times we miss out on exciting parts of life because of fear. People writing resumes often experience similar thoughts. They think of why they’re not qualified for a particular job, rather than considering why they are qualified.
When you’re putting together your resume, always focus on how you can do the job. Highlight ways you’ve done similar jobs. Showcase skills and achievements that show why you’re the one for the job.
A big part of our day at the water park was spent in line. We climbed a lot of steps on the way to the starting point of various slides. But every time, the ride was worth the time and effort.
That’s the way it is with writing an effective resume. You have to put in a lot of work. You have to gather information about your experience. You have to research the job you want and the company with the open position. You have to put it all together in a way that demonstrates your qualifications.
In the end, all the effort is worth it. If you’re writing effective resumes, you’re on track to landing your dream job.
Stephen DeVane
P.S. Be sure to check out my other articles about resume writing.