We spend countless hours polishing our resumes. We can find contradicting advice on nearly any point, except “put your name at the top.” We place so much pressure on this document, because our resumes play an important, but not exclusive role, in putting a roof over our heads and food on our table. We play “beat the AI algorithm” and pray we can pass the 15 second recruiter scan.
The burden of this important document is that we can begin to associate our worth with one PDF.
A Modest Proposal (pun intended)
Resumes are important. No debate there. In fact, some unicorns even published their own guide. However, what if we wrote a different kind of resume? One that showcased a different view of our careers and skill sets? One that is primarily for personal use to share when we desire?
Use it as a reflection exercise.
Allow it to fuel your goal setting.
Share a segment during a team building event.
Craft a new script for meet and greets.
Read it as an abbreviated Smile File.
Without page limits or concerns, write a resume that proves worth is so much more than a highly formatted document.
So…what to fill it with? Go ahead, start with your name – nicknames are welcome. No rules, remember?
Your New Resume
Traditional resumes contain three key sections: Experience, Education and Community Involvement. Let’s turn each of these on their heads. Allow new bullet points to take over the old. Keep the brevity.
Experience
Consider your top three to five items in these categories:
Favorite projects
Leadership/relationship highlights
Key learnings
Unlikely wins, where even you were surprised
Times you laughed
Education
How do you learn? What do you want to learn next? Of whom are you a student?
Community Involvement
How are you recharging your batteries? What are you passionate about?
My Alternative Resume
An example to walk the talk and hopefully spark your creativity:
Experience
Favorite projects
Assessing, identifying and curating an LMS that supported learning in 14 languages and attracted learners to complete over 16,000 courses in 10 months.
Traveling to facilitate multiple sessions of a leadership development course I designed.
Growing Today’s Unicorn Talent and speaking at DisruptHR.
Coaching new Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) leaders.
Designing a narrative orientation program that places new hires in the middle of the action.
Leadership/relationship highlights
Coaching technical trainers into the L&D arena.
Being able to shield and advocate for my team.
Testing and proving my skills across industries and geographies.
Being sought out for advice.
Developing strong work relationships that last beyond the job.
Key learnings
Recognize the difference between intent and outcome.
It’s a good thing to ask for help.
If you ask people to be human, be human in return.
Balance depth and breadth of work to enable impact and use of expertise.
Some consider saying “Merry Christmas” as a good DEI practice.
Choosing the right boss and work culture are paramount.
Unlikely wins
Hearing leaders say what I’ve taught them not only helped them at work, but also bettered their marriage and relationship with their kids.
Making the person laying me off during Covid go off script and laugh.
Having a training participant call me “creepy” because the course’s case studies were so timely to the leadership challenges he was facing.
Interviewing for a Director role at 27.
Writing a blog that has digital impressions from 40+ countries in under three years.
Times I laughed
A colleague thinking I tuned into a conference call with a nasty headwound when in fact it was Ash Wednesday…a delightful and inclusive conversation followed.
Earning a diverse collection of nicknames – Maryanne, Butch, Annie and Super Woman. I’ll take it!
Reminiscing on the time a live webinar was interrupted by a fire alarm. (It was kinda funny after the fact.)
During a panel interview, having one interviewer compliment my blog and another hold up a unicorn statue from his desk.
Education
Learning Methods: HR webinars, networking, podcasts, LinkedIn thought leadership
Next Learning: Resilience-proofing learning and leadership development strategies
Student Of: Personal Board of Directors
Community Involvement
Recharging: Zumba, writing, painting, glass etching, ax throwing, etc.
Passions: Supporting the next generation of HR professionals
To the Point
The world will measure you as it wills. Our worth is not defined by their metrics. Position your career highlights by the light of your own celebration!
Image source: https://everydaypower.com/reinvent-yourself/
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