For years I played the game, applying for jobs, endlessly tweaking my résumé. I’d send it out so many times, written so many cover letters, made so many follow-up calls. For nothing.
All of the keywords, all of the hyper-positive, motivational phrases. All of that work, all of that effort. Not to mention the hit on my time, my finances, my family, my motivation, my self-esteem. What a waste. What a degrading process.
Until the day I decided to do something different, to turn off the beaten and forge my own, new path.
For all those times I wrote that perfect résumé, just so an unknown, unaccountable someone could reduce my life to black, laser printed characters on a page and drop me into the recycling bin. 100% cotton bond, headed to China, mingled with all that common, pedestrian copier paper. It was a metaphor for me. And I’ve never been common.
Now my résumé is 300 pages long (and still growing). Now, when someone reads my résumé, they’ll tell their friends. They’ll recommend it to others. They might even buy a copy for a loved one.
Now my words mean something, every last one. Now I’m sure my typing, endless, creative hours spent crafting something real, will benefit me. Sure, someone might still drop it into the trash. But it’s never going to outweigh those who don’t. That’s a lot better than when it was the other way around.
<deep breath>
From here out, life is going to be different. It’s a walk of one thousand miles, and not a simple or singular path. Forward, I am changing the view.
So nice.
– Nathan Belway