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Why you should burn your resume. (A thread.)
I issued a challenge to myself years ago when I was a young professional at a lot of events meeting people. I wanted to see if I could tell people who I was without reference to my age, education, or job titles.
I issued a challenge to myself years ago when I was a young professional at a lot of events meeting people. I wanted to see if I could tell people who I was without reference to my age, education, or job titles.
I had to learn to tell my story instead of my status. (And applied this generously - https://medium.com/the-mission/tell-me-your-story-not-your-status-c82b5b17524)
It turns out, once you crack this, the results are dramatically better!
Instead of relying thoughtlessly on third-party conferred status symbols, I had to look for...
It turns out, once you crack this, the results are dramatically better!
Instead of relying thoughtlessly on third-party conferred status symbols, I had to look for...
...interestingness and ways to find an create value. It made me better at listening to other people and finding connection points, instead of relying on small talk about semester, grade, geography, or work history.
One of my favorite talks is "Embrace the Shake."...
One of my favorite talks is "Embrace the Shake."...
The TLDR is that an artist who hit a brick wall discovered that he could unlock untold creativity with self-imposed constraints.
He found new ways of seeing the world when he took the old off the table as options. https://www.ted.com/talks/phil_hansen_embrace_the_shake
He found new ways of seeing the world when he took the old off the table as options. https://www.ted.com/talks/phil_hansen_embrace_the_shake
I used to visit a lot of career focused subreddits where people posted seeking help on how to better get jobs. I noticed a pattern.
Almost every post went "I'm not having success finding a job" and every comment, "Try re-arranging your resume."
Almost every post went "I'm not having success finding a job" and every comment, "Try re-arranging your resume."
The resume was always the focus.
This lifeless 8.5x11 piece of 5,000 year old technology is like a talisman that sucked all the creativity and energy out of the room.
People stressed about what bullets the DIDN'T have on their resume.
This lifeless 8.5x11 piece of 5,000 year old technology is like a talisman that sucked all the creativity and energy out of the room.
People stressed about what bullets the DIDN'T have on their resume.
Instead of getting creative with how to prove value creation to the right people, everyone seemed to get sucked into a losing paper chase, hoping to plaster over the gaps with font weight, margin size, and clever re-ordering of the same bullets.
It's hard to break free from the status and credential game if you use the resume as your ultimate artifact. It's hard to know what new stuff you're capable of until you eliminate the old ways from your option set.
It might sound constraining, but letting go of the old approach turns out to be freeing. Challenging, but freeing.
If you burn your resume, you unlock something amazing. Your 'why', your skills and value creatively demonstrated in ways relevant to specific opportunities.
If you burn your resume, you unlock something amazing. Your 'why', your skills and value creatively demonstrated in ways relevant to specific opportunities.
One of the biggest hangups for younger professionals is fear of seizing opportunities because of a desire to keep everything in the "options" state.
Jumping on one concrete thing is scary. You have to become solid, not a cloud of potentiality.
https://crash.co/content/career-planning/obsession-options-blinding-opportunities
Jumping on one concrete thing is scary. You have to become solid, not a cloud of potentiality.
https://crash.co/content/career-planning/obsession-options-blinding-opportunities
The resume is a generic thing you blast out to all the theoretical options. It's not specific to any one of them.
But opportunities are specific. If you want to win one, you've got to appeal uniquely to THAT opportunity.
I often use a dating analogy...
But opportunities are specific. If you want to win one, you've got to appeal uniquely to THAT opportunity.
I often use a dating analogy...
You won't do well approaching people with a ten-point list of "reasons I'm highly date-able". Your best bet is to genuinely take interest in them, and show them something that can't be easily faked or carbon copied.
Unique you interested in unique them https://crash.co/career-guides/pitches
Unique you interested in unique them https://crash.co/career-guides/pitches
This approach is not easy. It's challenging.
BUT it's difficulty with meaning.
The normal job-hunt is hard AND soulless. It's a challenge without meaning. It breaks the spirit.
If you burn your resume, your challenges become interesting and meaningful.
BUT it's difficulty with meaning.
The normal job-hunt is hard AND soulless. It's a challenge without meaning. It breaks the spirit.
If you burn your resume, your challenges become interesting and meaningful.
Going #noresume is not just about a piece of paper.
It's a mindset. It's about the way you see yourself and the way to see and seize opportunity.
It's about being in the drivers seat in career and life.
https://crash.co/content/careerlaunch/noresume-more-than-applying-with-no-resume
It's a mindset. It's about the way you see yourself and the way to see and seize opportunity.
It's about being in the drivers seat in career and life.
https://crash.co/content/careerlaunch/noresume-more-than-applying-with-no-resume
Once you shed the resume framework (and literally burn the physical resume, or find other fun uses for it - https://crash.co/content/career-planning/the-top-5-ways-to-use-your-resume-a-visual-guide), you begin to realize the only two things that matter on the job market:
1-your ability to create value
2-your ability to prove it
1-your ability to create value
2-your ability to prove it
How can you prove value creation without a resume?
PITCH them!
What is a pitch?
A narrative arc about you, tailored to them.
Pitches are used by startups to raise investment, and salespeople to close deals. You can adapt them for anything.
PITCH them!
What is a pitch?
A narrative arc about you, tailored to them.
Pitches are used by startups to raise investment, and salespeople to close deals. You can adapt them for anything.
Like any good story, a pitch has a beginning, middle, and end.
An effective arc is something like:
-Why your are so interested in THEM
-Why you do what you do (not just what you can do, but who you do it)
-Why you+them=awesome
An effective arc is something like:
-Why your are so interested in THEM
-Why you do what you do (not just what you can do, but who you do it)
-Why you+them=awesome
Pitching is harder than it looks, but way more fun and effective than blasting bland resumes or relying on static status.
Once you learn to see your own ability to create value and see the unique ways you can prove it to people you want to work with, you'll never go back.
Once you learn to see your own ability to create value and see the unique ways you can prove it to people you want to work with, you'll never go back.
Here's a short list of some pitch basics:
A pitch has personality
A pitch is about piquing curiosity
A pitch is a value proposition
A pitch is about showing, not telling
A pitch is personalized, not generic
A pitch is about them more than you
A pitch is a narrative...
A pitch has personality
A pitch is about piquing curiosity
A pitch is a value proposition
A pitch is about showing, not telling
A pitch is personalized, not generic
A pitch is about them more than you
A pitch is a narrative...
A pitch connects the dots
A pitch is as small as possible, but no smaller
A pitch is a sales strategy
A pitch is the marketing for “You, Inc.”
A pitch is whatever it takes to get an interview!
A pitch is as small as possible, but no smaller
A pitch is a sales strategy
A pitch is the marketing for “You, Inc.”
A pitch is whatever it takes to get an interview!
(Over a decade pitch trial and error, mostly with myself but also with thousands of early career builders, went into this guide if you really want to dive in.) https://crash.co/career-guides/pitches
So if you had to burn your resume - if every opportunity you win from here on out had to come without recourse to those basic bullets, what would you do? How would you begin? How would you approach your job hunt?
Go do it.
Go do it.
Part of a great pitch is turning the lifeless facts of your life and skill into a narrative arc. If you can connect the dots and show that all your life up until this point leads you to this moment, and show why, it's hard to ignore!
For example...
For example...
Here's a typical cover letter, with no arc:
“I know several programming languages and studied statistical analysis. I have worked in a variety of roles in IT and data, and now I look forward to working for your company as a junior developer.”
Contrast that to this...
“I know several programming languages and studied statistical analysis. I have worked in a variety of roles in IT and data, and now I look forward to working for your company as a junior developer.”
Contrast that to this...
“Since I was a kid I’ve been obsessed with solving problems. I stayed up all night to solve my Rubik’s cube. That’s what drove me to learn code and work in IT and data roles. That same obsession w prob solving is what excites me so much about becoming a jr dev at your company.”
Reframing the facts into a story about WHY you have gained the skills and experience you have, and WHY those have led you here, and WHY you want to apply them to this opportunity is so much more compelling and personal than just: "Skill list. Call me."
The first step is learning how to see in your own life a narrative arc - a hero's journey if you will, without needing to get cheesy or self-important.
Storytelling is one of the most powerful human skills, no matter your role. https://isaacmorehouse.com/2020/06/10/stories-open-doors/
Storytelling is one of the most powerful human skills, no matter your role. https://isaacmorehouse.com/2020/06/10/stories-open-doors/
People connect with people, not paper.
Don't share a paper resume and hope it connects.
Pitch them the story of how all your life led you to this pitch. If you don't see it that way, learn to!
Here are more tips:
https://crash.co/career-guides/pitches#narrative
Don't share a paper resume and hope it connects.
Pitch them the story of how all your life led you to this pitch. If you don't see it that way, learn to!
Here are more tips:
https://crash.co/career-guides/pitches#narrative
