Advice

Epic Resume Go! Part 1!

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In general people don't like to do resumes.  I'm sure for a good 90% of my audience this is not a revelation, but a confirmation.  People just don't enjoy the whole resume thing – something I encounter all the time.

Part of this is because of the stress of the job search, I'm sure.  However, another factor is that I think people haven't really found a way to "get into" doing a resume.  The resume is a barrier, the resume is an annoyance, the resume is a chore.

I think that resumes can actually be fun.  If you enjoy them, you'll do better at them.

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You’ll Never Get It Together

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"Once I get it together, I'll launch my career!"

If you think this way, you're never going have a career.

The truth about careers (and life in general) is you'll never truly have it together.  There will always be something not quite right.  There will always be something a bit off.  Even if you get to your supposed perfect point, you'll re-evaluate it and discover it's not as perfect as you thought.

So you might as well start your career now.  Take that class.  Read that book.  Do that research.  Practice Flash animation or whatever.  You're never going to have it together enough to start, so wade on it.

"Once I get these things together, my career will be perfect."

If you think this way, you'll be waiting forever.

Careers are evolving, unpredictable beasts.  You can set a direction into the future, but you can expect quite a few twists and turns as you head towards where you want to go.  Along the way you may decide where you want to go is something differently entirely.

Want to be happy in your career?  Start as soon as possible, throw yourself into it, and enjoy the ride.  Accept the crazy, chaotic nature of what you'll face.  Enjoy the experience of the changes.

There's never a time it'll be all together.

But it can be pretty exciting!

– Steven Savage

Frustration Friday: The Best Isn’t The Best – Again

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OK, let me go and say something I've been telling people for awhile.

Your competency at a profession is not based on any one skill.  It is based on if you have the skills that SUPPORT that skill so you can use it, and thus have a job and a career.

  • If you're the world's greatest artist and have no social skills, you're probably not going to get hired, or even let people be aware of your talent.
  • If you're the world's greatest writer and you're disorganized and ever complete anything, that legion of half-finished novels will never see an audience.
  • If you are a brilliant programmer and don't know the industry you're in, then you will not be able to deal with clients, make plans, and get the job done.

For that matter if you're a brilliant ANYTHING and can't do a job search, network, and market yourself you're probably in trouble anyway.

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