What did YOUR first resume look like?
Graduating from architecture school during the years of the Carter recession, I found the prospects of obtaining first-job professional-employment with a skimpy resume about as promising as trying to separate the fly droppings from the pepper.
A young graduate that our Midwestern office hired in the early ‘nineties, Randy T., went through a similar experience. He once noted that if he had been completely honest about his qualifications, his first resume would have looked like this:
RANDY T--------
309 E. John Street
Champaign, Illinois 61820
(217) --- ----
OBJECTIVE:
To obtain the position for which I am applying.
SCHOOL:
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Degree: Master of Architecture
Graduation Date: May, 1993
Degree: B.S. Architectural Studies
Graduation Date: May, 1990
PLACES I’VE WORKED:
Barracco’s Pizzaria, Evergreen Park, IL
- Delivered pizzas really fast.
- Got some awesome tips from some rich dudes.
- Managed to control my temper when I got stiffed.
Sportmart, Orland Hills, IL
- Wore a tie to work every single day.
- Put sporting goods on the shelves for people to buy.
- Was never more than 7-1/2 minutes late to work.
- Did not stare at the babes trying on shoes in the shoe department.
Southwest Pet Shop, Bridgeview, IL
- Could catch up to 14 goldfish in one swoop of the net.
- Mopped the whole floor at least 5 times a day.
- Counted change real good.
- Could carry over 100 lbs. of dog food at a time – impressed the delivery guys.
ACTIVITIES:
- Collect frogs and some lizards.
- Go fishing whenever someone will take me on his boat.
- Sleep in real late on some Saturdays.
- Cut the lawn before my dad gets pissed.
- Go driving around late at night to find toads breeding in ditches.
- Sneak in U-turns when there’s no cops around.
- Stick sleeping people’s hands in warm water and laughing as they pee their pants.
- Ate 13 White Castle burgers for lunch once.
REFERENCES:
- Dad (not when he’s in a bad mood, though)
- Mom
- Faith, my sister
- Grandma D-----
- Grandma T--------
- Grandpa T--------
- Michelle, my girlfriend
Long story short, we hired him. Not on the basis of this resume (which we hadn’t yet seen), of course, but the strength of his padded one was, if not compelling, much more impressive - to architects, anyway (probably not as much to herpetologists).
I haven’t seen Randy in 15 years. I’m sure he’s found success. He told me once that, back when he worked at the pet shop, he personally taste-tested all the brands of dry dog food. Otherwise, he explained, he couldn’t have honestly told the customers which one was the best.
And, of course, honesty is how you get ahead in the world.
lol! Another great post! Randy was very versatile!
ReplyDeleteHe truly was. He used to work while listening to the local radio station and was pretty good at calling in answers to win radio question prizes. Once, he won 4 tickets to a large traveling production of Les Miserables, so my wife and I joined Randy and Michelle to watch it.
ReplyDeleteI spent the whole time trying to figure out which guy was Les. It was pretty hard to see from near the top of "C" section, even with the binoc's.