Are you focused on building a better resume? Then my first question is why?
This is a rhetorical question and your answer probably goes something like this. To get my dream job I was taught to go to college, get an education and work that job for 30 plus years.
Part of that process is to put your experience and education on a 8.5 x 11 inch rectangle and tell the world how great you are. What if I told you not to forget about your resume, but to change your focus and focus on creating something that matters? i.e. A Project
Evan Williams talk at TED centered around side projects, which is how Twitter was birthed.
The Building a Better Mousetrap Mentality
We have all heard the saying, “Build a Better Mousetrap.” William C. Hooker invented the spring-loaded mousetrap in 1894. Since its creation there have many different versions: electric, live-catching, glue, inert gas and the list goes on. What has the outcome been of these upgraded mousetraps? Better materials?? Bragging rights?? You feel cooler about using them??
How do you build a better resume? The same way you build a better mousetrap right? You create an online resume with links right? You use social channels right? As a practitioner in the personal branding it is easy to force-feed this mindset down peoples throats. (Note: I am not saying go drink the Kool-Aid and throw away your resume, but re-think what you are focused on.)
Game Changers and their Projects
Listed below are four people who are working on some cool personal projects who won’t need a resume to get their next gig. Guaranteed. These projects are creating major opportunities for these individuals and I guarantee you they are not tweaking their resume to death. They are working on projects that people care about that they have a passion for.
• Noah Brier – Creator of BrandTags.net – Fast Company 100 Most Creative People in Business (2009)
• Evan Williams - Founder of Twitter (Enough said)
• Gina McCauley – Founder of Blogging While Brown – Essence Magazine 25 Most Influential African- Americans (2007)
• Noah Everett – Founder of Twitpics – Twitter’s most popular photo sharing site. Valued at $10 Million?
What is your side project?
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2 Comments
I have to agree. I also think by creating side projects you learn about business planning, biz development, how to manage your life amongst other things. You can really learn a lot by trying to build yourself up that way.
I agree totally. I love having side projects, the day to day churning of my regular day job always sees my creative side come in snippets. I jot them down and then apply them to my after hours projects. Doing this has seen the company (www.idlogik.com) over the past year and hopefully will turn full time soon