Pets — they’re one of the greatest joys in life. Whether you are a cat person, a dog person or a duckling-each-spring-kind of person, you know there is something about these fuzzy little creatures that makes them irresistible.
If you have a pet, it probably makes an appearance in 50 percent of the pictures on your phone. And because it would be a crime against humanity to let these photos be unknown to the world, we post them on Facebook and show them to our friends so that they too can admire our oh-so-adorable counterpart.
People love showing off their animals and they invest a lot of time in making them show-worthy. In the business world, people have pets they tend to and mollycoddle as well. This little white creature is called a resume, and a good one receives lots of time and care from its owner. A prime example of a good pet owner is Elle Woods of “Legally Blonde.” In the same way Elle spoils her posh chihuahua, Bruiser Woods, you too should coach, spoil and maintain your resume.
Your resume must be trained. Your resume is a direct reflection of your skills. As one may be ashamed if their dog topples over an innocent toddler in the park, you should be ashamed if your resume performs badly. Every part of your resume, from word choice to design and content, speaks to who you are. For this reason it’s important to invest time into making it something you adore and something you’re proud to take to the park.
Spoil your resume and think about it often. Americans will go to great measures to keep their pets happy. This can be seen by the invention of the pooch-carrying purse and the current doggie bakery phenomenon. Similarly, we should constantly be thinking of ways to make our resume happy. When you hear of an opportunity to join the finance team or to act as the secretary of your social club, ask yourself if it is something that would look good on your resume and add to your skill set. If so, go for it.
Make it your speaking point. We’ve all been at one of those social gatherings where by some awkward turn of events you’re sitting next to someone and we have nothing to talk about. But, lo and behold, you have a conversation starter. You whip out your phone and next thing you know the two of you are bonding over the picture of your cat in a Santa suit. Likewise, the bullet points on your resume should be your talking points for your interview. Therefore, it is important that each bit of information inspires a conversation about your skills.
Maintain. You cannot feed your pet once a year and call it good. That will lead you to a highly dilapidated pet and probably a visit from animal malpractice services. Similarly, you cannot neglect your resume. Check on your resume often and feed it with new information that makes you look good. If you fail to maintain your resume, you may one day find that a feeble skeleton has taken the place of your once adored counterpart.
