Résumé Writing

I just finished writing my résumé. As with all good résumés, mine employs action words like “developed,” “maintained,” and “organized.” It is has a simple layout and uses short, descriptive sentences. Even though it is somewhat debated among résumé advisors, I decided to have an “Objective” section. I am rather proud of summarizing things so concisely and efficiently, even if I used two pages to do so.

But this is not an employee résumé. I will not be turning it into any potential employers because this résumé is a summary of my life, complete with important events and relationships. For example, my “Objective” section is as follows: “To glorify God by enjoying Him forever.” I debated using “To be happy” instead, but there really is no happiness if it is not about something. Of course, I also have an “Education” section, but below that are the “Relationship History,” “Greatest Compliments,” and “Excellent Friendships” (which really doubles as my references) sections.

The Relationship History section begins like this:

Jennifer Howard
January 1998 – December 2000
Dating with Discussions of Marriage

• Introduced to her at church and developed a friendship
• Requested her to join me for prom and organized the trip
• Maintained a dating relationship for two years until I moved away to college
• Ended the relationship when I realized we could never end up together

The next entry covers my failed engagement relationship, and is followed by one that began on the Internet. At the end of the section I summarize the few, but still significant, various drunken make-out sessions and hook-ups with girls. I can only use the term “girls” to describe them because I honestly cannot remember most of their names. I assume the reader now understands why I will not be turning this in to potential employers.

Under the Greatest Compliments section are a few of my favorites:

“I feel so much safer knowing someone like you is defending this country.”
“I have learned more from being your friend than an entire lifetime at church.”
“If I could only have one other person with me on the planet, it would be you.”
“If I ever end up going to war again, I want you fighting right next to me.”

That last quote came from my Drill Sergeant in boot camp. The date they were received and the speaker’s name are noted in proper format for a professional-looking résumé. I had difficulty recalling these exact quotes, so it took me some time. The “Excellent Friendships” section was difficult to write also, but for a different reason. Due to spatial concerns (one can never overwhelm the reader of a résumé with too much content), I had to narrow it down to three. Clearly, this section overlapped with my “Paradigm Shifts” and “Challenges so Hard I Wanted to Quit” sections because my most excellent friendships were born out of such moments.

The vulnerability present on these two simple pages is terrifying. There it is, my life, with all of its accomplishments, compliments, friendships, mistakes, and intentions gone sour. I think the format made it easier to write, and makes it easier to look at, given that it is simply a basic summary in a presentable layout. These pages contain the most concise and accurate (to me) portrayal of who I am and who I have been. It wasn’t as depressing to write as I first thought. In fact, I feel a sense of relief or release or self-actualization or something else a psychologist would say. In any case, it was a great exercise, and I will probably do it again in a few years’ time.