Is Marathon on Your Resume?
I recently re-vamped my resume, an arduous task that most experts recommend you carry out every year. I, of course, had not done so in the last five years, making the experience all the more painful.
As I live through this process, I ask myself and others:
Should you put ‘marathon’ on your resume?
I think so, after having reviewed more than my fair share of resumes over the years. After all, what makes one stand out against another?
Never was this assertion more apparent than years ago when I worked at Polaroid and was in charge of the summer internship program. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, you might imagine the nice stack of Harvard Business School resumes I had to review. They were all similarly formatted, all their accomplishments were extraordinary, and frankly, they all looked alike! The only way I could differentiate one from the other was to examine their interests outside the classroom and workplace. These hobbies and interests gave a nameless, faceless piece of paper some personality.
But that’s me. And as a hiring manager, I am always interested in the person and the personality – not just the IQ.
But even if you’re still in doubt, here’s why I think ‘marathon’ will help your resume stand out.
You’re one of a kind. Less than 1% of the world’s population has accomplished what you have, so why not brag on yourself?
You’re not scared of hard work. If you can survive the pain of 26 long miles, then those job requirements should be a slam dunk!
You have tremendous stamina. You can hit a wall and still keep running. That same physical – and mental – stamina will be a valuable commodity at the workplace.
You can persevere. You survived fatigue, injury, bad weather, early wake-up calls and other unforeseen obstacles while training. Think you’ll be phased if your boss throws a few curve balls your way?
You are disciplined. Even if friends or a furry partner were inspiration, it was you who logged all those miles. What employer wouldn’t appreciate that same kind of discipline, especially in this crazy economy?
You can set – and conquer – goals. Just wait till that next performance review. You’ll kick some goal-setting booty!
You like to compete. And win. There’s a fire than fuels all of us, yet some flames burn brighter than others. You have proven that yours doesn’t flicker.
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