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59. The truth about resumes.
What does your resume say about you?

• It portrays me as a person of action.
• It reveals my extensive experience.
• It portrays me as a problem-solver.
• It shows I'm a loyal employee who doesn't jump from company to company.
• It emphasizes my outstanding academic credentials.
• It reveals my successful track record.
• It shows I've worked for the best companies.
• It proves I can handle increasing levels of responsibility.
• It highlights my knowledge of state-of-the-art technology.

I have a different take on your resume.

It says to the employer, "Here, take this piece of paper and study it very carefully. Then go figure out what the heck to do with me."

Guess what? Precious few employers will figure that out. (You must explain it to them, and you can't do it with a piece of paper.) Most will just put you in the wastebasket or, worse, in the wrong job.

A resume is the laziest, most passive, impertinent, thoughtless way to approach a man about a job he needs done, because you're asking him to do all the work. You're asking him to figure out what to do with you. That's the truth about resumes.

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