Earlier today a friend of mine challenged me to think up a one word resume for myself. The only think I could think of at the time was available, this given that from about 2 pm the previous day I had been in dialogue with my classmates about some paperwork for an event we happened to be planning. While I do not mind the constant feedback that comes with planning programmes and the like, I began to wonder if I was really being of assistance or just filling a space because the persons who had the job originally were otherwise occupied?
I then thought of another word, adaptable, this word is especially important in doing group work (fortunately I learned this from very early on). Adaptable within reason. Yes it's more than one word, but the within reason ensures some amount of stability. Back to group work; when placed in a group with other persons there is bound to be some difference in opinion about one aspect or another of the project. However natural going with gut feelings may be, in group work, gut feelings alone won't get you far. There comes a time when each person's input has to be taken, molded and reformed into a unified presentation. The trick to successfully doing this is knowing when to yield to every suggestion and when to say enough.... in other words how to adapt.
In an era where innovation driven by globalization has forced many companies to adapt, that word (adapt) seems to resonate with me as a marker of interest. Not only does the word bring to mind other words like change, innovate, create, agree. Businesses, in order to be truly competitive forces, tend to find themselves adapting to the needs of a specific customer, adapting to the schedule of a supplier, adapting to the economic environment in which the business exists. All within reason of course.
So now for the billboards. The resume, in my opinion, is like a sign that says: Hey i'm here! Hire me! Usually; it precedes the applicant and tells the prospective employer what he/she should expect; much like a billboard advertising good food, good books a place to rest and the like. They really do perform a similar function albeit to totally different audiences (unless you are bold and cashy enough to place your resume on an actual billboard).
That being said, if I had a one word resume (billboard) what would it read?
Just as I said before:
Adaptable
but I wouldn't leave it there; just as on many billboards there's a little section that says *conditions apply, I think the same wording is applicable.
What will your one word resume say?
Adaptably yours,
SB