Ever notice that people tend to make things harder than they have to be? Wouldn't the job search be simpler, for example, if you could forgo the trouble of crafting a brilliant resume that details your past experience, and instead just sum up your essential nature, your true value, in the form of a haiku?
In case you've forgotten, haiku is a Japanese form of non-rhyming poetry which, in English, contains three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables, respectively. The goal of a haiku is to paint a mental image in the reader's mind.
And that's exactly the goal you're trying to achieve in a resume! But a resume does it in one or two pages (plus cover letter), while a haiku does it in 17 syllables.
Give it a try!
See if you can write a resume haiku that communicates a sense of what makes you a great job candidate, and helps readers picture you successfully fulfilling their business needs. This exercise is not only a fun time-waster, it might actually help you zero in on the core message you want to present to employers.
Here are a few samples to help you get started:
Administrative Assistant
Knows what bosses need
And provides them with the tools
That make them look good
Customer Service Representative
Able to listen
To people being bitchy
Without bitching back
Ad Copywriter
Understands people
Puts their pain into words that
Make them want to buy
Real Estate Agent
Helps you look beyond
These four walls to see instead
Your dream lifestyle here
Try it! Write your haiku in the Comments section below, and be sure to tell us the job title. Remember, it's three lines with 5, 7, and 5 syllables—or as close as you can come without hurting yourself.
RELATED LINKS
What Is a Resume? A Brief Overview
How to Find Your Value Proposition
Myths and Realities of Job Searching