What does a four-leaf-clover resume have to do with the son of a West Texas preacher? The following post, written by writer and storyteller, Rob Poindexter not only will fill you in, but also aims to entertain you along the way.
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As one of the sons of a West Texas preacher, we were indeed the proverbial “poor church mice.” Oh, don’t get me wrong, we rarely ever went hungry, and the clothes my older brother passed down to me would usually still be in pretty good shape by the time my younger brother got to wear them. From there, they would typically be re-purposed as material my mom could use as curtains or table clothes or diapers for the youngest in our litter.
I promise, you never saw a pair of Sears and Roebuck jeans with the life span of the ones in my house.
That being said, we were pretty happy for the most part, but that didn’t keep us from wishing for better things. And boy did we wish … a lot!! We wished on everything, falling stars, birthday cakes, the wishbone from the Thanksgiving turkey, you name it, anything we thought that might bring us a little luck.
My younger brother and I walked to and from school most every day One of the houses we passed along the way had one of the most lush fields of clover you’ve ever seen from early spring until late fall. Rarely did we not stop at that little clover field and begin our hunt for the ever elusive “four leaf clover.” We were very methodical in our approach to this endeavor, taking in the field one section at a time to make sure we didn’t cover the same ground twice or, heaven forbid skip a section altogether.
For several minutes on end–my attention span wasn’t much better then then it is now–we would crawl around on our hands and knees sifting through the thousands of three leaf clovers. One by one we would gently lift the tiny clovers, all the while talking about what we would wish for first once the treasure were found.
Well, that was many years ago, and sadly, I must admit, I rarely take notice of the clover fields I drive past now. We never did find that lucky charm, and with time gave up on the whole idea altogether.
Thinking about those long ago days made me wonder how many hiring managers must go through the same thing Paul and I did as children. What I mean is, how many three leaf clover resumes must they sift through, day in and day out. They truly do want just one to stand out, to be their “four leaf clover,” as it were.
Is you current resume “four leaf clover” quality? If not, you owe it to yourself and your family to hire a seasoned professional resume writer or risk allowing your special talents to be left in the field with the rest of the clover.
Rob- This is a brilliant analogy. I was especially drawn by the title. I always look down hoping to find another rare gem. Mostly though, I just pick up an ordinary three leafed variety that was sitting in a way so that it looked like it had four leaves. I bet you can write something clever about a resume that on first inspection looks like a gem, but when you examine it more carefully, it is not extraordinary. So how to make a resume stand out and be authentic- choose to show information that will grab the reader’s attention. Don’t just look pretty- deliver the extra leaf.
Brilliant? Wow!!! Thanks so much, Debra. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment and add your thoughts. Rob
Rob, I love Jacqui’s posts too but you really are good at drawing me in. Novel in the future? This is the primary lesson that all dedicated professional resume writers want to get across. You need to be able to differentiate yourself from the pack. It was always important and in our recovering economy it is even more important!
Julie,
I’ll be sure to send one of the first editions, lol. Thank you so much for the kind words and your additional input.
Rob
I really need a new novel to read, Rob… I bet you could fill the bill… 🙂 Hurry!
Another gem from you, Rob. Need I say more?
P.S. I’m Irish. Feels like we spent whole summers looking for the 4 leaf clover. 😉
Erin
You rock, Erin. Thanks a lot. Rob
Rob, what a fantastic analogy. I think the answer to your question is Yes! Recruiters have to sort through a lot of three leaf clover beds before they find the gem.
Thanks for the great post!
Hey Rob, long time reader, first time commenter. I just wanted to share with you one of my friend’s resumes. As a long time recruiter and now owner of a resume storage company, saying I’ve seen a million resumes probably isn’t much of an exaggeration. To date, this is the coolest one I’ve seen.
Now you can look, but don’t try to hire him! Cause I did. 🙂
http://www.franksresume.com
I just think he did a great job in blending what he does with what makes him different – not just in words but in how he designed the flow of his “resume”. He literally spent 3 days figuring out how to program this using WYSIWYG tools, drew it up on paper, and then made it happen. Even from a technology perspective, the way he employed easy and outdated technology to look as cool as some of the big flash sites out there is very impressive.
Just thought I’d share! Great blog, keep it up.
-ted
Rob, came across your post and didn’t even know where it would end but was so engaged in the story I didn’t want it to end. Made me think of my childhood years spent carefree. Loved the writing hope you do write a book. You’ve got the talent for sure. 🙂
TJ Nelson
Webmaster, Miracleii-4u.com
Learn about: fucoidan
Outstanding article. I already have bookmarked your page. Keep going. Cheers
Thank you for the kind words Billi. It’s great to hear from you and I hope you’ll check in again.
Cheers,
Rob