Be Brave and Bet Big

My Resume Bled 'Texas,' and That Limited My Opportunities

Posted by Kelly Eidson on 08.12.09 @ 04:09 PM


Kelly Eidson

This time last year I was wrapping up an agency internship in New York and revising my resume. I wanted it to reflect my time there well and set me up for future opportunities, so I decided to visit the guy in charge of recruiting talent for the agency.

He scanned my resume for 45 seconds and handed it back to me with a red pen. "Take this pen and circle the word 'Texas' everywhere you see it," he said.

Fair enough. University of Texas alone gave me three red circles -- two for degrees and one as my employer. Internships in Houston and Austin gave me another five. Then there was my address, scholarships, volunteer programs and (you can see where I'm going with this) soon the page was bleeding Texas, Texas, Texas.

"You see my point?" he asked. "You're one of the most experienced and well-rounded candidates I've seen, but it's a good thing you're here in New York this summer. If you hadn't done something to break up all that Texas, I would have passed on that resume."

I must admit, I was offended at first. I had lived and studied in Texas for four years and worked no less than two jobs at a time to gain experience, all while taking a full course load. Until that summer, I couldn't stop taking classes to move and work a low-/no-paying internship in the big city where life cost three times more than I could afford. Still, I'd managed to work on global brands, try different disciplines and make good contacts. Texas had treated me well. I wanted to tell him to cut me some slack -- I'm not even from Texas!

He explained that when hiring for entry-level positions he sees hundreds of resumes and hedges his bets on whom to interview. Not only does he have to find a candidate who's qualified for the job, he has to find one who's likely to keep it. Often he'd take a candidate through to the final offer only to have them back out because the cost of living in New York was too high (you mean I'd have to live in Jersey!?) or worse, they'd accept the job, get homesick after six months and then quit to move back. The whole process would drain his time and leave him back at square one. He assured me that he had nothing against Texas; he just avoids candidates who haven't demonstrated an ability to change. He'd learned to look for an important quality when hiring: bravery.

Sometimes recruiters don't care where you come from; they care where you stay too long. Whether working for two years or 20, we all get stuck in ruts. For me, it was a Texas rut. For others, maybe it's a brand rut, an agency rut or another that's become too cozy. It takes effort to be brave, stretch your backbone and show that you're not afraid to take on something new, but it's crucial. Bravery is especially important for the young -- if we don't have the guts to do something brazen when the slate is still clean, when will we?

I'm aware that the timing of this post sucks. It's hard to justify doing something slightly crazy when everything in this business is in flames. Two weeks ago I took a big risk: I left a steady gig working with an agency I loved because my gut told me it was time to move on. It was an extremely scary, yet sound decision.

Now I'm betting it all and traveling around the country looking for the next step. I'm doing informational interviews, calling on contacts and pounding the pavement. In the last 12 days I've hit seven cities and heard tons of advice. I don't have an address any more—just my suitcase, an air mattress and a laptop. You could call me homeless, but my friend Caleb Kramer and I prefer the euphemism "digital nomad."

This won't be forever; when I find a good offer, I'll settle down and stay.

It might sound stupid, but it's exciting, it's gutsy and it seems to be working. Now that I'm in active pursuit, opportunities are starting to roll in. I'm working on freelance projects, advancing through rounds of interviews and meeting smart people in unexpected places. This approach certainly isn't easy and it might fail, but early results suggest that it's more productive for my job search than any amount of resume-fiddling I could do in Texas.

Next stop on my tour is New York. I'll have Texas over my left shoulder, and though I'll miss it, I won't be looking back.

8 Comments

By jphodgins | Lubbock, TX August 12, 2009 05:01:17 pm:

Great post, but I have to disagree on one thing. To show bravery, now is the perfect time to take a risk. It takes more courage to do so in today's times. But it also may in fact be less risky. When fewer people are fighting to take on something new, the chances that you'll be the one to succeed are greater. Just a though.

Texas will miss you too. Good luck on your travels.

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By meggerz04 | Austin, TX August 12, 2009 05:36:31 pm:

Great piece, Kelly. As a fellow Longhorn, sometimes I feel like we do tend to rely on Texas too much; especially after getting used to living there, because as an out-of-state I quickly learned that name-dropping the University is the most promising conversation starter. So, in the spirit of bravery, cheers to something new; cheers to the unknown; and cheers to risk and bold endeavors because ultimately, they ALL influence evolution and they WILL ALL come to a close when we land that ideal job.

"Perseverance is the greatest weapon. If you can hold on and stay focused usually everyone else will either give up or give in."

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By Bob_Knorpp_@thebeancast | Greensboro, NC August 12, 2009 05:53:55 pm:

As long as all this traveling doesn't keep you from being on my show in two weeks, I'm all for it. Having done the same thing a couple years ago, in a manner of speaking (as you kindly wrote about in a previous article), I'm a big fan of this kind of risk taking. Great piece here. Very inspirational.

And for those interested in being inspired more by Kelly, she will be on the panel for The BeanCast that will be posted 8/24. The other guests will be Darryl Ohrt (Plaid and PlaidNation Tour) and Duane Forrester (yes, the "How To Make Money With Your Blog" guy). Hope you'll listen. She's a smart woman.

http://beancast.us

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By Kim Karalekas | Austin, TX August 12, 2009 11:35:56 pm:

This is great advice and I agree, it is huge to show you have the aptitude to take these types of risks. Actually, I had to smile when I read your post as I just too a step away from my bubble - from both the advertising world and from Oregon to...you guessed it...Texas! I figure though, a transition to Texas is ok in my case as this is the first time in the state (=

Best of luck with your pursuit, excited to see the result!!

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By allyhindman | Conshohocken, PA August 13, 2009 09:27:01 am:

Kelly, fantastic piece. Coming from similar experience (full course loads, full-time job, multiple non-paying internships to build experience) - I completely relate to your feelings of pride for where you've come from and bravery in wanting to try to head in new directions. As someone who fully believes in taking risks when they feel right, I wish you the best of luck & hope that when I take my next leap, the path I follow will be as exciting as the one you are on now.

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By tsmuse | Seattle, WA August 13, 2009 12:10:57 pm:

Great piece Kelly! I have to agree with James's comment, now is the best time to find the courage to take the risks you normally wouldn't take. In fact, it's always really the best time to take risks you normally wouldn't take. It shows how committed you are when you risk something, and potential employers can tell. As someone who's resume screams "OHIO" I know the feeling. Sometimes the best way to find work is to just go to the place you want a job and then knock on some doors.

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By libbyanderson7 | Austin, TX August 13, 2009 02:37:23 pm:

Nice piece Kelly. While Texas certainly misses you, I'm really looking forward to following your adventures. Any agency would be lucky to have you - they'll all be fighting over you in no time.

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By tkmiller67 | Greensboro, NC August 14, 2009 09:14:05 am:

Be brave but don't bet the farm on one opinion of your resume. Every hiring exec develops his or her own style and individually decides what he or she is looking for in a resume. I've had one hiring exec tell me he would pass on resumes where no professional organizations were listed. He felt it showed the candidate wasn't well rounded or open-minded. Another said she could care less about professional memberships. She considered candidates who listed them on their resume pretentious. Go with your gut sometimes and find a company that fits you as much as you fit it. Otherwise you will be perpetually unhappy in Texas or anywhere else.

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