Anyway... How do you package yourself to prospective employers... This is the biggest challenge in the professional world today. At any given point we could be competing with anywhere from a 100 to 1000's of people applying for the same position. Personally I like my odds in a "Thunderdome" style elimination process. But sadly that doesn't count in this situation. I recently read a blog post on Turfnet about 8 things to consider when preparing a resume. Now the thing that really stuck with me about it, was the suggestion to shorten your resume to a condensed for forgoing most bullets and achievement, but to rely more on the job title, place worked, and years served... What sucks about this is any company name, or in the turf world circumstance, course name, can really have an affect on the consideration of employment. Fair? Not always, but real, yes... To have the ability to stick a Pebble Beach, TPC Sawgrass, Bethpage, Augusta, Baltustrol, etc etc, can really hold sway over the process of narrowing down applicants... So, now the question is, how does J.L. Swanson take his less than notable course resume, and package it for success? Well, I believe that the next factor would have to be based on variety and experience. I got that if I can elaborate a bit on my resume. Leader of men, motivator, persistent, a problem-solver, solution oriented, accountable, but we've seen these things and more a thousand times. But in defense of the blog piece, maybe elaborating is a negative? If the employers reading resumes, they'll probably read the same crap on every resume. Can't you see a committee, or individual reading the first few sentences, rolling their eyes, opening up the document seeing the name Augusta and moving to the "Good" pile, doing the same to the next, seeing Blah Golf Course and whipping it to the recycle bin. Yup... You know it. So what then? If I shorten it up, I lose the bulk of my presentation. If I over saturate it I lose my flavor. They're task to find the perfect fit has them rifling through a mountain of resumes... I would have to say from talking to some (I emphasize some) assistants at top courses, they are just waiting for their turn to be on the plate, a little arrogant, seen it done at the top, and thinking that they have a lock on how it needs to be done. But the little guy, the guy in the wake of all this, he's hungry. He thinks outside the box, reinvents himself to accommodate the needs of those variables around himself. He's seen the mistakes, the pressure of having to make a monetary decision based on limited funds, seen the least expensive route to achieve an ultimate goal, implemented an IPM program to scout for demons in the shadows, and held a crews morale together in the heat of disarray. When you drag yourself through the mud, and assume the mantle of leadership in a less privileged arena, the blood tastes more metallic, the sweat is saltier, and the muscle is leaner. Victory tastes sweeter and faltering is more bitter. The job becomes an earned blessing, not an expected result. This is the difference between me and most other wannabe superintendents. I have been lucky enough to have two men in the agronomy business whom have mentored me with honesty and nurtured my talents, while communicating my areas of growth.. Will I always succeed on a daily basis? No and to say I would represents true arrogance. Instead I will face each day with a mantra I share with each and every person I know. "Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, work with a thirst, and love hard today but harder the next." We exist on this plain to ensure the success of our legacy. Everything I do, I do thinking of my grandchildren... Don't have any yet (thank god), and I'll never be ready, but to think you can set an expectation on variables you have no control over is a falsehood. Stop... Close your eyes... Breathe deep... and smile, your still breathing... The path to true success and happiness can only be carved by you. Never back track... Allow yourself to fall every now and again, but get up... If you need to rest, do it for only a moment, maintain momentum, you'll need it to push forward... I have faith in myself to dredge though the mire... If I have to bring a few of you with me, than so be it... Just hold on tight, because I try to never look back for too long... OH and go ahead and take a bite... I usually grill up perfect to your order... ;)
I love you all, my friends.... Work hard, Play hard, Love hard...
