The Butler Way

As I begin the job search process once again, the self-evaluating and "here I am, world" attitudes have lead me to some conclusions.



The main conclusion being my resume is not flashy or overloaded by any means. It's a conglomeration of student experiences and paid work, that on paper (no pun intended) looks like a collection of multimedia dabblings in search of one's calling. Which, in essence, it is.



But when I look at my resume, I see several years worth of hard work and life changing experiences. And I see evidence of beginning my career The Butler Way.



The Butler Way is not only a mass-branding effort by my Alma mater's athletic department, but a true foundation of principles students are taught from day one on campus. Butler may call itself the Ivy League of the Midwest, but the true essence of the school is more "Hoosiers" than "A Beautiful Mind."



The Butler Way is made up of core values like quiet hard work, accountability, reliability, team before self, humility before glamour and especially doing things the right way instead of the easy way.



The Butler Bulldog basketball team has demonstrated The Butler Way to the nation by being the underdog, scrappy, fundamentally sound small school that seems to worm its way into the national spotlight every spring. Commentators consistently marvel at the sound defense, unselfish passing and free throw consistency the Bulldogs rely on to win. But isn't that how basketball was originally intended to be played?



The real student-athletes on the court reflect the attitude, determination and vision of the other 3,987 students on campus, not to mention 151 years worth of graduates.



When I look at my not-so-flashy resume, I may not see the same things as others because I look through Butler-Blue colored lenses.



My sorority experience may not look like it's career worthy enough to be on a resume, but I see innovation, teamwork, peer leadership, flexibility and accountability.



My time at a local news station, in the production and sports departments, may not seem as impressive as others, but I see the development of professionalism and hours of basic grunt work that is thankless but necessary to the operations of a newscast. I see being at the studio for eight hours and being paid for four, but not mentioning it to anyone.



My skills may say intermediate Spanish, non-linear editing and basic Microsoft Office, but I think about studying "flashitos," working overnight in edit bays and spending a few panicked evenings on the phone with technical support, fixing my own computer.

I almost feel guilty for explaining my experiences like this -- I believe I violated the code just by writing this blog!

I understand that a resume is intended to grab an employer's interest enough to offer an interview. The interview is where the intangibles are supposed to be revealed.

But how do you write that amazing resume when you've been taught to let your work speak for itself? Maybe The Butler Way gets nudged to the side ... on second thought, if The Butler Way can get a no-name team to two Sweet 16s in four years, it's good enough for me.