Why My Editor Called Associated Content "The Most Impressive Thing on Your Resume"

The art of constructing the perfect resume is always a difficult one because different employers have different opinions of what a resume should look like.

Some want to see only the jobs you've done in your chosen field while others think less-glamorous jobs show character. Some want to see your specific special accomplishments and others want to know simply what your job duties were.

And then there's perhaps the most confusing question of all, especially as a journalist: "Should I keep my resume to one page or tack on another page or two to show my versatility and the depth of my experiences?"

The decision to put Associated Content on my resume

This past February, I was lucky enough to get some temporary work at the the most popular paper in the state of Michigan (look that one up). I was assigned to work on the web site's new entertainment project for 30 hours a week. I got to sit at my own desk everyday in the middle of the features department and everything.

Once I got there, I knew this would be my big chance to make some contacts and to sniff around a little bit to see what they were looking for in a potential reporter. Luckily, I came into contact with a sports editor named Mark who was looking for freelance and part-time help.

He wanted to see a copy of my resume, and considering that my resumes always seemed to be lacking a little something compared to older, more established prospective employees, I was a bit worried that I wouldn't be able to catch his eye.

While I didn't have experience at any other big-time daily newspapers, I did have a long list of places that I had written for on the side. I asked Mark if I could write a two-page resume and he agreed.

Next came the decision as to whether I should put Associated Content on my resume. On one hand, the site is not a typical place of employment, even compared to other freelance writing assignments I'd had. There's no editor in my ear about quality or style issues and no deadlines to meet. But at the same time, I thought putting it on my resume would be a good idea because it showed just how dedicated I am to writing.

I realized that if I were an editor at a major paper, I would want to hire someone who actually enjoys writing as a hobby and doesn't do it as a chore or because they have to in order to pay the bills. I realized I was proud of large collection of Associated Content articles (and videos) because they were written (or filmed) out of "love for the game" as they say in the sports writing business and not because I was forced to do them. I enjoy writing Associated Content articles because you can write about whatever you want, make your voice heard, and share what you know with other people on the web. I didn't expect my editor to notice the Associated Content section on my resume, but I thought it was worth a shot to include it.

Praise for Associated Content from my editor

A couple days after he saw the resume, Mark wanted to talk to me about it. I had no clue what he was going to say but I was surprised to hear what came out of his mouth.

We went over each item on the resume until we came to the Associated Content section.

"Do you think I should have put that on the there?" I asked.

"Of course, I actually think that's the most impressive thing on your resume because it shows initiative," he said.

I started to think about what he said and then it hit me that he just might have been right. Think about it for a minute, here I was struggling to pay off student loans and make car payments a couple years removed from college and journalism school, and yet I still found time to write multiple articles and shoot how-to videos for a Web site.

Over a span of a little more than two years, I have had 589 pieces of content published on an incredible variety of subjects, although most of them are sports. I have probably had as many or more people look at my articles over that period of time than many small community newspapers, and I accomplished in all basically in my spare time.

If that doesn't show initiative, then I don't know what does. I went on to write multiple freelance articles for the sports department, worked part-time shifts, and even got a chance to be a contributing writer in the Detroit Red Wings' championship book, opportunities that might not have been possible if not for my experiences writing for Associated Content. Not only did it look good on my resume, it also kept my writing skills sharp while I waited for my break.

Keep my story in mind the next time you decide whether to put Associated Content on your resume. You just may be pleasantly surprised when the employer compliments you on that "other writing job you've been working on in your spare time.