For the first time in my 42 years, someone asked me for a résumé. I had to look up how those things worked again—and what I found was thoroughly depressing.
Do you know what a résumé often is?A lifeless list of things you no longer want to do.
I believe a résumé should say something about who a person is, yet the world of résumés and job listings reduces people to standardized sameness. That is not only unnatural, but counterproductive.
A good résumé is not only about what you do, but also about who you are—at least if you want to know who someone truly is. People and their ‘profiles’ should not be standardized. Writing and reading a good résumé demand genuine attention. So I wrote one in my own way.
Earlier.
- My father, a journalist, taught me the importance of social engagement.
- Growing up abroad gave me a different perspective on culture.
Then.
- My education taught me about meaning and associative networks.
- As an advertising director, I saw the need for authenticity and credibility.
- At De Kerkvernieuwers, I experienced the connective power of stories, symbols, and rituals.
- Writing Meaning & Bullshit allowed me to write my own story.
Now.
Through Values Driven, I help people and their organizations work with meaning and purpose. This includes the development of leadership, culture, and vision—and the shared stories and values behind that development.
It is where my interests in the world—philosophy—groups—anthropology—and the individual—psychology—come together in one clear conviction:
Working together is about relationships.Relationships are about trust.Trust is about caring about the same things.
Other roles.
- Club Goud infects me with positivity.
- At De Waarden Academie, I explore meaning with others.
- At VOLZIN, I write about meaning and purpose.
- At The SuperNatural Foundation, I combine science, philosophy, and art.
Could a résumé work like this too? Not as a standardized profile, but as a story that asks us to notice the person behind the professional.