Sports-Style Resume Ratings

Shaan Puri shares his unconventional early-career resume approach that surprisingly worked in his favor, particularly when interviewing with successful entrepreneurs. His strategy involved treating his resume like a sports scouting report, focusing on authenticity and self-awareness rather than traditional professional formatting.

• Created a resume that broke conventional formats:

  • Listed physical stats (height, weight)
  • Included NBA 2K style rating system for skills
  • Used sports-style attributes and metrics

• Key components of the approach:

  • Honest self-assessment scores for various skills
    • Public speaking: Nearly 100/100
    • Organization: Under 50/100
    • Hard work: Around 70/100
    • Improvisation: 90/100

• Strategic elements that resonated:

  • Included a "don't believe your own bullshit" disclaimer
  • Created a "hot off the press" media collage
  • Mixed professional achievements with personal attributes

• Impact of the approach:

  • Caught attention of high-level executives
  • Created memorable talking points in interviews
  • Demonstrated self-awareness and authenticity
  • Led to successful outcomes despite being unconventional

• Reflection on the strategy:

  • Describes it as "proud cringe" in hindsight
  • Acknowledges it was throwing multiple ideas hoping something would stick
  • Recognizes it worked because it was authentic and different

The approach worked because it stood out from traditional resumes while showing genuine self-awareness and willingness to take risks, even in the job application process itself.