Years ago I played a night of pickup basketball with Danny Ainge. He was the best player on the floor even though he had been retired for decades.
Unfortunately, just because I once played ball with Danny Ainge doesn’t make me an NBA-caliber player.
Many sportscasters regularly make that same kind of inference on their resume. Here’s the problem:
Association does not equal skill
“I broadcast the high school state championship game. Therefore, I am great play-by-play guy.”
No. It only means you are the voice of a very good team.
“I’ve interviewed LeBron James and Payton Manning.”
That doesn’t make you a great interviewer. It makes you someone who has interviewed great players.
Credibility comes from ability
Remove fluff from your resume to focus employers’ attention on your practical experience.
After I played with Ainge, I asked him to record a scouting report that I could play on my ESPN Radio Show. He said, “Jon was a smart rebounder but not a good shooter. And he is really slow.”
I did not put Ainge’s testimonial on my resume.