Matthew Krawse

A couple weeks back I decided to take a shot in the dark and apply for a job (for the first time**). The position was at an awesome little startup that has been making some serious waves recently, Foursquare. 

Instead of a typical resume, I decided to make an “app"lication… something that would stand out and turn some heads. I’m not fond of boring resumes that highlight useless (and usually dreadfully ambiguous) job titles and descriptions.

I decided to mesh my resume with the game-play of the Foursquare UI. 

Highlights: 

- My work experience became my "Check-In History”

- My job titles became the “Badges” I had earned

- My job descriptions became “Lessons Learned” (I sprinkled in actual accomplishments and funny anecdotes)

- My attributes became “Tips/Specials” that were in-line with some of the job requirements

I’ll save you the suspense: the job was filled before my resume was even seen. To be honest, I don’t mind not getting the job. Don’t get me wrong, I would have loved to work in the awesomely-revolutionary-startup-environment that Foursquare offers its employees but everything happens as it should (and that includes my tardiness in applying). 

Doing something creative will always bring positive energy your way.

Note: Clay Hebert, a social media guru/rockstar and founder of Tribes Win, featured my resume at the LessConf 3010 this past weekend. Needless to say I was honored. Clay is awesome and you should check out his blog, Daily Sense.

**I graduated from university in summer of ‘08 but I’ve been working (on/off) for the past 5 years in various startups (web and mobile). Over that time, I’ve seen my fair share of both success and failure… I’ve also been fortunate enough to make a living without having to apply for a day job.