That thing you have in your work history that doesn’t fit?
It’s an asset.
Think about it. Everyone’s applying to the same jobs with the same proposal of qualifications, trying to match their lives to the ambitious bullet points in the job requirements as perfectly as possible.
But perfect is hard to remember. You need something more.
You need something to make you stand out. That weird bit of work, that foray into general contracting, your startup that failed, that hilarious food truck pipe dream, that time you took off to Texas to try something new… that’s the stuff that makes you memorable.
It’s those couple of lines on the resume that can show off an ancillary skill set or underscore that great stuff you do elsewhere. It’s that “Additional Experience” section just before your education that gets read and gives you nickname.
Use it.
Use it like a lucky lapel pin that people can’t help but ask about. Make it a bonus by figuring out how it fits into your story.
And, don’t worry. It always fits.