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Let’s put this in context.  I put this resume together in Q4 1999.  I graduated college in December of 1999, and I can remember staying up late at night, completely focused on getting this resume together.  I remember having the dilemma of not quite having the computer skills to digitally do it all.  My Windows computer was a clone knockoff of some kind, and I didn’t have my own scanner, and I sorta came up with a compromise of computer for the content/text and then manually glued pictures and newspaper clippings to paper!  Funny to think about how far my skills with computers and technology have progressed.

A Fishing Resume?

I am not sure if you call this a resume or a portfolio.  My intent was going to use this to get that dream job in the fishing industry where they’d just pay me to fish and I’d consult with them on ‘whatever’ and somehow I’d make money, keep fishing, and just go with it.  I’m glad to have come across it, and now have it scanned in digitally.  Now, it’s more of an archive and a history of my life and my fishing life. If you read the newspaper clippings (mostly from Western Outdoor News), you will recognize names like Brent Ehrler, Aaron Martens, John Murray, and Dean Rojas.   Which of the 5 of us has had the least stellar career?  Cough cough cough….!   You have to laugh at your own humility sometimes.  I have no regrets and love sharing information, ideas and content that helps put things into context.   My support of College Fishing stems a ton from my own journey at Cal Poly, fishing my way thru school.  This resume serves as a record of that journey.  There was a time when Lake Havasu and I just were best friends.  This was before Havasu was the smallmouth fishery it is today.  This was Colorado River, desert style, largemouth fishing, and those were some of my funnest memories from my college fishing experience. Heck, I was young and there tends to be some crazy partying that happens around Lake Havasu. I couldn’t keep fish off my line, and then would go out and have some crazy fun nights with my fishing pals.

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I did not get a job in the fishing industry, and ultimately a few months after graduating college, surrendered to the fact that there was no ‘entry’ level jobs in fishing for a guy with a marketing degree and no real world experience.   I didn’t have the network, the skills and the Internet was no where near as mature as it is today as a means to be an ‘entrepreneur’ of sorts in fishing.  Today, I don’t think a resume like this is at all necessary.  You best have a YouTube channel, blog, and digital media if you want to attract sponsorship, business partners, or get yourself a job.  So take this context, it was a different time, but it’s fun to see how I structured this and just read thru it.

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2 comments

  1. chris schneider

    Super informative blog post for a college kid myself to read over. As I was reading this it just opened my eyes and mind that much more that needs to be done by myself as I come to graduation. I hope Thanks matt for this blog post.

    1. southernswimbait

      Chris, no worries man. I have plenty of wisdom and advice to share for college and high school level guys. I just am not ready to share it all yet. I’m working on a new project that includes that information. I would suggest you definitely keep your options open. Charge as hard as possible with your fishing, and treat your fishing like a business…..but also, get yourself an education and arm yourself with the ability to make a living and have a career that has nothing to do with fishing. Do both. Have both options. MP

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