Thoughts On Resumes and Job Applications

[shiver_raccoon]

Recently, I've had the opportunity to post a job opening on Craigslist, and screen resumes for my boss. This is the first time that I've been "on the other side" of the hiring desk

Comments

[pyesetz]

Man, what a crappy boss you have, making you read all that muck-passing-for-résumés!

Another way to look at this: if you're applying for a job that you don't actually think you're qualified for, then don't include the résumé, or send it in a proprietary format and hope nobody tries to read it, etc.  It's amazing how many people won't bat an eye if required supporting documentation is missing, such as in the recent dust-up over "This American Life", where the interview subject lied about what happened to him in China, then claimed he didn't have the phone number for his translator there who could corroborate-and so they published his tirade without fact-checking!  Then somebody else bothered to look up the translator in the phone book, exposing the lies.

[shiver_raccoon]

Fortunately, no one sent their resume as an animated PowerPoint presentation with background music... yet! I'm surprised that people don't have video (e.g. youtube) resumes yet... it might be a more personal format than a dry boring PDF file.

It's certainly been interesting to be the recipient of resumes, instead of the sender.

[delphanaeous]

It seems to me that a video-resume would only be useful for acting or video production jobs. On the flip side, it boggles my mind that job offers for web design never request applicants submit their resume in HTML.

One of these days I'll rewrite my resume as Perl Poetry...

[shiver_raccoon]

But a video could be so much more than just filming the job applicant talking! For a web designer, it could be a quick walkthrough of his websites, for example.

Ironically, I do write my resume in HTML format, although I convert it to PDF before sending. I suspect that if I required applicants to submit in HTML format, most would ignore the request, and the rest wouldn't be bothered to apply at all. Anyone who did submit a resume in HTML format would probably just export it from Word to HTML, instead of creating the HTML by hand (like I did).

It's not really necessary; for web design positions, most applicants list websites that they've designed, which demonstrate their abilities.

[delphanaeous]

I used to use tables in my resume, but when Open/LibreOffice converts it to .DOC, the formatting gets trashed. I now always send it in both DOC and PDF for that reason.

[alohawolf]

I used to send PDF only, however, I got like a 40% pingback asking for .doc/.docx, so unless they specifically want/ask for PDF I send .doc/.docx.

Think I could get you to review my resume? I'm always looking for another set of eyeballs.

[shiver_raccoon]

Sending it in both formats would be quite acceptable, and gives the employer more choices.

Sure, I'll be glad to look over your resume; my email address is on my LJ profile page!

[aurifer]

I write mine in html!

I've never bothered with résumés more than a page long, because I know most of what I'd write would be trash to an employer. I actually keep a long master résumé, and then curate that for every place I apply at.

Also, a Job Objective isn't useless, but it should only be included when you want to state your career-path intentions. I'm guessing fewer and fewer employers even look at that, so you'd have to either include it or not based on where you're applying.

[lupine52]

I see you say that Job Objective is pointless. As far as I know this is a question that will be covered in an interview and you actually can stick your foot in your mouth by writing it out on a resume and then when asked the same question in a somewhat different way answer the question differently

[danskunk]

I dunno... I think the money grubbers aren't going to write in their objective. "Make as much money as I can and always be willing to ditch a job when a better offer comes along."

And objective is very easy to lie in.