Beyond the Resume, Resumes, Uncategorized

Blog #3: When Does It Pay To Be Creative?

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Remember my presentation on Wednesday about modalities? I would like to think of this blog post as an extension of my PowerPoint presentation. Specifically, the way audiences’ reactions to modalities shift in various context and cultures. When we are ready to write our resumes, we must apply cognitive empathy. That is, we must put ourselves in our potential employers’ shoes in order to understand their thought processes when analyzing our resumes.

In my PowerPoint, I broke down employers into three very broad groups: general audience, specific audience, and international audience.  General and international audiences would want traditional-style resumes because these have always been deemed professional, and thus, suitable for professional workplaces, such as law firms, investment banks, and government offices.

However, specific audiences are media-based employers like Facebook, film, or radio stations, whose audience is the public. Specific audiences do not like traditional resumes because they do not represent the progressive actions of the company, nor do traditional styles reflect their values in creativity and imagination. So, what should we give them? The examples below are alternative resumes that have landed job interviews. Click one for a closer look.

 

resume_FB  resume_movie

(Images: “13 Insanely Cool Resumes that Landed Interviews At Google And Other Top Jobs.” 2014. Web. Courtesy of Patricia Laya on Business Insider.)

 

What does this mean for us? It means that we need to be ready to create multiple styles of resumes in addition to our traditional resumes. Click here for more creative resume ideas to apply to your field.

My field is in English, so I can go into multiple positions for editing anywhere. If I were to go into menu design and editing, I would resemble my resume to a menu:

  • Name of the restaurant: Your name and contact information
  • Appetizers: Your objective/goal
  • Tapas: Your skills
  • Entrees: Your skills applied to experiences
  • Sides: Your education and work history
  • Desserts: Your awards, certificates, or licenses

If I were to go for a position at a greeting card company, I would use a bi-fold card as my resume template:

  • Outside of card: Name, contact information, objective/goal
  • Inside (left page): Skills and skills applied to experiences
  • Inside (right page): Education/work history and awards/certificates/licenses

 

In addition to alternative resumes as a means of deviating from the crowd, there are a few other ways to distinguish you from others with similar backgrounds:

  • Kill the buzz words, like “team player” or “detail-oriented.” Instead of using these adjectives, provide a concrete example of a project where you had to work with others. Also, show the employer that you are detail-oriented through your resume. Make sure you used correct grammar and that your spaces are parallel and words are aligned.
  • Include your goals. People with similar backgrounds don’t necessarily have the same goals (Veritas Prep). Being able to articulate exactly why you need the job to achieve your goals is a strong tool.
  • Avoid jargons associated with your field.  Employers are subjected to the same words used in multiple resumes, which means they will be inclined to overlooking these words and consider it a poor use of space on resumes.

On the other hand, we need to keep in mind that these alternative resumes can be risky even within the specific audience. For example, I included an animated resume in my PowerPoint with background music that was far too fast-paced, and thereby, affecting the pace of the content in the video. Another example of the risks of alternative resumes is Greg Dizzia’s experience when his “resume became the actual interview.” An employer asked him “what would happen if this was black and white?” and from there he learned that his “resume itself was becoming a pivoting point in the negotiation of [his] position” and that “although he says he’s gotten mostly positive feedback, he says his resume has caused mixed reactions. It mostly depends on who you’re talking to[…]and he gets much better reactions from people in creative positions than people in HR” (Laya).

Other risky ways of representing yourself include social media profiles. We need to step back and ask ourselves not how do we want to portray ourselves, but rather as whom do we want to portray ourselves? This refers us back to my blog post last week about the lack of ethics in resumes and why it is okay.

I have never thought deeply about the image I want to portray on social media. After Brandin’s presentation on Wednesday about audience, I took his advice on what we should keep in mind when we have social media profiles:

  • Likes/dislikes/following whom
  • Memes that we share indicating racism, sexism, violence
  • Grammar, homophones, apostrophes
  • Photos/what is in the background of those photos

In a perfect world, we would want to create a neutral image for our employers. However, it is hard to tell who considers things negative or positive. Personally, regardless of what I want to be or for whom I want to work, I know that my degree will be in English. So, the image I want to create is a person with good grammar and coherent sentences. In addition, I “like” Grammarly on Facebook, and the “Books I’ve Read” section on my profile lists all of the classic novels I have read (even if I did not like them). These factors can work in my favor instead of being risks to my character.

So, when does it pay to be creative? Career coaches say that “it depends on where you’re applying to” (Laya).

 

Sources Cited

“Distinguishing Yourself in Your MBA Applications.” Veritas Prep. Web. 14 September 2014 <http://www.veritasprep.com/blog/2012/12/distinguishing-yourself/>.

Laya, Patricia. “13 Insanely Cool Resumes that Landed Interviews At Google And Other Top Jobs.” Business Insider. Web. 14 September 2014 <http://www.businessinsider.com/insanely-creative-resumes-2011-6?op=1>.

Beyond the Resume, Uncategorized

Blog #3: Alternative Resumes: The Alternative way to find that new job you’ve been looking for

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In an attempt to get a job after school and finally move out of my parents’ basement an alternative way of presenting myself might be necessary. An easy way to diversify my resume from the thousands of others received by potential employers could be accomplished through using different formats or visual mediums. In this exposition, I will present two examples of alternative resumes that I find appealing to broadcast my skills into the world of internet technology.

The first alternative resume that I stumbled upon is called a Visual CV Resume, an example of this can be found by clicking the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6URePVwUy2U. Visual CV resumes broadcast an individual’s abilities in an easily viewable format. Nothing bothers future employers more than looking through countless resumes which all appear to be carbon copies of each other. Employers are looking for something new, something different and something innovative. With the rapidly changing world of commerce brought on by the dawn of social media, companies are struggling to find the hot new trend or medium in which they can better advertise their product. What better way to show future employers that you are in keeping with the hottest new internet trends than putting your personal skills on to a new, bold format that is representative of a Visual CV Resume. Personally, I would be able to benefit from a Visual CV Resume because I am a creative person who has big ideas, and this particular medium allows you to put music behind a graphic design and narrative that appeals not only to the sometimes dreary and boring corporate world, but also to the new up-and-coming world of social media and technology.

Social-networking is an constantly expanding industry fueled by people who wish to remain in contact via the internet. Social media is almost unavoidable in today’s technologically savvy population. What better way to represent yourself to a future employer than by putting your list of specific qualifications onto a format that is easily viewed by a large percentage of our population. The following link is a representation of 3 intriguingly different profile resumes: http://www.linkedinsights.com/3-stunningly-good-linkedin-profile-summaries/. Social Media Resumes give future job employers “direct access to an individual’s ever-expanding professional network of connections and involvement” (Lauby 2010). This shows future job employers that their prospects are not only qualified, also connected. As the old job search cliché goes “it’s not what you know, but who you know.” In the case of presenting yourself through the use of a social media website you can break this old cliché by showing employers what you know AND who know. Being a very social person I find it necessary to connect with people constantly in order to find what jobs are opening, what’s going on, who is succeeding professionally and why. For these reasons a good professional online profile (whether it be Linkedin, Twitter or Facebook) is a necessity.

In conclusion, Alternative Resumes serve a multitude of functions in diversifying yourself from the average job-seeker using traditional resumes. Hopefully, some of the formats I have presented will prompt you to consider approaching your job search in a different way.

 

Works Cited:

Lauby, Sharlyn. (2010, Oct 05). 4 digital alternatives to the traditional resume. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2010/10/05/digital-resumes/

 

Foote, Andy. (2013, Feb 07). 3 Stunningly Good Linkedin Profile Summaries. Retrieved from http://www.linkedinsights.com/3-stunningly-good-linkedin-profile-summaries/

 

Duc, Truong Tran. CV presentation Resume (video). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6URePVwUy2U

Beyond the Resume

Beyond the Resume

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In the modern age, traditional methods of communication are being pushed out of the mainstream. The traditional resume is slowly become obsolete in many areas of employment. This is not to say that the traditional resume is not appreciated and functional in some ares of employment that are still attempting to hold true to the dated method.

It seems to be, that within some companies and agencies the type of resume that is seen as acceptable and appropriate depends on the specific job that is being applied for.  For example, at Turner Broadcasting, a applicant seeking a creative position in, say, Cartoon Network, would probably want to take a more alternative and creative design route when preparing a resume.  This are

Resume

examples to consider for such a position. If the applicant’s intention leans toward a creative position, a traditional resume will not express an understanding and ability to work in such an environment.

With that being said, I recently spoke to a manager at Encompass Digital Media regarding general hiring and resume expectations. It is expected that the applicant present the information in the most appealing way possible (creative and alternative if appropriate); however, a more traditional approach (be that paper or online resumes) should be presented in order to show flexibility but also professionalism.  It is considered that an online version of a more traditional resume and professional based online present means the applicant is both suitable for consideration and technologically updated. For this particular employment, it is important to be able to interweave both traditional and alternative methods of resume building.

 

When considering my own resume, I lean more toward a profession online present that follows a more traditional approach to the format. My employment interested follows more closely with employers that would be searching for clear-cut professionalize and less creative alternatives. I do concede to the idea that online versions are more effective and visible. The most impressive resume that I would consider for my own purposes would be the VisualCV. It allows for multimodal communications. This would allow me to have greater control and guidance of the communications with the potential employer. The VisualCV still presents a professional overview of the information, but also allows for sound, charts, and clips to be added. This would make the resume stand out and communicate a great deal more information than the traditional paper based document.

 

http://fixcv.com/how-to-build-an-effective-online-presence-part-1-your-resume-2478.html

http://www.businessinsider.com/insanely-creative-resumes-2011-6#same-for-this-one-12

http://www.businessinsider.com/insanely-creative-resumes-2011-6#joe-kelso-says-his-resume-never-failed-1

http://mashable.com/2010/10/05/digital-resumes/

Beyond the Resume

Blog Project 3: Traditional resumes “dying” in 2014?

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resume design 1

Nowadays, there are numerous careers that can search your name with just one click. It gives them access to your personal Facebook, twitter, and Instagram accounts without your consent. Still regret that bikini photo in Destin, Florida yet? We all know the saying “whatever you delate will remain forever on the web” giving employers access to information on just one person. So, how does it relate to traditional resumes? The differences between traditional and non traditional differ on peoples’ views. I know from personal experiences that some jobs still require traditional resumes, on top of, your non traditional one. The persons’ personality reflects their resume.  Moreover, the question arises with “are traditional resumes dying in 2014 and beyond?”

Lets dive right into a traditional bland resume…

resume desgin 2 boring

Obviously, John Doe is applying for a business, law, or medical field right? This resume lacks creativity, but it creates a sense of easiness on the employer (i.e. business, law, or medical) viewing the document. Now lets say that I am a Public Relations director looking for a position based on creativity and social media skills, would John Doe land the job based on the skills I need? The answer would be no. His resume lacks color, and his resume has too many words for a Public Relations director to read.

Lets dive into a creative resume…

resume design google

Obviously, Eric Gandhi is applying to Google (Laya 2011). Are you wondering if he landed the job? Of course he did! His resume shows creativity and technology skills that Google needs. He created a resume based on Google’s layout, and he linked it through Google search engine.  See the difference between the two resumes?

On the other hand, how does traditional resumes reflect 2014 today? Do you use Microsoft word for resume creation? Or do you use creativity in making a resume online? Some people prefer both in using paper and LinkedIn (being the most popular among companies).  Here are some examples of online resumes:

  • Video resumes
  • Visual CV
  • Social resume
  • Linkedln Proflie
  • Personal Websites

(Source: Lauby 2010)

In my opinion, your resume should reflect your personality and career preferences. Your career choice being number one. I’ll give you an example on career choice based on my degree. My dream job is to work at Turner Broadcasting for Adult Swim (TV program that appears on Cartoon Network late at night for 18 and older audiences). Based on recent interactions with employees who work in that field, your resume should be very creative. Meaning, that a resume should stand out among the bunch in black and white. I’ve heard stories of the HR department receiving beers with a person’s resume on it, or receiving pizza with a resume on the box. Its the concept of “making yourself stand out among the rest. ” This particular department is also based on the concept on “being yourself”.

Moreover, what are your opinions? Are traditional resumes dying out? Has the new age taken over traditional resume with online ones? Would you prefer an employer looking at your Facebook page vs. your LinkedIn page? Everyone has mixed answers on the subject.  “So, to use boxing parlance, it feels to me like the traditional resume is “on the ropes,” down if not yet out. Bleeding badly from a cut above the eye. In a weakened diminished state. Going into the 12th round, which would you bet on: large amounts of social media data or “two pages of crafty wording”?” (Lipman 2013).

Sources Cited:

Lipman, Victor. (2013, June 22). Is the traditional resume dying?. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mind-the-manager/201306/is-the-traditional-resume-dying

Lauby, Sharlyn. (2010, Oct 05). 4 digital alternatives to the traditional resume. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2010/10/05/digital-resumes/

Laya, Patricia. (2011, June 11). 13 insanely cool resumes that landed interviews at Google and other top jobs. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/insanely-creative-resumes-2011-6

Unknown Author. (2014, Sep 14). How far is too far when designing creative resumes. Retrieved from http://inspirationhut.net/articles/how-far-is-too-far-when-designing-creative-resumes/  Resume 1 photo.

 

 

Uncategorized

Should you use a non-traditional resume?

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I believe that while traditional resumes are still very important, more companies are starting to consider more nontraditional forms as well, especially those such as social media.  However, the issue I find most prevalent in nontraditional forms of resumes is that people tend to forget that even though the method may not be similar to that of their fellow applicants, there is no need to deprofessionalize it (if that’s really a word).

Keep your social media and any other pages that might be open to the public free of photos you would have hesitations about employers viewing, and monitor your friends’ posts on your wall carefully. The worst thing that you could do is to give mixed signals to your employers by providing a clean and polished resume and appearance at the interview, but having photos posted on your social media pages of you partying with alcohol and something that you can’t quite pass off as a cigarette.

Furthermore, if you plan on creating something such as a video resume or a graphic, make sure that it remains classy and business-like.  Don’t get carried away with neon colors or a cluttered layout. Graphic resumes can be a fantastic way of helping you stand out in the crowd but keep them sleek and clean.

For example, an infographic that uses a visual timeline of your employment history instead of merely a list of dates might better illustrate your experience in relation to how long you have been in the work field.

Use your LinkedIn profile- this is the place to expand your resume into something a little more robust or add on projects and accomplishments your resume may not have room for.  The projects portion of LinkedIn allows you to link certain websites or files that provide samples of your skills for future employers to view when glancing over profiles; this gives them an idea of what to expect, and sets you apart from other applicant who have not used this function.

Video resumes are very nifty, but apart from ensuring it remains professional, also keep in mind that because it is very short, it will most likely be supplemented by some form of traditional resume.  Be careful not to overload video resumes with extraneous details, a basic timeline with your contact information and goals should be sufficient. Your linked-in or paper resume will fill in the details for the major points.

Works Cited

“The Anti-Resume: Is Non-traditional the New Answer?” |Vault Blogs|Vault.com. Web. 13 Sept. 2014.

“Does a Non-Traditional Resume Limit Your Odds? [INFOGRAPHIC].” Mashable. Web. 13 Sept. 2014.

“Examples of the Different Types of Nontraditional Resumes.” About. Careers. Web. 13 Sept. 2014.

Beyond the Resume, Blog Project Prompts, Blogging and Social Media in the Workplace, Uncategorized

Blog Project 3: Traditional vs. Non-Traditional

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To be blunt, I do not see the traditional resume disappearing anytime soon due to several circumstances. A non-traditional resume may look and/or sound interesting and may be useful in “standing out” in certain job markets where the utmost creativity is necessary, but as far as the vast majority goes it is a distraction and a waste of effort. For one thing, the resume itself in many areas of the market is disappearing as a stand-alone document; many more common jobs are offered on behalf of large organizations and many ask that the hopeful apply online and simply regurgitate what would be on a traditional resume onto their own company specific application. The resume itself, while it can in many circumstances be attached, is not necessarily necessary and is essentially redundant.

As noted in a 2011 article, from the send button ones application goes through an ATS program that automatically filters out keywords and phrases specific to what the company is looking for and, much like a Google search, will offer up the highest percentage matches. Having a more colorful or creatively structured resume many interfere with a programs ability to find these markers and thus disqualify you from a search long before an actual human being can appreciate your rainbow-colored header. Another mark against the non-traditional resume is its very variability. It is too easy to do a creative resume wrong because there are fewer standards of use available. Even if you are not submitting a creative resume until an actual interview, many options that may at first appear “cute” or “interesting” may not be taken that way by a potential employer and simply do not come out as seeming professional. Unlike its more non-descript cousin, what is a welcome use of style or color to one resume pile might not be welcome in another. Unless it is for a job along the lines of Google, graphic designing or perhaps going into business for yourself, the time and effort that goes into creating a creative resume for one job, might have to be completely redone to apply somewhere else, simply put: the more creative one gets, to a certain extent, the less one size fits all.

Of course the exception to the latter statement would most obviously be professional profiles such as Linked-In or Facebook, which I do feel have some universal usability. But these are not resumes any more than resumes are Linked-In profiles, they are two distinct relays of information. Profiles are more personable introductions while still containing relevant information. These kinds of works are worth splurging a bit with creativity because they almost have to be viewed by a human being where the creative effort can be appreciated.

I’ve made no secret about my distaste for many creative resume formats in this post. To be even more honest, when it comes to my professional experience there is not much to separate me from any crowd. Because most of my jobs have been pretty run-of-the-mill, if I had to create a more artful version of my resume I would probably go with either an infographic format or a captioned slideshow (https://gma.yahoo.com/photos/helath-slideshow-slideshow/american-magazine-consumer-reports-offers-roundup-best-sunscreens-photo-104510461.html) because they are simple, easy to format and linear making them less distracting to follow.

Cited:

http://mashable.com/2011/12/26/non-traditional-resume-infographic/

Beyond the Resume

Nontraditional Résumés: Going Above and Beyond

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Everything is a competition.  In life, everything we do, whether that’s parking a car, deciding what TV show to watch, or applying for a job, results in a winner and a loser.  Some of these acts are more clearly competitive than the others, but perhaps none so much as the act of applying for a job.

When we seek to secure a new position, regardless of the nature of the company or organization we are applying to, we are fully aware that we are going to be pitted against others, all of us vying for one, singular position.  This begs the question, what can we do to stand out against the crowd?  How do we make our knowledge and experience more appealing than our competitors?  How do we leave a positive, lasting impression on our potential employer after we leave the interview?  The answer is simple: our résumé.

A carefully crafted résumé can be the single most effective tool in landing that dream job, but also in ruining our chances.  This is where the alternative résumé debate begins.  A traditional résumé—one that merely lists our qualifications and experiences—is arguably going out of style.  Instead, employees are becoming more inclined to favor job candidates that find alternative ways to showcase the same information.

An alternative résumé gives an applicant more control over their professional presence and personal representation, which can allow the individual to present an image of themselves that distinguishes them from others with a similar background.

With a nontraditional résumé comes freedom from the conventions and restraints generally associated with building a résumé, and this can help one applicant distinguish themselves above others.  When strategically and carefully constructed in a memorable and professional capacity, it becomes an opportunity for the applicant to showcase not only their credentials, but to provide a practical demonstration of them, too.  If the applicant is pursuing a job in a creative industry, such as I will inevitably do, this opportunity is unfathomably valuable.

Take, for example, the following traditional résumé for copywriter Adam J. Fleischer.

traditional resume

While Fleischer’s information is presented in a neat and precise manner, his résumé is nondescript, dull, and easily forgotten.  On the other hand, the following nontraditional résumé for Ariane Denise, also a copywriter, leaves a lasting impression.

MY_RESUME_by_arianedenise

Denise’s résumé adheres to the basic principles of information design that are expected from any job applicant: all of the necessary bona fides are present, but they are not just merely present; they are striking and impressive.  The layout of her résumé is a direct representation of the job she is undoubtedly applying for, and her dedication to the craft.  In our current job market—overcrowded with highly qualified applicants but lacking available positions—this type of résumé lends a much needed competitive edge.

WORKS CITED:

AdamFleisher. “Technical Marketing Copywriter in San Francisco Bay Area CA Resume Adam Fleischer.” Mixed Media. Docstoc. 23 Dec. 2009. Web. 11 Sept. 2014.

arianedenise. “MY RESUME.” Mixed Media. deviantART. 29 June 2009. Web. 11 Sept. 2014.

Beyond the Resume, Blog Project Prompts, Uncategorized

Blog # 3: Beyond the Resume

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This week, everyone will post in response to this prompt by midnight Sunday, September 13. Make sure to identify your post with the category “Beyond the Resume.”Do organizations still want a traditional resume? What about alternative resumes? What about social media profiles? Leslie Stevens-Huffman (2014) reports that a recent survey indicates “although a great majority of companies use platforms such as Twitter or LinkedIn to source candidates, 77 percent always ask for a resume before scheduling an interview and 19 percent request one most of the time.”Simply put, we’re in a transition period, so as a job applicant, you need to be prepared to provide prospective employers with a traditional resume and a presentation of your qualifications in several other formats.

These alternative formats include:

  1. an alternative resume (some creative version of your professional presence, which might be as slight a change as a use of job annotations or as dramatic as a video resume)
  2. a social media presence (some combination of a website, LinkedIn, Twitter, FaceBook)
  3. two versions of a prose biography, one a max of 50 words and a second one 100 words (“Prose versions” of your resume are narrative descriptions of your qualifications and experience, the sort of thing you would include in a cover letter, or an “About Me” page on a social media profile or website. So you should have a longer prose narrative of 100 words, and a shorter version of 50 words.)

For Project 2, you will create a professional website, using a public hosting solution, so that it can become part of your professional presence outside of the university.

This blog post is an opportunity to begin creating or updating alternative presentations of your qualifications, so that you have them available when opportunity presents itself and so that you can integrate them with your online professional profile.

What constitutes an alternative resume? Changing the design or medium. Changing the selection or emphasis of content. Changing the examples.  These are some possible alternative formats (and you can find more by goggling images of alternative resumes):

In your blog post, discuss your choices about your professional presence—and your thoughtful decisions about how to depict yourself. For example, what image do you want to create? What about your experience and strategic knowledge do you want to emphasize? How do you want to distinguish yourself from others with a similar background? How can you use the basic principles of information design to help create strong, effective resumes.

In your post, provide or link to examples of two alternative resume formats (from the bulleted list of alternative/creative resume formats above) for presenting your experience and qualifications that you would like to use when creating your own online professional profile. You don’t actually have to create an alternative resume presentation of your skills, experience, and qualifications, just provide examples of two formats you would like to use when you do create the revised version of your professional profile for submission. In your discussion, provide your rationale for why you think these alternative formats would be appropriate and effective in helping you stand out from the crowd.

Posting: Groups 1 &  2 (by Sunday at midnight)

Commenting: No comments unless you’re doing so for extra credit

Category: Beyond the Resume

References (Use these to generate ideas and learn strategies for alternatives to supplement your traditional resume)

Diaz, Charlsye Smith. (2013). Updating best practices: applying on-screen reading strategies to résumé writing. Business Communication Quarterly, 76(4), 427–445.

Dockweiler Scott. (2014, January 22). The key to answering “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” The Daily Muse. Retrieved from http://www.thedailymuse.com/job-search/the-key-to-answering-where-do-you-see-yourself-in-5-years/

Lauby, Sharlyn. (2010, Oct 05). 4 digital alternatives to the traditional resume. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2010/10/05/digital-resumes/

Laya, Patricia. (2011, June 11). 13 insanely cool resumes that landed interviews at Google and other top jobs. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/insanely-creative-resumes-2011-6  [NB: And links to more. A good idea? It depends.]

Lipman, Victor. (2013, June 6). Is the traditional resume dying? Forbes. Retrieved fromhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/victorlipman/2013/06/06/is-the-traditional-resume-dying/

Manovich, Lev. (2012, February 26). 5 minute guide: Graphic design principles for information visualization. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CVbRgxAby5AdS6ERCmAde69v7_gXSWoK-YcJZzs-KKY/edit

NHS Designs. (n.d.). Graphic designs: Principles of layout. Retrieved from http://www.nhsdesigns.com/graphic/layout/principles.php (NB: The four graphic design principles are important for you to know and use regularly, including in this assignment; the examples, however, are amateurish.)

Nixon, Barbara B. (2009). Principles of effective design: Joshua tree epiphany and CRAP. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/bnixon/principles-of-effective-design (NB: These 10 PPT slides offer a useful, illustrated review of Robin Williams’ graphic design principles. Borrow the Williams’ book from the WCP intern office for a more in-depth review.)

Stevens-Huffman, Leslie. (2014, January 22). Are traditional resumes passé? Dice. Retrieved from http://news.dice.com/2014/01/22/traditional-resumes-passe/

Weber, Lauren. (2014, January 23). In a tough job market applicants try résumé gimmicks. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://on.wsj.com/KRvJQR

Ethics, Resumes

Blog #2: Leveling the Playing Field

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If a job posting asks for 10+ years java programming experience and I claim to have 20 years of experience on my resume, I would be a bold-faced liar. As soon as any potential employer sat me down in front of a computer, my lie would be revealed and I would not be offered the job. I was the one who was wrong in this instance, by lying and wasting someone else’s time. Now what if instead I, a woman, craft my resume in a way that leaves my gender in question. If my potential employer selects me for an interview expecting and hoping for a man, isn’t he or she the one in the wrong?

Anti-discrimination laws may exist, but they can be hard to enforce, especially at the hiring stage. How could you prove that your application was rejected based on gender, race, age, religion, national origin, or a disability? The employer could just say that someone with a different skill set was a better fit for the position. This is why I think it is perfectly acceptable to make your resume as gender-, race-, age-, religion-, nationality-, and disability-neutral as possible.

I will use a personal example to illustrate my point. I know that being a woman has nothing to do with my ability to manage a database or write SQL scripts, but I also know that not everyone thinks this way. Information systems and technology is still a man’s world and women can find it hard to be taken seriously. If my resume were completely identical to a man’s, I feel that more often than not he would be chosen for a position simply because his gender is seen as an advantage to the job. What do I do when my gender, which has no bearing on my set of skills, actually puts me at a disadvantage in the eyes of some people? My only hope is to create a resume that highlights my skills and qualifications without revealing my gender. I do not have to lie. I can just leave out my involvement in Women in Technology or my work at a women’s homeless shelter, both of which hint at my gender. This way, I can at least make it to the interview stage and have a chance to show that I truly am qualified for the job, rather than having my resume completely passed over simply because I am a woman.

Now consider classes of individuals who are not protected by anti-discrimination laws. For example, less than half of U.S. states protect homosexuals from discrimination. Do people in the LGBT community have a right to keep their sexual orientation a secret in their pursuance of a career? I say yes. Discrimination against homosexuals and transgendered individuals is a huge problem today. Some employers may have personal stereotypes against these individuals that would cause them to choose a less qualified applicant over an applicant who is homosexual. Why should a member of the LGBT community have to disclose their sexual orientation, when they could work their entire lives without anyone even knowing? In my opinion, they should be able to keep this information to themselves if they choose.

Some people may say this omission of truth is wrong. I disagree, because no one is hurt in this situation. In fact, both parties benefit. The applicant benefits by getting an interview, and potentially a job. The employer benefits by adding a well-qualified applicant they otherwise would have missed to their pool of candidates to choose from for the position.

While lying about skills and qualifications is surely wrong, omitting something about yourself that is irrelevant to the job, but would be used against you, is not. To me, this levels the playing field, allowing everyone to be considered for opportunities based solely on the skills they possess and the work they have done rather than the unchangeable traits they were born with.

 

Sources:

  • “LGBT Rights in the United States.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 09 June 2014. Web. 07 Sept. 2014.
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Stretching the truth- okay or no-kay?

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For me the issue of lying on a resume causes mixed feelings. I am studying HR administration for Hospitality, so I know that as an HR manager, I would hate to see someone lying on their resume, but as an employee, I feel that sometimes carefully worded phrases that show you in the best light should be acceptable. As Carol Goman claims in her article, small white lies are forgivable and sometimes even expected of applicants, however major lies are more often than not caught and you will have to face the consequences.

I think there is a certain extent to which it’s okay to stretch the truth, if and only if you are confident that you can exceed expectations for the job. Small lies can usually swing two ways- either people feel empowered by their lies and keep lying, or they work even harder to make sure that they are the best they could possibly be.

For example, if I exaggerated, let’s say on an application for a field in journalism and I claimed to have managed a team of writers for the news beat while also doing production design, when I have no production design experience, and the job I was applying for asked for someone with production design, then I would seriously be in hot water. They would find me out, and likely fire me, with a mark on my record saying I was fired for dishonesty.

Even stretching the truth to some extent has its risks. You have to ask yourself- ‘If these new employers call my former boss, will she back up what I have put on my resume?’. This can be anything from your salary to your duties. It’s all a matter of calculating the risk and wording your resume accordingly.

While I’m sure most of us have experience with stretching our resumes, you need to make sure that what you’re writing sounds reasonable, and instead of creating skills you don’t have, enhances the skills you do. Please, do not be like the football coach from Notre Dame who claimed he held a Master’s degree when he did not. Such lies are blatant and will likely result in termination.

Personally, I believe that if you even stretch the truth on your resume, when you get that job, you should work as hard as you can to prove yourself good enough, and better than any of the other candidates who may have been considered for the position. Again, stretching the truth a little bit is one thing, and is acceptable in minor circumstances, but big lies are never a good idea, and should definitely not appear anywhere in the workplace.

 

 

 

 

Vass, Lisa. “Lying on Your Resume: How Far to Stretch the Truth.” Lying on Your Resume: How Far to Stretch the Truth. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Sept. 2014.

Gorman, Carol. “The 10 Most Common Workplace Lies.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 06 Sept. 2014.

Bucholz, Chris. “The 6 Most Effective Ways to Lie on Your Resume.” Cracked.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Sept. 2014

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