Tag Archives: Resume

Beyond the Resume

No Demise for the Traditional Resume

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Despite the numerous technological changes that have taken place over the years, I strongly believe most organizations still request a traditional resume and employers notwithstanding want to hold a resume in their hands as everyone is not digital-age savvy. In regards to non-traditional resumes, it happens to be a good way to make a great impression depending on the type of job a person is seeking. Regarding social media profiles, candidates might like the idea of being able to showcase their resume, work samples, and explain what they can offer to the company as an employee.

Which of the alternative formats do you think suits you the best? Of all the alternatives available I like the video CV and brochure the best. This is because the video CV serves as a great opportunity to sell my credentials, show off my personality and my presentation skills. It can portray me to the employer as someone who would go the extra mile to land the job and as someone put a lot of thought into making the video. In addition, using the template of a brochure for my resume seems unique, unusual and definitely looks like a sure way to stand out from the crowd.

Personally, as the internet, social media, and of course the ideas from people continue to evolve, I doubt traditional resumes will ever be considered as outdated as there are people who still appreciate a hardcopy resume. In summary, it is here to stay!

Bari, Mariusz. N.d. Graphic. n.p. Web. 14 Sep 2014. <http://resumup.com/1311136>.

Doyle, Alison. “Examples of the Different Types of Nontraditional Resumes.” About. Web. 15 Sept. 2014. <http://jobsearch.about.com/od/nontraditional/ss/nontraditional-resume-examples.htm>.

Epstein, Matthew. “Video Resume: Google Please Hire Me.” YouTube. YouTube, 29 June 2011. Web. 15 Sept. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRHFEDyHIsc>.

Js, Stariya. “1.11c CJS Resume Brochure.” Docstoc.com. 10 Oct. 2011. Web. 15 Sept. 2014. <http://www.docstoc.com/docs/98668014/111c-CJS-Resume-Brochure>.

Beyond the Resume

Blog Post #3: Standing out just like everyone else

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Since the internet took over in the early 90’s, the world has become more connected than ever. This has had both positive and negative effects on the job market, and on the process one must go through in order to find employment. It should come as no surprise, then, that the massive influx in competition for similar job types would result in the creation of the “need” for alternative resumes.

How can one stand out if all they have to show their employer is a record of all the things they have done and their specific qualification for the job they are applying for? No. In today’s ever evolving society one must continuously adapt and change and STAND OUT if they want to be hired by corporations. How should one go about making their resume, (a thing that is in no way ever actually unique or special by its very nature,) seem super duper totally special and unique?

One tip, which has already been brought up, but seems to be OVERWHELMINGLY USEFUL, is to lie, make stuff up, and then lie some more. Looking like the most qualified candidate is really hard in today’s job market because most of us are all very similar and the jobs we want are very similar as well. Lying allows you to edge out all those suckers trying to get by on their own merit.

My chosen career path (creative writing and stand-up comedy) will require a slightly different type of resume since I would rather burn to death in a house full of angry kittens than go to work for a company who wants a serious resume. Yet I still need to be able to show my skills and I must stand out if I really want people to notice me. This link  shows one specific alternative resume type that I would use; a creative Facebook page! The second creative resume I would potentially use is a presi that shows examples of my brilliant prose. This will get me the job for sure!

 

Sources used:

http://www.businessinsider.com/insanely-creative-resumes-2011-6?op=1

http://www.statisticbrain.com/resume-falsification-statistics/

 

 

 

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, 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/