Re: Resume format

Subject: Re: Resume format
From: "Brad Jensen" <brad -at- elstore -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2002 01:34:09 -0600



----- Original Message -----
From: "Justin Cascio" <justin-paul -dot- geo -at- yahoo -dot- com>

> * Do you think it's a good idea to sort the meat of a resume by
skills
> rather than by employers?

Only if you goal is to win a creative writing contest. Do you
think it is a good idea to answer all the interviewers'questions
in Latin?

> * Should anyone doing a first pass on resumes for a tech writer
position
> know that MS Office contains Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, if
these are
> required tools?

What is your goal? To get hired. What is the resume's job? To get
you the interview, and to be a tie-breaker if they like someone
else's interview as much, or even a little more, than yours. Make
it easy for the resume reader to like you better, find your
informaiton, not have to ask questions.

> * Should I have even the most basic tools on my resume,

Absolutely. The person hiring you does not have to be smarter
than you.

> everywhere I used
> them, or should I only apply this treatment to more TW-specific
tools like
> RoboHELP and just mention once that I know how to use these
tools?

Who do you think is the better expert at finding a job and in
what the employer expects? You or the recruiter. If you think it
is you, find a different recruiter or get an immediate attitude
adjustment.

> * Was this recruiter definitely rude and defensive, or is it
just my
> neurotic opinion?

Actually, you must be a good candidate for her to put up with you
as much as she has so far. She is probably putting it down to
your inexperience at job search - most people are lousy at it,
because they don't do it as a profession and they are extremely
stressed and self-conscious while doing it.

You might ask her to send you a couple of a resumes done in the
style she likes, with the name removed. I'll bet you can imitate
it and wow her.

You are thinking about her 'don't screw this up for me' She is
thinnking the same thing about you, with more reason. She has
seen hundreds of people like you. You have seen one person like
her.

When you get on an airplane, do you check the pilot's and
copilot's tech writing skills? Do you question every step of
thier procedures?

If I were you, I would call her back, apologize, and ask for her
suggestions and assistance. Tell her why the technical
presentation of your resume is so important to you, ask her for a
couple of examples, and then rewrite to her specs. And if you are
smart, ask for interview tips and techniques. Do just what she
tells you to and don't argue with her.

Then when she gets that stellar job, she might tell you a year
down the road about some other opportunity that you would never
know about otherwise. When you get that job, send her flowers.
When other people talk about sending their resumes out, if they
are good, send them to her. She could make a million dollars
difference to you over the course of your career - and hers.

Brad Jensen
www.eufrates.com


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Follow-Ups:

References:
Resume format: From: Justin Cascio

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