Re: Resume styles

["Elisa R. Sawyer" <elisawyer -at- gmail -dot- com>]

OK. Sometimes interviewers make decisions about writers based on reasons
that for one reason or another they just don't want to share. Here are some
examples of reasons, ranging from legitimate to illegal:

   - Someone within the company discovered that a writer with whom they
   have previous experience is available and they want to hire that writer (I
   think this is legitimate and when a hiring manager has shared this
   information with me it made sense to me, however some people would make
   excuses rather than honestly share this reason).
   - Someone thought that they could open a requisition and weren't able to
   do so.
   - A requisition that was open got closed (they might really need a
   writer and want to wait a good six months or more so that they can use the
   money elsewhere until the pain of bad writing starts to have an impact on
   customer satisfaction).
   - Someone on the team thinks that the writer is not a good fit for the
   team (this can be, but is not always a legitimate reason).
   - A writer's experience looks good but their writing samples are not
   seen as being like what the company needs (depending on the details this
   can be a legitimate reason, or it can be a result of the interviewer not
   understanding how the writer responded to audience needs).
   - The writer came in for an interview and is older than expected, so an
   excuse is fabricated (this is what I meant by illegal).

I'm certain that many of you have seen scenarios like this. :-)

On Wed, Dec 31, 2014 at 10:39 AM, Kathleen MacDowell <
kathleen -dot- eamd -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:

> Elisa, could you explain what you mean by your comment?
>
> "In a case like this, I would not rule out the possibility that the
> critique
> of the resume is a red herring."
>
> Kathleen
>
> On Wed, Dec 31, 2014 at 12:23 PM, Elisa R. Sawyer <elisawyer -at- gmail -dot- com>
> wrote:
>
>> Chris,
>>
>> In a case like this, I would not rule out the possibility that the
>> critique
>> of the resume is a red herring.
>>
>> -Elisa
>>
>> On Wed, Dec 31, 2014 at 9:24 AM, Michael McCallister <
>> workingwriter -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:
>>
>> > Chris,
>> >
>> > Julie's points are excellent, and I'd be skittish about someone who
>> wanted
>> > "flashy" docs too. It sounds like he thinks documentation is more about
>> > marketing. If that's the case, focus on the philosophy of useful docs.
>> "I
>> > use visuals to help the user understand how a product helps him/her to
>> > complete a task or otherwise get a job done. It's not about the dazzle
>> (or
>> > the baffle alternative), it's about putting the user first."
>> >
>> > You might also explain that the reason you have had so many clients over
>> > the years is because your resume has impressed them all enough to talk
>> with
>> > you.
>> >
>> > Best of luck!
>> >
>> > Mike
>> >
>> >
>> > Mike McCallister
>> > Just released: *Build Your Author Platform: The New Rules*
>> > <http://buildauthorplatform.com> (w/Carole Jelen)
>> > Notes from the Metaverse: http://metaverse.wordpress.com
>> >
>> > On Wed, Dec 31, 2014 at 10:48 AM, Julie Stickler <jstickler -at- gmail -dot- com>
>> > wrote:
>> >
>> > > >I found its style to be very traditional and the
>> > > formatting more difficult to follow than other resumes I have
>> reviewed.
>> > > Considering your expertise is in Technical Writing, I was wondering
>> why
>> > you
>> > > wouldnât approach your resume in a much more flashy visual style such
>> as
>> > > your LinkedIn webpage.
>> > >
>> > > Because resumes are written for a different audience than web pages.
>> > Often
>> > > resumes are parsed by machine to extract keywords.  Resumes have to be
>> > easy
>> > > to scan, because people often spend very little time on them before
>> > making
>> > > a decision about the candidate.  And  resumes are often printed out
>> for
>> > use
>> > > during the interview process, so the extra graphics and colors that
>> you
>> > > would see on a web page are not appropriate to a print document.
>> > >
>> > > As far as it being "more difficult to follow" without seeing your
>> resume,
>> > > it's hard to know how to respond to that.
>> > >
>> > > On Wed, Dec 31, 2014 at 10:11 AM, Bridget Gordan <
>> > bridget -dot- gordan -at- gmail -dot- com
>> > > >
>> > > wrote:
>> > >
>> > > > I would run a mile. He sounds like he would be a PITA to work for.
>> > > >
>> > > > On Wed, Dec 31, 2014 at 9:55 AM, Chris Morton <
>> salt -dot- morton -at- gmail -dot- com>
>> > > > wrote:
>> > > >
>> > > > > Hi All,
>> > > > >
>> > > > > This just came in. I've been undergoing a series of interviews
>> for a
>> > > > > position with a NY manufacturer of high-tech instruments. It's a
>> > > > relatively
>> > > > > young company, has a strong market position and is owned by a
>> Fortune
>> > > 500
>> > > > > entity. They've had but a single technical writer in their entire
>> > > > history.
>> > > > > She was with them five years before moving closer to family and
>> > > vacating
>> > > > > the position. I've read her LinkedIn profile and thought her
>> > > > qualifications
>> > > > > were rather average.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > Out of the six gentlemen I've spoken with by phone, one fellow
>> seems
>> > to
>> > > > be
>> > > > > the one I'm having the most trouble convincing that I'm the right
>> > > > > candidate. He was quite surprised to learn that a good number of
>> us
>> > > > haven't
>> > > > > worked full-time for the same company all of our adult lives,
>> that we
>> > > > tend
>> > > > > to move around and accept a succession of short-duration
>> contracts.
>> > > I've
>> > > > > explained that I'd still be full-time at HP had that company
>> remained
>> > > > what
>> > > > > it once was (or had any idea where it's presently headed). One
>> has to
>> > > > eat.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > I've also attempted to explain that a varied career such as mine
>> (and
>> > > > > perhaps yours) makes me more well-rounded and capable of seeing
>> > things
>> > > > in a
>> > > > > different light. I view this as a huge plus. Also, our Craig
>> Cardimon
>> > > has
>> > > > > been reposting many an article that essentially states this same
>> > thing;
>> > > > the
>> > > > > days of the pension and gold watch are long gone, that each of us
>> > needs
>> > > > to
>> > > > > think of ourselves as entrepreneurs, etc. And although I'm
>> delighted
>> > to
>> > > > be
>> > > > > freelancing at this time and have two good clients, Obamacare is
>> > > > > ridiculously expensiveâeven for the crummiest, least-expensive
>> plan.
>> > In
>> > > > > addition to the exciting challenges of a new full-time gig, I'm
>> keen
>> > on
>> > > > the
>> > > > > benefits package a FT position such as this offers. The initial
>> req
>> > > read
>> > > > as
>> > > > > if it was written with me in mind.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > So.... I have my own ideas as to how to proceed, but was wondering
>> > how
>> > > > you
>> > > > > would answer this question:
>> > > > >
>> > > > > I spent a fair amount of time reviewing your work posted on
>> LinkedIn.
>> > > I
>> > > > > see a lot of resumes and resume styles and one thing was really
>> > > bothering
>> > > > > me regarding your resume.  I found its style to be very
>> traditional
>> > and
>> > > > the
>> > > > > formatting more difficult to follow than other resumes I have
>> > reviewed.
>> > > > > Considering your expertise is in Technical Writing, I was
>> wondering
>> > why
>> > > > you
>> > > > > wouldnât approach your resume in a much more flashy visual style
>> such
>> > > as
>> > > > > your LinkedIn webpage.  Can you comment?
>> > > > >
>> > > > >
>> > > > > Thanks
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > Chris
>> > > > > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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>> > > > >
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>> > >
>> > > --
>> > > Julie Stickler
>> > > http://heratech.wordpress.com/
>> > > Blogging about Agile and technical writing
>> > > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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>> > > communication, and efficiency using Doc-To-Help |
>> http://bit.ly/1pJ4zPa
>> > >
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>> >
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>>
>> --
>> Elisa Rood Sawyer
>> ~~~~~^~~~~~
>> Technical and Creative Writer
>> "Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today." Mark Twain
>> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>> Read about how Georgia System Operation Corporation improved teamwork,
>> communication, and efficiency using Doc-To-Help | http://bit.ly/1pJ4zPa
>>
>> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>
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>>
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>>
>
>
>
> --
> Kathleen MacDowell
> kathleen -dot- eamd -at- gmail -dot- com
>



-- 
Elisa Rood Sawyer
~~~~~^~~~~~
Technical and Creative Writer
"Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today." Mark Twain
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Read about how Georgia System Operation Corporation improved teamwork, communication, and efficiency using Doc-To-Help | http://bit.ly/1pJ4zPa

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

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