‘Responsibility makes me nervous’ and other resume missteps
I was preparing some materials for my class in preparation for our discussion on resumes and cover letters. It turns out to be one of the most popular topics each semester — seems no one feels very confident writing a resume and every one wants a little guidance.
And that’s probably because it’s easy to go so horribly, horribly wrong in a resume. I preach to sell yourself — a resume and cover letter is not the time for modesty. (It’s likewise not the time for grandiosity or outright falsifications, but that’s another matter entirely …)
I found this great list of really bad things found on resumes. Granted, I’m always a little suscipious of such lists of allegedly “true” things people have said/written/done — the reporter in my would like a little proof, perhaps a citation, if you please — but none the less, this list serves, if nothing else, as a reminder to proofread your resume. Better yet, have someone else read it. Someone who knows something about good resumes and good copyediting. Even if you have to pay for that service, it’s worth if you can land an interview and get the job.
Here’s a sampling. Enjoy!
Listed under “Objectives”:
- To acquire a creative development position within the entertainment industry that would utilize my vast (2 years) technical experience.
- To find a gig.
- My goal is to be a meteorologist. But since I have no training in meteorology, I suppose I should try stock brokerage.
- I demand a salary commiserate with my extensive experience.
Listed under “Reasons for leaving last job”:
- Terminated after saying, “It would be a blessing to be fired.”
- Responsibility makes me nervous.
- Being in trouble with the law, I moved quite frequently.
- In my last position, got nowhere as part of a 60-person herd.
- I did not give the company my full effort and received no chance of advancement in return.
- Note: Please don’t misconstrue my 14 jobs as job-hopping. I have never quit a job.
Back To Basics
I am a bit, shall we say, “uptight” when it comes to the written English language. I like correct grammar. I like correct word usage and spelling. I like good syntax.
And I get downright cranky when I don’t get it.
Not long ago, I had a student who had me wondering if the world had gone mad. This student, a pleasant young man in his early 20s, never, and I mean never, used correct punctuation. For that matter, he didn’t capitalize his name. Or the first-person prounoun “I.” He wrote “UR” instead of “you are.”
It put me in a negative frame of mind. The Internet, I decided and not just because of Mr. UR, has destroyed our respect for our common language. The craft of writing has been replaced with lousy content copied and pasted from one site to the next. (We used to call that plagarism.) And it became increasing clear this attitude was creeping into even more mainstream forms of written communication.
But I’m beginning to change my mind. I’m beginning to see signs of a potential backlash against the slap-it-together, lousy-is-OK-as-long-as-it’s-cheap mindset that seems to have dominated web content over recent years. To that end, I’m going to explore this topic a bit further in subsequent postings.
It will make me happy.
Lights, Camera, Job Interview?
Would you interview a job candidate via Skype?
An article in Time lays out the pros and cons of using the video conferencing software to interview would-be employees. Obviously, it saves time and money — you no longer have to pay travel and lodging expenses for an interviewee, only to find out your hot prospect is a hot mess.
But does a video call give the hiring professional a full view of the candidate?
I’m inclined to think it does. It would be very intriguing to get a glimpse of a job candidate in their natural setting, rather than on your home turf. Candidate have a dog barking throughout the interview, as referenced in the Time story? Says a lot about that person’s judgment.
Has anyone conducted an interview or been interviewed via Skype? Leave a comment — I’d love to hear about it.
Making Tough Decisions
Suzy Welch offers some sage advice on how to make tough decisions: Stop and consider the ramifications your decision will have in 10 minutes, 10 months and 10 years. Welch writes in this month’s O Magazine about developing this technique and how it’s helped her and friends find work-life balance.
This advice also holds up perfectly in a business setting. Trying to decide if you should invest the time and money to update your webcontent, or distribute an e-newsletter? If you decide to push forward, the next 10 minutes could be frustrating: How will you pay for it? Who will you get to do it? What kind of content do you want? Where do you even start?
But 10 months down the road, you’ll start to see measurable results — more traffic to your website, more sales, more attention for your business. And 10 years down the road? The sky’s the limit.
Read Welch’s story here. Then consider what tough decisions your business is facing. Take out a piece of paper and jot down the 10-10-10 formula. It should make the right decision crystal clear.
