The job market being what it is these days, résumés have become a fairly hot topic.
Since I work “for myself,” (that is, I have dozens of different bosses), I have not written my own résumé in decades. However, as an impresario and as an occasional consultant, I find myself reading a lot of other people’s résumés.
So I thought I would share some info from the other side, as some folks who are doing their résumé might find it to be useful.
There’s a lot to be said for making up a nice big fat impressive résumé that includes every single gig you’ve ever played in your life and where you went to kindergarten. There’s no question that, on initial review, having a lot of entries makes a certain kind of positive impression.
However, the goal is not to just get past the first cut. The goal is to be the candidate selected. Therefore: Bear in mind that if you are one of the “finalists” to be considered, your resume will come under extraordinary microscopic scrutiny. If your resume says that you worked for the East Eagle Jaw Philharmonic in 1992, well, it might just so happen that I’m good friends with the CEO of the EEJP. So even though this item is buried in your resume, he’s the first person I’m going to call and ask if you are a psycho lunatic.
It’s nice to show off that you have a lot of experience in a lot of different places, but just be advised that any one of those listings may become the primary reference… NOT the carefully vetted reference that you listed at the bottom of the page. The moral of the story is, if you slept with the married personnel manager of the East Eagle Jaw Philharmonic, well, even if you got a five-star review for playing the Schoenberg Violin Concerto with them, maybe you should just leave that out altogether.
The next rule of thumb is to simply be honest. There was one person who worked for me for all of two days, and on her Linkedin biography she made her stint with me sound like she was largely responsible for curing polio. I am not badmouthing her, I admire her creativity and salesmanship, and she was a great assistant. The trouble is, not every job is looking for Jonas Salk. It is easy to make yourself look overqualified for a job when you really aren’t. Many times people are looking for someone relatively inexperienced that they can bring in and mold into their culture.
Believe it or not, many people are not looking for the "best" person. They're looking for a good fit.
I have no crystal ball with which I can look into the mind of your potential employers. However, before writing and submitting your own résumé, I would suggest using your network to somehow sit down and look at other people’s résumés, preferably from people who might possibly be looking for work from you. Instead of looking at a résumé from someone in your own line of work (you’ll be lost in your own sense of constant comparison), look at some résumés from gardeners or childcare providers. You’ll quickly discover that your own unique needs are a major lens through which you see the information. You will quickly notice that there are some applicants that are definitely trying to appear grander than they really are. When it comes time to push the button and actually hire someone, feeling that you can trust them and that they are forthright and honest with you is a big part of the final decision.
© Justin Locke
