RE: New TECHWR-L Poll Question

[Tom Murrell <trmurrell -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

--- Amy Smith/CAM/Lotus <Amy_Smith -at- lotus -dot- com> wrote:
> 
> I *definitely* include the newsletter business (and related job skills) on 
> my resume! It's a thriving business and supports itself. I'm proud of it 
> and what I've accomplished, and I think it shows prospective employers 
> that I have initiative and the ability to manage multiple projects and 
> deliver them on time (I have paying customers, after all!). To my 
> knowledge, it's never harmed my chances in a job interview, and now that I 
> think about it, it's never come up as an issue. 

I think it's an excellent idea to include all relevant skills you possess for a
job, regardless of where those skills have been acquired. I just don't think it
is worthwhile to include extraneous information. As Jane Carnall mentioned in
an earlier post on this thread, she lost out on a job because they didn't like
her outside writing "hobby." I would suggest in a similar vein, that some
potential employers (not me, by the way) might not want a belly dancer in their
organization and might rule you out on that basis. (It may be stupid, but it
does happen.)

All I'm arguing for is that you craft your resume and/or cover letter so that
it helps you get INTO the interview and doesn't eliminate you from a job for
which you are otherwise qualified. And once you're in the interview, you can
guage whether anything you do that is not strictly job-related will enhance
your chances or not.

=====
Tom Murrell
Lead Technical Writer
Alliance Data Systems
Columbus, Ohio
mailto:tmurrell -at- columbus -dot- rr -dot- com
Personal Web Page - http://home.columbus.rr.com/murrell/
Page Last Updated 07/15/01

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