Re: New TECHWR-L Poll Question

["Dick Margulis " <margulis -at- mail -dot- fiam -dot- net>]

I see the résumé-interview-hire process as courtship. Compatibility is the real issue, unless I'm broke and hungry and willing to put up with anything to relieve that condition.

Some companies have well regimented processes in which the work gets done by essentially fungible resources: if you are the same shape as the slot, you will fit. Don't make waves. Don't ask questions. Just do the job we put in front of you. Some people find that kind of employment secure and comforting. They don't have to think. They can go home at the end of the day and forget about work, using the money they earned to do what they really like doing.

Other companies (generally in different industries) operate on a different principle. They are communities of talented people working together to solve a problem. They don't have well defined slots to fill. Some people prefer that kind of employment. They enjoy the challenge of coming to work every day not knowing what will arise or what they will be doing when the day ends.

It seems to me that the "right" answer to whether or not you include hobbies on your résumé has to do with which situation you find more appealing. Elna isn't wrong. Hannah isn't wrong. Tom isn't wrong. The goal is to get the right people paired up with each other so there are fewer divorces, right?

Dick

Elna Tymes wrote:

>
>This logic is similar to the logic that says you should print your resume on
>pink paper so that yours will stand out.
>
>When we were hiring (it seems so long ago!) we were primarily looking for people
>who had a demonstrated ability to learn something and then describe it.  How
>much they knew about tools and applications depended on whether we were hiring
>interns or more senior people.  Applicants for internships could be forgiven for
>less than professional looking resumes, but more experienced people should have
>known better.  And for the latter, listing personal data was (and to my mind
>still is) irrelevant.  Hobbies and other extras were things that usually turned
>up in the interview but didn't belong on a resume of someone who was a true
>professional.
>
>Our approach as a service company has always been to focus on making sure that
>the client knows we are spending our time doing their job as efficiently as we
>can.  To that end, demanding that the client knows we have hobbies and outside
>interests is not just irrelevant, it's a negative. Therefore when we're hiring,
>we look for people who show the ability to focus on getting the job done.



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

Planning to attend IPCC 01, October 24-27 in Santa Fe?  Sign up by
October 3 and get a substantial discount!  Program information,
online registration, and more on http://ieeepcs.org/2001/

+++  Miramo -- Database/XML publishing automation.  See us at  +++
  +++  Seybold SFO, Sept. 25-27, in the Adobe Partners Pavilion  +++
  +++ More info: http://www.axialinfo.com  http://www.miramo.com +++

---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.