TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
RE: Having fun with your resume - good idea/bad idea
Subject:RE: Having fun with your resume - good idea/bad idea From:Lynne Wright <Lynne -dot- Wright -at- tiburoninc -dot- com> To:yehoshua paul <ysp10182 -at- gmail -dot- com>, tech2wr-l <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Tue, 4 Sep 2012 13:58:19 +0000
Given that people's taste in humor is highly subjective, I think using gimmicks is really risky... they are likely to make you stand out in a BAD way, as in: "A Jeopardy parody?!?! Seems this candidate thinks this job competition is a bit of a joke. Shows poor judgment. Next!"
When I'm assessing candidates, I'm looking for somebody with the skills to do the job, and the maturity/professionalism to be a solid, reliable, and low-maintenance addition to the staff. Whether or not they can make people laugh is not important.
Its best to keep it professional. Avoid the jokes; instead, design a website to showcase your creative side and include the link on your cv.
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=tiburoninc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=tiburoninc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of yehoshua paul
Sent: Sunday, September 02, 2012 4:33 AM
To: tech2wr-l
Subject: OT: Having fun with your resume - good idea/bad idea
Good morning Whirlers,
Has anyone here ever been stressed out about their resume? Spent hours
reviewing and polishing the spelling, grammar, layout - and content? Just
wished they could relax and have some fun with it?
I recently wrote an article for the JobMob annual guest blogging contest on
5 different ways to having fun with your resume. I'll explain more about
the contest, and add a link at the bottom.
It's a pretty funny article, which I thought people would enjoy reading on
a Sunday morning, but I would also like to start a serious discussion on
this topic.
I have heard from more than one person (including the CEO of a technical
writing agency, which I link to in the article) that they expect potential
candidates to stand out. Supplementing a resume with something like video,
or even Star Wars crawl is one way to do so, and an almost guaranteed way
to land an interview and then a job. I have heard from probably more people
that any candidate who did something like that would be treated as a joke,
and his resume would quickly find its way to the waste bin. Personally, I
think the answer depends on the country, industry, company, hiring manager,
and what was sent in - all of which require research (that you are supposed
to do before applying anyway).
I'd like to hear from the group both those who have applied for technical
writing positions and those who have had to hire technical writers what do
they think about supplementing a resume with something humorous/creative.
Would it work? would it not work? Let me and the group know.
This article is part of a contest. The winning article will be the one
which is most read, with additional prizes going to most Facebook likes,
most tweets, most +1s, and most e-mailed.
During the next 5 days, I need to get as many people as possible to read my
article. I was debating whether to post on the group or not, but a. I
consider it relevant, b. I think most people would enjoy reading it, and c.
It's always good to start Sunday with a smile.
After reading this paragraph if you feel like reading a really funny
article and also supporting me, you can read the article at: http://jobmob.co.il/blog/have-fun-with-your-resume/
Have an awesome day,
Yehoshua Paul,
Your friendly neighbourhood technical writer.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Create and publish documentation through multiple channels with Doc-To-Help. Choose your authoring formats and get any output you may need.
Try Doc-To-Help, now with MS SharePoint integration, free for 30-days.
Looking for articles on Technical Communications? Head over to our online magazine at http://techwhirl.com
Looking for the archived Techwr-l email discussions? Search our public email archives @ http://techwr-l.com/archives
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Create and publish documentation through multiple channels with Doc-To-Help. Choose your authoring formats and get any output you may need.
Try Doc-To-Help, now with MS SharePoint integration, free for 30-days.
