Re: Resume styles

["Elisa R. Sawyer" <elisawyer -at- gmail -dot- com>]

I forgot to mention another thing. Sometimes when a company has had a
writer for a long time, that writer grew with the company or with the
product. When the company has to hire a replacement, they don't know how.
It can take a while for the company to learn about what they actually need
in a writer. I think that this kind of ignorance, however irritating it can
be, is understandable.

On Wed, Dec 31, 2014 at 12:41 PM, Elisa R. Sawyer <elisawyer -at- gmail -dot- com>
wrote:

> OK. Sometimes interviewers make decisions about writers based on reasons
> that for one reason or another they just don't want to share. Here are some
> examples of reasons, ranging from legitimate to illegal:
>
>    - Someone within the company discovered that a writer with whom they
>    have previous experience is available and they want to hire that writer (I
>    think this is legitimate and when a hiring manager has shared this
>    information with me it made sense to me, however some people would make
>    excuses rather than honestly share this reason).
>    - Someone thought that they could open a requisition and weren't able
>    to do so.
>    - A requisition that was open got closed (they might really need a
>    writer and want to wait a good six months or more so that they can use the
>    money elsewhere until the pain of bad writing starts to have an impact on
>    customer satisfaction).
>    - Someone on the team thinks that the writer is not a good fit for the
>    team (this can be, but is not always a legitimate reason).
>    - A writer's experience looks good but their writing samples are not
>    seen as being like what the company needs (depending on the details this
>    can be a legitimate reason, or it can be a result of the interviewer not
>    understanding how the writer responded to audience needs).
>    - The writer came in for an interview and is older than expected, so
>    an excuse is fabricated (this is what I meant by illegal).
>
> I'm certain that many of you have seen scenarios like this. :-)
>
> On Wed, Dec 31, 2014 at 10:39 AM, Kathleen MacDowell <
> kathleen -dot- eamd -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:
>
>> Elisa, could you explain what you mean by your comment?
>>
>> "In a case like this, I would not rule out the possibility that the
>> critique
>> of the resume is a red herring."
>>
>> Kathleen
>>
>> On Wed, Dec 31, 2014 at 12:23 PM, Elisa R. Sawyer <elisawyer -at- gmail -dot- com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Chris,
>>>
>>> In a case like this, I would not rule out the possibility that the
>>> critique
>>> of the resume is a red herring.
>>>
>>> -Elisa
>>>
>>> On Wed, Dec 31, 2014 at 9:24 AM, Michael McCallister <
>>> workingwriter -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:
>>>
>>> > Chris,
>>> >
>>> > Julie's points are excellent, and I'd be skittish about someone who
>>> wanted
>>> > "flashy" docs too. It sounds like he thinks documentation is more about
>>> > marketing. If that's the case, focus on the philosophy of useful docs.
>>> "I
>>> > use visuals to help the user understand how a product helps him/her to
>>> > complete a task or otherwise get a job done. It's not about the dazzle
>>> (or
>>> > the baffle alternative), it's about putting the user first."
>>> >
>>> > You might also explain that the reason you have had so many clients
>>> over
>>> > the years is because your resume has impressed them all enough to talk
>>> with
>>> > you.
>>> >
>>> > Best of luck!
>>> >
>>> > Mike
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > Mike McCallister
>>> > Just released: *Build Your Author Platform: The New Rules*
>>> > <http://buildauthorplatform.com> (w/Carole Jelen)
>>> > Notes from the Metaverse: http://metaverse.wordpress.com
>>> >
>>> > On Wed, Dec 31, 2014 at 10:48 AM, Julie Stickler <jstickler -at- gmail -dot- com>
>>> > wrote:
>>> >
>>> > > >I found its style to be very traditional and the
>>> > > formatting more difficult to follow than other resumes I have
>>> reviewed.
>>> > > Considering your expertise is in Technical Writing, I was wondering
>>> why
>>> > you
>>> > > wouldnât approach your resume in a much more flashy visual style
>>> such as
>>> > > your LinkedIn webpage.
>>> > >
>>> > > Because resumes are written for a different audience than web pages.
>>> > Often
>>> > > resumes are parsed by machine to extract keywords.  Resumes have to
>>> be
>>> > easy
>>> > > to scan, because people often spend very little time on them before
>>> > making
>>> > > a decision about the candidate.  And  resumes are often printed out
>>> for
>>> > use
>>> > > during the interview process, so the extra graphics and colors that
>>> you
>>> > > would see on a web page are not appropriate to a print document.
>>> > >
>>> > > As far as it being "more difficult to follow" without seeing your
>>> resume,
>>> > > it's hard to know how to respond to that.
>>> > >
>>> > > On Wed, Dec 31, 2014 at 10:11 AM, Bridget Gordan <
>>> > bridget -dot- gordan -at- gmail -dot- com
>>> > > >
>>> > > wrote:
>>> > >
>>> > > > I would run a mile. He sounds like he would be a PITA to work for.
>>> > > >
>>> > > > On Wed, Dec 31, 2014 at 9:55 AM, Chris Morton <
>>> salt -dot- morton -at- gmail -dot- com>
>>> > > > wrote:
>>> > > >
>>> > > > > Hi All,
>>> > > > >
>>> > > > > This just came in. I've been undergoing a series of interviews
>>> for a
>>> > > > > position with a NY manufacturer of high-tech instruments. It's a
>>> > > > relatively
>>> > > > > young company, has a strong market position and is owned by a
>>> Fortune
>>> > > 500
>>> > > > > entity. They've had but a single technical writer in their entire
>>> > > > history.
>>> > > > > She was with them five years before moving closer to family and
>>> > > vacating
>>> > > > > the position. I've read her LinkedIn profile and thought her
>>> > > > qualifications
>>> > > > > were rather average.
>>> > > > >
>>> > > > > Out of the six gentlemen I've spoken with by phone, one fellow
>>> seems
>>> > to
>>> > > > be
>>> > > > > the one I'm having the most trouble convincing that I'm the right
>>> > > > > candidate. He was quite surprised to learn that a good number of
>>> us
>>> > > > haven't
>>> > > > > worked full-time for the same company all of our adult lives,
>>> that we
>>> > > > tend
>>> > > > > to move around and accept a succession of short-duration
>>> contracts.
>>> > > I've
>>> > > > > explained that I'd still be full-time at HP had that company
>>> remained
>>> > > > what
>>> > > > > it once was (or had any idea where it's presently headed). One
>>> has to
>>> > > > eat.
>>> > > > >
>>> > > > > I've also attempted to explain that a varied career such as mine
>>> (and
>>> > > > > perhaps yours) makes me more well-rounded and capable of seeing
>>> > things
>>> > > > in a
>>> > > > > different light. I view this as a huge plus. Also, our Craig
>>> Cardimon
>>> > > has
>>> > > > > been reposting many an article that essentially states this same
>>> > thing;
>>> > > > the
>>> > > > > days of the pension and gold watch are long gone, that each of us
>>> > needs
>>> > > > to
>>> > > > > think of ourselves as entrepreneurs, etc. And although I'm
>>> delighted
>>> > to
>>> > > > be
>>> > > > > freelancing at this time and have two good clients, Obamacare is
>>> > > > > ridiculously expensiveâeven for the crummiest, least-expensive
>>> plan.
>>> > In
>>> > > > > addition to the exciting challenges of a new full-time gig, I'm
>>> keen
>>> > on
>>> > > > the
>>> > > > > benefits package a FT position such as this offers. The initial
>>> req
>>> > > read
>>> > > > as
>>> > > > > if it was written with me in mind.
>>> > > > >
>>> > > > > So.... I have my own ideas as to how to proceed, but was
>>> wondering
>>> > how
>>> > > > you
>>> > > > > would answer this question:
>>> > > > >
>>> > > > > I spent a fair amount of time reviewing your work posted on
>>> LinkedIn.
>>> > > I
>>> > > > > see a lot of resumes and resume styles and one thing was really
>>> > > bothering
>>> > > > > me regarding your resume.  I found its style to be very
>>> traditional
>>> > and
>>> > > > the
>>> > > > > formatting more difficult to follow than other resumes I have
>>> > reviewed.
>>> > > > > Considering your expertise is in Technical Writing, I was
>>> wondering
>>> > why
>>> > > > you
>>> > > > > wouldnât approach your resume in a much more flashy visual style
>>> such
>>> > > as
>>> > > > > your LinkedIn webpage.  Can you comment?
>>> > > > >
>>> > > > >
>>> > > > > Thanks
>>> > > > >
>>> > > > > > Chris
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>>> > >
>>> > > --
>>> > > Julie Stickler
>>> > > http://heratech.wordpress.com/
>>> > > Blogging about Agile and technical writing
>>> > > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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>>>
>>> --
>>> Elisa Rood Sawyer
>>> ~~~~~^~~~~~
>>> Technical and Creative Writer
>>> "Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today." Mark Twain
>>> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Kathleen MacDowell
>> kathleen -dot- eamd -at- gmail -dot- com
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Elisa Rood Sawyer
> ~~~~~^~~~~~
> Technical and Creative Writer
> "Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today." Mark Twain
>
>


-- 
Elisa Rood Sawyer
~~~~~^~~~~~
Technical and Creative Writer
"Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today." Mark Twain
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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