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Subject:Re: Resume turn-offs From:"Susan W. Gallagher" <sgallagher -at- STARBASECORP -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 7 Mar 1995 11:10:54 -0800
> Susan W. Gallagher said--
> Yes, the interviewing really does need to go both ways. That's why,
> when I'm on the being-hired end, I plant some stuff in my resume
> that's designed to turn-off the kind of employer I know I don't want
> to work for.
> Karen Kay responded--
> Can you give examples??? Not that I can afford to drive anyone away at
> this point, but in case I ever have to?
> ======
Bev Parks adds...
> I'm pleading ignorance here. Being a well-entrenched government
> employee, I haven't been on the job market for 20 years. Can
> someone tell me why one would need to plant "turn-offs" in a
> resume? If offered a job by a company you don't want to work
> for, is there anything wrong with simply saying "No, thank you."?
> Or is the intent not to even be put into that awkward position
> in the first place?
> Why submit your resume to a company you don't want to work for?
Why plant turn-offs? OK... Sometimes you can't tell from the
ad or from external appearances that company management is
stuffy and pedantic. Sometimes you can't tell from the appearance
of a placement agency whether they're in touch with the right
kinds of people. So you go ahead and apply.
But, if it's not a good fit, I don't even want to waste time
on the interview... especially in the software industry...
especially in So Cal where you can end up driving for two
or three hours in "rush hour" traffic. (Boy, am I uppety!)
I've been a tech writer since 1983, so I have a lot of
experience under my belt -- but I don't have any more than
an AA degree. I'm not a shut-up-and-write writer, either.
I know where I fit in... In a start-up company with lots
of energy that needs someone that will jump up and fill
in the blank spaces -- doing graphics, attending shows,
performing usability tests, etc.
The kind of resume I provide is -- well, shall we say
avante garde??? Military contractors, large corporations,
and stuffed shirts throw me right in the trash -- and
I like it that way! Forward thinking, high energy
companies call me -- and I like that too! :-)
Sue Gallagher
StarBase Corp, Irvine CA
sgallagher -at- starbasecorp -dot- com
(I was their first writer and we do things my way!)
