FW: How do you respond to job ads?

[Joe Mariconda <jmaricon -at- ATITECH -dot- CA>]

Hello

1.      Most people aren't sending the requested work samples. When they're
omitted, there's never an explanation as to why.

If I was hiring, I would disqualify that candidate for not sending the
requested info. That candidate would leave me with the impression that they
do not follow instructions and thus would not follow my lead or give me
feedback about why I should take another direction.


2.      People submitting credentials via e-mail typically skip writing a
cover letter. They write something like, "Here's my resume in application
for your open Technical Writer position" and attach the resume.  Maybe I'm
old-fashioned, but I like to receive cover letters because they can give me
insight a resume can't.
        I would expect a cover letter. That letter must show a summary of
the job requirements and how the candidate fits into the new job.
        Without the cover letter, I would be doing all of the work.
Therefore, I would disqualify that candidate because they would not reduce
my work load, they would in fact increase it.


3.      Resumes I receive via e-mail usually look terrible. Text-file
resumes have awkward line breaks. Resumes in Word format suffer from Word's
"feature" of flowing text based on the selected printer. Some people even
use nonstandard fonts that I don't have on my machine. Word substitutes
other fonts and whatever good effect the applicant was trying to achieve is
lost.

I would expect to see a resume and cover in PDF format, with embedded fonts.
This would show me the person's creativity and ingenuity (information design
and layout, and computer knowledge).
A text-formatted resume tells me the candidate is not creative and does not
know how to use present technology.


Joe Mariconda


jim grey \ Documentation Manager
Made2Manage Systems, Inc. \ jgrey -at- made2manage -dot- com
<mailto:jgrey -at- made2manage -dot- com>

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