One thing I’m asking at job interviews now is “what about my resume stood out to you?” I might as well not even go in, based on their answers.
Last time I asked that the only thing they liked was that I briefly held a job that wasn’t related to the field at all. It was working at a library. “I thought that was neat.”
That was it. Nothing else was noteworthy.
That’s a great idea. Without divulging anything personal, what kinds of answers have you got?
A few have basically stated that they didn’t even look at it prior to the interview.
The most recent one mentioned that it wasn’t “customer service focused”. Thing is, I was applying for a customer service job, and all of my jobs have had some kind of CS focus, so I dunno what they’re on about.
Still unemployed, to no one’s surprise.
I’ve always had to fill in a form with all the information on my resume for a chance at the privilege of going into the office in person and doing the same thing with pen and paper and then potentially being asked in an interview for all the same details again before my job placement where the actual employer asks yet again for multiple forms and verbal conformation. my favorite so far has been filling out the form online only to have to fill out the exact same form online at their office.
and of course the manager I’m reporting too has no idea that there’s even a new hire much less any of my details … which I may have to recount for them.
my details … which I may have to recount for them.
That part isn’t so bad. You should have a set of work stories about how awesome you are, that you make sure to tell them. (i.e. the project you single-handedly saved, the problem coworker you were able to get along with, the impossible deadline you met, etc.) Then it’s just a matter of figuring out which story to start off with, and ideally it turns into a conversation. “We were using XYZ system on ABC machines, you do that here too?” “Oh yeah that system sucks, one time…” etc.
“If you can’t handle having to do everything three times for no reason, then you’re not cut out to work here!”
“Thanks for the advance notice on your shitty business culture. Good luck finding other suckers… I mean candidates.” - I think to myself as I take the job to pay for my bills and cry on the drive home.
It’s particularly annoying because these online forms defeat the entire purpose of a résumé.
Indeed or Monster or someone should just publish an open source JSON spec, and then by sheer weight make it the default. I don’t understand why they haven’t done so.