Resumes? Can’t live with them, can’t live without them!

I’ve seen my fair share of resumes in the 5+ years of Technical Recruiting I’ve been graced with. I’ve seen resumes go from Paper, to Visual CVs with Charts/Data/Graphs/Self-Pictorials/etc., and even YouTube Videos like “Google, Hire Me”. I life my life one resume at a time, and to be honest – I still get “giddy” over a Beautiful Resume. My favorites are the one’s that Add Value. I like one’s that flow smoothly, are consistent, and have a healthy dose of that “special stuff” (no not drugs). The one’s that stand-out from a crowd…the one’s that kind of have a Halo around Them – that could Glow in the Dark if they wanted to…that’s what I’m talking about. I really wish they were also Scratch & Sniff’s…but that’s another story.

Whatever the position may be, whatever the kind of company your applying to, or industry for that matter…make your’s different – but more importantly, make sure it has Substance. Not Bulk for the sake of Bulk! I can go to Costco for that. I’m talking pure, un-adulterated… beautiful content. Something that sucks me in like a “tractor-beam”. I want that! And I want it Often!

If I could give any advice… I would say this:

• Highlight what your Good At, but make sure to Highlight What You’re Good at…that relates to the Job, Company, or Industry your applying for & too for that matter.
• Take your Resume seriously, but don’t lose sleep over it. Don’t be afraid to go or circle around the block with more than one version. Not every resume is going to be the right one, and for the right company. Everyone views a resume differently. How I perceive something may be totally different than the Technical Recruiter in the Cubicle beside me (Between you & me…they must not be any good then……… I Kid, I Kid).
• Keep it Visually Clean, make it almost Pop-Out on a Page, like a 3-D Book. Don’t clutter it with use-less information just for the sake of it. So choose your words wisely. But more importantly, make them your own!
• Don’t be afraid to Have a Section or Category that’s Different than the Standard “Education”, “Work Experience”, and “Technical Skills” of the Resume World. I told you to be Unique already, so go out & do it! Don’t be afraid to Have a Personal Interest section. Some people close their eyes when they see that. I look at that section as “knowing the real you”. I feel like I know that person outside of the Corporate Lingo/Business Jargon fakeness. I see that as looking into your soul. I see that as seeing where your Pay-Check Goes. I like to Read-Between the Lines. I like the Real You. I do. So tell me more!
• Anything Longer than 3 Pages…I’m not a Huge Fan of Personally. It may be great stuff, I totally agree! And it might have moved continents, or even galaxy’s for that matter… but it doesn’t fit any easier into my filing cabinet, padfolio, or on my desk for that matter. I can’t read the Bible from Start to Finish in one day. I’m just not that Fast of a Reader. I can try – but the odd’s are I’ll give up. And nobody wants a quitter. Nobody wants to have to hire a Lawyer for that matter either…to consult them on all the Legal Ramifications they may be getting themselves into by Signing on the Dotted Line or Reading the whole damn thing.
• Be Truthful! Don’t Lie! You might get away with-it one place, you might get an interview you could have only dreamed of – but you will get caught. Maybe not right away, but you will. Do you really want to Try to Live a Lie? I don’t! I want to be me. I like me! Me’s a Good Guy. Me’s the guy who you can trust, whom you can count on, the guy that’s going to be there when the whole town is throwing stones at you. Yeah – me’s the real deal. Me’s the guy that’s going to be there everyday. That’s me!
• If your not getting Job Offers, Interviews, Interest, etc….it might be how you carry yourself, but it could also just be the Resume or Paper your Slangin’ Around? So tweak it up if you’re not getting The Golden Ticket to visit Willy Wonka’s Factory. Don’t be afraid of change. Embrace it. Keep it nimble, dynamic, and always evolving. Update it! I hate Stagnant!!! Stagnant has a smell to it, an Odor, ya know what I mean? Stagnant is yesterday’s trash. Stagnant is the smelly kid in class. Stagnant’s also the kind of stuff that’ll get you killed. Stagnant is Stagnant. Stagnant dines alone…and foot’s the bill. So Change it Up. Work on your Curve Ball, throw a Knuckle here & there, maybe even a Screwball. But don’t throw out your arm, or your fingers too much. That’ll end your career fast.