Asking Me For A Job

[barsoomcore]

TB: Not me, but I know folks who do. Send me your resume, I'll see about a hookup.

The_lurkeR: Actually, it's NOT worth my time. It's not like there's a shortage of talented, smart, wonderful people out there. I've been doing this for years, my friend, and believe me, I know how to allocate my time. I can sniff out those snake-oil salesmen from way off. Over the past year I've hired something like twenty people. One of them turned to not be a star -- the rest kicked butt. It's not hard to find good people -- it's just annoying to tromp through the resumes of the also-rans.

MonsterMash: I'm not saying NOBODY likes cover letters attached -- I'm just saying it irritates ME. This isn't meant as general advice on getting a job -- it's meant as advice on how to get a job from ME.

Ber: Even for a graphic design-type position, I'd rather see a simple resume and stomp-down portfolio. And in my book, completionist = good.

fu: Thanks. I'd been going with, "I suppose you're a protocol droid," myself, but Bachi is a good one. Though in my head it was always spelled Bocce.

Thanks for listening to my rant, folks. When I start up my multi-million-dollar game company you'll all know how to prep your resumes.

 

[Arnwyn]

I just thought I'd mention that #'s 1,3,4 and 5 are all things I've had HR types and experienced job-finders (as opposed to perpetual job seekers...) specifically tell to do at one point or another when trying to get a job.

Agreed, at least for #3. (Since I have to keep up on some basic HR policies for my professional development.) I'm inclined to believe that barsoomcore's an aberration on this one.

In reality, it seems everyone doing hiring has their own preferences and the carefully crafted resume and letter you built using all the advice you got may well just rub the person the wrong way and get trashed. It's really random whether you're going to get far enough to get someone who matters to look at your resume or not.

Agreed here, too. HR professionals are trying to reduce this, but due to the large number of people with varying backgrounds doing interviews combined with companies with fewer resources, they are making little progress.

 

[jmucchiello]

I've always found this article use from both sides of the interview desk. While I agree with JD that plain text is best, I don't know that I'd be so negative against cover letter attachments. But that's not my job so what do I know?

 

[MaxKaladin]

In most cases, that's because very few jobs have much to do with technical qualifications. I don't care how mad somebody's skills are if everyone else on my team hates him. I better like you or I'm not hiring you.

I was always under the impression that the resume was supposed to be all about your skills and how they qualified you for the job and the interview was for seeing if they like you as a person or not.

And good point about needing to tailor every application to the company and/or position applied for. Absolutely. That's what you need to do.

Even then it is a shot in the dark unless you know how the person reading your resume will feel about things like you mentioned. It can be very frustrating as an applicant not knowing if you got rejected because they didn't like your skills or because they didn't like you including a cover letter or something like that.

 

[CarlZog]

I appreciate Barsoomcore's frustration here. I've seen a wealth of similarly bad stuff.

Of course, I also submitted a few gems of my own in younger years. Like the time I mentioned in a letter how much I wanted to work for the company -- but accidentally used the firm's primary competitor's name instead in the sentence. The letter came back to me with the name circled and a note scribbled in the margin: "Thanks, but I think we'll pass."

 

[FCWesel]

And its arrogant. I used to bring in people like this from time to time just to tear them a new one during the interview process.

Wow, aren't you the the non-arogant one. If I might make a critique that I hope you take to heart; Actions like that (or posts) doesn't make you look "big" or better then them, despite your delusions, it makes you just like them if they are truly that arrogant...worse, if they are not.

Think about it.

 

[barsoomcore]

I'm inclined to believe that barsoomcore's an aberration on this one.

Well, that wouldn't be the only cause people have given for holding that opinion.

I was always under the impression that the resume was supposed to be all about your skills and how they qualified you for the job and the interview was for seeing if they like you as a person or not.

Not at all! Your resume demonstrates your basic communication skills, your attention to detail and your ability to identify what the position requires and how you fit that need.

I mean, you could put ANYTHING in your resume. What I'm looking for is evidence that you understand the job as described, that you were able to follow the simple instructions in the posting, and that you can communicate like a professional.

I'll find out how good your skills are in the interview when I start laying the problems on you.

It can be very frustrating as an applicant not knowing if you got rejected because they didn't like your skills or because they didn't like you including a cover letter or something like that.

Yep, it sure can.

And keep in mind I'm not saying DON'T include a cover letter as an attachment, but that if you do, I won't read it. I mean, I don't care how great your cover letter is if your resume doesn't impress me, so why should I bother? Whereas if it's in the body of the email I can't help but read it. My advice is to follow Ber's advice: be complete and do both.

 

[LightPhoenix]

With regards to the cover letter, it's been my experience (as a biochemist/lab tech) that often secretaries and the like get the e-mails, print out the attachments to pass on, and junk the e-mails. Especially if there is a HR department involved. In such cases, a cover letter is quite useful, assuming you wrote a good one, since it's usually the first impression of what sort of person you might be an interviewer gets. The resume is the first thing looked at, for sure, but by nature it is very dry... basically a bullet-point list of qualifications in fancy formatting.

 

[fusangite]

I'm inclined to believe that barsoomcore's an aberration on this one.

Well, if so, he keeps the tentacles well hidden.

 

[Maldur]

So what Job are you offering?