Short post, brilliant content. A few weeks ago we played "Kick The Graduate", where we highlighted a new grad who was looking for feedback on his resume.
New Feature - I call it "The Hype Resume", which from time to time will feature a candidate somewhere in the search process that has incorporated some cool stuff into their candidate presentation.
Today, I'm featuring Karla Wiles, a Birmingham resident who has a bunch of experience on the creative side. I met Karla recently at a Social Media Club lunch, and she followed up with me with a resume and an online tool with her as a candidate.
Couple of notes - I realize Karla is a creative type and this comes naturally, but can't we all learn something from the presentation? First up, I LOVE the dialog boxes on the resume to spice this thing up. Well played. As for the flash/quicktime presentation, how can you not love that as an easy link and follow up to the resume?
Cautionary note - some traditional types may not feel the love in non advertising/marketing arenas. That's OK... If doing this type of thing is you and you're in the market, you may reduce the total playing field regarding the number of employers who would view this as acceptable, but the ones it is attractive to are much more likely to bring you in than a candidate without these types of tools.
In short, be different = reducing your total prospects but intensifying the opportunity that remains.
Comments for Karla? I'd hire her!
Like it...a lot. However, I'm one who says if you need to use a resume on the front end to land the interview, then you're already at a disadvantage. I always assume that the hiring manager has a couple of pre-identified people on his/her wish list and is trying to come up with a way to woo that/those people in for an interview - "oh, bring a resume if you have one handy, if not, that's Ok too, we'd love to have a chance to just sit down with you." Absent of this level of professional-network maturity, the next best thing is a resume, of course. I like a two-part approach. Resume One is the short - quasi-IBM resume - with a quick cover letter that politely nudges, PSSST...please note that everywhere I go I find opportunities AND ways to cut costs. Stakeholders love me.
Resume Two is highly elaborate; I call it a professional profile. It's bound, has a table of contents, personality assessments, written references & recommendations, flow charts of the different recruitment metholodogies I employ, projects I've undertaken, a documented range of the positions I've filled, a volunteer page, and a first-person account of who I am and why stakeholders will benefit from having me on the team. It costs me about $8 at Kinko's to make. I only offer it up if I'm sure I want the job. I also, by the way, put a note in that it is being shared in confidence and should not be transmitted beyond those who're involved in the hiring and evaluation process.
Posted by: Todd Rogers | Tuesday, April 07, 2009 at 07:56 AM
From someone in the advertising business, love the presentation - the resume and the flash/quicktime piece. She used her creative background to spice up her resume which is really more account services work. Nice way to pull in all of her experience.
Posted by: Crystal Peterson | Tuesday, April 07, 2009 at 08:22 AM
When hiring creative people, it's all about finding the most creative. I love the presentation. Marketing is about branding, and branding yourself as a candidate is key to finding a great job. If you can't sell yourself, how can you sell our product?
I like that it's short. We still only have a limited amount of time to review candidates. Short is good.
Although I would NEVER mention this in a conversation with you, I like that you gave birth naturally. As a man who watched my wife do this, I was awed by her abilities and I now know that she is physically able to kick my butt.
I don't know that I would get as excited if the presentation were coming from a software developer...unless they coded a fancy graphical resume with little avatars acting out the info. Hmmmm. There could be something here.
Posted by: Jason Pankow | Tuesday, April 07, 2009 at 02:57 PM
You know what's great about the presentation? ONE PAGE. (Just playin', y'all.) Well done, KW!
Posted by: Jason Seiden | Wednesday, April 08, 2009 at 10:48 AM
Love it. I might be afraid if a 65 year old construction manager sent me that, but for the 'marketing/creative' type... perfect.
As for the first response that said you don't need a resume... Personal knowledge of people that a Hiring Manager knows runs out after 5+ hires. This is why us with titles, "Supreme Commander, Recruiting" have a job. However, next time the team comes to me and says "We need THIS" I will reply with "But don't you already know someone?"
Posted by: Scott | Wednesday, April 08, 2009 at 06:28 PM
While I find the resume very pretty and creative, this is not what I'm looking for in the resume of a potential employee. To me, it's just a list of relevant facts concerning ones career: personal information, education and former employers/positions. Anybody can (let someone) make an interesting, well polished resume. During the interview you try to gain insight in the applicants skills and competences. Here you will find "the most creative", if the resume is good.
Even if you're the creative type, you need to be able to communicate and cooperate in a business environment. To me, a good resume is short, to the point and professional.
Posted by: Bob | Thursday, April 09, 2009 at 06:33 AM
KD - so glad you featured Karla's work - when I first saw her resume at the career ministry meeting, I was floored. I immediately started using it as an example to everyone who was frustrated with their hum drum resume.
I wish we had a creative opening because I know she'd excel!
Posted by: Kristi Merritt | Sunday, April 12, 2009 at 07:41 PM