Try This Idea to Get Your Resume Noticed

http://blogs.jobdig.com/wwds/2008/06/05/your-resume-headline-should-get-my-attention-first/

11 20 18 years ago

blogs.jobdig.com

rglovejoy• 18 years ago

This method might work if I wanted to hire a salesman. For anyone else, it strikes me as phony and affected. Do I really care if a job prospect married the prettiest girl in his small town? I am more interested in whether he or she is competent and a self-learner.

m0nty• 18 years ago

> Voted ‘most likely to succeed,’ when I should have been voted ‘most likely to help ABC develop killer products.’

You'll sound like an utter nob if you write like that. I once received a resumé titled "Steely-blue-eyed contract killer" which didn't go immediately in the bin -- because we were too busy having a laugh about it. Then it went in the bin. Some of the given examples seem very reminiscent of the kind of person who thinks rather too highly of themselves.

ComputerGuru• 18 years ago

That's just silly/stupid. A good resume speaks for itself and is instantly obvious from 1) The grammar and words used 2) The length of the resume (yes, believe me, size does matter) 3) What it says. Content is king, it doesn't make a difference if we're talking articles or resumes/CVs.

A resume isn't where you show off your humor, that's what interviews are for.

ced• 18 years ago

Length? Shorter or longer then?

LogicHoleFlaw• 18 years ago

The direction I've received from various employment consultants is to keep everything on a single page if possible. Two pages at the absolute maximum.

jraines• 18 years ago

People who look at resumes all day spend 15 seconds looking at most resumes because that's how long it takes to find something stupid or disqualifying for the job, not because they look for something awesome for 15 seconds and then chuck it if they aren't grabbed by your whimsical creativity.

Your resume should get you in the door -- use your interview to convey what a unique and special snowflake you are.

notauser• 18 years ago

My resume got noticed at the last place I applied to because the guy who was making up the short list had already been talked to by two people who could recommend me.

icky• 18 years ago

Seriously.

If you know someone in the company, skip H.R. and send your resume directly.

whatwoulddadsay• 18 years ago

My intention was not provide a flip one sentence Leno-type headline to a resume, I apologize if the idea is offensive. I may have been in one of 'those' moods. I do think that you must grab the hiring manager's attention in a few seconds. Unfortunately, most people tend to bury their achievements, work ethic, attitudes, etc. Put them front and center works best.

tptacek• 18 years ago

Probably super valuable for receptionists and paralegals.

For developers though, the only purpose of a resume is to get an interview. Competant developers are rare. Everyone with a decent resume that is keyword-compliant is getting interviewed.

If you read this board, your resume probably doesn't need to waste time "selling". Just write what you've done and what you know. Save the selling for the phone screen.

PongoMan• 18 years ago

I think the resume headline (from GL Hoffman) is a fabulous idea because, as a former corporate recruiter I had to read thousands of resume. A headline a resume would certainly get my attention and get me to read with greater attention.

Resume headlines can certainly apply to highly technical careers as well.

The reason the headline works is because corporate recruiters are famous for screening out exceptional engineers simply because the engineer did not have enough of the right buzzwords in their resume, hence the hiring manager never gets to see the exceptional candidate.

sspencer• 18 years ago

"The reason the headline works is because corporate recruiters are famous for screening out exceptional engineers simply because the engineer did not have enough of the right buzzwords in their resume..."

Anyone who recruits in this fashion is someone I would automatically ignore when looking for a job. A headline like those quoted would do nothing but garner ridicule if you applied to my group.

sealedidentity• 18 years ago

May work for blue collar jobs. Certainly not for any 60k plus jobs. The idea sounds second only to making videos for getting hired.

timcederman• 18 years ago

My resume got noticed by Volkswagen and Cisco because I put "beer brewing" under my interests. YMMV though.

kaens• 18 years ago

I can not imagine writing a headline like that for a resume. I would feel utterly ridiculous, like I was writing an upsell for some crappy sold-by-infomercial product.

Tichy• 18 years ago

Reminds me of pickup-lines for girls.

extantproject• 18 years ago

... or you could make it a one-page, succinct advertisement of yourself and leave the bullshit out.

Try This Idea to Get Your Resume Noticed

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