When I attempted to download the resume I noticed that it's a bit hard to read. That's a definite problem if you plan to send this out to anybody.

@Dave - You're right. Something happened to the file when I wiped out some of the private information that was included. I'll try to upload a cleaner version later today. Thanks so much for checking in with Jobacle!

i'll pass on this one.

All in all this appears to be a fairly good resume. I don't mind the contact information being located at the bottom because I doubt the 1 second it takes to find will be the wall between you and the job of your dreams. You have stated that you want to use a new resume to land more freelance opportunities. In this instance I would move your current freelance duties to the top of page one, along with your technical skills.

LOST IN TRANSLATION
Look beyond old resume-writing techniques; those pigeon-holed resume strategies are the reasons many jobseekers winging it with their self-written resumes are feeling the pinch.

Defending one’s work is never easy, but as I mentioned previously, my job in this world is to "educate, encourage, and guide" whenever I can. My finished resume and PR sheet have been lost in translation, so I’ll explain point-by-point on the reasoning behind why I did what I did.

Minimally, you can still dislike my finished works ... but maybe, just maybe, you’ll walk away from my responses knowing that a resume just *ain’t what it used to be.* ;)

My role when working with any client is to focus on what they want, but also on what they need. I treated Andrew’s project no differently. Plus, Andrew isn’t your typical jobseeker, and I’ll explain more of what I mean below.


PAGE LENGTH

The resume is not 3 pages. The PR sheet (not an intro letter as it was also referred as), which is the first page with the graphic, is intended to be used separately from the resume. So, yes, to someone thinking that first sheet is part of the resume might think it’s odd a graphic is present.

Let me reiterate. The first page is *not* part of the resume.

Since Andrew is targeting Internet 2.0 positions, chances are he’s using the same next-generation technologies to job-search. As I mentioned to Andrew in my submission, "Because of your target, I created a PR sheet that is specific to blogging and podcasting roles. Feel free to swap out the picture or customize the blog/podcast topics accordingly."

Details written in my email were not relayed beyond that point ... I wish they had been.

So, why did I provide a PR sheet separate to the resume? The answer is simple.

The content within the PR sheet can be translated into other channels, such as ...

* Professional/Personal Online Portfolio
* LinkedIn Profile
* Company Website

In short, Andrew will need to get the most mileage out the content from the PR sheet as well as the resume *because* he is targeting Internet 2.0 roles.

I would not have created the PR sheet for a nurse, for example.

How embarrassing would it be for Andrew to present himself as a 2.0 guru, when his resume has been written and laid out using 1.0 strategies?

Those who job-searched 10-15 years ago worried only about catching a hiring manager’s eyes, but now, jobseekers are dealing with those who "skim, not read," combined with dealing with how resume management systems (RMS) have changed the job-search landscape.

A few final words about resume length ...

Although the resume I provided is 2 pages (not 3, as I mentioned =]), I must stress the importance of why page length is no longer an issue for today’s jobseekers. A person can no longer afford to get hung up on page length when it comes to their resumes. The resume needs to be shaped and customized to "fit" each job-search vehicle; if one page is necessary, then yes, one page should do the trick.

In Andrew’s case, he simply had too many positions so a one-page resume would have only been possible if I severely hacked away at his work history. A technique that may have hindered the return from the resume.

Why the heavyweight two-page resume? Well, Andrew is a heavyweight jobseeker!

He’s worked for some kingpin media companies within high-demand roles, so writing basic job descriptions with bland bullet points seems like bad advice to me.


LOCATION OF CONTACT INFO

The top section of any resume is valuable real estate, which is best used for the right purposes in my opinion. Does a person’s contact info market or sell their abilities to the hiring manager? It doesn’t in my opinion. I would prefer taking that valuable position within the resume and using it for better purposes.

Is it perfectly acceptable to place contact info within the top section as well? Absolutely! In fact, I do it all the time.

I opted to place Andrew’s contact info within the bottom section for the above reason, but also because the resume draft included generic contact info to keep Andrew’s identity anonymous. The basic info looked odd within the top section, at least to me, so to the bottom section it went.

Does this mean jobseekers will receive fewer calls if they place contact info within the footer of their resume?

Gosh, this reminds me of a question that many jobseekers asked me 10 years ago. "If I tri-fold my resume and place it in a #10 envelope will I upset hiring managers? When they unfold the contents will they be able to read it?"

All I have to say is OMG! If hiring managers can’t bend that paper back, or in this case, look 8 inches south for Andrew’s contact information, I suspect the company has big problems in their HR department. Hiring managers receive resumes with contact info in one of two places ... in the header or in the footer.

If one doesn’t find it up, one must look down. <wink>


BULLET POINTS/FREELANCE "STUFF"

If you remember, I mentioned resume management systems (RMS) above. Let me explain the functionality of RMS systems and what it all means to the average jobseeker.

Think about your favorite search engine. Now, imagine going out to that search engine and typing a preset search term. The search terms change depending on what you’re looking for on that particular day. We, as the Internet community, focus on keywords to navigate through the World Wide Web.

HR managers do somewhat a similar process. They input a predetermined and sometimes changing set of keywords to locate prime interview candidates based on job openings.

Keywords have become an important part of how jobseekers position themselves for new jobs.

What does all this mean? Well, content within a resume needs to be written heavy. Maybe my content is too heavy, but it’s definitely not meaningless.

I also think your freelance stuff is not highlighted enough. What if Andrew opts to shift jobs, while continuing his freelance endeavors? Will the resume be used for company employment, and possibly, contract roles as well?

In this case, the resume shouldn’t focus too heavily on Andrew’s freelance endeavors because it could position him too much towards only freelancing versus employee roles.


GIVING EDUCATION TOP BILLING

Some believe that education has one spot within a resume ... in the back of it. In some cases, I agree.

But in Andrew’s case, I feel giving his education top billing is the better choice ... and let me explain why within a couple quick points.

First, he holds a degree majoring in Media Studies and Journalism. Very, very important to his job target.

Second, placing his degree within the top section helped provide some whitespace while overshadowing (even if just a tiny bit) some of his short-term employment dates.

If everyone follows the same layout with their resume, how in the world will they stand out?


TOO MUCH TOO READ

That’s the point: no one reads resumes. They skim; they glance. What are they skimming and glancing for? Well, I can guarantee you that they aren’t looking for proper location of the education category.

Readers (once it spits out [soft/hard copy] of the computer and lands upon the eyes of an actual person, of course) are looking for relevance and overall value, hence the reason for visual keywords along with countless references to accomplishments that will catch the person’s eye.

Here are questions to ponder:

What do today’s company owners want in their Online Marketing Directors about to implement or broaden Internet 2.0 strategies? They want (and need, let’s not forget that) returns-on-investments (ROI), of course.

What are they looking for when reading the resume of one such candidate? They seek a track record. So yes, I focused on record of accomplishment and avoided listing Andrew’s birthplace and his favorite color. =]


I DIDN'T WRITE THE RESUME FOR YOU

When speaking with a well-respected colleague some months back, she noted telling a client, "I didn't write the resume just for you." At first, I thought it was a bold statement to say to any client, but after I pondered it for a while, I remember a bulb going off over my head.

She’s exactly right.

Jobseekers need to know that we as resume writers aren’t exclusively writing for them. We’re writing for HR managers, resume management systems, and yes, the jobseeker too.

Do we wish we could write resumes that accommodate everyone? Absolutely! But even jobseekers themselves know it’s an impossible accomplishment. Everyone has opinions ... oftentimes varying opinions, as we’ve seen in the responses to my resume draft and PR sheet.

The only opinion that counts to me is the one with the power to hire. But even then, that’s a shaky foundation for gauging as well. After all, I have written resumes for countless Fortune 500 HR support personnel and executives over my near 10-year history in the business.

They come to me because they struggle with great career marketing material too. But, that’s a topic for another time ...

what a wonderful experiment you have conducted here, andrew. insight into a process and the people behind it. well done. well done.

No dice.

Though I didn't particularly find the format too exciting, I did respect all of the effort, thinking and hard work that Teena put into this submission. So, and while I would not select this as the best resume, I do indeed appreciate her thinking, very much, and would certainly consider using her services in the future!

I find this resume not easily scannable. And yes, i also find 3 pages is a tidbit long, even though the first page is said to be a PR-sheet. The image is a waste of page real-estate, because of it there is also much empty space below it, which could have been put to good use. I personally would have opted for a cover-letter instead of a PR sheet.

Would have swapped education and professional experience though.

If first impression thinking is the truth then this one would not make a good impact on me. Really none of the resumes are that different from the original so I don't know if I would spend the money.

It was too bad Andrew did not mention Teena's focus of a web2.0 focus in his initial write up. As they say - there is only 1 first impression.

I think it identifies a challenge in this resume' off/challenge - who is the audience really determines what the best resume is. That being said - this is the best comparison I have seen and wish I had seen many more with the wide variety of writers out there.

I am looking for a resume writer, and also someone to create a linked in site - my sense is they should be different - as audiences are looking for different answers to different questions. It looks like this is a better example of a linkedIn presentation. Of course, I will need to look deeper to see if she does a 1.0 world solution effectively as well. But if she understands today - I feel there is a better chance she understands yesterday, compared to someone who understands yesterday necessarily understanding today and tomorrow.

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Regards
Hemen parekh
hcp@recruitguru.com
Mumbai - India