By: Norris Lewis

Norris Lewis — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 22:01:12 +0000

Not that I'm "retired" it's easier for me to espouse this viewpoint, but I think that there's important truth in it... "The resume is what you submit AFTER you've secured the job!!!" I'll never forget my boss saying this to me many years ago when I was employed in Human Resources. At the time it struck me as very curious statement for a Human Resource professional to make. Because standard wisdom and practice is that you submit a well constructed and written resume to a potential employer as a means of obtaining employment. But I believe in the actual world of work this kind of thinking is deeply flawed. When I was employed in Human Resources we used to joke that you put the resumes from the B.A.'s on the bottom of the pile, the M.A.'s resumes on top of them, the Ph.d's resumes on the very top of the pile, you pushed the pile over and then you picked one. As with most humor there's a grain of truth there... Human Resource departments exist to screen people out, not to take them in. With the sheer numbers of people applying for positions with organizations there has to be to some sort of "winnowing" process. I believe that a person seeking employment should first ask themselves, "Do I want to be part of the chaff, or do I want be part of the wheat???" What I'm suggesting is that a person understand that they have a limited amount of energy, resources and time. They must decide how these things are best utilized. I believe that submitting unsolicited resumes whether they be paper resumes, online resumes or video resumes is akin to submitting unsolicited manuscripts to publishers. You simply end up being able to paper your walls with rejection slips. Why would you choose to squander your energies, material resources and time "throwing" important information about yourself at individuals and organizations without knowing whether or not they would SERIOUSLY consider you for employment??? The best way of obtaining employment, that I know, is to talk to the individual who has the power to hire you. If you can not do this first before submittng a resume, do not waste your time. Just as "a picture is worth a thousand words," a good network is worth a thousand resumes. In the world of work just as in many areas of life it's "who you know not what you do..." Last but not least... For people of color, many recent immigrants, middle-age and senior employment seekers and individuals with disabilities and special needs. Employment discrimination is alive and well!!! Be very, very careful about the personal and self referential information that you provide before interviewing with the person who has the power to hire you and/or receiving an offer of employment. GOOD CAREER PREPERATION!!!

Comments on: From Resume To Resume Video – In A Few Short Years !

By: Norris Lewis