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Subject:Re: Resumes for Technical Communicators From:Herman Holtz <holtz -at- CLARK -dot- NET> Date:Thu, 9 Mar 1995 08:51:31 -0500
On Wed, 8 Mar 1995, USA::MU17692 wrote:
> On March 6, Robert Plamondon wrote:
> far." However, I am quite surprised by the mediocrity of
> so many resumes I receive. These are important documents
> from people who claim to specialize in communicating!
> (And there are some truly *horrible* specimens.)
> Anyway, I thank Robert for being emphatic and detailed in
> his ideas concerning resumes. Too many resumes and the
> people who write them lack passion for their profession.
It is my suspicion that few resume authors understand the purpose of
their resumes. They tend to write mini-biographies, and even detailed,
logical narratives. What they fail to write are sales messages--i.e., to
recognize that the resume must be a sales message to do the job they want
it to do.
Unfortunately, even wen they do consciously set out to create a selling
document, they are setting getting a job as the objective of the resume,
and that is mistake number two: Almost never will a resume produce a
telephone call or letter saying, "You're hired. When can you start?"
What it does produce, when it works, is an invitation to come in for a
chat, called an "interview." THAT--being asked in for interview--is or
ought to be the true objective of a resume.
Certain implications result from recognition of that as a true objective.
One is to hold something back for the interview. You don't want to lead
the reader to believe that the resume tells all; you want te reader to
conclude that he/she needs to learn more, and that is accomplished by a
personal chat. Ergo, the resume ought to have teasers--strong leads--to
pique the reader's interest, with clear suggestions that there is more to
be learned and is worth the effort to learn.
That ism't easy to do, perhaps, but it makes the difference--all the
difference when you are able to bring it off.
* * *
Herman Holtz [holtz -at- clark -dot- net]: Marketing Consultant/Proposal Specialist,
Writing & Ghost Writing Services, 35 years experience. Author of 60+
professional/business books, including best-selling How to Succeed as an
Independent Consultant (Wiley). PO Box 1731, Wheaton, MD 20915. Tel:
301-649-2499. Fax: 301-649-5745.
