Too old?

[Beth Agnew]

The only thing I've ever left off my resume was my prison experience. 
(Working there, not incarcerated, :-).) It was an aberration in an 
otherwise writing-themed resume spanning many years. I have always 
presented the whole shebang. My reasoning is that if you don't want 
someone who is female, or my age, or whatever, you can make that 
decision just looking at my resume and you don't waste my time or yours 
on something that is not going to work out anyway. I certainly do not 
want to work for a company that might have any reservations whatsoever 
about hiring me. Rather a nasty shock for the interviewer if they expect 
someone 30 and someone visibly older walks in.

It has been an effective filter, too. When I was looking for more 
creative/multimedia work I had a resume that sported a cartoon of me, 
and a design that made the resume distinctive. If you didn't like the 
resume, you sure weren't going to like me, so don't even waste time 
considering it. On the other hand, if you were looking for someone who 
did things differently, then when you got my resume you were definitely 
going to pick up the phone and call me. I got some great jobs that way.

When I applied for a job at TSN (The Sports Network), I sent them my 
sports trading card with stats, instead of a resume. Got that job, too.
--Beth

-- 
Beth Agnew
Catch the Buzz: http://bethbuzz.blogspot.com
STC Presentation archived at:
http://www.301url.com/podcasting

Professor, Technical Communication
Seneca College of Applied Arts & Technology
Toronto, ON 416.491.5050 x3133
http://www.tinyurl.com/83u5u