English 421Y: Technical Writing Online

     The set of suggested readings for this week presented, nay, exposed some truths that many individuals don’t often anticipate in drafting resumes. I, for one, was rather surprised by some of the frank statements I came across. Consider the following by Douglas Richardson of CareerJournal.com: “My job description doesn’t include extending charity to job seekers and resume writers. On the contrary, I find I approach every resume with a certain impatient cynicism.” I almost took offense to this. I understand that he, as a human-resource consultant, has an obligation to filter the resumes, but it sounds as though I am wasting his time by submitting a resume that may be slightly less desirable than others. Still, if read in context, Richardson’s statement should prove to be more advantageous than it is discouraging since it demonstrates how a potential employer might review your resume in the future.
     The majority of what I’ve gathered from this week’s readings relates primarily to the concept of “effectively marketing yourself to spark a potential employer’s interest,” as suggest by Mr. Richardson. There are many helpful tips and tricks outlined in these articles but nothing caught my attention like Douglas Richardson’s analogy that “…your resume is a battleground for a joust. I expect you to brag as effectively as you can while I try to disprove your every claim. If you stay on your horse through the first scan, you get to the second round. Survive all this, and you get to go to the castle and meet the princess.” This truly forms a guideline to live by in designing a resume; that is, do not be modest in writing your abilities and skills but be honest and true, and prepared to defend anything you do include. In the past I’ve always been careful not to appear as though I am bragging in the skills I list in my resume. After reading these articles however, I now realize that I have only been standing in my own way and will need to revise how I define myself on that paper.
     Another interesting perspective to consider, as presented in “A Glimpse and a Hook” is the reading process employer’s execute against a resume. Perhaps ‘skimming process’ would be more fitting. This article suggests that a resume reviewer will take a single pass at any application and immediately decide whether to consider the applicant for further review. Sadly, most resumes don’t see the light of a second pass. The benefit of this article is learning how to properly emphasize your attributes and skills, as well as the physical and logical format of your resume, so as to make it to a second pass and full review. Personally, I found not just parts of the piece to be advantageous, but the majority. It has had a prominent impact on how I will draft future resumes.
     In sum, each of the suggested readings offers various tips and suggestions in drafting your resume, much of the same material that was covered in chapter 8. Where these articles differ is in real world application. These authors were actual resume reviewers, human-resource consultants, and employers. They offered their advice and a look into the process they follow in scanning resumes. All of the advice presented will prove useful, at least to me, in designing my future resumes and in hindsight, I feel as though I’ve acquired a subtle advantage over my competition.