Am I out of touch when it comes to resumes and interview skills?

[Exterous]

So I'm involved in the hiring process for our Technical Lead position and its been an interesting experience. Its been quite a few years since I've been on this side of the table and I've only applied for 1 job (my current one) in the last 6 years or so.

I get that one page resumes don't make sense all the time but 7 page resumes? If it was just one - whatever. But we've gotten a decent number of 5 to 7 page resumes. I'm not really sure why your 6 month cashier experience at McDonalds in 1995 is important to this process. I'm also not sold on the "Interests and Hobbies" section people seem to be putting in these days. You like pottery and sailing. Cool? But maybe its a way to start a rapport if you happen to have the same interests as me?

Interview skills are...interesting.
When the topic of why this person applied came up: "Oh my friend told me I should apply for the job." Well - thats an interesting thing to say. One candidate came in in jeans and a button down shirt that was too tight so when he leaned back we could see his hairy stomach

Its doesn't seem to be generational either. So am I just out of touch and these sorts of things are becoming more common (at least for IT positions)? Or is this an eccentric bunch of applicants?

 

[highland145]

his hairy stomach

Check for lint balls? Maybe he's trolling you with his really clean navel.

 

[KB]

I guess I am too. I still expect a two page resume and people to wear suits or at least a polo.
I like reading the interest and hobbies section because it gives me something to talk about with them during downtime and to determine their communications skills. People often relax and talk fluidly about their passion, but being hammered with questions will limit their speech.

 

[mikeymikec]

To suggest that I'm out of touch with my interview skills suggests that I ever had any.

 

[shortylickens]

I dont have any clue to behave at an interview. No matter how I act they always seem to dislike me. But that has been less of an issue since I got a fuckin record now and nobody ever calls back.
Also, no matter how many times I do a resume over again, its always wrong. Nobody in the Industry can seem to agree on what qualifies as a good resume. Getting frustrated.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

I'm under 30 so in the young generation but I live by old school rules for interviews.

1. Wear a suit. Make sure it's a modern one, and not an outdated one that is pleated or something. Wear a tie.
2. Arrive ATLEAST 15 minutes early and practice your speeches in the parking lot.
3. Comb your resume CONSTANTLY. Yes, eliminate bullshi t that doesn't apply anymore. Yes, you can make it 2 pages but anymore is pushing it.
4. Fucking shower, shave etc the morning of. You want to look your best and stand out amongst the rest of the scrubs.

I would also advocate for having people personally review your resume - either people on a forum or a lot of universities will have alumni support that will do it as well.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Unless the company being applied for has less than, say, 500 workers then the main method of applying is through a portal. Without knowing the exact number phrases and keywords to put into the online form whatever you attached will simply be discarded. In fact, the last two hiring roles I had within the same employer the hiring manager had to go to HR to get my resume, and application, out of the electronic trash and then hire me. It wasn't if I knew how to do something specific--and in that had a ton of experience in doing that one widget--it was that I could be trained, quickly, and put into production fast and produce really good results. Unfortunately, in today's world it continues to be a case of who you know and not what you know. This is great if you know 'that person' but if you don't then without the paper tiger resume you are worth less than worthless.

BTW, I found it all but silly performing technical interviews on candidates that had that f-ing paper tiger of a resume but couldn't tie their own shoes let alone know how to do anything on in my world. It only forwards the IF ITS ON PAPER IT HAS TO BE TRUE.

 

[PricklyPete]

I just interviewed/got a new job as VP of Development. I wore a suit. I had a two page resume.

When I interviewed for my first internship position 20 years ago...I wore a suit, I had a one page resume and a website (purely to show ambition).

It’s a numbers game and you are much more likely to be discounted for dressing down than you are for dressing up. People are just being dumb to think otherwise.

Now that I’m in the job, I get to wear whatever the fvck I want.

 

[Ns1]

7 pages? fuck that.

having said that, I intereviewed someone with a 3 page resume yesterday. I had written it off when I read the resume like "WTF", but she killed the interview and we extended that person an offer.

Also, no matter how many times I do a resume over again, its always wrong. Nobody in the Industry can seem to agree on what qualifies as a good resume. Getting frustrated.

Pardon the obvious, are you tailoring your resume to each position?

I'm also not sold on the "Interests and Hobbies" section people seem to be putting in these days. You like pottery and sailing. Cool? But maybe its a way to start a rapport if you happen to have the same interests as me?

Yes, it's to either spark up conversation or to show that you're not a soulless machine.

 

[highland145]

I just interviewed/got a new job as VP of Development. I wore a suit. I had a two page resume.

When I interviewed for my first internship position 20 years ago...I wore a suit, I had a one page resume and a website (purely to show ambition).

It’s a numbers game and you are much more likely to be discounted for dressing down than you are for dressing up. People are just being dumb to think otherwise.

Now that I’m in the job, I get to wear whatever the fvck I want.

assless chaps?

 

[Mai72]

So I'm involved in the hiring process for our Technical Lead position and its been an interesting experience. Its been quite a few years since I've been on this side of the table and I've only applied for 1 job (my current one) in the last 6 years or so.

I get that one page resumes don't make sense all the time but 7 page resumes? If it was just one - whatever. But we've gotten a decent number of 5 to 7 page resumes. I'm not really sure why your 6 month cashier experience at McDonalds in 1995 is important to this process. I'm also not sold on the "Interests and Hobbies" section people seem to be putting in these days. You like pottery and sailing. Cool? But maybe its a way to start a rapport if you happen to have the same interests as me?

Interview skills are...interesting.
When the topic of why this person applied came up: "Oh my friend told me I should apply for the job." Well - thats an interesting thing to say. One candidate came in in jeans and a button down shirt that was too tight so when he leaned back we could see his hairy stomach

Its doesn't seem to be generational either. So am I just out of touch and these sorts of things are becoming more common (at least for IT positions)? Or is this an eccentric bunch of applicants?

Seven pages!!

No one ain't got time for that nonsense.

 

[Ken g6]

Good available workers are hard to come by these days. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/05/there-are-more-jobs-than-people-out-of-work.html

 

[PricklyPete]

assless chaps?

Only when I’m dressing up.

 

[highland145]

Only when I’m dressing up.

giggity

 

[shortylickens]

assless chaps?

ALL CHAPS ARE ASSLESS!

 

[highland145]

ALL CHAPS ARE ASSLESS!

An expert, we have.

 

[Zeze]

I interviewed for a job in Jersey City - super beautiful skyline view on the 26th floor with WTC & Statue of Liberty all around the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The hiring boss said I was the best candidate. I was nothing special. I practiced for interviews, prepared a nice 2 pager resume, and wore a full suit with a tie (I mean when else would you wear this?).

I mean isn't above ALL basic? I've been doing this all my professional life from 19 years old.

The boss hired me and said prior candidates didn't even wear suits (WTF) for a $150K/yr job.

 

[clamum]

I interviewed for a job in Jersey City - super beautiful skyline view on the 26th floor with WTC & Statue of Liberty all around the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The hiring boss said I was the best candidate. I was nothing special. I practiced for interviews, prepared a nice 2 pager resume, and wore a full suit with a tie (I mean when else would you wear this?).

I mean isn't above ALL basic? I've been doing this all my professional life from 19 years old.

The boss hired me and said prior candidates didn't even wear suits (WTF) for a $150K/yr job.

Nice job! Yeah I think there's just a lot of stupid fucking people out there and we sometimes forget that.

 

[madoka]

I dont have any clue to behave at an interview. No matter how I act they always seem to dislike me. But that has been less of an issue since I got a fuckin record now and nobody ever calls back.
Also, no matter how many times I do a resume over again, its always wrong. Nobody in the Industry can seem to agree on what qualifies as a good resume. Getting frustrated.

I made myself essentially unemployable to most employers in my field of expertise given my work history. So instead of banging my head against a wall, I changed my focus and looked for alternative employment. Have you considered monetizing a hobby or interest that you have?

For example, I more recently got into trading cards. So I learned how to make money in that hobby by buying and selling online. Hell, you can make money just by offering to run card drafts where you essentially get paid to open packs of cards that people prepay for and mailing it out to them. You're just converting your time into money, which is what a traditional job does.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

I made myself essentially unemployable to most employers in my field of expertise given my work history. So instead of banging my head against a wall, I changed my focus and looked for alternative employment. Have you considered monetizing a hobby or interest that you have?

For example, I more recently got into trading cards. So I learned how to make money in that hobby by buying and selling online. Hell, you can make money just by offering to run card drafts where you essentially get paid to open packs of cards that people prepay for and mailing it out to them. You're just converting your time into money, which is what a traditional job does.

Reported to the IRS!11one!

 

[ultimatebob]

I interviewed for a job in Jersey City - super beautiful skyline view on the 26th floor with WTC & Statue of Liberty all around the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The hiring boss said I was the best candidate. I was nothing special. I practiced for interviews, prepared a nice 2 pager resume, and wore a full suit with a tie (I mean when else would you wear this?).

I mean isn't above ALL basic? I've been doing this all my professional life from 19 years old.

The boss hired me and said prior candidates didn't even wear suits (WTF) for a $150K/yr job.

$150K a year? Not bad. You can buy a lot of weird cryptocurrencies with that kind of cash

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

$150K a year? Not bad. You can buy a lot of weird cryptocurrencies with that kind of cash

Heh, Not when you're living in NY/NJ. Your $150k is $50k where I live

 

[ultimatebob]

Heh, Not when you're living in NY/NJ. Your $150k is $50k where I live

Hah... coastal Connecticut's cost of living and tax rates are just as bad as most areas in New York or New Jersey. Trust me... this is coming from someone who used to live in Westchester and the Silicon Valley.

That said, living here isn't as expensive as say... San Francisco or downtown Manhattan. Those guys are in their own league of house pricing insanity.

 

[Zeze]

$150K a year? Not bad. You can buy a lot of weird cryptocurrencies with that kind of cash

With travel to UK (their pre-merger company HQ) and Bermuda (HQ). Too bad I honestly couldn't last. Thankfully, I got a similar job where I'm much happier and get paid just $10K less. And I get to WFH and take afternoons all day doing nothing (because I did them all satisfactorily).

 

[ultimatebob]

With travel to UK (their pre-merger company HQ) and Bermuda (HQ).

Ok, now THAT sounds like it could be potentially fun. That said, I've worked at some companies that tried working me to death while I was on business trips. It's kinda hard to have any fun when they expect you to generate 50 billable hours a week... and travel time doesn't count towards that.