The folks at CareerBliss.com chuckle at the misfires they’ve seen. Heidi Golledge reports that when the company listed openings for java server architects, many applicants were misfits. She picked up the phone to do some detective work.
One man, inspired by his imagination, explained his rationale to her. “He said he had years of experience serving coffee at Denny’s,” she reports, “so he’d consider himself a java server architect.”
Zach Roth tells the story of a woman dressed to the nines in a red velour suit. She arrived at her interview for an office assistant job, for which she hoped to earn $23,000. The suit was a standout, but she wasn’t.
Roth also remembers one particular resume from a software engineering candidate. It listed his interests – sailing, karate and the cello – all of which the company dismissed as irrelevant.
It also contained a photo of man’s best friend and his owner. The hiring manager and corporate recruiter laughed and tossed the resume. The director of recruiting commented, “I don’t need to see your Facebook on your resume.”
If you’re thinking of doing something clever, survey a few friends to see what they think. Inconclusive? Pretend your audience contains a family member.
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