Resume: How far should you go with originality?
31 July 2008
Read by 1574 persons
If you are tempted by the adventure of an original resume, first check that this attempt is not inappropriate for your profession. If your professional field is very traditional, it may not be worth taking the risk. On the other hand, creative fields (advertising, communication, etc.) will be more receptive to a candidate who shows imagination.
If you want to give yourself every chance of getting good results, creating an original resume will not exempt you from creating a classic resume, especially if you intend to respond to classified ads. In general, this recruitment method does not accommodate fantasy well.
Test the original resume with a first set of employers. Wait for their reactions. In general, only send this model to a company if you are sure that it is able to receive it well.
If you choose the originality card, know that the content must follow. We will be much more demanding of you on the content of your resume if its presentation is out of the ordinary. The spotlight is on you, you must not disappoint...
Here are some examples of original resumes with their advantages... and disadvantages:
The "business card" resume
Reserved for those who have a very high level of synthesis. It is true that it is faster to read. The drawback is to manage to fit all the information without creating an impression of overload. This form of presentation is, in fact, ideal for beginners who do not yet have much experience.
The "business card" resume is also perfect for being distributed massively, from hand to hand, at a trade show for example: it is easier to store (since it can easily slip into a pocket)... but also much easier to lose and forget. Not only will it be placed in an unusual place for such a document, but it is also very likely not to survive a change of jacket of its recipient.
The video resume
Exclusively reserved for professions in audiovisual and cinema. And even then... it is not certain that the recruiter's office is equipped with the material to play your video, and they will certainly not make the effort to take it home to watch it. Then, this action takes more time than reading a standard resume.
It is difficult to reconcile this with one of the golden rules of the resume: its reading should never require any effort from the recruiter.
Everything must be perfect: neither too short (so much energy spent for five seconds!), nor too long (beyond a minute, the recruiter's attention is likely to be diverted). It is also difficult to imagine a scenario that "holds up": neither too neutral (the fact of planting yourself in front of a fixed camera to talk about yourself is not very interesting) nor too original.
The audio resume
Same drawbacks as for the video resume. In addition, remember that the recruiter may, at any time, be disturbed by the ringing of the telephone or the intrusion of a third party into their office. While it is easy to resume reading, it is much less easy to resume listening to a sound document.
The cardboard resume
It is much more difficult to fold, with all the risks involved in such an operation.
The giant resume
Okay, it's hard not to notice it... but it's just as hard to read, store and file (not to mention the sending itself).
The fax resume
Very fashionable once upon a time, it is less and less so. Several arguments were in favor of the fax: it looked modern, cost less and arrived faster than a postal delivery... not to mention that the resume had a priori more chances of landing directly on the recruiter's desk. But for some years now, email has supplanted the fax: it has all the advantages of the fax without the disadvantages.
A fax is very likely to disturb the recruiter in the middle of a meeting or an important conversation. Let's bet that in the best case, the recipient will not pay the slightest attention to it. Consider, on the other hand, that the paper used by faxes is often of poor quality, that it rolls, creases and tears...
The resume on computer media
The risks are the same as for audio and video resumes: it takes time and effort (turning on the computer, inserting the media, reading it, etc.). With the advent of email, you are likely to appear outdated.
The resume on answering machine
Even in a short form, to be avoided absolutely. Okay, when they arrive at their office or return from lunch, your contact will listen to their messages and will be obliged to hear yours. But will they have the time (and the desire!) to listen to it to the end without going directly to the next message? This is a gratuitous and unnecessary aggression. They will then have no trace of your passage: re-listening to certain information would require too much effort.
The resume in the form of a mini-book or comic strip
To be used sparingly if your profession does not involve the press, advertising, publishing, etc. It is clear that such a document is much more pleasant and entertaining to read. It is also much longer (without having written a Goncourt prize, know that two or four pages are already enough to considerably lengthen the process). So don't forget the famous "30-second rule" and the fact that you should never create effort for the recruiter...
www.vocatis.fr
If you want to give yourself every chance of getting good results, creating an original resume will not exempt you from creating a classic resume, especially if you intend to respond to classified ads. In general, this recruitment method does not accommodate fantasy well.
Test the original resume with a first set of employers. Wait for their reactions. In general, only send this model to a company if you are sure that it is able to receive it well.
If you choose the originality card, know that the content must follow. We will be much more demanding of you on the content of your resume if its presentation is out of the ordinary. The spotlight is on you, you must not disappoint...
Here are some examples of original resumes with their advantages... and disadvantages:
The "business card" resume
Reserved for those who have a very high level of synthesis. It is true that it is faster to read. The drawback is to manage to fit all the information without creating an impression of overload. This form of presentation is, in fact, ideal for beginners who do not yet have much experience.
The "business card" resume is also perfect for being distributed massively, from hand to hand, at a trade show for example: it is easier to store (since it can easily slip into a pocket)... but also much easier to lose and forget. Not only will it be placed in an unusual place for such a document, but it is also very likely not to survive a change of jacket of its recipient.
The video resume
Exclusively reserved for professions in audiovisual and cinema. And even then... it is not certain that the recruiter's office is equipped with the material to play your video, and they will certainly not make the effort to take it home to watch it. Then, this action takes more time than reading a standard resume.
It is difficult to reconcile this with one of the golden rules of the resume: its reading should never require any effort from the recruiter.
Everything must be perfect: neither too short (so much energy spent for five seconds!), nor too long (beyond a minute, the recruiter's attention is likely to be diverted). It is also difficult to imagine a scenario that "holds up": neither too neutral (the fact of planting yourself in front of a fixed camera to talk about yourself is not very interesting) nor too original.
The audio resume
Same drawbacks as for the video resume. In addition, remember that the recruiter may, at any time, be disturbed by the ringing of the telephone or the intrusion of a third party into their office. While it is easy to resume reading, it is much less easy to resume listening to a sound document.
The cardboard resume
It is much more difficult to fold, with all the risks involved in such an operation.
The giant resume
Okay, it's hard not to notice it... but it's just as hard to read, store and file (not to mention the sending itself).
The fax resume
Very fashionable once upon a time, it is less and less so. Several arguments were in favor of the fax: it looked modern, cost less and arrived faster than a postal delivery... not to mention that the resume had a priori more chances of landing directly on the recruiter's desk. But for some years now, email has supplanted the fax: it has all the advantages of the fax without the disadvantages.
A fax is very likely to disturb the recruiter in the middle of a meeting or an important conversation. Let's bet that in the best case, the recipient will not pay the slightest attention to it. Consider, on the other hand, that the paper used by faxes is often of poor quality, that it rolls, creases and tears...
The resume on computer media
The risks are the same as for audio and video resumes: it takes time and effort (turning on the computer, inserting the media, reading it, etc.). With the advent of email, you are likely to appear outdated.
The resume on answering machine
Even in a short form, to be avoided absolutely. Okay, when they arrive at their office or return from lunch, your contact will listen to their messages and will be obliged to hear yours. But will they have the time (and the desire!) to listen to it to the end without going directly to the next message? This is a gratuitous and unnecessary aggression. They will then have no trace of your passage: re-listening to certain information would require too much effort.
The resume in the form of a mini-book or comic strip
To be used sparingly if your profession does not involve the press, advertising, publishing, etc. It is clear that such a document is much more pleasant and entertaining to read. It is also much longer (without having written a Goncourt prize, know that two or four pages are already enough to considerably lengthen the process). So don't forget the famous "30-second rule" and the fact that you should never create effort for the recruiter...
www.vocatis.fr
