297. Jan 11, 2011. Resume is important

Jan 11, 2011

I met an old friend who used to have little time for me just to keep in contact. He was extremely hard working and had a lot of contacts. After retirement, he has more job offers and one important interview this Friday. "No need to bring a resume," he said. I advised him to do it as this is the way a corporation management can assess you. My reasons are as follows:

It was great meeting you yesterday and to know you have reduced weight since retirement.

Although your proven performance in your old company and your network is well known to the prospective recommending person in the same field of work as you were in, the general manager and other big shots know little about you and may be apprehensive as to whether you can perform for the new company. The advantage is that you have a proven track record and there is no need to hold your hands or worry about blunders.

A resume with relevant and excellent testimonials is important to carry along during the interview because it helps the general manager to approve financial compensation and benefits to you, without insulting you by under-paying nor over-paying you. A graduate degree is never important as many graduates actually can't perform in the field you are in.

A resume submission is part of hiring administration of a corporation. Resume should include your personal particulars and relevant work experiences (newspaper clippings, letters from bosses, customers, suppliers). Cases done per year and impact on the old organisation will be most relevant and useful. You just need to get your homework done and smoothen the path for your recommending person to hire you. I have young adults and veterinary undergraduate students who don't bother to submit a proper resume and assume that they will get the work attachment and internship based on their excellent academic grades or the fact that they are veterinary students.

The schools seem not to have taught them that excellent grades and in your case (experiences) open the door only to get you the interview. If you go to the interview without a resume, your behaviour implies an arrogance and that the world owes you a living. And since you are not hungry and have sufficient wealth, this may be true actually. If you are not hungry and do not need the income, why go for the interview? Just do nothing at home and smell the hibiscus flowers and let your brain cells deteriorate.

Best wishes.