[SAGE] Re: Resume inflation

[Dave Close <dave@compata.com>]

Trey Harris wrote:
>This is what I mean by resume inflation--what used to be gilding the lily
>is now required to show you're a serious candidate.  Candidates who refuse
>to play the game and write an honest resume get weeded out of the process
>by non-technical people before anyone does a phone screen.

The other side of the equation is the position descriptions which don't
describe the job honestly. It's a bit like real estate advertising. What
does it really mean when an ad says the company provides a "fast paced"
environment? That they seek a "self-starter". And when an employer asks
for salary details before ever considering a resume, but never provides
any hint of what they might be willing to pay, do they deserve an honest
application?

One I saw recently fit me to a T, except it wanted three years with a
niche software product I've only read about (though I've worked with
similar products and know the concepts). Either they have a candidate
already in mind and the ad is a formality, or they will never find more
than a handful of qualified people. In a case like that, do you think it
is proper to lie on the resume to get in the door? The person who lands
the job is likely to have done just that.
-- 
Dave Close, Compata, Costa Mesa CA  "Politics is the business of getting
dave@compata.com, +1 714 434 7359    power and privilege without
dhclose@alumni.caltech.edu           possessing merit." - P. J. O'Rourke