In yesterday’s post, I mentioned receiving a “Thanks for applying, but we have people ten years your senior who will work longer hours for fewer cashmonies so please never call us again” email. Oh alright, they didn’t say that. Not really. Their message was very nice (even written by a human!) but because of my years of rejection-baggage, the message morphed mid-transit somewhere between my eyes and brain, and I translated it how I saw fit. Don’t worry, this is only a defense mechanism to ensure that I don’t have panic attacks and fall into a deep self-loathing depression. I swear, I can read (EVEN COMPREHEND!!) words.
YES REALLY, I CAN!
I know what you’re thinking. Well sure, it’s a pretty safe assumption. Her written sentences and fragments are somewhat cohesive, suggesting an internal communicative process in place to develop generally recognizable strings of words. Clearly she can READ. Was it necessary to announce?
Redundancies, repetition, reiterations… OH MY.
We as a culture strive for brevity and efficiency in so many facets of our lives, choosing to transmit the bare bones details in friendly abbreviated texts, workplace Post-It memos, and internet pulses of 140 characters or less. Part of the reason is to deliver the meat and potatoes of the message without the soup and salad (I may have just botched this analogy). And of course as technology advances, we become more adaptable and find ways to accommodate the movement of information like a pair of elastic-waist pants at Thanksgiving.
Yes, the living, breathing, hungry masses want their information more quickly than can be crafted into an editorial, and God forbid having to wait for next month’s subscription (or even the morning newspaper!) to read about it. Our game is the new media, where clean and concise communications win.
So why does the opposite appear to be true when it comes to resumes and cover letters? If daily spurts of information rely on a “less is more” directive, utilizing unambiguous and effective communicative strategies, then surely the career path requires inefficient ones, like “most is best, but guarantees nothing” like the every day Joe buying drinks for the gorgeous woman at the bar, fully aware that it probably will never happen. Oh, but the smiles, appreciative nods, and hope keep him going… at least until he empties his wallet.
In today’s lackluster job market, basic applications are insufficient and every applicant seeks that additional je ne sais quoi that will help to outmaneuver the competition. One approach lies in creative writing.
When we write… really write… we set the scene, tell the details, add creative flourishes. Resumes and cover letters are very much like short stories, strategically structured to allow the protagonist develop and unfold into a full fledged, complex, and real character before the reader’s eyes. My stories change frequently to fit the profile I seek to fill– not necessarily switching personas, but revealing the most relevant details, similar to the way one’s portrayal of that crazy Vegas weekend might change when recounting to friends, versus parents. In the job search, our stories should be in a constant state of change, never stagnant. I am not one or two dimensional, and neither is my resume.
It seems that the trend nowadays is for fiction to enter the picture, as job seekers embellish and outright lie about their qualifications just to remain marginally competitive. True to the adage, “Fake it till you make it,” top jobs are going to people who best understand how to speak to their audience, regardless of their qualifications. So how do we play? How do we market ourselves without being dishonest? And most importantly, if my honest, autobiographical application meets fewer requirements than someone else’s James Frey-ian, fabricated one, am I selling myself short and contributing to my own career roadblock? Should I just join the fold and submit exaggerated versions as well? If “everybody” does it and I do not, will recruiters just assume that my existing application is already inflated, and that my qualifications are in fact less than described?
When I review my written applications, I sometimes feel the urge to exhort even the most basic facts: “I am responsible! I can manage time! I play nicely with others! I WONT PILFER YOUR LUNCH FROM THE FRIDGE!” In truth, we can all probably name at least five individuals who cannot claim the same. However, as important as these qualities may be, are they now rendered obsolete? Do HR departments see these words so often that they no longer hold any significance?
Clearly I am having a bit of a difficult time refining my story and defining myself. And I will never get it perfectly because the audience shifts every time my application changes hands and I have little control over how I might be interpreted. Some days, the obstacles make me wonder whether this time and precise effort matters, whether my pages are perused at all, or just thrown into a dusty pile of forgotten job pleas.
Nevertheless, I remain hopeful in my pursuits and will write, flourish and develop my character to the best of my ability with the hope that it speaks, as intended, to SOMEBODY.
