Geeky Resumes and More: Know Your Audience

Video resumes.  Retaggr cards.  Portfolios on lovely-labeled DVDs.  LinkedIn.com profiles.  Personal web pages.

What counts as a "resume" today seems to be a collection of items and supplements, all swirling around the actual print (or electronic resume).  Today's resume is an amorphous, complex thing, that's frankly confusing – because there's just so many amazing and cool things we can do.  Let's call them "Resume Materials"

Some of us remember when all you needed was a cover letter and a resume and maybe a portfolio because that was all you could do.  Making a videotape or a Flash presentation and the like just wasn't something people did in their job searched.  Of course what people do now has been empowered by all the technology that . . . well people like us are using.

There's a lot of options for the progeeks out there to go beyond a simple resume and into a crazy world of amazing resume materials..  However, there's an important question to ask before you burn the DVDs, make the video interview, and soforth.

That question is . . . does it actually do any good?

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Epic Resume Go! Part 5! Tie-Ins!

"Wait", you think, "didn't I just do my resume?  Isn't that what all of this is about?"  Another section?

Well, if a resume is a story, it's made even better by supplemental material.  Like movie photobooks, sequels, short stories – additional elements help flesh your resume out.

Things that help you "tell your story" include:
Cover Letters – These are an art in themselves (perhaps one I should cover sometime). Cover letters help tell your story as well – I think of them as "previews" of your resume.

Websites – Having a professional/personal website helps tell your story as well.  Of course you want to have your website fit your theme and focus.

Social Media – Twitter, Facebook, etc. all are great ways to show who you are.  They're also ways to embarrass the hell out of yourself, so use them cautiously.

Portfolios – Portfolios can be online or offline (or both), and range from simple prints to clever things like DVDs with video examples.  A good portfolio, delivered in the proper manner, can really make an impression.

What else can you use to tell your story?

– Steven Savage

Epic Resume Go! Part 4! Tell Your Tale!

I've covered the idea that your resume tells a story.  I've looked at the kind of stories you'll tell (general, job, and career).  I've looked at the parts of the resume and how they tell your tale to a recruiter or potential client.

So how do you fill all this in?

It's actually pretty simple.  It's a matter of going through your history and telling your tale.

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