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A CIO's Voice
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Thursday, June 4, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
I Was A Gamer At Heart Until I Grew Up
I spent time with my 6-year old nephew last weekend. He really is into his Wii and all things Wii.
I started to reminisce about when I was around his age. There were two major events that stood out in my life at that time. The first was watching Star Wars for the first time on the big screen and the second was getting our first video game console. My father initiated both events. What else are dads suppose to do but expose their kids to events that are life changing? Thanks dad.
My father was an avionics engineer for the US Army. Our house was always filled with wires and circuits. I remember at an early age of having a basic understanding of circuitry and electronics. My dad was a tech guy at heart. He was always tinkering and building some electric contraption in our house much to my mother’s dismay.
I was around 7 when my father exposed my brother and me to video games. There was a local pizzeria that had those big arcade games that you could play for twenty five cents. He inserted a quarter for us and the screen and sounds came alive. My brother and I were amazed and entranced. We were hooked. Going out for pizza became a routine for us. Not for the pizza but for the thrill of playing Space Invaders.
Shortly thereafter, my father brought home our first game console from Radio Shack. I remembered it was big and had only three options for games (hockey, tennis, and ping pong) all of which looked alike. There were only two directions you could move-either up or down. My brother and I played for hours. We were masters of the monochrome lines and pixel square balls.
One Christmas we got an Atari 2600. It was light years from our previous beige game console. Graphics were better, sound was better, and we were able to move in more than one direction. My brother and I again became master of all things Atari – Pac Man, Defender, Missile Command. We were unstoppable. We played for hours and often got yelled at by mom an ddad for spending too much time. Parents didn’t understand that you were not someone until you cleared a level and you were god if you finished the game. It was all about school yard bragging rights.
Then we got a Genesis console. This time I was older and started to discover girls. You really cannot meet a girl sitting in front of a video game. And most girls were not into video games. None-the-less I played, simply to get the upper hand on my brother and continue our sibling rivalry. Who was better? That answer is different depending on who you speak to. Since this is my blog - I was the better gamer. :)
In high school I was not too much into games. My pursuits were more of the female kind. But in the back of my mind I often heard the call of the video game.
As I got older and started working, I decided to revisit the console to see if the same mystic was there. My how technology has changed? I purchased a Dreamcast, Playstation, Playstation 2, and Xbox over the years. The graphics were realistic but the games were more difficult. Worlds where you could move in any direction. Online gaming where you are playing with people on the other side of the planet. I had to spend days to figure how to play. I didn’t have this kind of time anymore. I had to work to pay my mortgage.
The excitement was not there as it first was all those years ago. Had I become jaded or just gotten old? So I put away my game consoles. 30 years of playing video games. Of saving the planet from invading aliens, vanquishing zombie armies, and blasting asteroids in deep space. I was a veteran of the game console, a joystick jockey. I now leave the fighting to the younger generation. I am now a veteran who spins tales of battles past and how the younger generation has it too easy. A generation that has never heard of Atari 2600, Pac Man, Defender or know the thrills of seeing a monochrome stick move across the screen.
P.S. On nights when my wife is not home, I sometimes pull out my console from the closet and plug it in. I come out of retirement to relive the days gone by – the glory days of when I was a gamer. ;)
I started to reminisce about when I was around his age. There were two major events that stood out in my life at that time. The first was watching Star Wars for the first time on the big screen and the second was getting our first video game console. My father initiated both events. What else are dads suppose to do but expose their kids to events that are life changing? Thanks dad.
My father was an avionics engineer for the US Army. Our house was always filled with wires and circuits. I remember at an early age of having a basic understanding of circuitry and electronics. My dad was a tech guy at heart. He was always tinkering and building some electric contraption in our house much to my mother’s dismay.
I was around 7 when my father exposed my brother and me to video games. There was a local pizzeria that had those big arcade games that you could play for twenty five cents. He inserted a quarter for us and the screen and sounds came alive. My brother and I were amazed and entranced. We were hooked. Going out for pizza became a routine for us. Not for the pizza but for the thrill of playing Space Invaders.
Shortly thereafter, my father brought home our first game console from Radio Shack. I remembered it was big and had only three options for games (hockey, tennis, and ping pong) all of which looked alike. There were only two directions you could move-either up or down. My brother and I played for hours. We were masters of the monochrome lines and pixel square balls.
One Christmas we got an Atari 2600. It was light years from our previous beige game console. Graphics were better, sound was better, and we were able to move in more than one direction. My brother and I again became master of all things Atari – Pac Man, Defender, Missile Command. We were unstoppable. We played for hours and often got yelled at by mom an ddad for spending too much time. Parents didn’t understand that you were not someone until you cleared a level and you were god if you finished the game. It was all about school yard bragging rights.
Then we got a Genesis console. This time I was older and started to discover girls. You really cannot meet a girl sitting in front of a video game. And most girls were not into video games. None-the-less I played, simply to get the upper hand on my brother and continue our sibling rivalry. Who was better? That answer is different depending on who you speak to. Since this is my blog - I was the better gamer. :)
In high school I was not too much into games. My pursuits were more of the female kind. But in the back of my mind I often heard the call of the video game.
As I got older and started working, I decided to revisit the console to see if the same mystic was there. My how technology has changed? I purchased a Dreamcast, Playstation, Playstation 2, and Xbox over the years. The graphics were realistic but the games were more difficult. Worlds where you could move in any direction. Online gaming where you are playing with people on the other side of the planet. I had to spend days to figure how to play. I didn’t have this kind of time anymore. I had to work to pay my mortgage.
The excitement was not there as it first was all those years ago. Had I become jaded or just gotten old? So I put away my game consoles. 30 years of playing video games. Of saving the planet from invading aliens, vanquishing zombie armies, and blasting asteroids in deep space. I was a veteran of the game console, a joystick jockey. I now leave the fighting to the younger generation. I am now a veteran who spins tales of battles past and how the younger generation has it too easy. A generation that has never heard of Atari 2600, Pac Man, Defender or know the thrills of seeing a monochrome stick move across the screen.
P.S. On nights when my wife is not home, I sometimes pull out my console from the closet and plug it in. I come out of retirement to relive the days gone by – the glory days of when I was a gamer. ;)
Saturday, May 30, 2009
AOL and Time Warner Split – FINALLY!
I was never a big fan of this merger back in 2001. It just didn’t seem right. You didn’t need to be a M&A expert to know this would not have worked.
I have been an AOL subscriber since 1990. I remember using AOL v1 over dial up. The glory days of chat rooms and email. When you would get diskettes in the mail for an upgrade. AOL has been good to me.
This week, Time Warner Inc. said that it will finally split off AOL, fully unwinding the disastrous 2001 deal that joined both powerhouses.
My how times have changed. For those of us in tech we knew this would not have been a good marriage.
That was then and this is now. What is ahead for Tim Armstrong, former Google exec, and the man that must helm the ship. Well he will have to rebuild the AOL brand. Rebuild a company that has suffered from staff turnover, internal squabbling, a major decline in subscribers, and a decline in ad sales. And he has to face the juggernaut that is Google and new kids on the block like Bing and Twitter.
The task ahead will not be easy. Only time will tell if AOL will survive in the coming years.
I have been an AOL subscriber since 1990. I remember using AOL v1 over dial up. The glory days of chat rooms and email. When you would get diskettes in the mail for an upgrade. AOL has been good to me.
This week, Time Warner Inc. said that it will finally split off AOL, fully unwinding the disastrous 2001 deal that joined both powerhouses.
My how times have changed. For those of us in tech we knew this would not have been a good marriage.
That was then and this is now. What is ahead for Tim Armstrong, former Google exec, and the man that must helm the ship. Well he will have to rebuild the AOL brand. Rebuild a company that has suffered from staff turnover, internal squabbling, a major decline in subscribers, and a decline in ad sales. And he has to face the juggernaut that is Google and new kids on the block like Bing and Twitter.
The task ahead will not be easy. Only time will tell if AOL will survive in the coming years.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Bing Is Coming. Are You Excited?
When I first heard the name I thought it was referring to Stanley Bing in Fortune magazine. I like his writings and want more. But no….
It is Microsoft’s new search tool (http://www.Bing.com). This new service will be rolled out worldwide by June 3, 2009. This is Microsoft’s challenge to Google’s dominance.
According to Microsoft Bing is a new search experience and consumer brand, outlining a new approach to helping customers use search to make better decisions.
This “Decision Engine” approach focuses initially on four key user tasks and related areas: making a purchase, planning a trip, researching a health condition or finding a local business. How about finding a job? I am all in for that. Maybe a developer could sneak that in for the unemployed. That function might be a big hit.
Like all things Microsoft, the surface is shiny and full of eye candy to suck us in. Microsoft is great at appealing to our basic human senses but fails to engage us long-term. I will leave what is behind the curtain for others to judge.
I will try Bing when it is released next week to see if it really is the Google Killer or will it be the next Vista destined to be a monumental failure. Only time will tell.
Good luck Microsoft. We will be watching
It is Microsoft’s new search tool (http://www.Bing.com). This new service will be rolled out worldwide by June 3, 2009. This is Microsoft’s challenge to Google’s dominance.
According to Microsoft Bing is a new search experience and consumer brand, outlining a new approach to helping customers use search to make better decisions.
This “Decision Engine” approach focuses initially on four key user tasks and related areas: making a purchase, planning a trip, researching a health condition or finding a local business. How about finding a job? I am all in for that. Maybe a developer could sneak that in for the unemployed. That function might be a big hit.
Like all things Microsoft, the surface is shiny and full of eye candy to suck us in. Microsoft is great at appealing to our basic human senses but fails to engage us long-term. I will leave what is behind the curtain for others to judge.
I will try Bing when it is released next week to see if it really is the Google Killer or will it be the next Vista destined to be a monumental failure. Only time will tell.
Good luck Microsoft. We will be watching
Into The Cloud – An Executive Summary
Cloud computing is the latest buzzword bandied about the web these days and often attributed to different things. The simplest answer is this technology uses scalable and virtualized resources over the Internet. The functions and usability is generated from within the Internet or “cloud” (which is the symbol used to represent the Internet on network diagrams).
Applications like SAP and Oracle have always been too expensive and complicated to maintain. They require datacenter space, power, cooling, bandwidth, networks, massive amounts of storage, and a team of professionals to install, configure, and run them. All of which costs money.
Cloud computing allows your business to run your applications in a shared data center. This costs less because you do not need to pay for the all the people, products, and facilities to run them. In addition, applications are more scalable, more secure, and more reliable. When you run applications in a cloud, you do not buy anything. It is rolled up into a predictable monthly subscription. You pay for what you use.
There are positives and negatives to cloud computing. All of which will need to be weighed before an organization engages in cloud computing. I will discuss some of these points in future postings.
Applications like SAP and Oracle have always been too expensive and complicated to maintain. They require datacenter space, power, cooling, bandwidth, networks, massive amounts of storage, and a team of professionals to install, configure, and run them. All of which costs money.
Cloud computing allows your business to run your applications in a shared data center. This costs less because you do not need to pay for the all the people, products, and facilities to run them. In addition, applications are more scalable, more secure, and more reliable. When you run applications in a cloud, you do not buy anything. It is rolled up into a predictable monthly subscription. You pay for what you use.
There are positives and negatives to cloud computing. All of which will need to be weighed before an organization engages in cloud computing. I will discuss some of these points in future postings.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Did You Hulu Today?
Okay. I am not a big fan of watching movies on my computer. I get tired of sitting in my chair in my office. And my kitchen is downstairs. So a quick jaunt for popcorn or a cold beer becomes a journey. Also I have a great sound system on my TV. So even though I have an iMac the sound will never compare.
On occasion and when I am killing time I do like to watch a quick clip of my favorite episode of Family Guy.
Hulu allows you to watch television when you want it and where you want it for free. I am not just talking clips but full-length episodes. And you can fast forward, pause, etc. And the quality is great.
I am not sure what there business model is or how they plan to make money. But that is not my concern once I get my favorite episodes of Family Guy.
On occasion and when I am killing time I do like to watch a quick clip of my favorite episode of Family Guy.
Hulu allows you to watch television when you want it and where you want it for free. I am not just talking clips but full-length episodes. And you can fast forward, pause, etc. And the quality is great.
I am not sure what there business model is or how they plan to make money. But that is not my concern once I get my favorite episodes of Family Guy.
10 Biggest Tech Failures of the Decade
Time Magazine recently published what it judges to be the 10 biggest tech failures of the decade . The article mentions several of the industry’s best-known names lost significant market share and competitive edges as a result of launching products that turned out to be duds. As IT executives we are very familiar with these products.
Microsoft Vista
Gateway
HD DVD
Vonage
YouTube
Sirius XM
Microsoft Zune
Palm
Iridium
Segway
Microsoft Vista
Gateway
HD DVD
Vonage
YouTube
Sirius XM
Microsoft Zune
Palm
Iridium
Segway
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
WSJ Article - The New Résumé: Dumb and Dumber
There is a great article in the Wall Street Journal today about resumes and how job hunters are dumbing them down to get interviews. It is sad, but the current state of affairs in the search for jobs.
The New Résumé: Dumb and Dumber
The New Résumé: Dumb and Dumber
Résumés – Are You Lost? Here Are Some Clues
As a follow up to my post “Resumes-Are You Lost?” I received some great comments. When I wrote the post it was more of a humorous look at resumes and the confusion around them.
Being confused about resume is part of looking for a job. There is no magic bullet when it comes to resume writing.
Chris Osborn wrote the following:
Does the advice help tell your story? For instance, does the advice relate to something significant in your background or qualifications that might help market you for the sort of role you seek? If the answer is “yes”, then I suggest following the advice. If the advice is more about format or the style of the resume, I suggest polite listening, and then take only the advice that makes intuitive sense to YOU.
It is your resume, so you need to own it. After all, you are the person who has to deliver the goods in an interview or networking meeting.
So – my advice (and take only what you want!) is to:
1. Tell your story. Make sure the resume makes the statement you want to make about your qualifications for the targeted opportunity.
2. Make sure your resume shows how and what sort of value you can add in your next role.
3. Use the stories you would most want to tell during an interview as guides for accomplishments.
Lui Sieh wrote the following:
The lesson(s) is that “our story” is complicated and so we’ll need to have different versions of it. I frequently had 2-3 resumes depending on the audience and my target role. For headhunters, it’s about the “key words” – because that’s how the HR system works. For personal networking with potential hiring managers, it was more about the experience and the story should fit more to how they would like to know/read about your story. Sometimes, I had to ‘dumb down’ my resume as well – just to get in the door.
To summarize...Resumes are about your “Brand”. Focus on what your strengths are and try to create a story about yourself. With this approach, your accomplishments, capabilities, and talents yield a resume that is very focused and direct. In today’s job market, that is extremely important because of the exact and specific requirements of the jobs available.
Good luck...
Being confused about resume is part of looking for a job. There is no magic bullet when it comes to resume writing.
Chris Osborn wrote the following:
Does the advice help tell your story? For instance, does the advice relate to something significant in your background or qualifications that might help market you for the sort of role you seek? If the answer is “yes”, then I suggest following the advice. If the advice is more about format or the style of the resume, I suggest polite listening, and then take only the advice that makes intuitive sense to YOU.
It is your resume, so you need to own it. After all, you are the person who has to deliver the goods in an interview or networking meeting.
So – my advice (and take only what you want!) is to:
1. Tell your story. Make sure the resume makes the statement you want to make about your qualifications for the targeted opportunity.
2. Make sure your resume shows how and what sort of value you can add in your next role.
3. Use the stories you would most want to tell during an interview as guides for accomplishments.
Lui Sieh wrote the following:
The lesson(s) is that “our story” is complicated and so we’ll need to have different versions of it. I frequently had 2-3 resumes depending on the audience and my target role. For headhunters, it’s about the “key words” – because that’s how the HR system works. For personal networking with potential hiring managers, it was more about the experience and the story should fit more to how they would like to know/read about your story. Sometimes, I had to ‘dumb down’ my resume as well – just to get in the door.
To summarize...Resumes are about your “Brand”. Focus on what your strengths are and try to create a story about yourself. With this approach, your accomplishments, capabilities, and talents yield a resume that is very focused and direct. In today’s job market, that is extremely important because of the exact and specific requirements of the jobs available.
Good luck...
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Culture – CIO to CIO
Culture is very important in any firm. A good CIO is one that understands, respects and does not fight it. I have tried to be a student of understanding culture. After all, I was head of IT for an America subsidiary with a foreign parent. Let us just say there were times when there was a culture clash. Culture became an important factor in my job and understanding it allowed me to excel at what I did.
Every company, department, organization, and profession has its own set of norms, values, beliefs, and accepted ways. These elements come together to form the culture of the organization. To really understand culture, a CIO must understand that culture is ever changing and not static.
An effective IT leader recognizes the importance of culture and seeks to leverage it. A CIO that fails to perceive the significance of culture often misses opportunities to improve IT and its overall effectiveness and how it is perceived by the business.
What specifically should a CIO do to influence culture? First, they must assess and analyze a company’s existing culture. Second, they must reinforce elements of that culture. Then CIOs can use this knowledge of culture to maximize and improve IT performance.
Every company, department, organization, and profession has its own set of norms, values, beliefs, and accepted ways. These elements come together to form the culture of the organization. To really understand culture, a CIO must understand that culture is ever changing and not static.
An effective IT leader recognizes the importance of culture and seeks to leverage it. A CIO that fails to perceive the significance of culture often misses opportunities to improve IT and its overall effectiveness and how it is perceived by the business.
What specifically should a CIO do to influence culture? First, they must assess and analyze a company’s existing culture. Second, they must reinforce elements of that culture. Then CIOs can use this knowledge of culture to maximize and improve IT performance.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Are You Twittering? If Not You Are Missing Out
As a technology executive, I must admit, I am a little amazed by Twitter. It is a free tool that let’s everyone else who are also tweeting know everything you want them to know in the space of 140 characters. 140 characters does not sound like alot but it is.
What are you using Twitter for or better yet what can you use Twitter for? It is after all a tool and tools in the right hands can move mountains.
What can you use Twitter for:
1. Getting the word out. If you are blogging then it is great medium to update everyone that you updated your blog or web site.
2. Looking for a job. Use #tweetmyjobs or go to the website. Do searches and find people or companies that are Tweeting. You will be surprised who is out there.
3. Follow other people's tweet that interest you. You never know what may come out of it.
Steps to get Twittering:
1. Like your other profiles, make sure your profile is friendly. Keep it professional.
2. Add a picture of yourself. It makes your profile more real. It adds a face when you tweet.
3. Start following people you are interested in. Do a search and just follow people. Treat it like a social networking project.
4. Update your Tweet at least once a day.
5. Have fun...
So what are you waiting for? Go out and start tweeting...
What are you using Twitter for or better yet what can you use Twitter for? It is after all a tool and tools in the right hands can move mountains.
What can you use Twitter for:
1. Getting the word out. If you are blogging then it is great medium to update everyone that you updated your blog or web site.
2. Looking for a job. Use #tweetmyjobs or go to the website. Do searches and find people or companies that are Tweeting. You will be surprised who is out there.
3. Follow other people's tweet that interest you. You never know what may come out of it.
Steps to get Twittering:
1. Like your other profiles, make sure your profile is friendly. Keep it professional.
2. Add a picture of yourself. It makes your profile more real. It adds a face when you tweet.
3. Start following people you are interested in. Do a search and just follow people. Treat it like a social networking project.
4. Update your Tweet at least once a day.
5. Have fun...
So what are you waiting for? Go out and start tweeting...
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Disasters From A to Z
It amazes me that in this day and age there are firms out there with absolutely no disaster recovery plans. I am not talking about a comprehensive 200-page manual but just a simple calling tree. How can any business operate without some level disaster recovery preparedness?
Let’s first define disaster. I would define a disaster as any event that adversely affects your operations. These events can affect your computer operations in any number of ways. Recovery back to normal operations can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.
Having worked in NYC for my entire career, NYC has been the center of many events. Many of which I have been through.
Here is a list of disasters that a firm should be prepared for:
Acts of God, Air-conditioning failure, Arson, Blackouts, Blizzards, Boiler explosions, Bomb threats, Bridge collapse, Brownouts, Brush fires, Chemical accidents, Civil disobedience, Communication failure, Computer crime, Disgruntle employee, Denial of Service, Earthquakes, Embezzlement, Explosions, Falling objects, Fire, Flood, Hardware crash, High winds, Heating/cooling failure, Hostage situation, Human error, Hurricane, Ice storm, Interruption in public service, Internet outage, Coup d’état, Pandemic, Water main break, Terrorism, Labor dispute, Lightning strike, malicious destruction, Military operations, Mismanagement, Personnel non-availability, Plane crash, Phishing, Public demonstrations, Buggy software, Radiology accident, Railroad accident, Sabotage, Sewage backup, Snowstorm, Software failure, Sprinkler failure, Telephone problems, Theft of data, Transportation problemsVandalism, Viruses, Water damage, Worms, Gas leaks
Let’s first define disaster. I would define a disaster as any event that adversely affects your operations. These events can affect your computer operations in any number of ways. Recovery back to normal operations can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.
Having worked in NYC for my entire career, NYC has been the center of many events. Many of which I have been through.
Here is a list of disasters that a firm should be prepared for:
Acts of God, Air-conditioning failure, Arson, Blackouts, Blizzards, Boiler explosions, Bomb threats, Bridge collapse, Brownouts, Brush fires, Chemical accidents, Civil disobedience, Communication failure, Computer crime, Disgruntle employee, Denial of Service, Earthquakes, Embezzlement, Explosions, Falling objects, Fire, Flood, Hardware crash, High winds, Heating/cooling failure, Hostage situation, Human error, Hurricane, Ice storm, Interruption in public service, Internet outage, Coup d’état, Pandemic, Water main break, Terrorism, Labor dispute, Lightning strike, malicious destruction, Military operations, Mismanagement, Personnel non-availability, Plane crash, Phishing, Public demonstrations, Buggy software, Radiology accident, Railroad accident, Sabotage, Sewage backup, Snowstorm, Software failure, Sprinkler failure, Telephone problems, Theft of data, Transportation problemsVandalism, Viruses, Water damage, Worms, Gas leaks
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Résumés – Are You Lost?
Wikipedia Definition - A résumé is a document that contains a summary or listing of relevant job experience and education. The résumé or CV is typically the first item that a potential employer encounters regarding the job seeker and is typically used to screen applicants, often followed by an interview, when seeking employment.
A Curriculum Vitae (loosely translated as course of life) provides an overview of a person's life and qualifications. It differs from a résumé in that it is appropriate for academic or medical careers and is far more comprehensive. A CV elaborates on education to a greater degree than a résumé. A résumé is tailor-made according to the post applied for. It is job-oriented and goal specific. One of the key characteristics of a proper résumé is conciseness.
(Definitions pulled from Wikipedia)
Those of you that read my blog know that I have been out of work since September 2008. During this time I have met with or consulted with a variety of professionals: large scale recruiters, boutique recruiters, career coaches, life coaches, outplacement counselors, professional résumé writers, human resource professionals, etc. It is interesting to hear each professional’s take on what the resume format should be.
Here is a short list items that have been said to me - in no particular order:
1. Keep your resume to 1 page
2. Keep your resume to 2 pages
3. Senior executives should summarize on their resume
4. Use details to convey your accomplishments
5. Use bullets points
6. Don’t use bullet points
7. Use dates sparingly
8. Use dates where you can
9. Have a summary statement that is eye catching
10. Don’t use a summary statement it is out dated
11. Use tag words to pop up on searches
12. Don’t use too many buzz words
13. Quantify and qualify your work experience and its impact to business
14. Use hard numbers
15. Don’t use specific numbers
16. Use more business jargon
17. Your experiences should be painted in broad strokes
18. Be creative
19. Take chances
20. Resumes should convey “Shock and Awe” (This is my favorite)
See what I mean? It is confusing. I have revamped (totally overhauled) my resume several times based on the advice I was given. Honestly, while I have been around for sometime and have years of experience under my belt there are only so many ways to say something.
With millions of Americans out of work and the only thing to represent you is an 8-1/2 x 11 piece of papyrus, what should the resume format and message be? If the professionals cannot come to a consensus, how is the average Joe/Jane suppose to know?
Is the resume out-dated in these times?
A Curriculum Vitae (loosely translated as course of life) provides an overview of a person's life and qualifications. It differs from a résumé in that it is appropriate for academic or medical careers and is far more comprehensive. A CV elaborates on education to a greater degree than a résumé. A résumé is tailor-made according to the post applied for. It is job-oriented and goal specific. One of the key characteristics of a proper résumé is conciseness.
(Definitions pulled from Wikipedia)
Those of you that read my blog know that I have been out of work since September 2008. During this time I have met with or consulted with a variety of professionals: large scale recruiters, boutique recruiters, career coaches, life coaches, outplacement counselors, professional résumé writers, human resource professionals, etc. It is interesting to hear each professional’s take on what the resume format should be.
Here is a short list items that have been said to me - in no particular order:
1. Keep your resume to 1 page
2. Keep your resume to 2 pages
3. Senior executives should summarize on their resume
4. Use details to convey your accomplishments
5. Use bullets points
6. Don’t use bullet points
7. Use dates sparingly
8. Use dates where you can
9. Have a summary statement that is eye catching
10. Don’t use a summary statement it is out dated
11. Use tag words to pop up on searches
12. Don’t use too many buzz words
13. Quantify and qualify your work experience and its impact to business
14. Use hard numbers
15. Don’t use specific numbers
16. Use more business jargon
17. Your experiences should be painted in broad strokes
18. Be creative
19. Take chances
20. Resumes should convey “Shock and Awe” (This is my favorite)
See what I mean? It is confusing. I have revamped (totally overhauled) my resume several times based on the advice I was given. Honestly, while I have been around for sometime and have years of experience under my belt there are only so many ways to say something.
With millions of Americans out of work and the only thing to represent you is an 8-1/2 x 11 piece of papyrus, what should the resume format and message be? If the professionals cannot come to a consensus, how is the average Joe/Jane suppose to know?
Is the resume out-dated in these times?
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