Is It Smart to Dumb Down Your Resume?
The New Resume: Dumb and Dumber
Pros and Cons of Dumbing Down a Resume
You’ve reached a certain level of achievements in your life, professionally and personally. Awards, schooling, life work, great reviews…and you still find yourself out of a job, for a variety of reasons: many of them not your fault.
Now add to all that some great, if not excellent, recommendation letters. Resume is up to date, all the relevant material is there. You know you have to adjust your resume to job requirements, and writing that cover letter that has all the right buzz words and terms from the job posting…
…and still no job. Many times, not even an interview, let alone even an acknowledgment they received your material. Follow ups are often met with the same silence.
I have heard too many times that I am over qualified for jobs I have applied for, the few times I am able to actually communicate with someone. We see things differently: obviously, I am looking to work, and my I feel my experience will only enable me to be great at the job, not just having to learn things but can bring my talents and skills for the benefit of all concerned; their viewpoint is (verbally told this) that I’ll be bored doing this work, or the ultimate fear of my just biding my time until I find the “right” job.I was told by one person that the job was so far “beneath someone of my caliber.”
I’d rather work in my field, in a “lesser” position, then not work at all. THAT is something they (human resources people) don’t seem to get.
I have two MAs and a ton of experience. Dumbing down my resume, to even just get that foot in the door, has come up a lot lately. I’m off to an interview for a job I am overqualified later this afternoon. It’s slightly to the side of what I’ve done for so many years. It’s definitely in the realm of “beneath my caliber.”
After this, I’m going to try the resume editing gambit: I’ll remove both Masters for a start. Then, we’ll pare it down even more, if that doesn’t work. I could take it all the way back to my first job: Chinese Restaurant buffet staff (I filled the smorgasbord dinner table after school and on weekends in High School).
Might get a ton of offers then.
Mar 14, 2012 @ 12:05:56
Hi Stuart,
I think this whole over qualified issue was, in fact, an issue before the problem with the economy. A company could invest $$ in a person training them and then have them easily leave for a job that paid better and was more at thier level.
Sadly, these days I don’t think this is really a much an issue. It’s frustrating when some parts of job hunting (or many part of many companies) don’t keep currant or use common sense.
My boyfriend is looking for a job right now. He is having the very same problem. He feels what he needs to do is get an ‘in’ with someone at a company to get past these strict gatekeepers. What do you think?
Mar 14, 2012 @ 12:23:27
Yeah, knowing someone is critical, I think. It’s almost going back to the old way I got gigs for my theater company: I went in a lot of times to hand out my material, not just cold send. The companies, though, have people to block you from doing just that. So…
new ways to “meet” the people you need to meet. Anyone?
Mar 14, 2012 @ 13:03:03
You know I feel your pain. I don’t know the answer. I’ve worked too hard to achieve things to want to dismiss them as unimportant. I don’t want to dumb down, but I may not have a choice.
Sigh.
Mar 14, 2012 @ 15:13:02
Now,this is something with which I am eminently familiar.
The issue is not to dumb down your resume, but recast it in a lot that requires you to do no such thing. Now, i admit this recast may remove you from consideration from some posts, but you probably would not have liked those employers anyway.
I am a firm believer in customizing the objective to each potential employer. I don’t mean wholesale revamp, but customizing. For example, if you are seeking “Providing resources and direct interactions to enhance and reframe educational interactions for high school students”. Why not say: Provide workshops for teachers and students that promote intellectual envy and student performance?
For a library that only offers resources for teachers, you could modify it further. That’s one issue.
The next issue is to use the narrative rather than the listing of qualifications and experiences. For the past 10 years, I have worked with the New York City schools system. From student workshops to dramatic expositions, I have impacted X thousand students.
NEVER provide your degrees or years. You can say “certifications and degrees upon request” at the bottom of the document.
Mar 14, 2012 @ 15:15:08
This has actually been going on for decades Stuart. But in reverse, I remember the days of embellishing resumes and cover letters for gaining more recognition on promotions and other positions. They had the seminars you could go to, to help you do just that.
Now with today’s economy it is sad to hear that companies actually would not hire you based on too much experience or education.
Our son continues to look for a part time job as he is going to college. It has been very difficult for him as well. He tells me that when he went to In N Out Burger there was a huge line of people — he couldn’t believe all the ‘older people’ in line.
Mar 14, 2012 @ 15:50:37
How about starting it off with “I was born a po black child…”
I’ve actually seen this phenomenon from both sides of the fence. I’ve been where you are; looking for work, wanting to work, willing to work and willing to accept something less than what I used to have. I have also seen it as an HR professional. Policy was to not hire overqualified people because they will not be happy with this job and will leave as soon as they find something better, wasting all the time and expense we put into training them. But since I had a fellow with a PhD delivering pizzas, I obviously ignored that one. Sometimes, people are grateful to get anything just to be working.
Mar 14, 2012 @ 17:57:44
Sad but so true. I hate it when employers say that…”You’re overqualified for this job”. It just makes me want to scream, “Just hire me, damn it! I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want it!” Oh well….But I agree with Bonnie above. One thing that my husband keeps telling me is that where it concerns jobs/ careers, sadly it’s not so much about what you can do but who you know.
Mar 15, 2012 @ 05:11:56
With you all the way, Stuart! Speaking for myself I have read that statement of being overqualified so many times it makes me want to throw up. Instead it should read: you are over forty and you spell trouble if you are looking for a job at your age. My daughter at 24 cannot find a job as a management assistant after having finished her studies because prospective employers keep telling her they only employ people with experience. And I agree with Joy: it is all about connections, this is how I got my present job.
Mar 16, 2012 @ 17:36:47
I got sick and tired of hearing the same rubbish so I decided to take matters into my own hands and set up my own business. I have never looked back, and I don’t intend to go back to the Corporate world any time soon…You are what you are, and enough with having to dumb things down. Hope the interview went well. Keep us posted.
Mar 20, 2012 @ 00:52:21
Hi, how are you? I hope you are doing well. I needed to say that I like Dumb Down Your Resume? (Creative Job Search) bornstoryteller.
Mar 20, 2012 @ 05:03:16
I hope you find some work that’s worthy of you soon! Of course there’s always the buffet…
Apr 11, 2012 @ 22:47:13
I’m currently out of work and I’m also seeking positions that I am over qualified for and it isn’t always the best feeling. By the way, I just discovered your creative fiction blog and I love it! I have been looking for a creative fiction writing blog that has success and I have found it in yours! You give me inspiration! And I love your stories!!
Apr 11, 2012 @ 22:48:30
I can relate – I’m unemployed right now and seeking a job and it is NOT fun. Good luck to you!
BTW, I found your creative writing blog and I love it! I’m so glad to see a creative writing blog (with creative writing!) that has success and readers! I’ve been dying to find one for a while now to inspire my own blog!
Apr 12, 2012 @ 09:06:05
Same to you Nicole. No, it’s not fun. Glad you found Tale Spinning. There are other creative fiction blogs out there. Look up Flash Fiction (lisa vooght) for one. Thanks, and good luck to you as well.
Apr 27, 2012 @ 23:13:34
Given that I’ve read the correspondance of a lot of corporate HR types, I’d say turn off your spell checker,they might actually understand it then. Bwhahaa!