Other People's Resumes
May. 4th, 2006 05:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livingdebAt my job we have an opening for a bigwig. For this kind of position I am used to the finalists having to give presentations to the general populace of the place. What I didn't expect is that I am allowed to witness their interviews. And read their applications.
The two finalists actually already work here, and it feels so creepy being allowed to look at their resumes, which seems so none of my business. I expect the really higher-ups to make their wise decisions behind closed doors.
Which doesn't keep me from looking at the resumes and cover letters. (Scoring teacher certification exams will keep me from butting in on their interviews. During which I would not have cheered or booed or heckled or thrown tomatoes, although I might have smiled thinking of doing such.)
Not that they submitted resumes; they submitted curriculum vitae, which is Latin for very long resumes. Okay, I don't know what the Latin is, even though I took three years of Latin in college. For all I know, it means life story. I understand why professors use these; they are listing every single one of their publications. But bureaucrats use them, too? Who knew?
I'm going to refer to both applicants as "one guy," for the sake of a modicum of anonymity. I will also say that it's not the case that one person does everything I like or everything I don't like.
So anyway, one guy opened his letter with "It is with enthusiasm that I submit my ..." I like that. Much better than my usual "I am writing to apply ..."
One guy talked about how he's always wanted this job and has been working for it ever since he started working here. That was a big turn-off to me, and I'm not sure why. I think I have a problem with people who decide what they want and then they always get it. Even though I know he wanted this job last time it was open and he didn't get it. It's sickening to me that I have this reaction. I think it just came off as egotistical. Which I only don't mind when they actually have something to be snooty about. And it helps to notice the amazingness before the snootiness.
You know how sometimes when you're the President of an association, you are officially an officer with duties the year before and/or the year after? Still, doesn't it seem odd to list three offices (President Elect, President, and Past President) instead of one?
Here's one thing that really bothers me. The job has several required qualifications, two of which are a master's degree and ten years of management experience in college or university administration. I can only count eight years of management experience for one guy, and it's in a university, but I'm not sure it's in "administration." And the same guy has only a bachelor's degree. There are only two preferred qualifications listed: doctoral degree and more than ten years of that kind of experience.
Obviously the people who wrote that job description were either confused or lying, because that doesn't seem to be what they prefer at all. Which means I am now thinking I should apply for all jobs I want even if I don't fit what they're asking for, just in case they're lying. Isn't that so rude of me?
One guy added a couple of sentences of description of each employer--that's pretty cool.
And what did they use their extra space for, since with a curriculum vita you get to have more than one or two pages? They both used two full pages to describe their experience. They also included professional organization membership, positions, committee work, and presentations. And education. And they included publications, even though one guy had only 1.5 publications (co-author on one), whereas one guy had 0.5 publications. And they both had lots of large, friendly white space.
The two finalists actually already work here, and it feels so creepy being allowed to look at their resumes, which seems so none of my business. I expect the really higher-ups to make their wise decisions behind closed doors.
Which doesn't keep me from looking at the resumes and cover letters. (Scoring teacher certification exams will keep me from butting in on their interviews. During which I would not have cheered or booed or heckled or thrown tomatoes, although I might have smiled thinking of doing such.)
Not that they submitted resumes; they submitted curriculum vitae, which is Latin for very long resumes. Okay, I don't know what the Latin is, even though I took three years of Latin in college. For all I know, it means life story. I understand why professors use these; they are listing every single one of their publications. But bureaucrats use them, too? Who knew?
I'm going to refer to both applicants as "one guy," for the sake of a modicum of anonymity. I will also say that it's not the case that one person does everything I like or everything I don't like.
So anyway, one guy opened his letter with "It is with enthusiasm that I submit my ..." I like that. Much better than my usual "I am writing to apply ..."
One guy talked about how he's always wanted this job and has been working for it ever since he started working here. That was a big turn-off to me, and I'm not sure why. I think I have a problem with people who decide what they want and then they always get it. Even though I know he wanted this job last time it was open and he didn't get it. It's sickening to me that I have this reaction. I think it just came off as egotistical. Which I only don't mind when they actually have something to be snooty about. And it helps to notice the amazingness before the snootiness.
You know how sometimes when you're the President of an association, you are officially an officer with duties the year before and/or the year after? Still, doesn't it seem odd to list three offices (President Elect, President, and Past President) instead of one?
Here's one thing that really bothers me. The job has several required qualifications, two of which are a master's degree and ten years of management experience in college or university administration. I can only count eight years of management experience for one guy, and it's in a university, but I'm not sure it's in "administration." And the same guy has only a bachelor's degree. There are only two preferred qualifications listed: doctoral degree and more than ten years of that kind of experience.
Obviously the people who wrote that job description were either confused or lying, because that doesn't seem to be what they prefer at all. Which means I am now thinking I should apply for all jobs I want even if I don't fit what they're asking for, just in case they're lying. Isn't that so rude of me?
One guy added a couple of sentences of description of each employer--that's pretty cool.
And what did they use their extra space for, since with a curriculum vita you get to have more than one or two pages? They both used two full pages to describe their experience. They also included professional organization membership, positions, committee work, and presentations. And education. And they included publications, even though one guy had only 1.5 publications (co-author on one), whereas one guy had 0.5 publications. And they both had lots of large, friendly white space.