Here’s a fun one. Seek has published an article on resumes that get a little too inventive.

Back when I was working in recruitment, I saw some doozies, and I discuss these a little in the RACI ‘Understanding the Job Market’ video series.

It would be fair to say that when a recruiter sits down to look at 100 ore more resumes for a job, they are not only looking to find the right person. They are also looking for a reason to EXCLUDE a candidate’s resume. They need some fast way of dropping 100 to ten or less, so they can concentrate their efforts there.

The process of ‘culling’ resumes involves both looking for the gems, and trying to pick out the ‘bad seeds’ (is that enough of a mixed metaphor?).

So a resume should show the best of you, and what makes you special. But don’t go overboard. The sliding scale of different, quirky and just bloody odd has a definite tipping point.