Over the past two years PRofessional Solutions has seen a change in the resumes it receives – for the worse.  Instead of highlighting skills gained and how they have achieved specific accomplishments, more applicants instead are praising themselves for all many of personal qualities and mentioning vague results without explanation or definitions of success.

Now the Wall Street Journal has reported on the creative, though often silly, ways that applicants are using to deliver resumes in an attempt to get theirs noticed among a crowded field of bland on-line applications.  (“When the Going Gets Tough, Job Hunters Call In the Stunt Resume”, January 24, 2014)

They note that while companies received an average of 383 applications for every opening they advertised in 2013, for the most part “whimsical applications are just good for a laugh”.

 “I’m sort of immune to this stuff,” said one employer.  “We have a set of hard skills an applicant has to meet” and creativity can’t compensate if those are missing.

Our advice to job seekers is always to be let results speak for themselves and satisfied employers and clients speak glowingly of you.  Don’t be the one to claim that you are an extraordinarily accomplished writer or that you are uniquely qualified to be the perfect match for our clients.  We’ll be the judge of that.  And use that creativity to find a connection to someone key at the organization to which you’re applying so you can get your resume into the right hands instead of hoping a gimmick gets it there for you.