As you know, I’m an executive resume writer, career coach and blogger and I am not shy about sharing my views on the purpose of a resume, what to include and exclude in it, and especially how important visual appeal is to generating the impact and mass appeal needed to generate job interviews.
To this end, I’ve shared my thoughts on an individual basis with countless readers of this blog who emailed me their resume for a free resume review, and I look forward to exchanging views with many more of you in the weeks and months ahead.
Now about the great debate; recently a discussion on a Linked-In group debated whether it was worth the time and effort to create a visually appealing resume, or if a simple plain text resume would suffice. The initiator of the post was of the opinion that since both versions present the exact same information, there is no benefit to going through the time, effort and expense to enhance a resume’s visual appeal.
Taken at face value this is a valid point, and many who commented agreed. I vociferously disagree and said so in writing. However some responders said I only feel this way because I get paid to write resumes, so naturally my opinion is skewered.
So let me publicly state my case and you can judge for yourself if it is valid or prejudicial.
Last month I happened upon an acquaintance who is a marriage counselor. We got to talking and he said he had a story that would interest me.
Recently a woman came to him who was concerned about her marriage. He told me she works long hours at her job and takes care of a new baby and two other young children when at home. But she makes sure to have a home cooked meal for her husband at least three work nights a week. Most times she cooks his meals ahead of time and either freezes them or puts them in the fridge overnight and reheats it before dinner time. The problem she said is “my husband comes home from work and just picks at the meals and then leaves the table.” So my friend asked her “maybe he has a stomach problem or some ailment that prevents him from eating.” She replied, “No, there is no such problem. As a matter of fact he loves to eat. You should see him at weddings or when we attend frequent fund raising dinners. He sits down and savors those meals. Plus he insists we go out alone to a restaurant at least four times a month and there he finishes every last morsel on his plate.” The counselor was at a loss and did not know how to respond.
A few days later he arranged to casually run into the husband and engaged him in conversation. After the small talk he told the husband about his wife’s concern and asked “is your wife a bad cook, is that why you only nibble at the food she cooks at home?” The husband grinned and said “no, actually my wife is a great cook and most times her food tastes a lot better than the meals I get when we eat out.” Somewhat perplexed the counselor asked, “So why do you enjoy the meals so much when you go out to eat and just nibble at the food at home?”
The husband looked at him and said one word; “Presentation.” Asked to elaborate he said, “My wife means well. But she is so busy with work and the kids that when it comes time for my dinner the table is full of dirty dishes and stains on the tablecloth from the baby and the kids. And although she’s a magnificent cook she just sets out a pile of paper plates and disposable plastic cutlery and plastic cups on the table for me. On top of that the food is left on the table in Ziploc containers for me to serve myself.” “I know it’s wrong, but for some reason, as good as the food is at home it is not appealing, so I just nibble a bit. Now in a catering hall and the restaurants we go to without the kids the food may not be as tasty, but the presentation is elegant and the ambiance makes the dining experience 100% better than the food is.”
Now this might sound strange to you but it is not uncommon. As a matter of fact if you happen to watch Iron Chef, a show I love, you will notice that 1/3 of the score is based on taste, 1/3 on presentation and 1/3 on creativity. Do you know why? Because all the competing chefs are equally qualified, and the dishes they prepare are all delicious. But what differentiates them that night in the minds of the judges is their creativity in using the same ingredients along with the intangible appeal generated by the plating style. I am of the opinion that decision makers will judge one candidate’s resume against another’s in the same manner. The richer the presentation, the better the chance is of being called for an interview.
Now if that analogy does not work for you try this one.
You never saw Avatar in the movies so you rent it from Redbox. How do you think it would be most enjoyable to watch: on a vintage 50” Zenith B&W television with hi-fi sound, on a 9” Coby kitchen model color TV, or on a 42” Samsung 3-D HDTV with a Bose surround system. If you are like me the answer is, hands down, the later. Why? Because the Samsung 3-D HDTV offers the viewer the best presentation of the movie, therefore it is the preferred choice. Again, quality presentation trumps the competition.
If I have yet to convince you on the importance of presentation in a resume here is one final analogy I am certain most of you can relate to.
You have a brainstorm at work that you think will get you noticed and maybe even promoted. So naturally you want to champion it. You spend countless hours trying to pull it together. You create a foolproof strategic plan, research all the facts and figures, and look for any loopholes. The only problem is you never learned how to use PowerPoint or another presentation tool. However you’re too scared someone will steal your thunder so you refuse to ask for help because you are convinced the idea is so good it will sell itself.
Comes the big day and your boss brings the rest of her team along to participate in your presentation. A half-hour later you finish and ask if anyone has any questions and everyone is silent. A few days pass and you have yet to receive feedback. So when you see your boss in the cafeteria you ask her if it is Ok for you to sit down, and when you’re seated you ask her what she thought about your idea and presentation. She replies, “The idea is brilliant. However we thought your presentation skills are very weak and we asked Harry (your biggest rival in the company) to run with the idea because he can get stakeholder buy-in. We’re sure you’ll understand its best for the company.” You take a deep breath and say “But it is my idea, I should be leading the project.” To this she replies “You’re right it was a fantastic idea and we loved it. But based on your presentation we all felt you are not the right person for the job!” End of story; Harry goes on and leads the project, it succeeds, and he earns a promotion and is now your boss.
This is how it goes in the real world and how decision makers and hiring authorities think and how they will judge your resume against your competition. Now as a Brooklyn boy through and through, if you still don’t believe me that people value presentation above all else, “I have a bridge I’d like to sell ya.”
Author
Perry Newman, CPC/CSMS is a nationally recognized resume writer, career transition coach, certified social media strategist, as well as a AIPC certified recruiter and former executive search firm owner known for his ability to get results. You can view his sample resumes and client endorsements at http://www.perrynewman.com, and request a free resume critique by emailing your resume with contact information to perry@perrynewman.com.
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