Free advice

Published on Jun 14, 2021 by Matt Bud, The FENG
Being Out of Work

I guess the old saw is that free advice is worth what you pay for it. The other popular expression I use from time to time is “consider the source.”

There is a whole “guy thing” about the giving of unsolicited advice. In much the same logic as the old saw about guys not asking for directions at the gas station, it is often difficult to find the right words to offer up advice to members when it isn’t requested.

I, of course, see a lot of resumes. With such an obvious huge overview of the “resume landscape,” you would think that anything I said about a member’s resume would be gratefully received, but alas, it isn’t so.

Unlike most people, I suppose, I puzzle over these kinds of matters. Our goal in The FENG is to ensure that all of our members find jobs in the shortest period of time. So, anything that creates an impediment to that, I try to find ways to address it.

I know there is great pride of authorship in the final resume product you present to the world, but there shouldn’t be. The truth is that a resume, which is your most important piece of writing, needs to be allowed to grow. Matt’s rule is never print more than you need for the day.

No one can actually write your resume but you. Editing it is another matter. Trusting only your own judgment in the editing process is akin to taking out your own appendix, and I am not talking about the end portion of the book you are writing.

Always seek advice about your resume and whether it is communicating the facts about your fine background as effectively as you think it is. The suggested approach when asking for a few suggestions is to put on your best poker face and endure all the comments with an open mind.

The big guy above gave us two ears but only one mouth with the expectation that we would do more listening than speaking.

I always enjoy my conversations with our members because I never fail to learn something if I let them play out their ideas. Sure, you may think I have heard it all before, but you never know as life moves on what new twists and turns can be placed on old ideas to make them appear new or at the very least make them more effective.

It is all in the spin of the moment.

So, before you again reject out of hand the suggestions of others, take a moment. Count to ten, and breathe deeply. You just may learn something you didn’t know before.

And, hey, it didn’t even cost anything.

Regards, Matt