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Old 01-12-2008, 03:42 PM
 
30,907 posts, read 32,837,689 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TomReinold View Post

In Germany, the free-form resume is the way to express who you are as the unique person that you are. Of course, there are rules, but not as strict as I'm coming to realize here in the US. What you include, in which order, and in which structure and layout tells volumes about the way you are organized and what type of character you are.
Well, you know, this style of creating a resume was sort of popular here in the U.S. probably around the late 1980s to the early 1990s. I think the time for that sort of thing has kind of come and gone, because now it's a foregone conclusion that anyone and everyone can create something that looks different, do things in a different order, etc. (since everyone has access to at least basic computer programs and can Google for other ideas). So now, to overdo the "I'm unique" factor will actually make you seem a little old-fashioned.

You seem well-spoken, so I'm sure you have a shot at a job out here. Good luck on your job search.
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Old 01-12-2008, 05:21 PM
 
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
1,482 posts, read 5,160,501 times
Reputation: 798
Having hired a few people over the years I can tell you the people who included photos (which was very rare) got their resume ****-canned pretty much immediately without even looking at them. As katenik was saying it just opens up a can of worms. I can see us getting to the point where you can't even put your name on the resume or cover letter because it will give a hint as to your gender and ethnic background.

On the other hand if she was applying for an in front of the camera position it would be beneficial to include a photo.
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Old 01-12-2008, 06:44 PM
 
2,141 posts, read 7,842,840 times
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I am an employer and agree that you do not want to include a photo on a resume here. Employers are supposed to all abide by Equal Opportunity Laws and most of them won't want to deal with your daughter due to this. When we hire candidates, the person who interviews them cannot be the same person that asks for their identification, for this same reason. Age, race, marital status, political status, disability, sexual orientation, religion, married/unmarried, with kids or no kids, residence, etc. - these can't be considered. Don't include a photo - it won't help at all.
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Old 01-17-2008, 11:22 AM
 
19 posts, read 55,751 times
Reputation: 14
Thanks a lot for all your inputs. I think I got the picture of not including a picture. :-)
To me it is kind of peculiar that there is such a wide gap between this knock'em-dead approach in business marketing and flat personal marketing here. But, hey, it's cultural differences that make the world more interesting.
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Old 01-22-2008, 12:45 PM
 
Location: San Francisco
25 posts, read 136,040 times
Reputation: 23
Default NO PHOTO on Resume

I think that the best advice is professional advice. You can go to monster.com or google 'resume tips'. If she wants to use a site to put info and a picture try LinkedIn: Relationships Matter. It is a site where you can do just what you stated.

From a San Franciscan
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Old 01-22-2008, 01:43 PM
 
Location: SoCal - Sherman Oaks & Woodland Hills
12,974 posts, read 33,832,742 times
Reputation: 10491
Quote:
Originally Posted by TomReinold View Post
The resume writing rules are very different here compared to Germany, such as NOT attaching a photo.
It is always a bad idea to attach a photo to your resume. Employers cringe when they see this due to the stringent labor laws in the US. If the person is attractive and is hired, the employer could be brought up on charges of discrimination of employment by any other candidate with similar background and experience who was not hired. If the person is unattractive and not hired, he/she could file discrimination suit against the employer if its found that they hired somone with lesser qualifications who were attractive, male, white, etc. So its really not a good idea for the applicant or the employer to have resume with photo.
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Old 02-01-2008, 07:04 PM
 
Location: Monterey Bay, California -- watching the sea lions, whales and otters! :D
1,918 posts, read 6,769,376 times
Reputation: 2707
I work in Human Resources and it is true that a photo or other identifying information is not appropriate. I work in a government agency, so the only information we obtain is the name, address, phone number, email address, educational background and previous jobs of the individual. We are not allowed to ask race, age or gender. Obviously, sometimes it's easy to tell from names about the gender.

Sometimes we can get a "hint" about a person's age if under education they state that they graduated college in 1976, so we know they're older. And we also ask if they are fluent in any other language – so sometimes the language is a clue.

We ask about past jobs and volunteer work (volunteer work is often considered as much as paid work experience). And we do look at how a person writes – is it grammatically correct and spelled correctly?

We get more information during the initial interview – then we get to see how the person interacts, how they respond to questions, how they are groomed, and things of that sort. Date of birth and social security numbers can only be obtained once the person is actually offered the position.

I agree with the other posters about a website being a detriment. In addition, many employers nowadays actually google applicants to see if they have something inappropriate on YouTube or on MySpace or other website. If they find something offensive, the person is also disqualified. So, if she has anything out there on the internet with anything inappropriate (or any friends who may have posted something inappropriate), I'd suggest going in and deleting it for now.

It is more conservative here than in Europe. I know that America has a reputation of such a liberal, freedom-loving country, but it's actually quite conservative in many ways.

Rule of thumb for her resume: Use bullets for clarity; use "key words;" concise descriptions and sentences. If you want to visually stand out, don't be too dramatic, although I appreciate it when I see just a little something that makes the sheet of paper stand out a bit more – like a colored font for bullets or headings. Nothing fancy or too bright, but just a bit different so you can see it more easily in the pack.

If she hasn't done so already, getting an internship, whether paid or not, would be helpful, or volunteer at a broadcast station to meet people and have them get to see her skills and responsibility level.

As a young lady, I am sure she will do fine. Good luck to you both!
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Old 02-04-2008, 06:30 AM
 
19 posts, read 55,751 times
Reputation: 14
Thank you all. But I would become paranoid here by all that fear of being sued for anything by anybody. Someone told me I can get sued for sexual harrassment by just turning around to an attractive woman. Probably by ugly women who saw it. How do all those people have the money for laywers? Or don't they have to pay anything if they lose the case?
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Old 02-04-2008, 06:41 AM
 
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
1,482 posts, read 5,160,501 times
Reputation: 798
There's a lot of paranoia.

If it was a legitimate case you could probably find a lawyer to help you pro bono and if it wasn't a legitimate case there are many unscrupulous lawyers who will take a case for a share of the decision. Of course if you lose it wouldn't be the lawyer who was on the hook for the court costs so they don't really have anything to lose and everything to gain.
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Old 02-04-2008, 06:37 PM
 
19 posts, read 55,751 times
Reputation: 14
The safest thing here to avoid being sued seems to me to walk around, and attend job interviews, covering your face and everything else Islamic style. I think that's where Osama wants to have you, guys, er, gals, and it seems to make sense, after reading your comments. This constant pressure of being politically correct and free, unrestricted access to guns just calls for what you see frequently on the news here.
There, I probably already said too much again and stepped on somebody's toes. Sorry, sorry, sorry.
But nevertheless, I really appreciate your advice and helpfulness.
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