Resumes From Hell

Rating:
Summary: Ridiculous Resumes Rescued from the Round File
Review: Frustrated about today's shrinking job market? Having trouble finding a job that even requires submitting a resume (and doesn't require sporting a colorful uniform)? Finding a good job requires education, experience, and a really good resume that stands out above the competition... That is, unless you're up against those who wrote the "Resumes from Hell" featured in this book of the same name, in which the authors expose hundreds of the most awkward, over-the-top, and downright hilarious resumes ever written. Reading them will help you improve your own resume, and it will give you hope. Just don't do what these people did! Whether they listed too many hobbies, made frightening political or religious statements, or simply gave "too much information," these writers bare their souls in hopes of landing a job. With previous experience such as "perishable manager" and "fanny pack designer," or qualifications like "specializing in the impossible," "Have Passport & Don't Use Tobacco or Firearms," and "Enjoy Dim Sum, Chai and other good things in life," you really wish you could sit in on their job interviews. My favorite chapter is "Graphics from Hell," featuring undecipherable charts, cheesy icons and clip art that some misguided souls used to spruce up their resumes. As professional job recruiters, the authors have seen it all, and their comments and examples prove unequivocally that poetry, spirituality, ranting, bragging, and sloganeering have no place in your resume. This book proves that what you DON'T say is often as important as what you do say.

Rating:
Summary: Hysterically funny--and useful, too
Review: Resumes from Hell is one of those rare examples of a book that is both entertaining and useful. Every single page contains a laugh-out-loud example of what NOT to do if you are a job-seeker. From the candidate who left a voice-mail describing his delicious sandwhich, to the one who listed his mother as a reference, the examples in this book are almost too comical to be believed--and yet each and every one is true.

All of the excerpts have been sorted into clearly defined sections, where off-the-wall examples are used to illustrate genuinely helpful resume pointers. Readers can flip through and entertain themselves by reading pages at random, or take a more utilitarian approach going chapter by chapter to get guidance on questions like whether or not to list hobbies on a resume.

I recommend readers turn immediately to the index and start from there. In it, the editors have brilliantly culled some of the most unlikely single words and phrases from their resume files--like "completely useless," and "orgasm," (not used in the same sentence, it's worth noting)--and compiled them into one hysterical list.

I received Resumes from Hell as a gift, and it is one of the funniest books I've read in a long time. I highly recommend it.