In the last month, since I started recruiting for a new client, I’ve been reminded how creative artists are in coming up with ways to keep from being hired and avoid being interviewed. Here are some of my favorites:
Using and misusing the Internet
Too attached
Got the picture?
Sabotage your résumé
Incommunicado
Send a résumé, demo reel and breakdown sheet with no contact information on them. Don’t clutter your résumé, demo reel and breakdown sheet with your name, phone number and e-mail address.
E-mail your résumé but don’t include your e-mail address on the résumé. A potential employer should be able to cut and paste the e-mail address into the résumé. It doesn’t matter if some companies get résumés in huge databanks and they never see the original e-mail address. You don’t want to work for a big company like that anyway.
Don’t include your contact information. Send a résumé with just your name on it. Don’t include your phone number (with correct area code), e-mail address and mailing address.
Send a résumé in an e-mailed message by cutting and pasting HTML format so the code is imbedded in message. Employers love reading between the lines.
Send a résumé in JPEG format. This makes it difficult to open or print.
Send your résumé as an Adobe Acrobat pdf file and make sure some logo graphics obscure and cover important information like your e-mail address and other contact info.
Play hard to get by having different phone numbers on each of your marketing pieces — the numbers on your résumé, demo reel and demo reel breakdown should not match. Make them figure out which phone number is the current one with the correct area code.
Be secretive about the types of software you know — mention that you know 3D software but don’t be specific about what 3D software you do know, such as Maya or 3ds max. Make them call you to find out.
“My résumé is on my Website.” Send a Website address instead of a résumé and expect the employer to visit the Website to retrieve the résumé. Make them do the work. If the Website doesn’t work or your résumé can’t be retrieved or found, that’s fine. The employer can try the connection again later. Expect the employer to do extra work by visiting your Website to get your résumé. Don’t just send it to them. Don’t include your Web address on your résumé for employers to check out.
Send an attachment, which can’t be opened. Send attachments that take a long time to download. Any company worth working for should have a high speed Internet connection. If the attachment takes more than a minute or two to download, that’s fine — what else are employers using their computers for anyway?
Embed huge images in e-mail to freeze up mail systems. Big files can’t be opened but you’ll intrigue the employer, and he’ll contact you to ask about what you sent.
Here are some ways to keep the phone from ringing and reducing e-mail.
Leave your e-mail address off your résumé. You don’t want recruiters contacting you any time, day or night. (Some don’t bother with résumés without e-mail addresses on them.)
Choose a font where it is difficult to distinguish between a lower case “L” and the number one. Choose a font that is hard to read and small enough so when it is copied or faxed, it is illegible.
Include graphics on résumés.
You’re such a card
Demo Reels: If you want me, you have to show me.
Don’t follow up quickly when a recruiter or potential employer requests your reel. Delay sending the reel — they can wait. Don’t have packages ready to go out the door, which include a demo reel, demo reel breakdown and résumé with current contact info on all.
Tell the recruiter you need time to redo your reel and take your time getting around to it. After all, you are working, in school or busy with other important stuff.
Why update your reel every six months, whether you are working or not? You can always get around to it when a job comes your way.
Don’t label your reel with yoru name and phone number and e-mail address. Or, keep an old label on it with an outdated phone number and area code — it shows you get around.
Ask to get your reel back. Expect a company to pay postage to mail your reel back so you don’t have to spend time picking it up.
Put everything you have ever done on your reel in no particular order. Employers will be impressed by how much you’ve improved over the years.
Put stuff on your reel that is not relevant to the job — i.e. cartoony stuff for a photoreal project. Don’t tailor your reel, résumé and cover letter to the job. Send out the same reel no matter what the job — don’t customize.
“I don’t have a reel, but can you view CDs or DVDs?” Don’t provide a viewer with your work so an employer has to work to see your stuff.
Breakdown Sheets: Guess what I did!
Don’t include your name and contact info on your breakdown list.
Give them the brush.
Don’t update recruiters when you move, change e-mail addresses or phone numbers — be mysterious.
Don’t stay in touch with employers. You’ll never run into them again.
The recruiter’s job is to help companies find top people. Make them work to find you and contact you. Don’t help them do their job — they might help you to get one.
If you find a company you want to work for, make them work hard to hire you. After all, whom else are they going to get?
Pamela Kleibrink Thompson is a recruiter, hiring strategist and career coach. She is recruiting artists for a visual effects film being produced in Los Angeles and is amazed by the variety of obstacles artists put in their path to being hired.
Include only your name on your business card — maybe just a first name or nickname. They don’t need to know how to reach you or know what you do (title — are you a producer, artist or writer?). If you have an image on your card make sure it obscures important contact info. Don’t include both your phone number and e-mail address on your card. Hide your phone number on the back of your business card.
“You have my reel.” Ask the recruiter or employer to find your reel. After all, you just gave them one at SIGGRAPH, along with hundreds of other applicants. Why give them another? They are supposed to keep your reel and résumé for at least six months, so why send a new one?
Don’t include a breakdown with your reel. Let recruiters and employers guess what you did on the reel. Make them call you to find out what you did so you can draw them into a lengthy conversation. Maybe you can convince them to give you an animation position when all you’ve ever done was wire removal.
Don’t have an answering machine or service so people can get through to you. Set your machine on maximum rings if you have one so they’ll have to call back when you’re home.
Links:
[1] http://www.awn.com/imagepicker/image/6275
