Nov 5, 2004
All Dressed Up for the Ivory Tower
I, for one, welcome our new moral overlords. Still, more pressing things are upon me. A few job applications are about to be mailed off. I wondered if my esteemed colleagues here, who have been on the hiring end of business, would volunteer some advice.
Notice that I wrote business. And quite deliberately. Here at Chicago, the Graduate School of Business just moved into a brand new and gorgeous facility. I hang out there often to soak up the vibe. Lately, they have had some job fair or interview runs going on and I have peeked at more than a few resumés and cover letters. I am quite impressed. They look good. One applicant had obviously done his McLuhan homework because he had pulled, bold quotes scattered around the cover sheet. Or maybe he just reads FHM or something (blatant cheap shot there).
Looking down at my own printed material, I can't help but notice their lackluster nature. Please don't even start with the"work is what counts". I know. But presentation is crucial in my view. We are programmed to read with our nose so close to the text that the entire outside world is a blur. The world that appreciates clean and pressed clothes, a haircut, eye contact, smiles, chit-chat about local sports and weather. The world that would like you to tell them why 8th century Arab generals hold any relevance in two succinct sentences.
So, the question I ask of my senior colleagues is...How important is presentation in the first round of job searches? Does a well-formatted CV jump out? Fonts? Graphics? Pull Quotes? What about the teaching dossier? The dissertation chapter?
My application will be read by History faculty (though not exclusively South Asian or Islam) and I would like to make a good enough impression to be asked for a job talk (at which time I would need advice on what to wear to a job talk. I hear Italian designer suits help).
Notice that I wrote business. And quite deliberately. Here at Chicago, the Graduate School of Business just moved into a brand new and gorgeous facility. I hang out there often to soak up the vibe. Lately, they have had some job fair or interview runs going on and I have peeked at more than a few resumés and cover letters. I am quite impressed. They look good. One applicant had obviously done his McLuhan homework because he had pulled, bold quotes scattered around the cover sheet. Or maybe he just reads FHM or something (blatant cheap shot there).
Looking down at my own printed material, I can't help but notice their lackluster nature. Please don't even start with the"work is what counts". I know. But presentation is crucial in my view. We are programmed to read with our nose so close to the text that the entire outside world is a blur. The world that appreciates clean and pressed clothes, a haircut, eye contact, smiles, chit-chat about local sports and weather. The world that would like you to tell them why 8th century Arab generals hold any relevance in two succinct sentences.
So, the question I ask of my senior colleagues is...How important is presentation in the first round of job searches? Does a well-formatted CV jump out? Fonts? Graphics? Pull Quotes? What about the teaching dossier? The dissertation chapter?
My application will be read by History faculty (though not exclusively South Asian or Islam) and I would like to make a good enough impression to be asked for a job talk (at which time I would need advice on what to wear to a job talk. I hear Italian designer suits help).