Dumbing Yourself Down

Yesterday while I was being screened for a job referral at our local government employment agency, I was informed to, and I quote, “dumb down your resume.” Apparently employers aren’t looking for qualified individuals, they’re looking for bodies that can respond, “yessum.”

I informed her that this was my dumbed down version of this particular resume, which was also tailored specifically for the job I was hoping to apply for while leaving out a majority of my relative experience in that field. She responded by saying that if you put down too much employers will think they have to pay you more. Perhaps what she was trying to tell me was to apply for all these positions I know I could do but require Bachelor’s Degrees because my experience without the education might be a way to save a little money. We’ll see how that pans out.

Before the Clark College Business Administration Advisory Board meeting yesterday afternoon I talked with some of the committee about this. Of course, as an academic institution they were surprised, but some of the employers on the board were also surprised that this was being told to job searchers. I told them my theory was that most employers are looking for people they can mold into their corporate culture without excess baggage. In other words, somebody who will do what they say and how they want it done, not a know-it-all.

My problem is that I am a know-it-all. I mean, I don’t know everything, mind you, but I do a lot of research on how to do something, take all those various ways to approach and complete a project, and from there produce my own plan of action. I do this when coming up with new recipes I’ve never tried before and in the same manner before trying a new craft project. This method has worked out well for me by being able to eliminate potential issues and finding potential shortcuts, thus, creating a more efficient plan.

Now, I don’t come up with a new plan for everything I do, as these methods can be adapted in various ways. For cake making, knowing proper ratios for ingredients and their variables makes it easy to turn one recipe into a dozen, much in the same that learning shortcuts in quilting can result in shortcuts in all sorts of other sewing projects. I’ve used this philosophy in the workplace with excellent results, so I know it can be adapted into the confines of certain corporate cultures.

Perhaps I need to look at my resumes once again, throw out anything that is not on the qualifications and requirements for the job and see if that helps. Somehow I have a feeling I’ll be told my resume looks a little scarce and employers are looking for people with experience.