How Should a Resume Look?
Once, a cheerful woman reached out to me on LinkedIn. It seemed like a job offer, and she asked for my resume. After reviewing it, she said:
“This is garbage! Don’t you know how to make a resume that companies actually want to look at?”
As someone who had just received 30 rejections in a month, I felt utterly crushed (a final blow to my morale). She continued:
“I’ll make a resume for you—for a fee.”
Oh, I understood immediately. This "friendly" lady was trying to trick me into paying her. Her sales tactic of devaluing me through insults wasn’t exactly effective.
Never agree to pay someone who disrespects you, especially when they use the “pain point” method to pressure you. Sometimes, they overdo it.
I can assure you, she would have just uploaded my details into a free CV builder and charged me $120 for it.
You can explore resume templates on CV-building websites yourself. The most important thing is to include a description of the tasks you’ve handled in your previous roles. Think beyond the obvious—highlight the problem (pain point) and how you solved it.
Avoid using a large selfie on your resume, especially in international markets. You don’t want to risk offending someone’s sense of “inclusivity.”
Recruiters, who often sift through 200–300 resumes a day, react differently depending on their mood. LOL.
Sometimes, the director specifies a particular skill they want to see, and the recruiter scans resumes for that “magic phrase.” It could be software proficiency, skills, technologies, or specific problems you’ve solved in past jobs.
Usually, no one cares about your degree unless it’s in a strategically important field like engineering, medicine, or law. A good director knows that a diligent student doesn’t necessarily make a great team member.
Many people without formal education have earned millions, starting with car sales, books, or chicken wings—sleeping in their cars or washing dishes in their bathroom sinks because they didn’t even have a kitchen.
When you get your first response from a company, they’ll usually propose one of two scenarios: either a video call or a test task.
What does it all mean?
Honestly, I thought exams were over once I finished school and university. Imagine my shock when I realized you have to “take exams” every time you apply for a job.
But it’s true.
So why would a company want to talk to you first instead of giving you a task to verify your skills?
I often see complaints about lengthy test tasks—20 pages or an 8-hour workday without pay.
If a company is doing well, they’ll toss you a few coins for your time. That’s a great indicator that you can showcase your skills and make an effort.
Why Start with a Video Call?
It’s a manipulative tactic to check your “adequacy.”
Why would a company want to ensure you’re not a psychopath before giving you a test task? Here are a few reasons:
Risks.
If the team is struggling, income is shrinking, and someone has quit, they don’t want to hire someone unstable who could make things worse. They need process optimization and fresh perspectives.
Assessing Your Influenceability.
The director might expect you to respond to messages at 8 PM, criticize your poor results without offering guidance, threaten low pay, or forbid using references if you’re a designer (???).
The team has a leader, and they want to ensure you’ll follow orders and take on extra tasks willingly.
Evaluating Your Personality.
They want to see if you’re manageable, whether you’ll increase their risks, and save the skill evaluation for later.
Such workplaces are unhealthy and likely need help. But the owner’s ego and treatment of employees as disposable often destroy such businesses within five years.
Spending your time on toxic environments is your choice.
Sometimes, desperation makes us cling to hopes of salvation, but you risk falling into the abyss along with their unhappy team.
Business Is About Relationships!
They should be clear, transparent, and mutually beneficial—no “free cookies.”
Video calls to check your “adequacy” are a red flag that screams, “This isn’t a safe harbor, friend!”
But don’t forget to ensure you’re polite and tactful yourself. 😊
