The Kids Today

We got a résumé today from someone who graduates in May. In the “skills” section, she listed “the Internet” and “e-mail.” I’m curious. Should I just assume that her skills also include “pen” and “paper”? And what about “the telephone”?

20 comments

  1. Oh, I bet she listens to that dadgummed rock roll music, too! You should remind her about your 6 mile walk to school, uphill, both ways, and that when you were her age, you didn’t have “the internet” – for entertainment, you just stared at the sun until your retinas burned out!

    Then, tell her to get off your lawn.

    @ 11:02 am on February 19, 2010
  2. it does seem a little strange that someone who graduates in May would the the Internet as a skill on their resume. That’s like someone of Tim’s generation listing Electricity as a skill on theirs.

    @ 11:12 am on February 19, 2010
  3. Graduating in May. From college? Or 4th grade?

    @ 11:17 am on February 19, 2010
  4. Watching Kell on Earth a week ago I had one of those moments questioning today’s youth. Tasked with preparing professional goodie bags for the folks in the trade during New York Fashion Week, Kell’s interns thought that crudely printing the names of the recipients on paper bags with a Sharpie would be fine. On one bag “fincial” was written for “financial”, along with other misspellings. A room full of interns (college grads & near grads) did not catch the multiple errors. Lord save us!

    @ 11:18 am on February 19, 2010
  5. Don’t assume anything. For instance, just because she listed “the Internet” does NOT mean that she is proficient with “Twitter”, or instant messaging, or downloading her Ipod.

    @ 11:26 am on February 19, 2010
  6. i once had a resume submitted for my review where the guy had a picture of him in his best “go out” outfit in the corner and listed one of his skills as “Blackberry”

    His name wasn’t Chris Chris, but it should have been.

    @ 11:29 am on February 19, 2010
  7. “we got..”??? how about “we received” instead

    I would not assume that her skills also include pen and/or pencil, nor should you assume that crayons are a skill, too.

    @ 11:59 am on February 19, 2010
  8. Considering how much of my day is spent wasted on the internet instead of doing something productive, I’d say it belongs on my resume.

    @ 12:22 pm on February 19, 2010
  9. I teach speech in one of the community colleges (DCCCD). My students have to list their sources for their works consulted for their speeches. I had a student list “the internet” as a source. After I got over my anger, I told my classes that the “the internet” is a source in the same sense “the library” would be a source — in other words, no, the internet is not a source.
    And then, I beefed up my lecture on how to do research.

    @ 12:26 pm on February 19, 2010
  10. If she were truly competent, she would have listed it as “teh intarwebs!!11!” However, if her hobbies include something called “cosplay,” I’ve been advised by HR that not only can you not ask what that means, but that you would be well advised to hire her.

    @ 12:29 pm on February 19, 2010
  11. “what the F is the internet?”

    @ 12:57 pm on February 19, 2010
  12. And typos. Are you getting typos in either your resumes and/or cover letters? Those used to get deleted immediately; now I send them snarky reply emails. It can only help them in their hunt…

    @ 1:12 pm on February 19, 2010
  13. I ask that Wes Mantooth’s commenting privileges be revoked. Here I am googling “cosplay” expecting something good and I get zip. So I consult Urban Dictionary — not titillating at all. Wes, you’re about to get a serious beat down.

    @ 1:13 pm on February 19, 2010
  14. I need to see a picture before I critque the resume.

    @ 1:25 pm on February 19, 2010
  15. Well, this tells me I must totally rewrite mine now. I’m way overshooting with my specific skills set list. Also, I’m changing the section to ’skillz’. BRB.

    @ 1:34 pm on February 19, 2010
  16. Best resume advice I got came from a Gannett recruiter, who said to simply list where you’ve worked and who you’ve worked for.

    @ 1:49 pm on February 19, 2010
  17. I’ve seen this sort of thing before — it appears on a resume when a professional recruiter/advisor “helps” a person inflate their skills from near zero to party balloon level.
    Additional skills could include: operator room-model anti-darkness device; facilitator for nutrition excursions; experienced recreational paper manipulator….

    @ 2:01 pm on February 19, 2010
  18. sexting while driving is one of my skills

    @ 3:29 pm on February 19, 2010
  19. Like, I can find anything on the web like. Promotions after 6 months and flex time. Would you like fries with that?

    @ 9:00 pm on February 19, 2010
  20. Okay, here’s a stretch (and yes, I’m being the obvious devil’s advocate here). The trick recruiters tell you is to differentiate your resumé so it stands out.

    This one did.

    Clever or clueless? You be the judge.

    @ 6:53 pm on February 21, 2010

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