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I applied for a job using my old (not Manager Tools approved) resume and got a job interview for later this week.

In the meantime I have redone my resume as recommended by M&M.

Question: Do I provide the interviewer with a copy of the new resume?

My feeling is that since the function of a resume is to get you the interview there is no need to introduce my new (and admittedly better) resume.

Thanks!

____________

Evan

jhack's picture

Focus your energy on preparing for the interview. I assume you've bought the Interview Series and downloaded it? If not, do that right away.

If you have an updated resume, you can bring a copy with you to the interview. You might have an opportunity to pass it along. Don't push it.

John

asteriskrntt1's picture

John is right. Focus on the interview.

I know there is a similar thread on here and the concensus was not to introduce a new resume in the interview. It is like distributing a report before a presentation and then introducing a new report in the actual presentation.

People don't have time to look and absorb the new material. It annoys them and takes their focus off what is really important - YOU.

*RNTT

bflynn's picture

The hiring manager liked something about your old resume. It was good enough to get you this far. Don't change it, that would introduce the opportunity for more things to go wrong without any significant benefit.

Focus on the interview and be prepared to link the expected questions to your old resume points. Recognize that the interviewer may not be focused on your resume beyond the first page.

My experience is that it can be very difficult to rework your resume down to a page. What you believe is the lean muscle of your experience may not be what a hiring manager wants to see - not every manager gets the same thing out of reading your resume. There is so little room, that you have to work hard to make items work for multiple styles. With a larger resume, you have a more complete, although fluffier resume. Depending on you and your material, this can be much more difficult than just cutting it down to a page.

Brian

WillDuke's picture
Training Badge

I agree with everyone above including yourself Evan. You have the interview, focus on getting prepared.

I'd take the new resume with me though. Just in case. :)

matto's picture

Evan-

I agree with the above posts. Don't bring your new resume to the interview. I say this for two reasons: the aim of the resume is to get you the interview, which you now have, and secondly, the interviewer may see a very different resume on your side of the table when compared with theirs. They may start wondering why they have a 3-page resume with a lot of white space, when you only have a single-page copy. Handing over a fresh, updated resume [b]will look unprofessional[/b], and show that you weren't prepared in the first place.

Instead, direct your efforts on the actual interview. Review all of the past 'how to interview' podcasts, and run a search here in the discussion forums for "interviews" for some tips and advice.

Good luck!

Matt

James Gutherson's picture

By reworking your resume to the M-T model you've done the hard work of distilling your career down to accomplishments.
(BTW the resume that sits in your desk/computer does not need to be one page but it should be accomplishment bullets, you cherry pick from that one page of the accomplishments that work best for the position you are applying for.)
What you now need to do is use that work to prepare answers based on these accomplishments. Just because the resume they have might not be in accomplishment format does not mean that your anwsers shouldn't be.

Have a listen to the 20 September '06 cast on Connecting Resumes and Interviews.

Oh and I wouldn't give them the new version of your resume, just do your preparation from it.

thaGUma's picture

Don't submit anything unless you have done something new - all you have done is make a good career appear in the best light. If the MT resume highlights somethign that wasn't highlighted i nyour last resume, then perhaps this can be mentioned in discussions. BUT the majority of info should have neen on the old resume anyway - so don't confuse people who could be looking for reasons to discard. Don't be a false negative.

Chris

Mark's picture
Admin Role Badge

Evan-

Some misguided thoughts here.

If you are asked for your resume, ABSOLUTELY give them the updated version. It would never be considered unprofessional to have updated it. It doesn't look as if you were unprepared, insofar as that would imply the company brought someone in that was unprepared.

And, you needn't ever OFFER your resume if you're not asked...and you probably won't be asked.

Take the new one. If they ask for one (unlikely), give them the new one. If they don't, it's moot.

(This post does NOT imply a recommendation to improve one's resume after having gotten an interview if one has not already done so. That would be wasted time versus interview prep.)

Mark

karaikudy's picture
Training Badge

I help my friends here in India, as many dont have access to internet with faster downloads to listen to Manager tools podcsat, thus prepare for their interviews. Of course, they are open enough to tell me that they have the interview coming.

In all 3 cases where I helped, I had told them to trim the resume to 1 page as per MT.(This was after they submitted the old 6 page resume, when the position was announced) and submit that to the interviewer and even suggested that this is the trend and explained why they think thats the norm. One case, my friend in the final discussion with CEO submitted a copy of the "Horstman's law" to the CEO of the US$ billion company.

In all the 3 cases they landed with the offer.

I think handing over the Updated resume works, at least in a fast changing and dynamic environment.

Regards
Karthik.